Ahhhhh Valentine’s Day. The day that newly joined couples look forward to with pounding hearts and throbbing nether regions. They buy underwear frothing with horrible stuff like lace, feathers & fructose.
Or you can give your loved one a potato. An explanation of that gift idea, momentarily. Most anyone who follows along here probably doesn't need an explanation because they know my relationship with the potato.
In fact, I just checked. I have written 157 posts that involve potatoes. Last Valentine's Day I wrote a love poem to potatoes. It rhymes.
Underwear made of lace or shiny, unnatural fibres on the other hand? I've never written them so much as a riddle. Giving someone underwear that don’t breathe makes absolutely no sense for a day that’s all about romance and sexy-time. There’s nothing sexy about a yeast infection.
So even though you might be envious of that blossoming relationship your friend is going through, take pleasure in the fact that even though you’re single or in a relationship that’s so old you don’t even giggle after you fart in front of your other, your Valentine’s Day won’t end with a call to your doctor for a prescription.
I'm not a big fan of Valentine's Day. I believe I made that clear with my Cupid is Stupid post. And every Valentine's day post I've done before that.
However. I am, if nothing else, bendable. If we get rid of the Valentine's Day marketing around jet lagged red roses and hazy chocolates I can get behind a day that includes a thoughtful little gift and takeout dinner.
Emphasis on the thoughtful. A thoughtful gift is one you have come up with in your own head based on what your own partner would actually want.
IF I were to enter a relationship, I would allow, and even be happy to receive any one of these as a Valentine's Day gift.
- Positive Potato ~ a 3" high crocheted positivity potato. Done. Boom.
2. Cucumber growing mold ~ Happy Valentine's Day to me. I am awaiting delivery. So yes, there is a post on growing vegetables in a shaping mold, coming up this summer.
3. Dinner Dice ~ I featured these on my Christmas gift guide as well and a lot of people really liked them. I really like them for some reason. One less decision to make, right?
Opera Glasses ~ I have no justification for adding these to my Valentine's Day Gift ideas list, I just think they're super-cool. Probably good for seeing what the neighbours are doing for Valentine's Day.
Date Night Scratch Off Game ~ Good for newer or older couples looking to do more than watch tv every single night.
Flowers
Now for the flowers. Am I starving for a bouquet of flowers in the middle of February? Yes. Yes, I am. But leave the red roses where they belong, in Ecuador.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
I want these flowers.
As you know I'm a big big fan of Erin and her flower company Floret. I have been waiting years for her to release her own line of specialty seeds which she's been stabilizing for the past 7 years.
Floret Originals are finally here and a lot of people who read this blog would love them as a Valentine's gift. In fact, I'm currently waiting for my own shipment.
These flowers are remarkable because Erin has an artist's eye for colour. She specializes in flower colours you can't find anywhere else; subtle, pastel, complex hues.
Her bright flowers are subtle and beautiful, not garish and cartoony.
She bred Zinnia and Celosia in colours they've never been available in before like champagne, blush and sherbert.
PLUS you can save the seeds.
- Spun Sugar Celosia Vibrant but at the same time soft and muted. Will likely reseed itself in situ.
2. Precious Metals Zinnia Pastel tones of gold, bronze, and coppers. A+ for all of the variety naming by the way.
Petite Florets dahlia seed These dahlia seeds taken from a Floret variety dahlia will produce single form collaretes and anemone dahlias within a colour range of peach, apricot, dusty rose, lavender, sunbleached raspberry, and buttercream. All of which also have their mother plant's beautiful iridescent wash. If the produce a bloom you love, and the plant has big healthy tubers, you can save the tuber to plant next year.
These are just a few of my favourites, but there are a lot more on the Floret site.
I have to go check my mailbox now. Which is significantly more fun than waiting for a yeast infection.
Eva
Those flowers! I wish I had a garden ...
Karen
And I wish I had a much bigger garden, lol! ~ karen
Karen but not that karen
‘Candy is dandy, but sex , ( wanted to do a strike through but can’t figure out how) won’t rot your teeth…..i mean Zinnia seeds won’t rot your teeth……just ordered. I just paid CAD 50.00 for one package of seeds. I must be in love.
Jean C.
Happy Valentines Day to me. Ordered me some seeds!
Karen
Enjoy! I'm pretty excited for my own. ~ karen!
DoIHaveTo?
So the week after Valentine's we can expect a renewal of the yogurt tampon post? 😉😆
Danni
Once again we have done the witch thing... where something random has hit my radar and I open your post to find it covered. (The weirdest coincidence being info on taking an oven door apart, THAT specific.)
So, daughter is out of the country for work, sent a picture to me a few hours ago of flowers from the other side of the world. Oh! Those are coxcombs, I tell her, (I know because you grow them but don't like to say their name...:D) I quickly google a pic to confirm, and up pops celosia/coxcomb, same family, I guess. So I remind myself to look for seeds for celosia/coxcomb, but before I get to that I open your post.
We are witch related. (actually I have a relative that was hung as a witch in Salem but that's another story.)
Karen
The oven door thing *is* weird. Happy to be your life coach witch. ~ karen!
Sandra Blackwell
Go to YouTube. Search Cheryl Wheeler Potato song. You won't be sorry. :)
Deb from Maryland
Yep. A marketing holiday if ever there was one. Every kind of business (edible underwear?!) tells us what we should buy. lol I, too, don't disagree with a special day to do extra thoughtful things for your loved ones, but it's only thoughtful if you thought of it yourself. Not saying advice can't be taken though. ;)
Linda J Howes
I have a pair of Mother of Pearl opera glasses that were my grandmother's. They probably belonged to her mother because my grandmother married beneath her station and I really doubt she ever went to the opera. My great grandmother may have though or maybe even a relation before they emigrated here.
Karen
Fun! I have some too, but they're terrible pop up ones from a garage sale. So not quite the provenance of yours, lol. ~ karen!
Jane Passant
I love Floret, but are you familiar with https://www.dahliamayflowerfarm.com/. She is from Ontario and also has amazing flowers, seeds, tubers.
Hettie
Thank you for sharing that link! We'll drop by one day when we're out for a long drive.
Karen
Yes, I'm familiar with her, she's great! This is a different seed situation. Erin has created and grown out entirely new varieties. It's a bit of a huge deal. :) ~ karen!
Benjamin
Happy Valentines Day to me also because of you Karen. I didn't even know there was such a thing a shaped forms to grow cucumbers in until now.
Ordered mine. 🩵
Thank you.
Happy yeast infection day to those who celebrate.
Randy P
I agree with the 'bah humbug' view of this make believe holiday that holds no fond and only painful tragic memories for me. I AM however rather delighted to note that when I searched 'Positive Potato' on Amazon.ca it said there were over 1000 results. Now THAT is one metric crapload of crocheting says I.
🌵Las Vegas Pam🌵
Dearest Karen- the horror of VD, like Boy George, it comes and goes. Thankfully it goes pretty painlessly. No decorations to box up, nobody I know expects anything from me, sea salt and vinegar potato chips taste better than ever while watching a favorite movie. I wonder how the cucumbers are extracted from those molds? Do they painlessly slide out or is a corkscrew employed? Why roses when those flowers you pictured are so perfect? Give me hydrangeas with birds of paradise or irises but don’t waste your flower money on roses. And underwear isn’t up for debate. No satin up the crack lace. Eww.
I knew I could count on you to deliver a special Valentine’s greeting. ❤️
Catherine
I was waiting with my breath held at 9 this morning and got zinnia and dahlia seeds from Floret! I’m so excited to plant them up. Looking forward to seeing yours.