^ pink tea and pink notebook. Not for Valentine’s Day. This is just my life.

I love girly films, cute things, and really good chocolate. I struggle to not include pink in my outfit.  I sound like a walking Valentine’s Day card, don’t I? And yet, Valentine’s Day makes me feel awkward and cringe-y.

I thought maybe this was another symptom of being a backwards-baseball-cap-wearing Rebel Teen (yes, this is true!), but in my now fully-matured state (sophisticated antennae and all) there’s something about it that still bothers me.

But guess what! I figured it out.

^ (and more awesome cards)

Love is weird. People are weird. And relationships are about not just tolerating but loving the weird in other people. Weird is awesome. But let’s be clear ~ I’m not advocating being different just for the sake of it, and that is what bothers me about Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Day makes you choose to be conventional or unconventional.

^ (and more geeky valentines)

You can do The Romantic Dinner in a restaurant packed with people Being Romantic or you can choose to do something off-beat and quirky. Usually, I adore off-beat and quirky, but only in its authentic state, not in rebellion to what “other people are doing”. I have nothing against romantic frivolity (or pink things or hearts or chocolate), but when it’s expected it doesn’t feel special.

I prefer to make my own excuses, thank ye very much.

^ and more…

My friend Emma and I went out to dinner at the Jam Factory the other day, and kept calling it a Special Occasion (wine? well, yes, it’s a special occasion after all!). The occasion? She needed to pay me back for theatre tickets, and thought it would be more fun to treat me to dinner than fork over cash (I agree!). But if there were suddenly a Pay Back Your Friends with a Nice Dinner holiday, it would have lost its charm.

Well this is complicated. So what on Earth do I do on Valentine’s Day?!

Celebrate friendship by watching girly films (seriously, if you missed this link above, here’s your second chance), by making geeky cards (oh man, next year…), and by having a girl’s night at the climbing gym because on Valentine’s Day it’s usually empty (YESS!). Celebrate family by sending care packages (thank you Mama and Halmoni!) and asking about your grandparents’ love stories (like Madizine did here and here – I love this!). Celebrate not only who you love, but what you love, by going to your favourite nerdy restaurant, sending Harry Potter Valentine’s ecards (to me), or by writing a list like Gohemian Emma’s.

Just do what makes you happy! Make it your day (à la Sparkles and Crumbs). And make sure to respect what make other people happy, whether it’s horribly conventional or horribly unconventional.

have a tweet valentine’s day ~ you’re just my type ;)

xandra ★