Sending the Love

I wasn't going to write a word about Valentine's Day.
Actually, I was planning on being pretty hostile towards Valentine's Day this year.
Hearts. Love. Ooey gooey sentimentality. Sugar and sweets. Charmed moods.
Then I pressed the pause button and thought, "Hold up Ainsley. You love hearts, love, and ooey gooey sentimentality."
Because I do. True story: I'm the most sentimental person you'll ever meet.

I'm going to spare you all my thoughts on being single after a couple of years of not. My point is, I love loving on on the people I love (did you follow that?).
I love my big, amazing family and I love my encouraging, supersupersuper fun friends. I also love my life, I love Him, and I love being young. So that's all kind of a lot to love.
So, in that spirit, I'll go ahead and submit to the next few days for Valentine's Day, the single girl way (I'm really glad I have zero male readers here to make fun of this trip down Girl Power Lane). Of course I've got some ideas stirring and brewing upstairs.
So, let's start with an old school idea: Valentine's Day cards.

I love getting mail. In this digital age, checking the mailbox is something to easily forget, but such a sweet reminder when you do get a handwritten envelope addressed to you. So, Friday I sat down for a while to put together these Valentine's Day cards that my friend Amy created. So super easy, all you need is a printer and some different colored card stock, because Amy has put the printable version up for you here.
After sending my letters of love across the South, I found so many other lovely options for spreading the love:
1. Kate Spade has so many choices for e-cards to receive right to your inbox on her website. I've never been so much a fan of e-cards, but unlike the majority out there, I swear these aren't cheesy- they actually range from so very chic to adorably funny. See your selection and get to sending with a click of your mouse here.
2. For the hand delivery, Creature Comforts featured a fun post to wrap candy bars in a Valentine card encasing. Again, very simple and easy-- see the tutorial here .

3. And, lastly, to my great delight I've recently learned that many local bakers and flower shops have begun delivering cupcakes for the big day! Wrapped up in pretty protective casings, decorated with flowers, ribbon, or confetti- you choose. (If you're in Oxford with me, you can call Oxford Floral and have them deliver one for you- very inexpensive). What better way to start your Valentine's Day than with a cupcake delivery? (If I have any secret admirers out there, this is the way to go with me, just FYI)

So, get to sending some love.