Monday, February 1, 2010

Valentine's Day is Nigh!

Valentine Vignette

I love Valentine's Day. Especially now that I have a sweetie! For several years, I've driven to a mall about 15 miles away to buy my husband a beautiful big box of chocolates. He says the quality is superb, and I like saving the pretty boxes, which I keep and use to decorate the house in February. Some I hang on the wall, and others sit on easels wherever I can fit them!

Pink Heart Candy Box

Red Heart Candy Box

I also collect old and reproduction Valentines. The automobile and the 3-dimensional Valentine next to it are reproductions.

Reproduction 3D Valentines

One of my favorite antique Valentines is a card that has many layers on the front that you can pull forward for a 3-D effect. The inside has a beautiful verse. And I have the original envelope addressed to Miss Nellie Drollinger. The envelope also contains a notation from the person to which Nellie left the Valentine. Both card and envelope are extremely soft and delicate from age. I only display my older Valentines behind glass and away from sunlight!

With Love Valentine, front

With Love Valentine, detail

With Love Valentine, inside

With Love Valentine, envelope

Our cat Phoebe must make her appearance for Valentine's Day, for when we adopted her, she was named "Miss Love," and we soon found out why! She is the most loving little kitty and loves to sit on laps, especially when we're sitting at the computer. She would crawl up into our nostrils if she could!

Phoebe Delphinium

Next time, I'll include more pics of some antique Valentines and a little history of Victorian Valentine customs.

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16 Comments:

Blogger Lady Prism said...

*LOVELY!* and Miss Love is so purrety! :D

February 2, 2010 at 12:31 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

The antique Valentine is beautiful! And a pupil gave it to her? Wow, times sure have changed. If a pupil did that now, there'd probably be a lawsuit! Ahhh, the good ole days when kindness wasn't considered perverted! :)

Smooch that cute kitty for me!

February 2, 2010 at 1:55 AM  
Blogger Rose ~Victorian Rose ~ said...

Pam, OH to have a kitty like yours.....the only cat we ever had ...had a "screw or two loose"...and she would only come near us when she seemed to want to be petted..but when you did, she would bite us and run. I would love to have a kitty again..but afraid I would end up with another "looney" one.

Isn't it fun to have the things we love to collect for those special holidays and be able to display them...for our pleasure alone, if for nothing else.

Like you new banner at the top too.

Rose
http://delightfulclutter.blogspot.com/

February 2, 2010 at 4:51 AM  
Blogger Cass @ That Old House said...

Ummm chocolate..... oh sorry, got lost in dreaming there for a moment.

:-)
Lovely post -- gorgeous vintage cards; they really knew what they were doing in the sentimental romance department in those days!

And your cat is adorable!
Cass

February 2, 2010 at 9:28 AM  
Blogger The Victorian Parlor said...

Your Valentine collection is lovely. The antique one for Miss Drollinger is especially wonderful-I love all of the history written on the envelope. Speaking of Valentines, I think that Kramer would find Pheobe to be quite a lovely Valentine:).

Blessings,

Kim

February 2, 2010 at 2:07 PM  
Blogger BumbleVee said...

It's lovely to see some of the beautiful vintage cards ...I think many of the vintage paper things are disappeaering.. being used for collages and the like.... it's sad....

Awww.. your MIss Love is beautiful...

February 2, 2010 at 5:43 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Thank you, Lady Prism!

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 10:51 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Christine-

Ain't it the truth! That kind of thing has only changed in very recent years. It's sad, I think.

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 10:55 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Rose-

I agree... I love to decorate for the holidays, and I'm sad when there are no holidays! As for cats, yes there are plenty of crazy ones! Sometimes I think they've been traumatized and it takes years to draw them out of their shell, but it can be done!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 10:58 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Cass-

I find it really hard to find modern Valentines cards with the same romance that these old ones have!

Phoebe the Cat thanks you (she's one of those cats that knows how adorable she is... a bit snooty, if you ask me!).

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 11:02 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Kim-

Phoebe and Kramer would make a cute cat couple! But she's a bit of a diva, so I don't know how long it would last! :)

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 11:04 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

BumbleVee-

I agree. It's sad that people use original ephemera for their collage work instead of making copies.

Phoebe (Miss Love) says thank you for the compliment!

-Pam

February 2, 2010 at 11:09 PM  
Blogger The Pink Birdhouse said...

Pam, I just knew that you had to have the same book as me about life in a Victorian Home. It just suits you. You will love it. I love to read several books at the same time too, leaving one upstairs in the bedroom, one in the livingroom, one for little girls' room, etc. then I just grab a few minutes or so of reading where ever I am!

This post is FANTASTIC!! Your cat's photo should win a contest, it is that lovely!! Makes me want to reach out and pet her. Lucky you to have such a loving kitty.

As for those Valentines, oh my, they are so wonderful. I love the really old one with its many layers. The old fashioned car one is great too. Reproduction or not, it is a wonderful Valentine item!! And your Valentine hearts are so pretty. Every year I bring out my old one from my mother, dated from the 60's, and use it for our annual chocolates!

I very much enjoyed this post! thanks for sharing your lovelies with us. ~~ Debby

February 3, 2010 at 5:12 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Debby-

Thank you for your nice words! And Phoebe thanks you for the compliment! Your ribbon work reminds me of a Valentine, with all the pretty feminine details you so lovingly add to each piece. I guess I'm a sucker for all the girlie ribbons, laces and frou-frou!

-Pam

February 3, 2010 at 7:51 PM  
Blogger Teresa said...

Phoe-bert! What a cutie.

February 3, 2010 at 10:40 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Teresa!

Sorry we always lock our kitties upstairs when we have our tea. I know you'd like to visit with them, too! They really love the catnip toys you made for them.

-Pam

February 5, 2010 at 9:21 AM  

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