Spread the Love

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

Before you start moaning and groaning about how you hate Valentine's day and how commercial it is or how you don't have a significant other anyways just hear me out. I used to be just like that and I know how you feel. But it doesn't have to be that way.

So what if Valentine's day is a commercial holiday? No one is forcing you to buy fancy chocolate or Hallmark cards with doily hearts on them. Regardless of all the stuff people buy for others for this holiday, Valentines day is ultimately about love. And that's something I can get behind.

You don't have to be cheesy to celebrate today. You don't have to hand out cards and flowers and chocolate to all the special people in your life. And you certainly don't have to sit around moping about how you're not in a relationship and have no one to share a fancy dinner with. That's not what it's all about. If anything, today is a day to  think about the people and things in your life that you really love and appreciate. Give your mom a call and wish her a happy V-day and tell her how much she means to you. Give your best friend a hug. Snuggle with your cat. Curl up on the couch and enjoy your favourite book.

Just focus on the positive.

That's what today, and everyday really, is about. Why not embrace it? I bet you'll feel much better about yourself and life in general if you throw out all those negative feelings towards Valentine's day that you've had pent up for however long.

But don't limit the love to your friends and family (and pets)!

Valentine's day is a great day to focus on yourself as well. Self-love is so important and something I don't think people indulge themselves in enough! Loving yourself isn't vain or narcissistic, it's a beautiful, freeing experience that can really improve your life. I know I sound like some kind of self-help manual, but I'm speaking from my own personal experience.

I hated myself for a long time and that hate built up in me and tainted my view of the world. Because of my self-loathing I also disliked other people (often for no reason) and I was constantly pessimistic. Honestly, I was no fun to be around. But recently I've gone through a transformation of sorts where I have learned to love my life, regardless of all the crap that's been in it. I look in the mirror and I don't hate what I see. I embrace every little scar. Even on my bad days I don't think I would change myself. I might say that I would, but when it comes down to it, I don't want to be anyone other than me.

And if that's not something to celebrate this Valentine's day then I don't know what is.

So love yourself, be your own valentine! Indulge in chocolate from yourself, pour yourself a glass of wine, pick out your own flowers and spend some quality time with you.

And if loving yourself is still a foreign concept, take a look at Gala Darling's 100 Ways You Can Start Loving Yourself. The woman is a real inspiration.

Love is a powerful force in the world and people shouldn't be afraid to let it into their lives. Commercial holiday or not, take the opportunity to appreciate your life, loved ones, and yourself.

Lady Unlaced

Exploring the Tarot: The Empress

The Empress

Keywords: Growth, Fertility, Motherhood

The Empress is a card of light and abundance. This card usually depicts a woman surrounded by corn which connects her to nature and the Earth as well as the Greek goddess of harvest, Demeter. It is very common for her to be depicted as pregnant and she is usually wearing a crown with 12 points -one for each of the months of the year. In card where the colours of the jewels are distinct enough you will most likely see them in four different colours. Each of these colours depicts the four seasons. 

This is a card of motherhood and fertility. The Empress is a nurturer and deals with the growth of the Earth and its people. She rules over the cycles of the Earth, from birth to death to rebirth. 

In a spread The Empress can obviously mean that it's time for a birthing. This can be a literal birthing or refer to something more creative, like a project of some kind. Whatever you have been toiling away on and thinking over is ready to be born into the world. Keep in mind that the motherly qualities of this card can also represent the pain a mother would feel from the loss of a child. Again, this can be a real child, or a project. Just remember, that with death comes rebirth -everything is a cycle. 

Lady Unlaced

How wonderful are Mason Jars?

Let me tell you, they're pretty awesome. I've collected three of them in the past few days for some fun crafting purposes. I know what I'm doing with one of them but it's a secret that I'll let you all in on when I'm done. I know I haven't really posted any DIY stuff on my blog before but that's something I am changing now. I love DIY projects, nothing is cooler than filling up your personal space with things you've made with your own two hands. Plus, handmade stuff always makes a great gift that people usually enjoy getting.

So here is some cool stuff I've found that you can do with Mason Jars.

Non-Electric Lanterns found on Peace of Cake.

Glow sticks are involved in this project and that makes it a winner by me. And look how pretty the end result is! My boyfriend actually linked me to this tutorial and I definitely want to do it sometime.

Coloured Mason Jars found on Wedding Bee.

This tutorial is a little more involved than the one above but the end result is really neat. They'd make great vases, or just as pretty storage devices for things like buttons and the like.

Vintage Photos in Vintage Jars found on Oh Lovey Day.

This one is really interesting and is a great way to display photos that I probably never would have thought of on my own. I'd love to have some pictures of me and my friends in jars like this. I bet they look much prettier on a mantle than the standard picture frames.

Well that's what I've found so far for mason jars, but I am always looking. Hopefully I can share my own DIY adventures with you all. I've mentioned before that I make jewelry but I would like to expand on my crafting skills. If you have any tutorials you think I'd like, please share!

Lady Unlaced