Love notes

body chocolate? Not sure about that.

Make your love note a little sexy by putting a lipstick kiss on it. leave it on his pillow.

I Love You

another way to say I love you

Did you know

Approximately 150 million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.

I made my valentine a card today.

If you don’t want too be to mushy you can steal my lines

Let’s just stop

a while and

take in

something

beautiful.

Here’s  the artwork for the card I made as well.Get a nice piece of card to print it on, add chocolates. I added a massage voucher. Now you have a not too gooey but lovely card.

V Day

Now could this be a blog about romance and not talk about Valentines Day.

First the history lesson. Not sure which St Valentine is remembered so here are some possibilities.

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite?

The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

The earliest known romantic valentine verse was written by Charles, Duke of Orleans to his wife in the 15th century:

Je suis desja d’amour tanné
Ma tres doulce Valentinée

[I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine]

Sounds wonderful in French.

Here is a lovely Valentine poem to think upon

Must, bid the Morn awake! 
Sad Winter now declines, 
Each bird doth choose a mate; 
This day’s Saint Valentine’s. 
For that good bishop’s sake 
Get up and let us see 
What beauty it shall be 
That Fortune us assigns. 
– Michael Drayton

Quite a few articles I read suggested that the 14th Feb was chosen because it is the the time when the birds begin to look for mates and build nests.

So if you haven’t done anything for Valentines day let me encourage you do something very romantic for your mate. I am going to sign off and make a hand crafted card with my own poem for my man.

 

Quote Happiness

A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.

words of romance

 A romatic idea for the right moment.

Memorize one of Shakespeare’s love sonnets and recite it to your partner when you are in a romantic setting like a botanical garden. Don’t just suddenly start reciting poetry as this will just sound corny.While you are cuddling your partner, ask in a joking manner, “So is now agood time to recite a love poem to you?” She will probably say yes, expecting you to come up with something of the “Roses are Red…” variety.Instead, look into her eyes, smile and recite the sonnet. Try the sonnet below. If this is too long, just memorize the first four lines and the last two.

Now if it easier for you to sing of your love and you have a pleasant voice you could sing your love a song. It is usually easier to remember the words of a song

Shakespeare Love Sonnet 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate.

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed,

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature’s changing course untrimmed.

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,

Nor shall Death brag thou wander’st in his shade

When in eternal lines to time thou grow’st.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

 

Now if the idea of reciting poetry scares you. Write an original love poem or copy a beautiful one onto lovely stationery and present to your love with a single red rose. You may get bold enough to read the poem to them.

Go ahead get creative with your romance

Related articles

• Commitment (thegoatpoet.com)
• The Sonnet by Richard Watson Gilder (thebardonthehill.wordpress.com)

turns dark to light

turns dark to light

I close my eyes, and there you are;

you dazzle me, from near and far;

 your silhouette – it strikes me too;

no other like it, uniquely you;

 all perfect curves, from head to toe;

from hips to calves, from eyes to nose;

both inside and outside, your brilliance flows;

 I crave your kiss, my heart explodes;

still strong without you, I remain;

though hard it is, each passing day;

 I am bolstered too, each sunless night;

your voice I hear, turns dark to light;

I want you now, stay near to me;

eyes open wide, still you I see –

Bryce Johnston –

for more on Romance

Messages

Today’s suggestion

Write an encouraging message and stick it to the mirror. You can use a white board marker, lipstick or a post-it

You might just want to say.

You are looking at someone beautiful, that is you.

Smile because you are loved.

You look  gorgeous today.

Look in this mirror and say “I am beautiful and I love me and my life” for 30 days because it’s true and I want you to believe it too.

Maybe you could put on some lipstick and kiss the mirror as part of your message 

Some cool quotes

Love is a fruit in season at all times,
and within reach of every hand.

~   Mother Teresa

Love to faults is always blind,

Always is to joy inclined.

Lawless, winged, and unconfined,

And breaks all chains from every mind.

~ William Shakespeare.

Gift the love of your life with undistracted,
untelevisioned, unhurried attentiveness.

~   Mary Anne Radmacher

For every beauty there is an eye somewhere to see it. 

For every truth there is an ear somewhere to hear it. 

For every love there is a heart somewhere to receive it…

 

~   Ivan Panin

 

We look forward to the time when the Power of Love will replace the Love of Power.  Then will our world know the blessings of peace. 
William Ewart Gladstone

Be Happy

I often talk about being positive. Today I want  you to take some time to count your blessings. Into todays lingo “see what is good in your life.”

We often take for granted what many in this world can’t even dream of. So look around and be thankful. Let that gratitude get on the inside of you. Find opportunities to articulate what you appreciate, go against the tide of negativity and fault finding.

Most of all share a smile even with strangers. It costs you nothing and it brings light and people always look better when they smile. Not mention the endorphins it releases. I went to stress workshop that taught us if we smile even if we don’t feel like it, the body doesn’t know and releases those feel good hormones anyway.

Have great weekend and be good to your mate.

More great ideas at RYM

Jacaranda

Image via Wikipedia

It is beautiful time of year where I am.

I love purple and the Jacarandas are in bloom. They are magnifcent trees.  Love this line of the poem following “to lightly kiss your face with a hundred million tiny lips.”

My partner would do really well if he decided to pack a picnic and take me to a park with all the beautiful trees.

Check out more romantic tips

The Jacaranda Tree

 A Jacaranda tree stands tall, and sways as if to say,
Look! At this magnificence, I’m wearing blue today.
forgive the way I shout aloud, my lack of modesty,
but nowhere in this troubled world is finery like me.

Light rays slide between each leaf, to settle on the tips
to lightly kiss your face with a hundred million tiny lips.
You only have to lift your eyes to greet the filtered sun
a sight I guarantee will warm the heart of everyone.

Though very tall, my leaf is small, its form is one of fern,
large panicles of bluebells swell to trumpet unconcern.
A Bee collecting nectar from an ample deep white throat,
takes flight to join its family, and of its feast to gloat.
Look up to see each fern like leaf, floating up on high,
like footprints of a centipede that stroll across the sky
See how far my branches reach, admire their greenery,
so beautiful and strong, I am the Jacaranda tree.

Anne Beard