Image via Such Pretty Things on Tumblr here

If you’re dreading the fast approaching Valentines day as yet another commercial holiday, there are so many ways you can make it count without spending a cent. Or for those of you who say, “I don’t need a special day to show my love.” no, I’m sure you don’t, but do you really put this much thought into it everyday, and just how touched will someone be when they are on the receiving end of one of these treats? Try something extra special this year and see just how much millage a day of lovely thoughts and gestures will add to your happiness reserves.

Time

They say the only thing you can get a person with everything is more time; and that’s just what you can do. Find something that your love needs done, and make it happen for them while they have some quiet time to read, relax, take a bath or simply sleep. Walk their dog, pick up their kids from school, mow their lawn; all these things help. And remember that old adage, a problem shared is a problem halved? Offer to share the load on a job they don’t really enjoy and chat your way through it. Help them do their late Summer gardening while chatting about the merits of cocktails. Wash windows while singing show tunes… all these things will give them time, give them love, lighten their load and lighten their hearts.  What more could you ask for?

Listen

There are certain tunes we always remember. Those that made us laugh, dance, sing or just plain silly. Sharing these with people we love is something that was par for the course when I was growing up. In fact I still have the first mix tape my high school sweetheart made me, complete with Posca written dedication!

Tap into your inner high schooler and create a mix tape for the one you love.  You you could go fully low tech if you still have that kind of equipment lying around, but otherwise, try these free online services like MixTapeMe. Try back announcing your song selection every now and then with a reminder of a fun time you shared together. It will sure make for some big grins when they hear it again in years to come.

Taste

If you’re not Australian you may not know this but there was a time when the women of this country were all mentally preparing to cook Tom Cruise a Lamb Roast. Now a lamb roast may not be your thing, (and neither may Tom Cruise for that matter), but the sentiment still stands. Cooking your speciality to hand deliver or serve up to your loved one is high on the agenda of impressive Valentines Day gifts. Imagine a huge basket of freshly home baked chocolate chip cookies arriving in a decorated basket on your office desk at lunch time. Feeling loved yet?

Memories

Now that just about everyone in the world has converted to digital photography, many of us never set those memories free once we’ve pressed a button or downloaded them to our desk top.  Give your special memories life and a place to live. Print your favourite photos of you and your love, have them framed, hang them on a string like bunting to decorate the room or put them in surprise places with notes on the back. Each one of these will deliver back to you a 100 watt smile.

Of course, not all of your Valentines will be with you on the 14th of February, and this is where our digital world comes back to our rescue. Write your messages of love in unexpected places. In chalk on the pavement, across your heart, iced onto a cake… the choices are endless. Snap a series of photos using cool apps like Instagram and send them throughout the day like a steady stream of love confetti.

If you have more wonderful FREE Valentines Day Gift ideas to share, please leave them in the comments and together we’ll be making some serious happy!

I love my sleeping masks. They are my secret to successful daytime naps, as rare as they are, and also do a marvellous job at securely holding those much needed eye cooling gels.  I always love the way the romantic heroine awakes in bed and peers from beneath those satin hoods. Most memorable to me is the divine Auntie Mame who sits bolt upright, awoken by her nephew, to exclaim, “Not now darling, Mamie’s hung.”

My lovely friend Violet Le Beaux has been making some DIY sleep masks of late including this one you can customise with your own message; and so I was inspired to finally make the perfect one for me and share it with you too.  This is an easy to make, perfect gift for your Valentine, and of course yourself. Get creative and think of different colours and trim you can use to make this your own.  I’d love to see the results of your imagination and if you email me pics of your finished mask, I’ll create a gallery of your handiwork in a follow up post! Enjoy…

~Daily Outfit Inspirations ~

~Marie Antoinette Does Colour Blocking~

Sometime I like to put a whole new twist on my vintage dressing. Sometimes it’s less about the clothes themselves but about the stories I create with them, and the characters that emerge. Upon receiving an delightful invitation in my inbox for an occasion of historical significance (which you’ll see next week), the wheels of inspiration began to move and a whole new plan for these pieces in my wardrobe was born.

Imagine Marie Antoinette, circa 2011, taking on the colour blocking trend and taking it to the streets. And so I dressed.

Outfit Details 

Pale pink ruffled jacket – Angel Sissi

Purple velvet bow tie – 1970′s vintage find

Yellow silk blouse – op shop

Hot pink raw silk skirt – op shop

Red suede wedges – Spendless shoes

Red patent leather bag with gold chains – label “Sexy but Cute”

Floral corsage – handmade one off

Pink pearl earrings on silver bows – Chomel

Pink and silver kitten fob brooch – “Drink Me Alice” label by Melbourne jewellery designer and blogger at Sea of Ghosts.

* All images by Helen McLean for Super Kawaii Mama.com – Images may be reproduced with appropriate permissions.*  

Today’s KILLER vintage find…. this awesome leopard print coat! Spotted by Miss 7 on a random Op Shop run and hastily garbing me. For the grand total of $15; Miss 7 was well entitled to a $5 finders fee!

Today’s makeup look comes courtesy of the sale currently on at Target here that I indulged in this week. I went in just looking for a good red polish and discovered they have loads of cosmetics on sale. So I splashed out a whole $10 for a new polish and lipstick that inspired today’s pink-tastic look.

Nails – “Raven Hot” by Chi Chi

Eyes – “Last Call” &”Grifter” by Urban Decay 

Lips – “Trolley Dolley” by Chi Chi

3/4 Lashes – The Face Shop

This is one of my favourite eye makeup colours on myself. Not something I wear when going purely vintage, but I love the soft pink purple hues and that bit of sparkle without it being over the top. And given that today’s activity was an outing to The Smurf movie, I thought the pink would be a good counter balance.