my ginger valentine

I know it's annoying to see Valentine's Day stuff invade stores right after Christmas. And I know pink & red hearts and flowers aren't for everyone, but I've never met an excuse to celebrate that I didn't like...even the silly holidays promulgated by greeting card companies. Not to mention that I do love pink, hearts, and flowers.

We like to keep Valentines low-key. Rather than fight the crowds at restaurants, we enjoy staying in and cooking something tasty at home. We usually make something fun that we normally wouldn't tackle on a typical weeknight - risotto has been a go-to in the past, but this year we grilled steaks & watched a few episodes of House of Cards. It was a very DC Valentine's Day.

Part of the fun of celebrations are the presents. I know it sounds shallow, but I really enjoy gifts. To me, they are a physical expression of love & appreciation. It really has nothing to do with the actual gift, but the thought behind it. Some of my favorite gifts cost nothing at all. I love shopping for & giving gifts even more than receiving them.

This year, my valentine really outdid himself (with a little help from my sister :). A while back I featured Rifle Paper Co. on my Friday happy list. I'm obsessed with their floral paper products, and I've been thinking of ways I could incorporate their pretty prints in our house. I've also been toying with the idea of using coral as an accent color to the minty green/blue we have in the master bedroom. After hanging the sunburst mirror & some wedding photos in the bedroom a few weeks ago, we had one blank spot left that was begging for something pretty. When I stumbled on this over-sized coral frame from Pottery Barn, it all just made sense. Rifle Paper Co. print + coral frame + blank minty blue wall = perfection.

I told Megan how much I loved this combination, and she took it from there. I was only a little surprised, but a lot thrilled when I opened this sweet gift last Friday:

Per usual, my pictures don't do it any favors, but it far exceeded my already high expectations! I'm so happy with how it all turned out.

As a true surprise, Jon produced this adorable salt & pepper shaker right before we sat down for dinner. It's taken up residence on our kitchen table as the perfect little red accent.

As a sweet reminder not just on Valentine's Day, but every day of the year: "We love because He first loved us." - 1 John 4:19. The love of others is a wonderful blessing in this life, but nothing compares to the eternal love of our Heavenly Father.