As I write this, I am sitting in my kitchen with Mr. Jane Win SURROUNDED by Valentine’s Day presents and decorations to send our kids in college. First round of packages will be fun heart garland to decorate their dorm rooms. The SECOND round of packages is presents!!!!!! I have the prettiest heart make-up bags that I had monogrammed, beauty supplies, heart pj’s. I have NOT gone crazy, lol I swear, but Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday.
HUMOR ME if you have been reading this blog for years and know all my stories, but the reason Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday is because of elementary school. I would go to the basement and choose the perfect shoe box (that my mom diligently saved), I would make a special trip to the Kings Way Pharmacy around the corner from my house in Augusta, GA to get pink and red construction paper. I would cut the hole in the top of the box to make it a ‘mailbox’ and I would wrap it in the construction paper – it was hard work! Why does scotch tape not stick to construction paper. Elmer’s glue – forget it – impossible.
I would draw my name on the outside and decorate it with some stickers, but mostly my own drawings of hearts and swirly words. I did not play it cool AT ALL, I wanted to have the best box on my desk. That was only phase one. THEN we made a second trip to the drug store to get the packs of cards and this was before they came with candy – I would then pick a special something to attach to the top of the envelope. Filling out the names of each person in my class and adding a heart or a star or a little note for my bff’s. My favorite gift was football pencils that the boys would trade at recess. And I would not get the professional teams I got the college pencils with UGA and Clemson…and my crush Jim loved Clemson so I would always try and keep those so he would have to trade me. TWISTED? Maybe.
I really can’t decide what the best part of this experience was but another really AMAZING PART was taking the box home and looking through all the cards and reading into them – does Leigh Brigham have a crush on me? Honestly probably not I had coke-bottle glasses and was clearly trying too hard at the Valentine’s Day party but I didn’t care one bit. It was all about the fun and the dreaming.
My wedding to my first husband was ON Valentine’s Day. GEESH, you would think that my marriage imploding would put me off on the holiday but nooooo I bounced right back. Actually that’s not completely true, I was devastated - but then in my year of divorced sadness I would take a long run every day and dream about meeting a new guy. At first I would day dream about meeting someone who had gobs of money and would take me away on fancy trips. And then I started daydreaming about finding someone who adored me. You know those couples who just LIKE and love each other more than others and put each other first and are best friends but also truly in love and closer than you could imagine. Partners. There aren’t many that are that connected so they really stand out. Well – I think I manifested that because it is exactly what I got when I met Mr. Jane Win.
Set up on a blind date, he called me the day I moved from my ‘forever house’ that I bought with my ex-husband, into a tiny house for my girls and me…I remember the phone ringing and I was surrounded by boxes – there was paper all over the floors to protect them. And I sat down and had the nicest conversation with this person who I didn’t know, who picked me up a week later for dinner and we both ordered cheese burgers and it was literally love at first sight.
So. I’m a love person. And I really don’t care if someone says it is a hallmark holiday, I feel lucky that I love it. It’s just – fun. A full DAY to tell someone you adore them. Silly cards and sexy cards and cards for your daughters in college telling them you love them and miss them more than they could imagine. And CANDY! Heart shaped boxes filled with chocolate. And JEWELRY! Jane Win is the queen of hearts and – honestly now – can you imagine anything better than receiving a little box with a gold heart in it on Valentine’s Day?!?!? I want my friends, I want my husband, I want my kids, I want my mom – I want my co-workers to get a little treat that day.
I hope you are smiling along with me because now you know how really into I am 😜! It just makes me happy. Today we launch our Valentine’s Day gift guide and – sure, buy a piece of incredible jewelry …or just go to cvs and get a card or some candy. But for me, please get ready to tell everyone that means something to you that you love them!
Sending tons of love, xx Janie
