Let me just preface this post by saying the insanely gorgeous dress shown here is not what I’ll be wearing for Valentine’s Day (sadly.) I borrowed it from Rent the Runway for a shoot with my dear friend Leah Beilhart (check out her gorgeous photos on Insta) at the Sweet Root Village studio a few months back! I'm holding their stunning flowers here and if you're in the market for wedding or event flowers, THESE ARE YOUR GIRLS.

It was a fun, spontaneous project we all worked on together - simply for the joy of collaborating with other women, supporting our passions and enjoying each other’s company.

So - Valentine’s Day. I know the feelings on this holiday run the gamete - from loathing the expectations surrounding this one day to baking heart shaped cupcakes for everyone in their office. I lie somewhere in the middle.

In our early dating years, I put the most unrealistic expectations on Valentine’s Day. You want everything to go JUST RIGHT, conversations to go swimmingly, the bubbly and laughter overflowing.

And after years of finding the right balance for us as a couple, we’ve come up with what seems to be a tradition for Valentine’s Day.

First off - we don’t really do gifts (minus the bouquet of flowers my hubby loves to send!) It’s so close to the holidays, hubby’s birthday just ended a couple weeks prior, it’s too much. Instead, we pick out a meaningful card for each other. I prefer a handwritten card over gifts any day.

When we get home from work, we turn on the tunes (John Legend is our fave) and cook dinner together. Usually we’ll pick a recipe from our Positano cook book (where we honeymoon’ed) the night before. Almost always, it involves a fresh French baguette and some sort of delicious cheese, usually eaten while cooking. It’s a relaxing way to wind down from a busy day and really focus on each other.

Before dinner, we’ll take turns getting ready. We’re usually pretty casual - jeans and a cute top or sweater usually win out for me. I have an abundance of cute little candles from our wedding 5 years ago so I’ll usually light a few of those around the table, pop open a bottle of wine and we’ll spend a quiet evening together. A little old-lady like, but it’s just the way I like it.