Makin' Valentines

Originally posted February 12, 2011. We plan on doing the same this Saturday.

My daughters and I spent a sunny, cold afternoon creating Valentine's for our sweet ones.

This is our breakfast room. If you look closely you can see my sweet, shy daughter hiding from the lens behind a book. The table is nice and neat awaiting all of the ephemera (I am always looking for ways to use that neat word. I just "googled" it and discovered that there is actually an Ephemera Society! interesting...well, if you need a little help with its definition the dictionary says that ephemeron {the plural} is transitory written or printed material not intended for long time use such as postcards or tickets...the etymology is the Greek meaning "mayfly" {have you ever seen one of THOSE?}....interesting ...well. since we DO want our Valentine's to be preserved, remembered, and cherished may be this is not the correct context for this word. However, since little decorative things for scrapbooking like stickers are culturally described as "ephemera" {see all of the internet scrap book with "ephemra" in their name} then I will still use it. Also, ephemera such as notes and cards are now considered collectible- though completely contradictory to the very definition of being temporary- then there is another confirmation that I can indeed express that the breakfast room table was waiting to be covered with ephemera- otherwise known as colorful paper, stickers, ribbons, bobbles and such. Did I loose most of you? I am trying to write as goes the conversation in my head....may be that the general populace cannot follow my sporadic thoughts? But I DID get to use the word about 5 times!

Here the girls are creatively concentrating.

Between taking pictures I read Little Town on the Prairie. Presently we read about Laura's autograph book that she shared with her friends and the rage of calling cards. Even then pretty ephemera was exchanged and appreciated. This is a poem that Laura's friend wrote in her autograph book. We thought that it was perfect for inside a Valentine.

                                     "The rose of the valley may wither,

The pleasures of youth pass away,

But friendship will blossom forever

While all other flowers decay."

Isn't that sweet?

                       Here is my "little" one happy with her creation.

So if you have some ephemera lying around your house, maybe you can gather it together, sit and relax, and make some collectible ephemera for your loved ones.

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Sending Love

This month at LOV we are celebrating LOVE.  How wonderful!  Each month I would like like to share with you, ideas for family activities to celebrate a monthly holiday or theme.  These activities are meant to bring your family closer, add joy to your home, and a deeper appreciation for sentiment.  They could very will become beloved family traditions.

February 14th is known as the hallmark of Love.  Today it has been made to be quite an indelible mark in our lives by the card company  Hallmark.  Howver, the holiday first had its roots proliferate in the time of the Victorians.  In that era most middle-class and upper class women enjoyed the hobby of scrapbooking and letter writing.  These ladies of romance combined with their love of aesthetic beauty and the sharing of sentiment; the idea of sending valentines became popular at once.  These first valentines were hand-made with an ephemera of colored paper, fabrics, feathers, tinsel, and glitter. Until the nineteenth century, what we think of valentine's were handwritten love letters.  As the techniques of printing became more advanced in the 1800s, commercial valentines were produced, then becoming the rage of sending love. 

Still enamoured with love and sending it to others- valentine's today can be a cute rhyme for a class mate or the deepest of emotions shared to the one we love.  Bought or hand-made, valentine's remain a token of our well wishes, friendship, and appreciation of love.  A friend gave the idea of sending out cards for Valentine's Day to her friends that she is unable to communicate much with throughout the year, a perfect time to say, "I think of you often and still mean so much to me."  I have taken up this tradition and look forward to finding the prettiest appropriate cards for each one that I mail.

My daughters enjoy making their own valentine's, which I do as well if I am feeling creative.  I get excited by gathering our ephemera of colored card stock, stickers, trimmings, markers, colored pencils, glitter, ribbons, buttons, and anything else that might add to our pretty creation.

"Give all to love;

Obey thy heart;

Friends, kindred, days,

Estate, good fame,

Plans, credit and the Muse,

Nothing refuse.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Poems. Give ALL to Love st. 1

Will you blow warm wishes of kindness, friendship, and love to those in your circle?

~I would love to get one. (o;

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Makin' Valentine's

Originally posted February 12, 2011.  We plan on doing the same this Saturday.

My daughters and I spent a sunny, cold afternoon creating Valentine's for our sweet ones.



This is our breakfast room. If you look closely you can see my sweet, shy daughter hiding from the lens behind a book. The table is nice and neat awaiting all of the ephemera (I am always looking for ways to use that neat word. I just "googled" it and discovered that there is actually an Ephemera Society! interesting...well, if you need a little help with its definition the dictionary says that ephemeron {the plural} is transitory written or printed material not intended for long time use such as postcards or tickets...the etymology is the Greek meaning "mayfly" {have you ever seen one of THOSE?}....interesting ...well. since we DO want our Valentine's to be preserved, remembered, and cherished may be this is not the correct context for this word. However, since little decorative things for scrapbooking like stickers are culturally described as "ephemera" {see all of the internet scrap book with "ephemra" in their name} then I will still use it. Also, ephemera such as notes and cards are now considered collectible- though completely contradictory to the very definition of being temporary- then there is another confirmation that I can indeed express that the breakfast room table was waiting to be covered with ephemera- otherwise known as colorful paper, stickers, ribbons, bobbles and such. Did I loose most of you? I am trying to write as goes the conversation in my head....may be that the general populace cannot follow my sporadic thoughts? But I DID get to use the word about 5 times!

Here the girls are creatively concentrating.

Between taking pictures I read Little Town on the Prairie. Presently we read about Laura's autograph book that she shared with her friends and the rage of calling cards. Even then pretty ephemera was exchanged and appreciated. This is a poem that Laura's friend wrote in her autograph book. We thought that it was perfect for inside a Valentine.

                                    "The rose of the valley may wither,

The pleasures of youth pass away,

But friendship will blossom forever

While all other flowers decay."

Isn't that sweet?

Here is my "little" one happy with her creation.

So if you have some ephemera lying around your house, maybe you can gather it together, sit and relax, and make some collectible ephemera for your loved ones.

        If you would like to receive LOV letters in your inbox, Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Linking today with