Happy Valentine's Day!

I know it's a cheesy Hallmark holiday, manufactured by corporate America (Maybe? I don't know if that's true.  I honestly haven't bothered to research it.) to make us feel like we must buy cards, flowers, and candy. I'm aware of all that, but I can't bring myself to get mad at Valentine's Day because a.) I love holidays of any ilk and b.) How bad can a day that celebrates love be? Which brings me to my mantel...

{Festive, no? Calla lilies courtesy of my valentine.}

So, yeah, I spent an hour on a Saturday night cutting out hearts and sewing them together... I drank wine while I did it. Does that make it less lame? I may or may not have cut out a few extra to include with the card that I mailed to Tom's office... He sent me the following picture today in a text. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but the text said, "You're adorable."

In some sort of Valentine's Day miracle, I was struck with a bolt of V-Day inspiration this weekend when I realized that my contribution to Valentine's dinner should most definitely be cannolis. See, in case you were somehow unawares, the husband is Italian, like three generations removed from the motherland, but Italian nonetheless. Soooo, I thought I would throw my hat in the ring for Wife of the Year and make cannolis for Valentine's Day.... Turns out, you need a special tool called a "cannoli form." I do not own a cannoli form, so I talked the Whole Foods bakery peeps into selling me some empty shells.

So, hey, new thing for the week! I made cannolis...sort of. I dipped the shells in chocolate, made the filling, and...filled them. Maybe next year I'll invest in these so-called cannoli forms...probably  not. In any event, my half-homemade cannolis turned out to be quite delicious.

I also gave my valentine a present that was more about the wrapping than the actual gift... (something he apparently realized before he opened it...)

Then he made me an ah-mazing dinner of seared scallops and shrimp with balsamic strawberries... Seriously, it was next level delicious.

So, yes, February 14th is technically no different than any other day. And, yes, we should demonstrate our love every day. That said, Imma stick by Valentine's Day. Here's one of my new favorite love quotes to close out this V-Day post.

"We're all a little weird.  And life is a little weird.  And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness - and call it love - true love." - Robert Fulghum