7 Dresses for Valentines Day (+ A Few Date Ideas That Don't Suck)

Pictured: For Love & Lemons mini dress (shop here) / Asos pink lace crop set / Red eyelet dress / Asos flutter back dress / Asos crochet midi dress / Red crochet dress / Free People white lace mini dress (shop here) / Enamel pins (options here) / Heart sunglasses / Valentine's cards / 'Girls' handbag / iPhone case (options here) / Playing card clutch

My favorite Valentine's Day date of all time took place at a monster truck rally in Pittsburgh. No dinner, no movie, no romantic candles, just giant trucks crushing other trucks shooting flames. Also nachos. It was awesome, and ever since, Chris and I have made a point to seek out something different to do on February 14th. This year, we're thinking of checking out the Philadelphia Tattoo Convention.

Now, just because I choose to eschew the typical doesn't mean I consider myself to be one of those Valentine's cynics grumbling about the holiday being invented by Hallmark -- frankly I don't care -- I actually really love it. In the middle of an otherwise blustery, cold month, I'll take any reason to celebrate, dress in pink and red, and proclaim my love for friends and family. And it's not that I have anything against dinner and a movie, or any other strain of "traditional" dates, it's just that I'd rather not be surrounded by a bunch of other couples, cloaked in a cloud of expectations and pressures of ROMANCE. I'd much rather seek out something beyond the ordinary, something we haven't done yet or seen yet, that we'll continue to talk about long after the day passes ("Hey, remember the time we finally got to see Gravedigger? Yeah, that was awesome.") Plus, there's the whole process of simply discovering the out of the box events and things to do happening around you. Who knows where the day will take you -- a demolition derby? A unique museum? Whatever you plan, you're sure to leave with a story and some new friends (after that demolition derby we went out for dinner -- and by "dinner" I mean hotdogs... -- only to realize mid-way through how absolutely, laughably, horrifically filthy we were. Completely covered in dust.)

Even though I might shy away from the traditionally romantic, I still love dressing up for the occasion. A little lace, a new dress... really, deep down I'm just looking for an excuse to add something pretty and heart-shaped to my closet. Another way to brighten up an otherwise gloomy month (love Valentines Day, not such a fan of February). I've had my eye on a few pretty things lately, and today I'm sharing a few of my favorites. Heart shaped glasses, a sweet card, a little lace, maybe add a funny bag... and you'll be sure to steal hearts.

XO