Love Hurts

To mitigate the damage be careful where you step in matters of the heart 

(and on the winter landscape), but by all means go for it!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Alphons

.... is ready for love, are you?

Valentines signed, sealed and delivered?

While the mustache is cringe-inducing, the penmanship  is divine and totally swoon-worthy.

We give Alphons a perfect ten for style and hope it got him somewhere with Mlle. Marie Louise. 

S'Amore

The program for the February button club meeting was on Cherub, Cupid, and Putto buttons.

Yes, we learned, they are different creatures. Cherubs typically have wings and attend God. Cupids have wings and weapons and have to do with love. Putti can be either or neither, sometimes they are just cherubic little children, and are often found in Baroque art. 

Or something like that. If we ever really need to understand the fine distinctions we will make a chart and sort it out.

Back to our story. The presenter had several buttons for our inspection. 

This one found its way into our collection because of its reasonable price and intriguing image.

It shows two little cherubs, one breaking sticks to feed a campfire and the other warming his little hands by the flames. Is there more to this story?

A closer look led us to believe that the kindling being used is not just sticks from the nearby trees, but may actually be cupids' bows and arrows. 

What? Cupids giving up on love? Or have they just found out that there is a dot com that has borrowed their name and will likely put them out of business anyway? Or are they so cold without any earthly raiment that the bows had to be put to more practical use? So many possible scenarios!

Well, if they were hanging up the profession we would understand. We have felt the sting of matchmaking gone wrong and have vowed not to dabble in it ever again. Our career as cupid ends with one great success on our record (and several small failures hardly worth mentioning). 

What we do know about the button is that it is pressed brass, made by studio button artist Kevin Kinne of Tennessee, and it is signed and dated '94. Even though it has an antique look to it we are talking 1994, not 1794 or 1894 and the artist's mark is made with a Sharpie.

Just as we always say...every button tells a story. 

Even though we don't often know exactly what that story really is, it is always fun to speculate.

Local Love Lingo

Seen at a local auction house.

A fitting sentiment for today and everyday no matter how youz say it.

My Groovy, Possibly Gravy-Stained, Valentine

Perfect for that big Valentine's day date.

In 1968. 

For people living somewhere that has above zero temps on February 14. 

Who aren't afraid they might show up at the restaurant in the same dress their table is wearing.

What's That?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Could You Bee Mine?

Please honey.

Would You Be Mine?

Could you be mine?

I'd like to be yours!

Sow in Love

No eyelash batting or soppy poetry here. 

Just the straight-as-a-furrow facts.

The Road to Bliss

 As long as they don't get lost and have to ask for directions.

Super and Slinky

Do you have a valentine gift for your special guy or gal yet?

Check out this possibility found on the Etsy Blog.

 Etsy seller and creative spirit Virginie Rouffignac has the right idea with her

 Liberating and very fun lingerie.

Sweethearts Forever

We've come into another large stash of vintage valentines apparently saved by one recipient 

over many years and for many years. 

And we are again surprised that the one holding onto these precious sentiments is male. 

In this case it was a young man from Bloomer who cherished these sweet scraps from Emma, Lucille, Kenneth, Verona, Ila, and others enough to keep them around for, by our estimate, up to 70 years.

Do you still have your schooldays valentines? Sadly, ours are long gone.

Video Valentine

We aren't really up on the current music scene, but with the help of others we sometimes happen upon little ditties that capture our fancy. Found at magpie & cake this version of You and I by the New Zealand folk rock band Avalanche City is a pretty much perfect audiovisual valentine with a crafty element to boot.



The lyrics are so sweet. Each stanza could be a valentine in itself.

But as the women at magpie & cake point out, the highlighted sentiment in the fourth stanza
would win the heart of any fabriholic. It did ours.

If you had an empty suitcase

I'd help you to pack it tight
And if you were afraid of darkness
Well I would stay till it was light

If you were a super model
I would help you lift your bags
I'd push those paparazzi over
So you could get inside your cab

If you found your toothpaste empty
I would squeeze out just a little more
If you had the sweetest victory
I'd high five you till our hands were sore

If you were scared and worried
I would keep you safe and sound
If you were addicted to fabric
You could fill a whole room in our house

If we climbed the highest tree top
And you said you couldn't climb back down
I would build the finest tree house
For our new life above the ground

And when you smile at me so sweetly
I love what happens in your eyes
When they open up to me my darling
Its all I need and its so right

Oh I have got a thousand reasons
For you to come away with me
The more I look the better you seem
And I hope that in your heart you see

Cause I believe that you are all I want
Cause I believe that you and I belong
 and, I belong. 

Be Very Careful

Most people would not consider Valentine's Day a dangerous holiday, 

but someone we know would say it is the most dangerous of all.

Peril #1 - forgetting it.

Peril #2 - remembering, but failing to act.

Peril # 3 - contradictory messages sent by the retail industry and sometimes the valentine recipient. 

Big boxes of chocolate and small pieces of lingerie seem like an ill-fated combo. 

And we all know what's really at stake now don't we?

So, we will do our part to keep you out of danger by reminding you daily of the approaching day for hearts and flowers, but really other than that you're on your own.

Be careful, very careful.

White Glove Love

When you marry a fastidious homemaker you shouldn't be surprised when scouring and scrubbing get in the way of love.

It is hard to ease up on our stringent standards, but maybe just for today we'll let the cobwebs and dust bunnies hang around while we focus on domestic arts in matters of the heart.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Bell Boy Oh Boy

Aren't you cute!

My Punny Valentine

Henrietta could tell from Floyd's choice of Valentine that accepting his invitation would result in the most excruciatingly painful first/last date ever.

Choose wisely fellas.(and gals)

Driven to Distraction

Valentine, you drive me crazy.

Vapid Valentine

It is said that the eyes are the windows of the soul. Well, sometimes we part the curtains, peek inside and there is not a soul at home. But if the house has a vacancy sign in front maybe that means there is plenty of room for uncomplicated love inside.

Here's a little secret,

Promise not to tell -

If you like me as I like you

You like me pretty well!

And if the Hearts and Flowers Don't Work

...Try a Valentine that may get you a sweetheart, but more likely, a restraining order.