After all those years in the floral business i have a bad taste for VD day.It is hands down the most hectic and ugly holiday in the business. We usually dont celebrate. Our anniv and my birhtday are close so i asked DH for a gift cert to a local greenhouse to use when i start buying my annuals this Spring.
Although im not above hitting Walgreens the day after for 1/2 price candy............

With three birthdays in our family of four within 3 weeks in February, it tends to fall by the wayside.

pamven ,since you grow flowers for VD, you are one of my heroes and certainly one of my hubby's heroes. My DH is a very structured person, somehow he figured out early in our marriage that posies, chocolate and a card made me happy on VD. He's so happy to have found the formula, that if you and your flower growers would quit growing flowers, he and I would be unhappy.

Oh i didnt have anything to do with the growing process. I worked for a fresh cut wholesaler and for various florists. Growing is an entiredly different animal.
Little know fact...most if not all fresh cuts are now imported from South America. When i quit the wholesale end over 20 yrs ago they were getting the 1st shipments of roses from Columbia. They were amazing. Now carn,roses,mums all come from there. I drool over the colors and new forms. I bought a few bunches of mini carns in the mark down bucket at kroger 3 weeks ago and they still look good. Thats where im heading right after Walgreens....kroger marked down flowers and Walgreens marked down candy....heaven

I think a Sweets Party sounds like a fun way to celebrate St. Valentine's Day. My DH has a streak of little boy in him and loves it when a decoration turns up in the house at all the various holidays. Loves it even more if food accompanies the decorations. LOL. A pot of red blooming kalanchoe found its way from the g'house to the kitchen counter as did some decadent chocolate cupcakes with pink cream cheese icing and sugar sprinkles.

Yeah.......I know what the other side of the coin looks like for flowers on holidays, too. I used to order cut flowers for arrangements and always warned the customers the prices is going to like......quadruple........if they need them on Valentine Week, especially roses. And Pamven is right, there used to be a big cut-flower industry in this country and it was one of the first to go belly-up when sourcing went off-shore.

I love your idea Karen! and may copy it for couples and start having dinner parties in honor of the occasion.

I guess I am somewhere in between with Valentine's Day.
The first year we were together, we mutually agreed that it was a commercial holiday and not to buy gifts. What happened was, when he took his dad grocery shopping, the elder asked him what he was getting me for Valentine's Day and when he said "nothing" the elder made him purchase flowers and candy. What makes it funny is that his dad is so tight and practical with money he squeaks. When he showed up at my door with flowers and candy, my eyes went wide and asked if I misunderstood regarding our deal. That same year, I must have gotten shot in the tush with cupids arrow because I wrote a poem and had it read to him at work in front of his coworkers. I don't know what possessed me. I don't write poems. When I didn't from him all day, I started to worry. LOL He is not one for attention. He said it let him know that we were on the same page. I still think he must have been mortified.

We will probably order a carryout and avoid any crowded restaurants. I didn't expect anything or plan anything but he suggested we go to a jewelry store (who could say no to that?that offer doesn't come around often) together Wednesday after we had lunch. We were not "dressed" so to speak but there was a VERY nice, down to Earth young lady transplanted from New Orleans who was kind enough to give us the time of day wonderful service. All of the plastic people ignored us. :) I picked out something unpretentious that I will wear regularly.

Happy Valentine's Day Ya'll

We vary. We both like to celebrate things so some years we'll do a bit of decorating. Sometimes I'll paint a card. We don't go out to eat but we pretty much always make a nice dinner and dessert. This year we're just making the dinner and dessert. I may make a card. Money is still tight so our compromise is that The Carnivore is having a steak [they were on sale and since I don't really care much for meat why not just get her one] and since we had shrimp in the freezer, for Me we just had to buy an avocado and I'll have my very favorite, a big shrimp and avocado salad with tons of walnuts. We'll both be very happy with our meal and I'm making some brownies. Easy and quick.

sounds like fun Karen and good way to beat these cabin fever blues. After 45 years of marriage we celebrate some Valentine Days and others we skip. It isn't an important day to us. I can still remember the big Valentine box in elementary school and some kids not getting but a few Valentines while others were inundated.I always felt sorry for them and never really did like this day all that much..even now.In the store the other day I saw a Valentine card for a dog.

We usually don't go out for Valentine's Day, because the restaurants are usually overcrowded and the food is subsequently sub-par. But then I stumbled across a meal that I knew would be compelling for both of us, so I pre-paid and booked it weeks ago: It's a seven course fowl dinner put on by a very talented group of chefs. We'll probably learn a lot in the process. But to be honest, we're just calling this a VD dinner... I'd have made the reservation regardless of when it was happening.

And yes, I did bring home some chocolate this week... but then again I bring home some chocolate most weeks.

I think a sweets party sounds wonderful!

Well, Sweets on Sunday was a lovely event! Between the cheesecake, the wine and the gorgeous strawberries with handy stems for dipping, and the gift bags, it seems everyone had a lovely time. It was so much fun organizing this event that I may just make it a regular event!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Karen