Mentioning Valentine’s Day can be a bit like tiptoeing through a minefield. On one hand, you might be chatting with a Valentine’s aficionado, a person who revels in any opportunity to expound on their wonderful, practically Shakespearian relationship. On the other, you might be dealing with a Valentine’s Vampire, a person who is completely normal on the surface but, upon the slightest mention of Valentine’s Day, will convulse with terror, shutter all their windows and struggle to control their gag reflex.

To all of you V-Day Vampires out there: You are not alone. Valentine’s Day can often seem like one giant conspiracy against singletons, romance skeptics and those with crippling fears of large paper hearts. Indeed, for those of a more cynical bent (and who doesn’t have cynical days?), Valentine’s Day can appear to be one giant scheme, one that can make you feel positively wretched if you aren’t buying obscene amounts of heart-shaped candies and living inside a One Direction song.

Valentine’s Vamps: It doesn’t need to be this way. Valentine’s Day can be so much more than a one-day celebration of romantic love. At Design*Sponge, we’ve adopted the notion that Valentine’s is a time of year to celebrate all kinds of love, whether it’s the love you have for your significant other, your friends, your dog or even your neighborhood bodega. Each of these loves is valid and wonderful, so why not celebrate them?

As adults, it’s often easy to lose sight of what makes Valentine’s Day so special in the first place. As with other holidays, it’s often the preparation and anticipation that creates the fondest memories, not the day itself. When I was a child, my sister and I would sit around our kitchen table on February 13th, furiously drafting Valentine’s cards for each member of our classes. There was something incredibly warm and fulfilling about these moments spent folding construction paper, stuffing envelopes and taping lollipops to cards. Neither my sister nor I was old enough for a romantic relationship, but we were absolutely in love with the very idea of Valentine’s Day.

To celebrate the feeling of familial bonding that comes with Valentine’s Day, we decided to throw a little Valentine’s Craft Breakfast last week at the D*S office. As soon as we posted the invitation on our site, we immediately sold out — proving that there is still an insatiable appetite for the kind of Valentine’s love that we hold dearest: the love of friends, community and — of course — crafting! For all the photos from this fabulous event, and some Valentine card inspiration, continue after the jump! — Max

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