Valentine's Day (VD): To Celebrate or Not to Celebrate?

Confession time: I subscribe to an alarming number of crafty, party planning, sewing, home-making blogs. Right now, they're all pink and red and hearts and cupid. It seems that everyone is making heart-shaped pot holders, cookies, banners, cards, and almost anything else you can think of.

Image: Little Inspirations

I must admit that I'm planning a few little VD (!) surprises for the loved ones in my life. I just can't seem to help myself. When Lisa & I were courting one another, I organized a very elaborate VD scavenger hunt. I loved every minute of the planning and execution of it (not sure how she felt, but she loves me enough to not say if she thought it was a bit much). Now that we've been together for a while (this will be our 10th VD together), our celebrations are much more low key.

That said, I do realize that VD isn't fun for everyone. For some, being alone, lonely, or unpartnered can make this "holiday" more like an endurance test. For others, it's just too mainstream, commercial, and focused on giving/acquiring more "stuff".

Image source: Tiny Prints

It seems that most un-VD activities/events are pretty dark and bitter.

Images: AWTPL Teens, Blush Printables

Not that that's not okay - owning bitterness, anger, frustration, and hurt can be very useful. However, I wanted to know if there was anyone out there who was putting a more positive spin on un-VD get-togethers. While I didn't spend hours scouring the net for such an event, I couldn't seem to find anything that fit the bill.

Perhaps that will be one of my first "real" brilliant events.

Welcome!

So here's the deal: I love to dream about an alternate universe where I'm not a social worker/educator. Where my only responsibility is to cook up spectacular, personal, and elaborate events.

Get-togethers. Fiestas. Celebrations. Shindigs.

It seems it's all the rage these days to drop a lot of money on an over-the-top party. I'm not into that. I'm into celebrating being together, and doing it in a way that reminds us how special the people in our lives are; how important it is to pause from our busy-ness to celebrate relationships, passages, and milestones.

In this space I will share tidbits that excite, inspire, and comfort me. Things that I find uplifting, interesting, and fun. Now that I don't have a little one of my own anymore, I find myself looking at "auntiness" differently. This is part of that journey - part of me starting to look ahead, get excited again, and reinvest in something new. It's a way for me to take all those ideas and plans for birthdays, holidays, graduations, and everyday celebrations that didn't get to happen and still find a purpose for them.

I'm know for using (perhaps even over-using) the word "brilliant". Anything I find exciting, beautiful, thought-provoking, or unique is brilliant to me. So, when I took the leap to come out of the closet with my event planning dreams, I couldn't think of a better word to use to describe what I'm about. Brilliant. Plain brilliant.