ONE // Rose petal infused honey

Everyone knows the way to my heart is through my stomach. A festive pizza is always a good idea. Or perhaps start with something a little more refined like this rose petal infused honey, avocado toast egg-in-a-hole, or Valentine’s Day treat box, which would also make a great gift. But who are we kidding? I’m eating this all myself! In fact, I’ll also be indulging in this slutty brownie sundae. Other cute desserts are London cheesecake, almond cake, and confetti hearts bubble gum cake. Valentine’s Day is not complete without red velvet recipes: pancakes with honeyed whipped cream cheese and layer cake with cream cheese frosting. Or change it up with raspberries: salted chocolate raspberry stout doughnuts and chocolate cupcakes with creamy raspberry frosting. If you have time, try these rainbow heart cookies. Or just take a swig of alcohol: champagne punch, cocktails, and grapefruit mojitos.

TWO // Be the best Valentine

I’ve never had a boyfriend before, but I’ve never been bothered by Valentine’s Day. I’m really excited for February 15 though; I can’t resist chocolates on sale. As a single person, I’ve always regarded Valentine’s Day as a time for me to be selfish, indulge in what I want, and treat myself. But this time I challenge you (and myself) to not limit Valentine’s Day to romantic love. Give all the lovely people in your life some appreciation. Show your friends you love them. Love yourself. Just because you don’t have a date doesn’t mean you can’t dress yourself up! Make a cute arrow and heart hair pin. Go casual during the day and formal at night. Go for a soft ensemble with a sweet and simple look or go bold lipped. Make them kiss proof just in case. You never know what the day might bring! Or just tune out, relax, and take a bath with Lush’s Valentine’s Day collection, because as Sylvia Plath says, “There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won’t cure, but I don’t know many of them.”

THREE // Printable Valentine party bags

For those of you unlucky enough to have the obligation to give your significant other a present, here are some helpful gift guides to make your life a little easier: for her, for him, and most importantly, for yourself. To get you started, here are some freebies: printable card 1, printable card 2, printable wall letters, and treat box labels. Personally, I think DIY gifts are the best, especially for a sentimental holiday like Valentine’s Day: you’re dynamite, branch tree, photo banner, mini-zine, flip book, lightbulb, typographic favor bags, tic-tac-toe, and more and more! Don’t underestimate the power of the traditional sweethearts candies (graham cracker conversation hearts, balloons, glitter heart candy boxes, leather gift tags), handwritten note (love note wall art, message in a bottle), or flowers (tips for buying flowers, paper flower pop up box, note wrapped flowers, crepe paper tulip).

FOUR // Your life is a hot date. Show up. (img src: Design Love Fest’s 10 favorite pins right now)

“I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning.” -J.B. Priestley. Whatever you do, don’t wallow in self pity. Today is not the day! Fall in love with everyone, fall in love with life. Wake up every morning ready to seize the day. Find beauty in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary. Read a cute comic. Skip 50 Shades of Grey. Go on a boat ride. Go do something. Find the lost art of free time. You have more than you think. Live simply. Waste note, want not. Don’t forget your passion projects.

FIVE // Create a cozy date night

Much like Christmas, Valentine’s Day isn’t about giving and getting gifts but about spending time with the people you love most. Have a cozy date night at home without any distractions and spend some quality time together. Doesn’t that sound nice? Now I’m wondering, why wait until Valentine’s Day? Why not have date nights all throughout the year? 1000 Thread’s 52 dates project last year inspired me to do my own 52 project this year, so if you have a date, definitely give this a shot! You don’t have to have a whole soiree, but if that’s what you want, that can be a lot of fun too! It’d be a great excuse to pull out some confetti poppers. Or is a soiree too sophisticated for confetti? Nah. Whether for a large group or just for yourself and significant other, change things up with this modern romantic Valentine’s Day table or inspire yourself with this more traditional pink and gold brunch moodboard.

PS: Throwback to this time last year.