Puppy love is soooo passe

...especially for Valentine's Day.

Okay, yes, so this is an obvious set-up for my new so-adorable-they'll-change-your-life [insert eye roll here] "Not just puppy love" card + magnet set that I conveniently made just in time for Valentine’s Day, but still: roses, Hallmark poems, and "every kiss begins with K, now-I'm-wearing-the-same-thing-as-half the-housewives-in-America" pendants all scream (to me at least) either uninspired puppy love or panicky significant others who know they're supposed to do something, right? Or else they're in trouble.

I've been known to be a bit, shall we say, dubious regarding V-Day: The Institution. If so, this attitude might be left over from the Valentine's Day 15 years ago when...ehn, but I'll skip that story. The point is, Valentine's Day used to be distasteful because I associated it with unoriginal and insincere sap. (Amazing, I know, to discover I’m actually including a point. I think I might be breaking some unofficial rules of my blog or something.)

I don't hate V-Day anymore, because of my new self-imposed decision to take it back from the same-old sap—or make it some fun sap, at least. I, as you may have guessed by now, made this magnet for my husband for V-Day with ironical sap in mind.

I think it would be fun if people got just a little funky for V-Day, whether it's by making, doing, or buying something unusual [hint, hint to the hubster--though he's been on a roll lately, so he may not need one (grin)].

Fortunately, I'm not the only one making fun V-Day goodies. One of my personal faves right now is this anatomically correct heart pendant, with a latin inscription that means "from the bottom of my heart" (placed literally at the bottom of the actual heart. Who can resist tongue-in-cheek, joking-with-sincerity sap, as opposed to just your run of the mill stuff? Certainly not me.)

So will you be my funky Valentine, and share your funkiest V-Day idea? Besides suggesting I get off my funktified soap box, that is ;)

(Gee, I'm a little obsessed with variations on "funk" huh? I wonder if there's a treatment for that...beyond soap and water, I mean.)

(Okay, I'm truly and for real shutting up now.)

The hubby gets big bonus points for this Xmas

Gift-giving is not always my hubby's strong suit, and I've become okay with that since he is so supportive and delightful in most other areas. But this year he really outdid himself, even by talented gift-giver standards. First, he got me the wacom bamboo fun tablet, so I can really push my digital art much further than I have been able to do when trying to draw with a mouse (note to self: if I ever want to create art that looks like it was drawn by children, pull out the mouse again. Otherwise just stick with my tablet).

Then (and just the tablet would have been enough, believe me!) he got me this super cool ring I've had my eye on from Catherinette's shop--isn't it just chock full of funky fun goodness?

To top it all off, the poor guy had to then spend most of Christmas day at the emergency animal hospital with our cat Allie Mae. She's okay now, and for the sake of delicacy I won't tell you all what was wrong with her just in case anyone is eating while they're reading this.

Suffice it to say he has earned a plenty big stockpile of brownie points this holiday season and thus will probably be coasting on those for months. That is, unless I keep stepping on the small parts of power tools that have been recently appearing just as I put all my weight on a bare foot...if they keep "I don't know how that got there, I swear, sorry honey"ing under my delicate little toesies for much longer then that stockpile of points might be gone in a week or two ;)


P.s.--after Ms. Mae got sick and then got treated my soulmate-in-cat-form, Zorro, also got sick and is still not fully recovered yet, so we appreciate all thoughts and purrayers anyone might care to send their way.

Cat-Lover Gifts under 20 dollars

Zen Cat Journal: This journal, available only in the PurrPrints cafepress store, sells for just 12.99--and you get to choose the type of paper that goes inside (blank, lined, grid--even a task journal).








Pointillist Postage Stamp: This is an actual postage stamp, available only at the PurrPrints zazzle store--order a pack of 20 for only 18.05 and send your mail in art-tastic style--stamp choices include standard first class stamps, postcard stamps, priority mail stamps, and a bunch more my pitiful brain can't recall right now.


PurrPrints Magnets: These lovely magnets are only 4 dollars apiece and there's 10 designs to choose from in the PurrPrints etsy store, so why not pick up a few?