Creative Dating Guide

One of my favorite bloggers, Amanda from Wit & Whistle, recently created a Hobby Compatibility Quiz. You and your partner each fill it out, marking down the hobbies or activities you'd be interested in. Then you compare your answers and see which activities you both marked.

This actually gave us a lot of chuckles, some great ideas, and also somehow reaffirmed our strange-but-awesomely-in-synch relationship. A few that Matt and I both chose are: amusement parks, astronomy, cocktail mixing, fencing, film making, and visiting wildlife parks.

I highly suggest checking out the quiz, and while you're there, peek around Wit & Whistle--the photography alone is worth it!

♥ Shannon

Valentine's Day: Not just for lovers!

There are a lot of people out there who hate on Valentine's Day, calling it a hallmark holiday, or feeling overwhelmed by their lack-of-significant-other. Well it just shouldn't be so! Allow me to illustrate why, via Instagram:

True, I was able to sneak in some cuddle time with my lover, but it was during a nap because he had class all day. Was I going to let that get me down? Never!

My sisters and I had a date. Bonnie had us over for dinner and a movie (she had never seen Love Actually, can you believe it?), Forest brought cherry Moscato and amazing vegan Red Velvet cupcakes & cake pops (eeep!). My mom sent us each a matching love shirt, as well as puppy love in the form of Doodles Weaver, Bonnie's little chihuahua-werewolf mix.

I think the most touching part of the day was when my dad surprised me with a Valentine card made out to his daughter and son-in-law.

Think of Valentine's Day as an excuse to have frilly fun just for the sake of it! Dote on friends, family, pets, and yes, if you have them, lovers. Who cares if it's a "Hallmark Holiday"--it's a chance to celebrate!

Now, if you missed your chance, fear not, for today is the Feast of Lupercalia! Now go offer your libations to the gods and have fun!

♥ Shannon

10 Dates Under 10 Dollars

Valentine's Day is coming up, but your date doesn't have to break the bank. Here are 10 great dates for under 10 bucks. Enjoy! 

1. If you want to go out, do it during happy hour. You can get drinks, enjoy the bar scene, and enjoy each other. Do some research to find the best happy hour and have fun! Spend the rest of the night walking around your town, or cozying up together back at home.

2. Coffee shop dates are trendy for a reason--they are so fun! There is nothing like a warm drink on a cool night, and February is a perfect time. Plus you can look into great deals to add in cute pastries or even free drinks.

3. Don't underestimate how sexy it is to stay in, drink some wine, and cook with each other. Seeing the ingredients in your food is an amazing way to connect with what you eat, and preparing the meal with your date gives you time to bond. Nourish yourselves, and your relationship.

4. Pack a picnic! If it's cold, pack a thermos of hot chocolate with oversized cookies. You can even stay indoors by a fire, just lay a blanket out on the floor and have fun eating somewhere new. It makes for an easy transition to laying together, cuddling, star-gazing, or whatever else might strike your fancy.

5. Go to a used bookstore. There is something terribly romantic about tomes of books and making great discoveries. See what you can find for under $10. Bonus points for vintage Shakespeare sonnets, fairy tales, or love poems.

6. Indoors or outdoors, go ice skating! The two of you will get flushed cheeks, exhilaration, and peals of laughter. There is nothing like endorphins to boost a date! Finish up with hot chocolate at home.

7. Create art together. One of the first things Matt and I did with each other was to pick a theme that we each had to paint. Choose a quick-drying medium like watercolor or acrylic, set up your canvas or pages so you can't see each others' work (but so you CAN see each other), and set a time limit. You'll have fun seeing how you each interpret the theme, and then you have art AND a great memory!

8. Go to your local library, find a great (or terrible) film, and stay in to watch it! Make popcorn ala Elsie, get oversized candy, and your favorite sparkling drink. Be a teen again and make-out during the film. There's nothing like a great love story to get you feeling lovey-dovey!

9. Go dancing! It can be a night club, or to mix things up, find a local country bar or lindy groove. Swing dance and two-stepping are oh so very romantic--and a blast.

10. Stay in, light some candles, pour some champagne, and take turns pampering each other. Massages--whether full body or just feet and hands--are so divine and lend themselves to intimacy.

The bottom line is that you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a great date. All that matters is being with someone you are into. Have fun!

♥ Shannon

Original Image Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Valentine's DIY Round-Up

I adore Valentine's Day. During high school, my girlfriends and I would celebrate Girls' Night Out every year, no matter if we had boyfriends or not. I remember my mom giving pretty gifts to my sisters and me. And of course, celebrating with a special someone is fun too.

Here are a few fun crafts I've seen, just to set the mood!

These matchbook valentines made from Instagram photos! Adorable.

Framed wallpaper is such a sweet way to set a romantic mood in the home.

Decorate your own teacups for a romantic coffee date.

I love rotating pillow cases, and this one is so fun for the season! Plus the modern back makes it great in any season!

♥ Shannon

A New Kind of Engagement Photo

In my home, I like sentimental photographs that could also pass as fine art. I love my engagement ring not just because it happens to be exactly what I always dreamed of, but because of how special it is that Matthew devoted so much of his time picking out the perfect one. It also reminds me of the night he proposed, and it makes me feel so much love.

I took these photos of my ring in Italy after he proposed. I love the contrasting texture of the diamond and metal against nature: plants, wood, rocks. I think that these photos are beautiful by themselves, but blown up in my home, would make meaningful art.

How do you display meaningful photographs?

♥ Shannon

My Absence

Oh Gentle Readers! (Saplings, I believe?). I just wanted to give you a quick post to let you know that I have been out of state at my family's home to celebrate the life of my grandfather who passed away on Sunday. It has been truly beautiful, filled with both sadness and joy, but especially with love.

I'll be in the woods (both figuratively and metaphorically!) until Thursday the 4th, so in the meantime Matt will be helping out with guest posts and I will pop in whenever the neighbor's wifi signal is strong...

In the meantime, go call someone up and tell them how much you love them. It's a great feeling!

♥ Shannon

Love Notes (+a Freebie!)

Happy Monday!

I just like stumbling upon fun things. I saw this print on pinterest and thought it was cute, so I decided to design my own. I hung it up in the library and had to keep myself from hiding in the bushes to watch people take them!

Feel free to download it here and hang that baby up! I like to think of people smiling when they come across it.

Speaking of love, thanks for all the kind words on my ban.dō video! You make my little heart so happy!

♥ Shannon

With love's light wings...

Okay, so this is what happened. A few years ago Matt was deployed during Christmas, and one of the gifts he sent to me was a silver necklace with a quote from Romeo and Juliet: "With love's light wings did I o'er perch these walls, for stony limits cannot hold love out."

The military gave us many obstacles in our relationship, one of them being the fact that we had to live in different countries for almost a year. He picked out this quote for us because whatever the "stony limits" were, they couldn't keep love out. (Awwww).

Then. I lost the necklace. I still maintain that it was stolen, but whatever.

This arrived in the mail the other day:

Okay!! It's possible that I strongly hinted that I needed wouldn't complain about a new one.

I just love it, you know?

♥ Shannon

Modern Love Notes

Technology has become a prevalent function in my life--I blog, tweet, instagram, facebook, check multiple email accounts--I even have an app for meditation! But, as with anything, it's all about moderation. Today I am pleased to say that technology helps me maintain relationships, instead of keeping me from them.

I thought about this when I received a sweet love note from Matt via e-mail, along with this image from home:

So go forth and use your tech toys, my friends! Just make sure you touch base with the truly important things in your life.

♥ Shannon

Cyber Valentine

Dear Matthew,

♥ Shannon

Finders Keepers

By now you may have heard about Finders Keepers; if so, you might also be finding yourself dreaming up ways to get to Vancouver! What a brilliant idea.

Jasna will be "hiding" up to 200 ceramic hearts throughout Vancouver--whoever finds them gets to keep them or give them to someone who might cherish them. The backs have her web address so she can find out where her little hearts have fluttered about. I L♥VE it!

♥ Shannon

Making "Valentines"

Who says Valentines have to be cards or sweets? I'm thinking art this year. Here's my first try:

I need a calligraphy paintbrush...but it's fun anyway!

♥ Shannon