on valentines

I have so much to do this week. Regional arts festival submissions for Maggie's school, a thank-you luncheon to organize for activity days, the ever difficult task of entertaining a particular one-year-old. And Valentines Day, with all that entails, is just around the corner. I have done a bit of blog-stalking this morning as I've held the sleeping baby G in my arms. I dare say, the creativity out and about in the blog-o-sphere is uncanny. There is nothing like a holiday to bring out evidence of this in full force.

Last year we started the tradition of having a family Valentine box. In the days and weeks leading up to Valentine's day, everyone was invited to make cards and gifts for other family members, and sneak them into the box. I confess that I did most of the valentine-ing, though Mags kicked in a few of her super-cute six-year-old offerings. B failed on all counts. Boo! On Valentine's morning I made a nice brunch, we cracked open the box, and we read our valentines. We also opened a few small gifts contained therein...think Christmas morning, only mostly just the cards and proclamations of love. It was so much fun!

Last year we had a homemade box decorated by Mags. It was splendid and has a permanent, cherished place up in my closet. This year, though, I got a nice fabric covered box with a lid...to better facilitate receiving the valentines. Additionally, we can decorate it each year with a different ribbon creation, and hence use the same box over and over again. Yeah! I had planned to make a few valentines for my family to help fill the box, but I had nothing spectacular in mind. Nothing special. Then looking at all the valentine offerings people are making and giving, I begin to feel inspired. I have decided that my next assignment will be to make one extra-special valentine for each of my three darlings here at home. Something above and beyond the average cards I will still make. Something really worth opening Valentines Day morning over brunch. Something to make them say, "Wow!"

I'll post pictures once I figure out what the "wow!"-makers will be. Any ideas?