Really Cute Bear Hug Cookies

You could probably improvise and figure out a way to have these little bears hugging a red heart for Valentine's Day presents. Complete tutorial here. I would just use a shortbread recipe.

Antique Valentine

This is a valentine dated 1847 in an old scrapbook of mine. The papercutting around the flower expands.

To reveal another print inside.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

These are some of my favorite posts from previous Day of Hearts. Don't eat too much candy today. xo

DIY Origami Heart Page Markers

I love these origami hearts to mark your place in a book. Tuck a few inside any Valentine's Day cards you give or mail. Especially great for avid readers.

Here's the finished product marking a page corner. Full tutorial from How About Orange.

The Real Sitters for Grant Wood's American Gothic

I love this photo of the couple who posed for Grant Wood's American Gothic. He looks exactly like the painting because of his bald head. Her curly hair style makes her a little bit harder to recognize but the face is the same. via
~~~Happy Valentine's Day~~~

Valentine's Day is For Everyone

A heart-shaped spatterware baking dish I got at a tag sale.

A walnut shell photographed in my birdbath. I never knew there was a heart shape inside.

I still can't believe this picture I took of a wildflower with heart shaped stamens. This is real...not photoshop trickery.

A heart shaped leaf on one of my wild vines.

Happy Day of Hearts via Thresca back in 2009. 

All of the photos are mine.

Shell Art Heart

There is still time to make a more permanent version for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day if you are a shell collector. No sweetheart? Make one for yourself. This was a popular motif in sailor art valentines that are sought after folk art antiques now. via

A Valentine's Day Surprise

I hope there's a Valentine's Day surprise under your door today.

Sunflower Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day. I took this picture a several years ago and I still marvel at the heart-shaped stamens. This is an actual photo right out of the camera. I didn't even notice the heart shapes until I copied the photos to my computer or I would have taken more. I have never seen another sunflower like this either and I always look when they start to bloom. This one self-sowed and came up near the birdfeeder. Read a previous post about this flower.

Owls Celebrating Valentine's Weekend

This happy owl couple is getting a jump on Valentine's Day weekend. Hope you are too. 

George Washington's Birthday

George Washington's Birthday is celebrated as a federal holiday on the third Monday in February. Before 1971, Washington's Birthday was one of nine federal holidays celebrated on specific dates, which—year after year—fell on different days of the week (the exception being Labor Day—the original Monday holiday).

George Washington was born in Virginia on February 11, 1731, according to the then-used Julian calendar. In 1752, however, Britain and all its colonies adopted the Gregorian calendar, which placed Washington's birth on February 22, 1732.

I don't think too many people are remembering George Washington today. This holiday has become a day to shop. The banks and post offices are closed but all the stores are having sales. This year we have two major shopping days in a row...Valentine's Day and President's Day. Happy shopping. Sorry George.

George Washington Bookplate
Rare Million Dollar George Washington Stamp
George Washington Miniature Portrait

I think Abraham Lincoln's birthday has been lumped into Presidents' Day but I couldn't find a single reference to corroborate this fact. This one comes close. Am I correct?




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My Blog in The Baltimore Sun

Susan Reimer mentioned my blog today in her Valentine's Day post for The Baltimore Sun. It seems that other gardeners were able to find hearts in their gardens too. This is so exciting. Thank you Susan. She writes Garden Variety, A Blog for the Mid-Atlantic Gardener.

What a nice surprise. Blogging brings us together in very unexpected ways, doesn't it? You can follow her on Twitter too.




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Year Of The Tiger + Love On Valentine's Day

In addition to being Valentine's Day today is also the first day of the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year, The Year of The Tiger. The USPS has both events covered very nicely indeed. Happy Valentine's Day and Happy New Year too.

A wonderful antique Valentine from a past century. Luckily it was treasured, loved and preserved to inspire us today. Have a great day, Rosemary

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Hearts Are Everywhere If You Look Hard Enough

These are some of the photos I've taken since starting my blog twenty months ago. Each has a heart theme and is perfect for Valentine's Day. The first photo is of a wildflower that came up by itself on my property two summers ago. I did not even notice when I was snapping away the all of the dark stamens in the flower's center were composed of tiny hearts. I did not photoshop this image in any way...it is straight out of the camera just the way Mother Nature made it. Does anyone have any idea what kind of flower this is? I've looked at every center of black-eyed susans, sunflowers, etc. and haven't seen another one. Was this one unique? Please tell me there are others out there because I want to plant more.

My mac and cheese was baked in an old Bennington Pottery heart-shaped baking dish which I love. The walnut shell is completely natural too. The heart-shaped vine grows wild everywhere. I have a tree with heart-shaped leaves too but no photos.

Nature has a knack for producing hearts. Look around and see what you can find. Happy Heart Day, Rosemary




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