I really don't get why people hate on Valentine's Day so much. Every week there seems to be something new on the internet for people to get mad at. Facebook crazes, memes, outrageous celebrity gossip, controversial tweets. I just wanna stand back and say, Y U SO ANGRY people?! Save your passionate energy and that fire in your belly for stuff which actually matters. I understand that some folk see Valentine's as a money making machine for the greeting card industry, but isn't every holiday/celebration? I just love Love, and wanna celebrate the shit out of that all year round. But hell, if there's a special day dedicated to the patron saint of lovers, then I'm all for it. Ahead of this weekend, I wanted to share a massive chunk of love and appreciation for all of the fantastic women in my life. This February 13th isn't just the day before Valentine's day, it's also Galentine's Day!
'Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13th my lady friends and I leave our husbands and our boyfriends at home and just kick it, breakfast style. Ladies celebrating ladies' - Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation
My friend Jacs got this amazing Leslie Knope tattoo by Danielle Rose (who also did my Dexter portrait) to celebrate all the awesome ladies in her life, with the quote 'Ovaries before broveries' below it. The irony of Galentine's day this year is that it's also mine and Pete's 1st anniversary! So I'm looking forward to chilling out with him as well as my gal pals over the weekend. I got the gorgeous Valentine's Day Flowers from Blossoming Gifts and the card is by Emily McDowell. She has such a beautiful way with words and all of her work is well worth paying the postage from America. This card is for a very special friend of mine, I won't mention who, but I sorta hope she doesn't read this post until after the weekend haha. If you want to treat any of the blissfully loved up or sassy single ladies in your life, here's my top pick of gifts for your gals:
1. Fries Before Guys tote bag - £17.75
2. Nice Raptor compact mirror - £13.25
3. UGH mug - £11.00
4. One Thirsty Bitch hip flask - £20.65
5. Move On Honey cushion - £24.85
6. All You Need Is Love print - £18.30
7. Don't Touch Me tank top - £28.95
8. Sunday Is For Snuggling blanket - £24.00
9. Personalised luggage tag - £8.00
All the items from my gift guide are from Zazzle. After ordering some nice personalised Christmas pressies from them, I dug a lot further into the website when researching business cards and discovered a whole treasure trove of goodies. As well as being able to completely customise almost any product imaginable, I also found some awesome designers who have predesigned little collections of items featuring their own artwork. Some favourites I stumbled across were Amy Grace, The Kitschy Cat, Origami Prints and Keiko Prints. Zazzle have some fantastic gift guides on the site but I really think that they would benefit by offering a 'shop by designer' option too. It would definitely make certain styles easier to find (if you don't fancy customising or uploading your own designs) as the volume of products on there is slightly overwhelming! Alas, dig deep, customise, and thou shall be rewarded! My best friend Leah heads off on her travels to Canada early this year, so we are planning on getting little matching girl power tattoos before she goes, something fun and uplifting just like Jac's LK piece. Thank you to Blossoming Gifts for being my early Valentine and sending me the beautiful flowers (and a the 30% discount for you readers! With the code BGIFTS33) Along with Zazzle for helping me out with a top secret lil' personalised leaving present for Leah. Shut up, I'm not crying, you are...
“All I can tell you today is what I have learned. What I have discovered as a person in this world. And that is this: you can’t do it alone. As you navigate through the rest of your life, be open to collaboration. Other people and other people’s ideas are often better than your own. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” - Amy Poehler
This one is for my ladies. Thank you, for everything ♥ And keep being awesome!