Grumpy Cat Is The New Garfield

Valentine's Day PSA

Source: someecards.com via Pauline on Pinterest

Music To Mope To

The only cliche bigger than the homogenization of Valentine's Day is women complaining about being alone for it. It is one of my biggest pet peeves, on par with women who move to the West Village and claim to be "a real life Carrie Bradshaw." Perhaps they are one and the same.

The holiday was never designed as test of romantic worth, but rather as a liturgical celebration of a saint named Valentinus. Saint Valentine was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry. During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.

If you, or someone you know, insists on moping about Valentine's Day, please encourage them to do it to some Chet Baker. It's only civilized.

Vintage Valentines

I write about weddings so I spend a lot of time on Pinterest. I find things that a more casual user wouldn't. Case in point, the trove of vintage Valentines. These have existed for eons and you can still purchase many of the designs, but I'm fascinated by the idea that there are people all over the country who take the time to scan them in and upload them to Pinterest. That's dedication to the cause.

I think part of the reason that a lot of people don't like Valentine's Day is that the choices in cards and other paraphernalia are pretty limited. Duane Reade and CVS all have the same crap, and if you can't afford jewelry for your beloved, well, then why bother? Maybe if there were more goofy cards readily available, maybe people would have more of a sense of humor about the holiday.

I'm a big fan of Valentine's Day. (I'm a softie, what can I say?) Today's digital art project is a collection of my 20 favorite vintage Valentine's Day cards. You can also check out my ever-growing trove of them here. Steal one for your honey bunny.

Weird Vintage Valentine

Source: flickr.com via Joⅆi on Pinterest

Happy Valentine's Day!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Source: Uploaded by user via Pauline on Pinterest

How about some music?

The Algorithms Of Love

CBS Sunday Morning is one of my favorite shows. Below is a great segment that they did about the science of love, and all the algorithms assorted online dating sites use. I love the idea of mathematicians sitting around and trying to find a formula for it.

Of course, if the math is too complicated for you, you could always get out of the house, maybe to a party, and introduce yourself to new people. :-)

Ace Of Hearts

Source: bestsoylatte.blogspot.com via Pauline on Pinterest

You'll Do

Who says romance is dead?

Source: mmmcrafts.blogspot.com via Pauline on Pinterest

Missed Connections Valentine's Party

Source: etsy.com via Pauline on Pinterest

It's Feberuary 1st, which means that my annual fascination with Valentine's Day begins. I've always liked the holiday -- I think it's cute -- and today I found this ad for a Missed Connections party sponsored by the New York Transit Museum.

If you don't have a Valentine, maybe you should check it out.

It's A Little Early To Be Thinking About Easter

But if means Cadbury Mini Eggs are available, then I really can't complain.

CVS, 34th Street and Second Avenue.

It's been busy over here on Planet Pauline with rentals and all things real estate.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, my most favorite holiday. Here is a musical selection for the evening.

It's the end of January, which means that Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Valentine's Day may be my favorite holiday, mostly because everything is red.

Red, you see, is my color. I have two older brothers, and we are all roughly a year and a half apart. Early on my mother decided to color code the three of us in order to tell our things apart: Andre was blue, Robert was green and I was red. If there was a red cup, it was mine. If there was a blue book bag, it was Andrew's. To this day I don't really like things in blue or green, mostly because I associate the colors with my brothers.

Which is why I like Valentine's Day. On a subconscious level, the day appeals to me, because it's a day of red. I've never been one to mope on Valentine's Day or think it's a fake holiday. I think the sentiment of the day is quite nice: tell people you love them! Send them cards!

So if I start posting a lot of Valentine's-related things, now you know why.

I'm a big fan of Valentine's Day, and below is a clip from Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown.

Later today: The annual dinner with TR at Pop Burger!

A Romantical Valentine's Day!

Last year TR accidentally/on purpose invited me to a gallery opening in Midtown on Valentine's Day. We got mixed up with the address and instead of seeing art, we ended up at Pop Burger on 58th and Fifth. And I don't mean the fancy lounge in the basement, I mean the take out joint at street level. We ended up having a lot of fun so this year for Valentine's we decided to go there again, only this time we brought a fetus!

Afterward we went over to the Ziegfeld theater and watched Coraline in 3D. It's the creepiest children's movie ever but it's awesome. Don't miss it on the big screen, since the 3D totally makes the film.

This meal screams romance! I should note that Pop Burger's shakes are made with real strawberries.


TR even wore a tie! To Pop Burger!


Who's this pale, Baccarat-clad gal?

A Baccarat Necklace For Valentine's Day!!

I have three vices in this life: 1) Orange Persian cats 2) Louis Vuitton bags and 3) Baccarat. I love how it's not as popular in the U.S. as other jewelry makers and how unique, yet simple, each piece is. Whenever I wear one, I get tons of compliments and everyone asks where they're from.

TR, always the mind reader, got me this purple heart for Valentine's Day. And I haven't even been through battle! It's the perfect addition to my growing collection.


Lookin' sharp!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It's Valentine's Day! My most favorite holiday! In honor of this awesome day, I'm posting some musical schlok for your listening pleasure.

First, naturally, is Martina McBride's song, "Valentine." I couldn't find the real video on You Tube, so this homemade one will have to suffice. Seriously, who ever has time to make a video of someone else's song, complete with lyrics and ten different kinds of roses?


If early-90s cheese is more your flavor, then how about some Peabo Bryson with a side of Regina Bell? That's right, I'm serving up some "Whole New World," fresh from the Aladdin soundtrack.


Heartbroken this Valentine's Day? Don't worry, Poppa Peabo has a perfect song for those unlucky in love. (What can't this guy do?) I offer you, "Can You Stop The Rain." Now get yourself a tub of ice cream and fifth of vodka and throw yourself a pity party.

To Do: Engagement Chicken!

engagement chicken, originally uploaded by natalie's new york.

For years there's the recipe for Engagement Chicken has been going around.

Basically, if you make the meal for the guy you're dating it's supposed to inspire him to marry you. The only large-scale meals I've ever made for a guy was metloaf (I make a mean loaf) which explains a lot of things.

Someone needs to make the meal and tell me how it goes.

Why Is The Heart The Symbol Of Love?

011, originally uploaded by polycrystal.

There are plenty of myths as to why the heart is the symbol of Valentine's Day, but I really like this piece that talks about how in ancient Greece, women used to eat from the silphium plant as a form of birth control.

The plant is now extinct, but apparently it was almost 100% effective and allowed the Greeks to enjoy unfettered lovemaking.

From the piece:
"Unlike many other medicines of its time, silphium was not thought of as a mere folk remedy; Scholars and doctors of the day openly praised the plant's effectiveness as a contraceptive. Ancient Rome's foremost gynecologist– a physician named Soranus– wrote that women should drink the silphium juice with water once a month since "it not only prevents conception but also destroys anything existing." ...Rome's birth rate decreased considerably despite increasing life expectancy, plentiful food, and relatively few wars or epidemics, and some historians cite this as evidence of the herb's effectiveness."

Handmade Valentines Are The Best

I'm on a committee at The Junior League that runs an after-school program on Mondays in Harlem. Tonight the kids made Valentines and cookies. It reminded me of how sweet homemade Valentines are. You should make one for your boo this year.









The inside:




The cookies!