Blood and Roses

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope you are feeling the love today. Even if you are completely single, I think February 14th is a great opportunity to show yourself some well-deserved pampering and attention. Too often we utilize this holiday as an outlet for romantic fixation; the fact of the matter is if we can't love ourselves, we can't be loved by others. I've experienced Valentine's Days where I've been both available and in a relationship, and I can honestly say that the most enjoyable of these occasions was a year when I was single.
This year, I'm excited about the prospects of combining my first Valentine's Day as a 21 year-old with romantic availability. Heck, all I really want to do is get dressed up in this newly-acquired pink vintage dress (not the one picture above, a different pink frock!) and look fabulous and dance the night away surrounded by friends and romantic prospects. Which is probably exactly what I will end up doing.
As much as I've always been enamored with the male gender, the older I get the less fixated I have become on men. A friend made a birthday wish for me a few months ago and warned me that "no man is enchanting", a very wise quote coming from an equally wise woman. I'm not a man hater or raging bra-burning feminist, but dealing with boys has become exhausting as of late.
I suffer from what I like to call the Scarlett O'Hara Syndrome: lots of men are interested in me, but I can only develop interest in someone if they are decidedly aloof with me. Take for example, Scarlett's relationship with Ashley Wilkes. Her obsession with Ashley primarily stemmed from the fact that he was disinterested in her romantically and his marital status made him completely unattainable. On the other hand, Rhett Butler received minimal reciprocated love from Scarlett. Even though (at least in my opinion) he far outweighed Ashley in both physique and intellect, the fact that he was so smitten with Scarlett made him too available and easy for her high spirits. Only when he finally rejects her at the end of the book, does Scarlett finally realize the deep love and passion she carried deep in her heart for Rhett. I always thought Scarlett made the most outlandish personal decisions; dating a man like Rhett Butler has always been my pinnacle of ideals. However, the older I become the more I can identify with the mindset behind looking for a challenge. Granted, I would take Rhett over Ashley any day. I feel like Rhett's confidence and cultured yet manly persona would make up for his potentially unattractive obsession. Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in the power of devotion and loyalty in relationships. But laying all your cards out on the table and unveiling your feelings of love from the moment you meet is very desperate and unattractive to me, unless I magically reciprocate similar feelings at such an early relationship stage (which only happens every few years with me.)
Given the aforementioned slightly twisted romantic mindset that I possess, I feel like it's best for me to focus on me right now. I just got my first car, which is an incredibly big deal. I may be mature in many ways, but driving was never my forte. Freedom finally awaits! Antiquing and road tripping are high on my list of destination priorities. I am so in the mood for shopping right now...ohh wait isn't that every day?
Anyway, I've got to run and prepare for the day. My plate is full with good things and my cup runneth over with blessings. This mindless rambling is what you get when I decided to write a blog post on 2 hours of sleep. Time for some beauty sleep, methinks.
XOXO,
~Hope Adela Photo: Nikki A. Johnson MUAH: Josephine Love Wardrobe: Pink Champagne Vintage Vintage dress, kimono duster, and necklace. FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER