Photo by suchitra prints’

Retro Chick is feeling squishy and romantic this week, but it hasn’t escaped my notice that a lot of people aren’t so enamoured with Valentines day. Some perfect examples here..

I have often been curious about exactly what it is about Valentines Day that engenders such vitriolic attacks from people who happily celebrate other over commercialised Christian holidays such as Christmas (it is, after all ST Valentines Day) and tuck into piles of pancakes on Shrove Tuesday.

Do you love or hate Valentines Day? Are you completely Anti Valentines or are you all hearts and fluffy kittens for the entire of February?

Personally I’m the type of person that celebrates the opening of an envelope, so if someone is kind enough to schedule a day in the calendar where I can spend the day cutting hearts out of red sugar paper and drink pink fizzy wine whilst stuffing my face with chocolate I’m not going to sniff at it!

Whether you buy into the Hallmark Valentines cliche or like to celebrate it in your own special way here are a few ways to turn those cliches on their heads and get something a little bit interesting and unique.

Flowers

Cut flowers are often grown overseas, and air freighted in refrigerated conditions to keep them fresh, hardly Eco friendly, in 2005  19,000 tonnes of flowers were imported into the UK from Kenya, racking up 33,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

Why not spend your money on flowers that will last?

Some gorgeous floral jewellery like this necklace from Beads and Pieces on Etsy.

Or this fabric wrist cuff made with vintage buttons from Florabond.

If nothing but  real flowers will do make sure you buy Fair Trade, Organic or UK Flowers.

Try The Real Flower Company for gorgeous scented roses grown in the UK, or, out of season, on their Fair Trade Kenyan farm.

Chocolates

We all love Chocolate, surely? The problem being that, the Cocoa Industry is rife with poverty, forced labour and other working practices that a right thinking person doesn’t associate with a romantic gift.

That doesn’t mean you can’t do chocolate though, just make sure it’s fair trade.

Try Plush Fair Trade Belgian Chocolates for £8.99

Or Divine hand finished white chocolate and strawberry truffles for just £4.99

Lingerie

Mmm, scratchy black and red lace underwear, just what every woman wants to make her feel special.

No, really, lingerie is a great gift if done well, but it’s so easy to do wrong.

For stylish and beautiful Eco friendly lingerie try Sandmaiden on Etsy

This Bamboo and Organic Cotton set is $45

Or you could try Enamore where you can pick up beautiful bits like this Bedrock Betty lingerie set for £81 made from bamboo fibres and Lycra.