Valentine’s Day: More Than a Corny Tradition (Bet You Can’t Not Smile)

  |  February 11, 2015
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A grade school Valentine, whose sudden appearance launched a campaign.

Valentine’s Day is rapidly approaching, and I recall many wonderful Valentine’s Days. A warm, delightful day at the Delano in Miami. Delicious meals at Jean George and 21 in Manhattan. But I have to confess, I have always thought of Valentine’s Day as… well, a bit corny, a holiday that’s great for children and for those with a romantic nature.

By coincidence, I was unpacking one of the many boxes from our recent move when I stumbled upon a handmade Valentine, undoubtedly one I’d made decades ago. In a rather bemused mood, I posted a photo of the Valentine on Facebook. I captioned my photograph in the following way: “We all send holiday cards every year. Why do we not send Valentine’s cards? Sending a Valentine to someone who may have lost their Valentine along the way might actually bring a smile to someone’s face.”

The more I thought about it, in this modern world of emails, texts, and instant messaging… would it not be nice to actually let someone know you were thinking about them enough to mail a card? My initial inclination was to purchase my cards at the Paper Trail in Rhinebeck. If you are looking for a card in the Hudson Valley, the Paper Trail is your destination. Well, as Facebook sometimes goes, Pandora’s box opened almost immediately. Author and “lifestyle authority” Bruce Littlefield was one of the first to respond: “I made my Valentines this weekend.” He made his Valentines, I thought. Good grief! Then I thought about it a bit more… It was a snowy Sunday, so why not?

Over luncheon I said to Gary, “We have to go to the craft store after luncheon.” He looked at me with a mix of humor and shock. “Why are we going to the craft store?” he asked. “Because,” I told him, “I am making handmade Valentine cards.”

“Oh, brother,” was his instant response.

To be honest I am not a very crafty person. Yes, I am a designer. Yes, I am an accomplished cook. And yes, I can host fabulous parties. But crafty I am not. But after purchasing a myriad collection of more Valentine’s Day-related items than I ever knew existed, I was ready to get crafty.

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Corny maybe but I bet the recipients will laugh when they see these.

At some point in my crafting adventure, I decided to challenge nine friends to either purchase or make a Valentine. Each of the nine friends are people I enjoy and respect. The challenge was simple: Either make or purchase a Valentine for one person you have not been in contact with in awhile. The goal with this challenge was to make someone smile. Just the thought of this made me smile.

In the process of making my cards I turned to Gary and said, “This is really gay.” Always one for a quick retort Gary replied, “Well…?” And this one response was enough to inspire the creation of fifteen Valentine Cards. Fifteen cards for friends in DC, Manhattan, Los Angeles, and cards for friends in the Hudson Valley. As I addressed each card I smiled even more. Just the thought of how shocked and bemused each recipient would be made me laugh.

All in all, an old corny tradition that might not actually be so corny. What is wrong in this era of sensational news headlines in doing something a little corny? Especially if it brings a smile to someone’s face. Maybe you should try it. I guarantee it will at least make you smile.

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Every year I receive a glass heart for Valentine’s Day.

 

About Haynes Llewellyn

Haynes Llewellyn, an interior designer, preservationist and accomplished party planner, relocated to the Hudson Valley city of Kingston from Manhattan’s Central Park West neighborhood in 2007. During Haynes’s almost nine years in the Hudson Valley, he has been featured in numerous television, radio, magazine and newspaper interviews. Haynes’s first Kingston restoration project was of a Historic 1840’s Greek Revival home, featured in the recently released Rizzoli Interior Design book Heart and Home: Rooms that Tell Stories by Linda Okeeffe. Haynes has served on a number of boards of directors, event committees and commissions since arriving in the Hudson Valley. Haynes, along with his two Scottish Terrier Rescues and partner Gary Swenson, is currently in the process of renovating his second Kingston home, a 1939 Colonial.

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