Love Letter

If I could have authored anything in the world, I would probably pick this exquisite haiku-like poem by New Zealander poet Ian Burgham:

These four lines resonate with me and my perception of my relationship with Mr. Magpie, conveying with succinct and at the same time expansive beauty the way in which so much of the world now arrives filtered through him and the lens of our life together.  To me, this is poetry in its purest form: compressed emotion.  I’m heavily swayed by the imagist poetics of Ezra Pound {I studied him closely while pursuing my M.A. in literature}, so I suppose I’m primed to respond strongly to poetry of this sort, but something about the shorthanded gesture of this four-line art piece feels like poetry should.  It reads to me like a catch in the throat, a wince.  But before I {literally} wax poetic on the above lines, and lest I digress too far from my original intent with this post:

And, in far less elegant prose, this is my other birthday message to you:

{get the print from Rockett St. George}

 

…and SCENE.  Just had to throw some birthday love to Mr. Magpie, but now that I’ve successfully grossed you all out, I’ll turn to topics that will hopefully be more applicable to all of you: Valentine’s Day, which is just around the corner.  I know, I know.  Some of you consider it a “Hallmark Holiday”; others downright dread it.  But since I love all holidays, I gladly embrace the occasion.  Especially since it centers so delightfully on one of my favorite color combos: red and pink.  And, listen up, all of you Magpie Men out there: below, a couple of lovely gifteroos to send along to your favorite magpie.  First: who wouldn’t love this retro airmail-style stationery set (Lanvin, $95, Net-A-Porter)?

An old-fashioned love letter never goes out of style.  Or – saw this old-school locketed diary ($370, Smythson), and just about died reminiscing over the dozens of locket-clasp diaries I kept as a young girl/moody pre-teen.  Recreate that feeling of secrecy by gifting her this with a dramatic (Clueless era) feather pen ($63, Farfetch — or get the look for much less with this style for only $4.50 at Amazon):

Or, go the racier route with some lovely lingerie.  Eberjey has a bunch of pieces in cheery pinks and reds ($36 for top, $32 for bottom — both from Journelle)

 

Too intimate?  Try a lovely silken robe ($49-$52, Victoria’s Secret) instead:

Consider packaging it with some luxe, beautifully-bottled perfume.  I am smitten with Fracas ($95, Sephora) and ESPECIALLY with Narcisco Rodriguez’s For Her scent (I keep finding myself in Sephora, spraying more on my self — $108, Bloomingdale’s):

 

Any perfume would be a lovely gift packaged with a perfume applicator ($44, A + R Store), which she can fill with any perfume of her choice:

If she’s less into lingerie and more into loungewear, how about this funky little kiss-print sweatshirt (~$30, TopShop) and a pack of days-of-the-week underwear (what a throwback! — Stella McCartney, $195, Net-A-Porter):

If she’s a clothes-horse (and my guess is that she is if she reads TFM), a girl can never go wrong with a classic wrap dress, especially in this just-right-for-the-occasion lipstick print (DVF, $365, Net-A-Porter):

 

 

Or — how about a heart-buckled belt (on sale for $122, StyleBop), a heart-print scarf ($95, Ban.Do), or the ultimate: a pair of classic red-soled Louboutins.  I guarantee you’d make a woman weak in the knees with this Barbie pink pair.  It’s the the stuff of dreams ($945, Barney’s):

 

If you have a serious fashion plate on your hands, these studded Valentino flats ($795, Net-A-Porter) would absolutely take her breath away.  Or they would me.  LOVE.

If it’s jewelry you’re after, a simple pair of heart-shaped hoops would be a lovely surprise ($68, Andrew Hamilton Crawford):

And it doesn’t get much sweeter than a necklace that literally spells things out for her…and encrusts it in diamonds ($1,610, Sydney Evan):

If something a little subtler is more up your alley, these small filled studs caught my eye.  I love them in the rose gold ($90, Alex and Chloe):

And if you’re just not ready to say it in hearts and words, you can still get the message across with a sparkly bracelet (on sale for $49 PLUS TODAY ONLY extra 40% off with coupon code OURTREAT — J. Crew):

 

 

If your lady is more into delicate pieces, Saskia Diez has some lovely heart-accented pieces, like this ring (~$85), this bracelet (~$100), and these earrings (~$175)

 

 

Or, ensure that you are always on her mind with one of these “forget me knot” rings ($50 for colored styles; $300 for gold — Kiel Mead):

For something smaller, check out this cute lipstick-print iPhone case (DVF, $28, Nordstrom), a travel-size rose-scented hand cream (love this stuff — $10, L’Occitaine), or a heart-shaped coin purse ($160, Mulberry):

 

Or, how about these little friendship bracelets with heart charms at the end (~$20, Saskia Diez), or a simple heart key ring accent ($60, Smythson)?

 

Now, if you are a die-hard romantic, you might go with one of these beautiful pieces from Georgia-based company Sugarboo.  They use reclaimed and organic-looking materials (think burlap and recovered wood) to create beautiful wall art with lovely phrases atop.  I think these would be beautiful in a nursery — but also as meaningful way to get the point across to your loved one:

I have to say that I was gob-smacked by this beautiful letter from a mother to her children.  So sweet.  Wouldn’t it be beautiful to frame on a wall in your home?

OK, and scene.  Lest I get too misty-eyed over here.  In closing: a little love message from ME to YOU.  Or rather, from the ah-may-zing folks behind Etsy storefront Rocks Paper Metal, who have oh-so-kindly offered ONE LUCKY READER a pair of these bomb neon earrings:

All you have to do is to leave a comment on this post saying what you’d wear them with.  Oh, and be a peach and like them on Facebook.  {And while you’re at it, consider liking me on Facebook and/or following me on Twitter.  Or Pinterest.  Or Tumblr.  Sheesh, I’m all over the map.  But let’s be social with each other in one medium or another!}  I’ll announce a winner this Thursday morning!