valentine's round-up

While you still have more than two weeks to figure out how you'll spoil your S.O. this Valentine's Day, it's never too early to get started! And Etsy makes it super easy to find just the right way to say "I love you!" I thought I'd share this round-up of Etsy finds that made my heart go pitter-patter – look for the full list of Etsy shops at the end of my post.

Sweets are always sure to please – like these deliciously darling sugar cookies:


Of course, a love note is a must:


And even if you have a hard time saying the right thing, just spell it out plain and simple with this gorgeous photo print...


...or Scrabble tile pillow set:


Cuddling up in bed is extra special when it's filled with loving style and comfort:


Sometimes it's hard to express exactly how you feel, so here are a few items that can eloquently do the talking for you:


Or if your feelings require a bit more punch (of red) to emphasize your passion, try one of these love tokens:


And last but not least, instead of a teddy bear, try one of these little cuddlies to show how much you care:


If any of these lovelies inspires you to do some Valentine's shopping, just check the list to find the corresponding Etsy shop:

1 – Sweet Pies Delights
2 – Little Brown Pen
3 – Sherri Conley
4 – Pillow Happy
5 – Chakra Pennywhistle
6 – Drawing Room
7 – Paloma's Nest
8 – Rae Dunn
9 – Mudgoddess
10 – Funky Recycling
11 – Mireio
12 – Cotton Bird Designs
13 – Mudgoddess
14 – LoRi la Tortuga
15 – Cotton Bird Designs
16 – Girl Savage
17 – Maisey Handmade
18 – La Pomme
19 – La Pomme
20 – La Pomme
21 – La Pomme

Valentine's Day is over...

...and I'm left with lots of goodies! As far as this holiday goes, I think we showed a respectable amount of restraint by celebrating it with a simple card, a few of Fran's Chocolates heavenly salted caramels (my favorites!), and a nice dinner at a new Italian restaurant called Lucca (our pizza was delicious).

But I had saved the best for last: desert! And not just any desert, but the best Danish kringle this side of the big pond, flown in especially from Andersens Bakery in Santa Barbara!

We had last enjoyed this small piece of heaven on earth on my mother's birthday in December, when we were visiting my parents in Southern California. Imagine my delight when I found out Andersens Bakery is now offering online sales and second-day shipping!


I placed my order on Tuesday and sure enough, Thursday around 2pm this gigantic box showed up on my doorstep! Not only did my kringle arrive safe and sound, they included freezing and heating instructions as well as a little box of cookies! (like we needed more sweets at this point, but still, a very nice touch.)


I pulled out my biggest platter and after a bit of struggling to unwrap all the plastic wrap and parchment paper, I managed to slide the kringle onto my platter in one piece. After making an tasty pot of tea, we were ready to enjoy a little slice of heaven.


The flaky pastry dough combined with the rich almond paste (slightly crusty where it leaked out from the dough) and the big sugar crystals on top are simply divine – something that makes me think back fondly to my childhood years in Denmark, where wienerbrød had a weekly presence at our breakfast table. Best of all, we can have seconds anytime we want, now that we popped the left-overs in the freezer!

Will you be my Valentine?

I can't believe Valentine's Day is just a few days away! I still have to make my hubby a card and find a little something that shows him just how much he means to me. I must admit, it'd be quite a bit easier if he were a girl - just look at all the cute things I found on Etsy:


I simply adore all the creations at the Felt Gallery! Yes, in case you're wondering, I do own one of her gorgeous flower pins - it's an orange poppy you may have seen me wear in several photos shown in previous posts. I can't tell you how many comments I receive every time I wear it!


Staying with the felt theme, check out these darling lady bugs at Fine Art Toys. All her little critters are simply too cute for words - like the grey kitty or Russian dolls! And what better way to package your little gift than in a paper pillow box by Field & Sea. If you love paper as much as I do, you just HAVE to stop by her Etsy shop for some of the most amazing paper patterns and prints.


How cool is this "anatomically incorrect" heart at PearsonMaron? Yes, it's got the arteries in the right place, but thankfully artists Quincy and Adam cleaned up the rest to be visually much more pleasing than the real thing! And I think I need to find a scarf just like the one in this watercolor by Emily at The Black Apple - how romantic to literally be tied to your Valentine in a PG-13 way! I've admired Emily's style for a while now and will soon have to purchase one of her amazing paintings myself.


What's Valentine's Day without flowers?! This rose print by Teha would look stunning in a simple white mat and black frame (okay, so I'm a purist). And check out this necklace by Spin Designs - I met her at the Portland Gift Show in January and was speechless when I saw her amazing designs. The style is so clean yet elegant - and while you're visiting her shop, take a look at the amazing mobiles.

Oh, and if your sweetie happens to need a little shopping inspiration, send him/her a link to this blog post - who knows, you may end up the happy recipient of one of these sweet treasures!