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Last year I totally forgot to send out Christmas cards, so I made valentines for my loved ones instead.  This year, I had the pleasure of attending a “Make Victorian Valentines” fundraiser — what fun!

Making Valentines

In addition to a refreshment table with coffee, hot chocolate, and lots of cookies, organizers set out lots of fun stuff to use in our valentines, much of it purchased from thrift-stores or at deep discount the year before. 

Our choices ranged from vintageladies’ handkerchiefs to doilies; from beads and sequins to bits of lace. I loved what everyone made, but secretly loved the children’s valentines the best– big, lopsided construction paper confections with childish hand writing, “I lovE you mommY”. 

Victorian Valentines

I thought it was a WONDERFUL idea, and how many of us get valentines anymore, much less home-made ones, glue and real handwriting and all?

Hand-made valentines

There’s still time.  Go get your scissors and paper and make someone you love an old-fashioned valentine, too!

Be mine

1. Be a rockin’ party host

Because you have time to clean your house!  And time to pull out (and put up) all the Christmas decorations!  And time to look through all those fabulous cookbooks and old magazines you’ve been saving for fabulous party recipes!

2.  Learn how to solder! 

3. Get your volunteer groove on

And feel better about yourself in the process.  You can: help pack Christmas boxes and serve holiday meals to those even less fortunate than you are;  be a temporary “Mobile Meals” volunteer to give some of the regulars time off for their own holidays; help put up decorations at your church, or a nursing home, or at your child’s school; volunteer your time, energy and talent  for those holiday bake and book sales, homeroom parties, church bazaars — it’s all good!

4. Give the best, most creative, most ingenious (plus also cheap) gifts in the whole history of the universe

Make those amazing scrap-quilted placemats you’ve always wanted to give your mom.  Bake gorgeous home-made cookies for all your friends.  Or make them cakes.  Did you know a local caterer here is selling plain old layer cakes for $70.00 each?  Hunt in antique stores (and thrift stores!) for perfectly unique, perfectly personalized special somethings, like the professionally-framed 18th-century French print of a map of Canada that I’ve just scored for my Canadian-born son for ten bucks…  (last year’s prize was the fully-operational Singer sewing machine, mounted in a lovely hard-wood cabinet, that I bought for my daughter… also $10!)

5. Sit in front of the fire and listen to Christmas carols, read a wonderful book, and drink spiced coffee. Right in the middle of the day!

Just because you bloody well can.