Expressions From the Heart

You can't help but know that Valentine's Day is quickly approaching with the abundance of jewelry commercials on TV..."Every kiss begins with K." (I think it's a given that this commercial was voted the "Most Annoying Jingle" in our household). Regardless, it causes me to stop and reminisce about memorable gifts from the past and realize that some of my most treasured ones actually have very little monetary value. Although these tokens of love weren't costly, didn't come in little velvet boxes and by most standards are far from perfect, they make me feel loved every time I see them. To me, these heartfelt expressions of love says it all.

Nana's Charm Bracelet ~ A treasured keepsake, this belonged to Nana when she was a teenager.

"I Love You, Nat" ~ I received this from my hubby-to-be via snail mail when I was in college. It was dark and dated so I gave it a coat of cream spray paint.

Gavin's Flower ~ Lovingly created by Gavin in elementary school. I gave it a "shadowbox" effect by hotgluing it atop the glass of a vintage picture frame.

Corbin's Recipe Holder ~ I love this recipe holder that Corbin made in kindergarten (it has his little thumbprint on it). It's holding Nana's crepe recipe that she gave me years ago (so yummy!).

Teacup and Saucer/Pearlized Initial ~ A heartfelt gift Reagan picked up for me when he was in Switzerland. The letter "D" was a gift from my friend, Pamela.

Heart Shaped Rocks ~ A freebie ~ We gathered these heart shaped rocks on leisure walks, an idea I stole from my friend, Janet.

The Girl with a Broken Arm ~ A gift from a Brussels flea market ~ Nat nailed it, absolutely perfect!

Mimi's Cookie Cutters ~ My mom passed these vintage cookie cutters on to me. They have dished up many a sugar cookie (too bad the boy's favorites are chocolate chip!).

Vintage Silver Spoon ~ Sharon of the "Bless your Neighbor" blog gave me this imprinted cheese spreader yesterday....Just Because. The truffles, compliments of Kelly of the "Healthy Happy Eater" blog.

Scrabble Letters ~ Nat surprised me last year with a box full of Scrabble letters that he purchased on Ebay. Definitely one of my favorites! So many uses...I love spelling out names and using them as place cards for table settings.

Tokens of affection needn't be expensive to convey the sentiment behind them. Some of the most meaningful and treasured ones are simple expressions from the heart.