7 Dresses for Valentines Day (+ A Few Date Ideas That Don't Suck)

Pictured: For Love & Lemons mini dress (shop here) / Asos pink lace crop set / Red eyelet dress / Asos flutter back dress / Asos crochet midi dress / Red crochet dress / Free People white lace mini dress (shop here) / Enamel pins (options here) / Heart sunglasses / Valentine's cards / 'Girls' handbag / iPhone case (options here) / Playing card clutch

My favorite Valentine's Day date of all time took place at a monster truck rally in Pittsburgh. No dinner, no movie, no romantic candles, just giant trucks crushing other trucks shooting flames. Also nachos. It was awesome, and ever since, Chris and I have made a point to seek out something different to do on February 14th. This year, we're thinking of checking out the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention.

Now, just because I choose to eschew the typical doesn't mean I consider myself to be one of those Valentine's cynics grumbling about the holiday being invented by Hallmark -- frankly I don't care -- I actually really love it. In the middle of an otherwise blustery, cold month, I'll take any reason to celebrate, dress in pink and red, and proclaim my love for friends and family. And it's not that I have anything against dinner and a movie, or any other strain of "traditional" dates, it's just that I'd rather not be surrounded by a bunch of other couples, cloaked in a cloud of expectations and pressures of ROMANCE. I'd much rather seek out something beyond the ordinary, something we haven't done yet or seen yet, that we'll continue to talk about long after the day passes ("Hey, remember the time we finally got to see Gravedigger? Yeah, that was awesome.") Plus, there's the whole process of simply discovering the out of the box events and things to do happening around you. Who knows where the day will take you -- a demolition derby? A unique museum? Whatever you plan, you're sure to leave with a story and some new friends (after that demolition derby we went out for dinner -- and by "dinner" I mean hotdogs... -- only to realize mid-way through how absolutely, laughably, horrifically filthy we were. Completely covered in dust.)

Even though I might shy away from the traditionally romantic, I still love dressing up for the occasion. A little lace, a new dress... really, deep down I'm just looking for an excuse to add something pretty and heart-shaped to my closet. Another way to brighten up an otherwise gloomy month (love Valentines Day, not such a fan of February). I've had my eye on a few pretty things lately, and today I'm sharing a few of my favorites. Heart shaped glasses, a sweet card, a little lace, maybe add a funny bag... and you'll be sure to steal hearts.

XO

Little Somethings: Valentine's Gifts for Guys

Valentine's Day, a bright pink heart at the center of a cold, grey month. We're not huge on celebrating it the traditional way (candy, roses, dinner and a movie... those things are fine, but too much pressure for us), but I still like to do a little something. Go snowshoeing during the day, out for a drink in the evening, maybe cook some dinner at home, definitely eat some chocolate at some point because excuses, and most definitely make something or find a little gift to give. We show our love everyday, but I still like to find a small, sweet something for him, something better than the Girl Scout cookies he was presented with last week (although, can you really beat Thin Mints? Probably not), something that has the same effect as the little things I've been given over the years that call to mind a favorite time together, a sweet memory. A great day spent in one another's company.

Chris does not treat himself to much, exhibit A is that jacket up there (which was actually a gift from me, holes and all, but still), which makes giving gifts to him that much better... and that much more difficult actually, as he has extremely specific taste. Here are a few sweet little things I've had my eye on for February 14th for a man who prefers utility, likes to cook, and appreciates the handmade:

Left: Filson hat //  Right: Faribault Woolen Mills blanket

Left: Rag & Bone wallet // Right: Giles & Brother railroad spike cuff

Left: Herbivore skin care // Right: Phaidon Cookbook

Left: Warhorse Workshop beaded pin // Right: Souvenir Jewelry 'Born Free' ring (made in Philly!)

+ Do you have Valentine's plans? How do you like to celebrate?

The Perfect Valentine's Dress

It gets a bad rap, but I've always been a fan of Valentine's Day. February is kind of a dismal month in my opinion, dark and cold, the home stretch between Christmas and spring. Valentine's offers an excuse to escape all that, get dressed up, and bask in the glow of pink hearts, tons of flowers, and goofy grocery store candy. It's frivolous, yeah, but hey why not show a little love to yourself, your friends and family, your girlfriend or boyfriend or spouse? Go on a date. I could really use a date right now...

To me, it's the perfect reason to indulge a little, find a cute dress and get fancy. I'm still trying to decide which one I'll add to my closet, but the ones below have stolen my heart. Now I just need to figure out where to wear it...

Left: Free People Dress // Right: Line & Dot Dress

Left: Dinner and Romancing Dress // Right: So Completely Charming Dress

Left: MinkPink Dress // Right: Free People Dress

Left: Pink midi dress // Right: Red ruffle dress

Left: UNIF Dress // Right: BB Dakota Dress

Do you have a fave? I'm leaning towards the light pink FP dress and the bight red ruffle dress

image above by Mandy Fierens

Non-Cheesy Valentine's Date Ideas

 

Whether you like it or not, Friday is Valentine's Day. Personally, I'm a fan, I'll pretty much take anything to brighten up February, which for me is a bummer month. An excuse to eat chocolate and make goofy cards for the people I love? Perfect. What to actually do on the day itself, well, that's slightly more challenging. I'm not a huge fan of the expected roses, dinner-and-a-movie, cookie-cutter V-day date. This year, I wanted to surprise Chris with something super awesome, and because that surprise has been blown (he brought up maybe seeing HR from Bad Brains, a decision had to be made), I thought I'd share what I have planned, along with a few more ideas that break the Valentine's mold. Whether you're planning a date, heading out with a group of friends, or rocking it solo, why not do something awesome?

So, what's our big, hot, Valentine's Day date? We're going to Monster Jam! If you've been reading for awhile, you may already be aware of my secret love for monster trucks, so when a coworker suggested a bunch of us go, I jumped on board. I'm really excited to be doing something a little different. Plus, I mean, monster trucks. After the show, we'll grab some late night drinks (and hopefully food) at Harvard & Highland, and enjoy the view of East Liberty.

Know what else you could do?

See a drag or burlesque show. This was my second choice, though I'm not sure if the Blue Moon Bar in Pittsburgh has anything planned for the 14th. If you're in a city, the chances are high that these options are available to you, and they're great options if you want to see beautiful/fabulous people lip-synching and dancing in their underwear (who doesn't?). psst...PGH'ers, there's a burlesque show at Cattiva on the 24th!

Go make something. I think dates where you actually do something are the most interesting. Have a local artist collective or artisan gallery nearby? Check out their event's pages for upcoming workshops and demos. PGH Glass Center has a couple of cool programs planned.

Get sweaty. It's winter and it's cold, but that doesn't mean you can't get sweaty doing something fun outdoors. Go skiing or snowboarding. Or snowshoeing. If you really want to punish yourself, go cross-country skiing. As a bonus, ski resorts usually have hotels on the mountain. Hotels usually have pools. Pools are easy to sneak into (at least they used to be when I was in high school). Just saying.

Go explore. Last Valentine's Day Chris and I jumped in the car and headed over to Akron, OH. Mandi was kind enough to send over some recommendations for things to do in the area, and while some could see Akron as not exactly a destination, it was an awesome day. We checked out some antique stores, went thrift shopping, and gorged ourselves on grilled cheese and tater tots. Going somewhere new, especially somewhere you might not normally think to go, guarantees an interesting afternoon.

Everyone's definition "cheesy" is different, Valentine's doesn't have to be the same old thing. I'd love to know what you have planned!

A Little Romance

In this outfit:
Dress c/o Free People
Sweater c/o Spotted Moth
Headpiece c/o Moorea Seal Jewelry
Tights: American Apparel ($25)
Boots: Thrifted ($5)
Necklace: gift/flea market

Where I wore it: To my favorite place with my favorite person

I hope you'll forgive the amount of photos here, I just love how these came out. Free People was kind enough to send me this dress in honor of Valentines Day, which is fitting, as I actually plan to celebrate the holiday this year. I've always written it off as too much pressure, smack in the middle of what I consider to be a cold and dreary month, but I'm changing my perspective. Whether you have a special someone or not, Valentine's Day offers the ideal opportunity to show those around you a little sweetness, to cheer up their cold and dreary February. Make someone a little something, send a note, have a little romance. Romance is too easily forgotten in our stress-filled days of work, work, work. Thank you to everyone who left comments on Monday's post with Valentines suggestions, I loved reading about your traditions and how you make the holiday your own!

I dressed down this shimmery dress by layering what has to be the softest sweater in existence over it (with a big warm coat over that- not pictured), and adding basic black tights and boots. I know headpieces aren't for everyone, but they should be. This one made me feel pretty magical.

To see the inspiration behind Free People's latest catalog come to life, take a look at this- very romantic- video.