oh, valentines day.

do you ever find yourself 'looking back' on valentines day? do you wonder about all the romantic dinners/cards of the past, and wonder why in the world it's not happening this year? or maybe why your husband/boyfriend isn't pulling out the big candy hearts or candles any longer.?

yeah, i know. been there, done that.

i've had a couple or really, really good dates on valentines day, and then a couple {semi-depressing} years where the only gift i got was a miniature box of See's on my dinner plate. from my parents. that's a little bit embarrassing, you know? just don't tell my mom.

this year is one of the 'wane' years. and i'm not going to go on and on, saying how you should just 'love yourself' and 'forget the day.' no, i'll say it. being alone on valentines day sucks. it's not fun, and it's frustrating to remember how much i looked forward to it when my mind was clouded with puppy love, then compare it to the now. i'm not sad about that pink and red riddled day in february. even though i'm single, i actually quite like it. why?

because i love love.

it's my absolute FAVORITE to see couples holding hands and all the harried men and women running in and out of the post office with red envelopes. i love seeing the silly valentines day cards in the stores, and the kids pondering what candy to give to their 'special someone' in the grocery store aisles. february just feels bright and happy, even though it is in the middle of the winter. it's the month of love, no matter what kind of love you're feeling. whether you're single (read my post on singleness here), married, or dating, it's a special day.

so. instead of being all mopey and crazy about tomorrow, i thought i would show you a couple pictures of those wonderful people in my life. the ones that make me smile, let me cry on their shoulders and laugh until my face gets much too red. these are the people that i am celebrating on that day of love...what about you?

{little siblings}

{my sweet college roommate}

{my obviously still madly in love parents}

{best friend}

okay, everyone. take a deep breath and go listen to some jackie wilson...oh, yeah. and enjoy this pretty awesome day of love. you can find that warm, fuzzy feeling anywhere, you just have to look <3 

remember the days...

...when a saturday night meant picnics and swimming and too hot soccer games? yeah, i miss them, too. summer is still hot, but it's filled with high utility bills and car stick shifts that burn through sweaty hands. to cool off a few weekends ago, a couple good friends and i spent a bit of time in a hollywood cemetery.

valencia is a darling place to live, but not very temperate. so...i like to head down into LA to cool off. it's usually a good five to ten degrees cooler, which is a huge difference for me (i can't take the heat. at all.). if you're in the LA area, make sure to speed right past valencia and head down towards the beach or downtown, where there are millions of little coffee shops (this one is my favorite!) ready to stick an iced chai in your hand and let you cool off in their icy air conditioners.

or.

spend some time in a cemetery.

okay, well. it might sound a bit morbid. the hollywood forever cemetery is located on santa monica boulevard, right in the heart of the city. it has expansive lawns, high walls covered in ivy and tombstones that look like they're straight from the movies. which, of course, they actually could be since the cemetery grounds back up to paramount studios.

every saturday night during the summer, cinespia hosts a movie night on the lawns complete with a dj and wine before the film. they show movies from every decade, but we decided to go the night that they screened, "sunset blvd." not only is the movie super old and eerie, but the film took place right in the heart of hollywood. it was so fun to watch a grainy black-and-white that was filmed mere blocks away. whenever they mentioned something that was iconically, "hollywood," (aka: the sign, hollywood blvd, etc) everyone started cheering and clapping.

so. much. fun.

it's exciting to know that we live a mere twenty minutes from one of the most talked about places on earth. if you get the chance, ditch the touristy stuff and come hang out with us locals in a cemetery. we don't bite, promise!

if you do come, however, here's a couple tips:
1. come early, leave late. traffic is intense.
2. don't park in the cemetery. it's way too expensive. (we parked for free on N. Gower Street!)
3. bring some snacks. the atmosphere calls for them, honestly.
4. you can't forget those tiny lawn chairs! you can't bring big ones, but you won't see without a little one!
5. people watch. have fun. listen to the crazy music. it's really a great place to be.

ps: we're headed back to see one of the last movies of the summer, "dirty dancing," on september 1st. so, if you have the chance, make sure to pack a picnic, grab a blanket and drag some girlfriends along for a night to remember.

{i really like these people)

(waiting for the show to start}

{too short to see. i was teased, a lot.}

{movie time}