A thought about Valentine’s Day

Back when I was in college, I remember Valentine’s Day as a day of extremes. Deliveries lined the halls of the administration building, beautiful flowers waiting to be picked up by giddy young people in love. Those who weren’t involved in a relationship, but may have wanted to be, were completely depressed.

A loving reminder to those of you who are not involved in a relationship right now, and even those who are, that Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers, and it’s not just another day; it’s a day to celebrate love, and there are all kinds of love. If you receive flowers and chocolates, congratulations. Enjoy them. If you don’t, go buy a valentine chocolate and bring it to someone who needs a smile, or go to the local animal shelter and give special love to an abandoned dog or cat whose heart and spirit may be broken. There is always, always, always a lifting of the heart when we give from the heart!

Whatever your circumstance, enjoy the day. It’s a gift, too.

Janet.¸¸.ღ

Photo by Goban Saor: http://www.pxleyes.com/blog/2009/06/100-touching-photos-expressing-loneliness-and-solitude/

Photo by An Gobán Saor

via 100 Touching Photos Expressing Loneliness And Solitude.

Expectation is the root of all heartache

Expectations are the root of all heartache.

~ William Shakespeare

Something to think about…

Taking our friends and loved ones for granted, expecting perfection from them in every instance, greatly lessens the value we have in one another’s lives. Being hard on those closest to us may relieve some of the tension we feel about our own imperfections, but it creates another tension, one that may result in our friends leaving us behind.

We need the reminder, perhaps, that our friends are special to our growth. Our paths have crossed with reason. We complete a portion of the plan for one another’s lives. And for such gifts, we need to offer gratitude.

Each of us is endowed with many qualities, some more enhancing than others; it is our hope, surely, that our lesser qualities will be ignored. We must do likewise for our friends. We can focus on the good, and it will flourish — in them, in ourselves, in all situations. A positive attitude nurtures everyone. Let us look for the good, and in time, it is all that will catch our attention.

Source (modified): Each Day a New Beginning | Hazelden Meditations

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Valentine friends

February 13, 2013
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Charlie Brown, colorful pictures, friendship, holidays, peanuts, Snoopy, Valentine's Day, valentines, Woodstock

Love and friendship

February 13, 2013
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diversity, friendship, hands, heart shape, holidays, love, Valentine's Day

For All the Lonely Hearts

Excerpt: Are you spending this Valentine’s Day alone? We hope you take heart in the knowledge that most of us have spent a Valentine’s Day evening – or two or more – by ourselves. Maybe we moped about it – or worse – gone out and done something we regret like awoken with a hangover next to a complete stranger. Perhaps we stayed home, curled into a ball on the couch with a box of tissues, eating ice cream and watching An Affair to Remember or Titanic for the umpti-ninth time. Maybe we played video games with strangers well into February 15th, or surfed the Net for other lonely hearts. For many, loneliness is a singular experience. But the strange thing is: You don’t have to be by yourself to feel lonely…

Solitude versus Loneliness

Sometimes solitude can feel peaceful and calm and at other times it can feel overwhelming with loneliness. Being lonely is even worse if we feel lonesome when we are with others. This paradox can happen when we feel like people around us don’t understand us or don’t really care about us. We can feel isolated and alone in a room full of people, trapped in our mind. This may be hard to believe – but feeling lonely is a choice and to a large degree, our attitude depends on how we view our personal time perspective. If we are stuck in all the bad experiences, mistakes and missed opportunities of the past – we are stuck in our past negatives. This, in turn, makes us feel hopeless in the now – present fatalistic. This one-two punch is a recipe for depression. But it is time for you to land an upper cut to that old foe so it knows there is a new You to contend with.

Valentine’s Day nail art

More posts like this one can be found on the Beauty Tips board of my Pinterest page, plus posts in these other categories: beauty, crafts, decorating, fitness, gardening, holidays and party ideas, practical magic, needlework, and recipes: http://pinterest.com/asmile4u

February 7, 2013
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beauty, fashion, heart-shaped, holidays, manicures, nail art, style, Valentine's Day

Heart-shaped lavender wreath

via Pinterest

Whatcha got there?

mygirlphotocontest_1stplace | McMurray Hatchery Blog.

Craft Idea: DIY ornaments | Gorgeous and Easy

Soel Boutique: DIY ornament.

February 1, 2013
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Christmas, craft ideas, crafts, DIY, DIY ornaments, holidays

Vintage Quilt Crazy Quilt Hearts

Using a vintage quilt from the 1940′s, I cut out heart shaped designs and then embellished each one with Silk ribbon embroidery, dyed laces, charms, beads, sequins, and various tpes of threads. A loop large enough to act as a hanger was made us pearl beads.

http://stitchinfingers.ning.com/photo/vintage-quilt-crazy-quilt-hearts-2?context=latest#

Vintage Quilt Crazy Quilt Hearts – stitchin fingers.

January 25, 2013
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crafts, hearts, holidays, needlework, quilt, quilting, Valentine's Day, valentines

Mosaic Cross Cookies

Simply Sweets by Honeybee: Mosaic Cross Cookies.

January 25, 2013
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cookies, cross, desserts, Easter, holidays, mosaic, recipes

Read my lips…

via FB: Aww! Sweet

January 22, 2013
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holidays, I love you, lips, love, Valentine's Day

A colorful handprint heart for Valentine’s Day

A wonderful project for a classroom project!

January 22, 2013
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art, crafts, handprints, heart, holidays, valentine, Valentine's Day

Heart-shaped carrot slices

Send a heart attack to a loved one

Send a heart attack to a loved one who is out of town. Write one thing you love about the person on each of the hearts. A wonderful long-distance show of love for Valentine’s Day.