Valentine's Day Thoughts

Something silly and full of love x

Last Monday morning, my entire identity reoriented to revolve around Valentine’s Day.

This same thing happened to me for last year’s Halloween, and I think it’s a side-effect of having a fully-developed frontal lobe: I have evolved into the truest version of myself, and the truest version of myself adores a fatuous holiday.

Since last Monday I’ve been planning decorations, figuring out what cookies I’ll be baking, planning the perfect date night with my partner, picking out the perfect present, stocking up on candles, and sending out galentine’s invites on the side. Obviously, I’ve also been figuring out my 2025 valentine’s ins and outs and consuming as much relevant media as possible so naturally — in the spirit of love — here are all my recommendations for the sappy season.

Besos x

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VALENTINE’S INS & OUTS 2025

In:

• Red velvet

• Personalized gifts (especially monogrammed)

• Celebrating self- and platonic love, as well as romantic love

• Honeycomb

• Decorating for Valentine’s Day

• Marble

• Spending an evening at the theatre

• Catholic imagery

• Black, white, or burgundy bralettes

• Handmade or sustainable gifts (Sustainable Baddie has a cute gift guide here)

• Love letters with heart-shaped seals

• Vintage cherubs

• La petite mort

Out:

• Consumerism for the sake of consumerism

• Fondant

• Forgetting about Valentine’s Day

• Tacky teddy bears

• Cellophane

• Soulless cards for your significant other

• Coquette

• Underwire lingerie

• Chocolate cake as a default

• Not knowing your friend’s love languages

• Plastic

• Heart-shaped balloons

• Starving your appetites

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VALENTINE’S ARCHETYPE QUIZ

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GIFT & MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS

• The Le Creuset Heart Collection

• Want by Gillian Andersen

• Saint pendants

• In the Mood for Love (2000): I haven’t seen this yet (this is the plan for my valentine’s day evening so you can expect a proper mention in the next issue of The Rambler Review), but it looks so aesthetically exquisite and softly devastating — not to mention on-theme — that it deserves to be included.

• A marble chess set; this game is the epitome of sexual tension.

• Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

• Anything from the Lush valentine’s range, especially the love spell melt, posh white chocolate and rose body wash, and strawberry heart soap.

• Any red stone jewellery

• Monogrammed matchboxes

• Ever After (1998): This film is, in my opinion, the greatest retelling of the Cinderella story imaginable. Drew Barrymore in medieval chic? Check. Leonardo da Vinci? Check. The greatest dramatic arrival of all time/a tearjerking scene of elderly lovers being reunited/the actual Brothers Grimm?? Check check check. Everything you could ever want from a film.

• This Berry Gingham Pajama Set from Piglet In Bed

• Lady Chatterley’s Lover (2022): If you know, you know. And Emma Corrin is naturally spectacular.

• Rose quartz - for both the romantic associations and the sheer aesthetic. I especially love these rose quartz mini moons from Daughters & Co.

• The Rose by Inya

• A Heart Tarot Deck from Etsy

• Anything remotely resembling a 90s romcom - 10 Things I Hate About You, How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, Sleepless In Seattle, The Princess Bride, Notting Hill, 13 Going On 30… you get the assignment.

• The Love Witch (2016): Romantic, murderous, and aesthetically divine. Very on-brand for valentine’s day.

• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

• About Time (2013) / We Live in Time (2024): Both romcoms(??kind of??), both utterly gorgeous and romantic, and undeniably prone to make me break down in a weepy heap.

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