Happy (belated) Valentine's Day!

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day yesterday, whether you despise the greeting-card holiday, use it as an excuse to devour wine and wallow in your singleness, or if you love every candy heart and floral bouquet that passes by. If nothing else, the day can just be a reminder to appreciate the love you do have in your life--whether that's your significant other, your best friend, a family member, or even your pets. Everyone just needs an extra hug sometimes.

Ryan and I celebrated by going out this past Saturday to 18 Seaboard (per usual). Who wants to wake up early and go to work the day after a nice night out? Then we hopped over to the Krispy Kreme a few blocks away for a dozen hot-n-ready doughnuts. Melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. That night was particularly cold ("arctic-like" windchill, apparently). We saw a homeless man sleeping upright in one of the booths, curled up in his jacket trying to avoid the cold. Before we left, I put a doughnut in front of him; even if had no desire to eat it, at least he looked like a paying customer. Moments like this just remind you how fortunate we are for our homes and our families; we worry about such petty things (like not having a valentine), never thinking about just trying to find a warm place to sleep.

Anyways, one of my favorite parts of this "holiday" is looking at all the unique cards that stationary shops come out with. I got this "You're a Fox Card" for Ryan from Rifle Paper Co. I thought it was appropriate. :)

I also love all the e-cards that NPR puts out every year. I sent Ryan one from the show Car Talk last year (he loves nothing more than listen to these brothers on a Saturday morning). You can see the rest of the NPR Valentine's Day cards here. I do realize that this makes us complete public radio dorks, but hey, Ryan really is the click to my clack.

Hoot Hoot

You just said "whoa!" didn't you?

To add to the "photo of the day" theme, here's an awesome online shop I found called Night Owl Paper Goods. It's a "modern yet folksy" eco-friendly stationary company that makes handmade letterpress cards and wooden goodies. You can get your own designs printed on wood, or pick up some of their adorable cards, journals, gifts, and yes, even wedding stationary. How ridiculously cool is that?

P.S. You can buy owl cake toppers here too (see below). I am all about some nontraditional, funky little cake toppers. I had ours made of polymer clay from an Etsy vendor: Ryan is a traditional groom, and I'm a short, round eskimo woman (if you want the full story, ask).

Mr. and Mrs. Owl Wedding Cake Toppers

Here's some other Night Owl products I've fallen in love with:

Hydrangea Thank You Notecards

Personalized Holiday Cards: Doily Snowflake