A Valentine Tea Time
Regarding Valentine's Day, I think people generally fall into one of three categories: fleeting fondness, ambivalent acceptance, or abhorrent disdain. Before the confetti from New Year's has even settled, retailers begin their rosy assault. Shopping aisles that previously housed reasonable and practical goods switch to showcase an assortment of items now superfluously plastered with Valentine motifs – heart-emblazoned: bath mats and shower curtains, coffee mugs, sneakers, area rugs, mini mail boxes, flannel pjs. Do you ever wonder who is actually buying into it?
Surprise, it's me. I ♥ Valentine's Day. And it's not just a fleeting fondness. I love the schmaltzy, saccharine, over the top flamboyance of it all – pink and red and hearts all over! My zeal is unparalleled!
To display my devotion for the Day of Love, I decided to throw a small at-home affair. As the dreary days of January blurred into a blustery February, I finally dethroned my Christmas tree, right in time to fill its place with this tabletop tribute to all things love-ly. Of course, despite setting out to create an indulgent red and pink Valentine's fête, it ended more like, Ladies who Lunch: A Riveting Tale of Tea Time Luncheons at the Downtown Department Store. So I went with it.
Inspiration came by way of the marbleized Paperchase napkins, spotted on one of many aimless Target trips. Smitten, I immediately fantasized about throwing them atop that oh, so 60s floral tablecloth I'd been toting around for years. It's been a tree skirt on a few occasions, and came seriously close to becoming a circle skirt when I couldn't find anything to wear to a recent wedding. Until now, it hadn't actually ever been used as a tablecloth. From there I just layered on any dishes with delicate details I could get my hands on, pink or not.
Who joined me in the celebration, you may be wondering? The reality is, upon acquiring a life-long, live-in Valentine of my own, my ardent affection for such a vapid holiday has been tempered.... which isn't bad! After all, the real Dream-Life is sharing a sofa and an order of crab rangoons whilst streaming the newest critically-acclaimed drama. However, any excuse to gather a gaggle of your plushest pals around a hyper-stylized Valentine-themed table is pretty great.
