Won't You Be My Vintage Valentine?

These sweet old Valentines were given to my mother when she was in grade school in the late 1940's-early 1950's. She had saved every one she had ever gotten, I think. :) I have had them set aside for years...just my most favorite ones I just couldn't part with... and I am so glad that I have them to share with you. My daughter was so upset because her class had voted NOT to exchange Valentines this year...you would have thought they had cancelled Christmas. She still very dutifully filled out one for each of her classmates last night, and muttered incredulously every few minutes about how she didn't know how SOME PEOPLE would choose NOT to give Valentines!!...

I can't wait to show these to her when she gets home from school today. So neat to see something that is from your grandmother's life when she was a girl just your age...

Happy Valentine's Day to you! Here's to a day filled with love and sweetness.....and chocolate!

KISS and Tell!

Are you familiar with the KISS method? You know, Keep it simple, Stupid (although, for the record, I much prefer being called "Schnookums" or "Sweetiepie").... Simplicity is at the heart of of joy and beauty, but we often forget that at this time of year. We get big boxes out of  the attic and spread their contents around the house, we spend lots of money buying more things to be put about, and we over-schedule ourselves to the point where we don't even have much time to be at home to enjoy all of that atmosphere we work so hard to create.

So how can we employ the KISS method this season? Here are a few ideas to beautify your home and keep it simple, Santa:

1. Almost anything can be made into a seasonal decoration, if you love it and find it beautiful. Small touches around the house, such as sprigs of evergreen on a bookshelf, a vase filled with pine boughs cut from the yard, a glass bowl used the rest of the year but now filled with glass ornaments are all simple ways to adorn your home.
2. Decorate with only your most favorite decorations this year. Consider donating those that you don't use and don't truly love. There will be less to put away on January 2nd, and there will be more room in which to store it!
3. Choose a color scheme for your decorations and use it throughout the house. With all items being cranberry and dark green, or silver and blue, or whatever your favorite combinations is, you won't need as many decorations around to create a cohesive feel and overall impact.

If what you are hoping for this season is peace and joy (and I am pretty sure you are), remember to keep it simple. The difference will be telling!