Love List

Here we are more than a third of the way through February and life has conspired to keep me so busy I haven’t had a proper chance to blog regularly. This will simply not do! Especially during this month which is sanctioned as holding our one socially acceptable love holiday.  I have so many things I love and so many of them to share.  It’s time for a little love roundup!

If you know me at all, you know I love vintage cards and I’m especially partial to Valentines.  Don’t you love the idea of a pair of cupids knocking at your door delivering baskets of delights?

Here’s one of the things they’ve actually delivered – an early bouquet.  These are Solomias, a member of the Dianthus family which are often known as “flowers of love.”  Carnations and pinks are also members of the Dianthus family, and while I’ve never had Solomias before, I suspect they’ll be as long-lasting.  They have a delicate carnation-y scent as well, and since almost half of the stems are still in bud, I suspect this bouquet will be giving me many many days of pleasure.

Here’s another variety of flower to love as well – these textile beauties by artist Laurence Aguerre.

Back in the 1930s radiologist Dain Tasker started photographing flowers using x-ray film. The images are extraordinarily beautiful.

Talking about things I love, bees are never far from mind.

Image my excitement when I discovered this experimental music featuring 40,00o bees!  Feel the buzz.

Equally heart-warming is the project Emily Blistein came up with – Love is Mightier.  She invited designers to create artwork extolling love over fear and created postcards to sell with all the proceeds going to support local anti-gun violence organizations.  I’m certainly loving supporting that.

Rachel Ball has a love of sentences.

Designer/inventor Dominic Wilcox clearly has a brain populated with plenty of ideas he’s willing to make happen.  I love the directional shoes, and just last night friends and I were discussing alternate uses for fans.  We didn’t think of this teacup application.

Frankly I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a little peek into other’s creative spaces. Here’s a look into the studios of 100 famous artists.

Although I don’t have a fabulous photo to post of my studio, I’ll give you a peek at one object in mine with a bit of a Valentine’s theme…

Top of the  reading recommendation list this week is the graphic novel published back in 2004 – Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi.  It’s an autobiographical tale of her life as a young girl in Iran during the Islamic Revolution.  In keeping with my practice of rating using floriography, the Victorian language of flowers, I’m awarding this book a bouquet of red tulips.  Red tulips signify true love, and the national flower of Iran happens to be the inverted tulip.

And finally, as we’re heading into Valentine’s weekend, I can’t resist sharing a recipe I’ll be whipping up –  Lavender Honey Truffles.  You can find a recipe here.

There you have it – a few things that are making my heart happy as we head into the happy heart holiday.  Whatever your relationship with Valentine’s Day – whether it is something you celebrate, something you scorn, or any variation in between – I do encourage you to share a thing or two that you love.  Do tell – you know I want to hear.