Valentine's Day Inspiration 2012

The annual buzz concerning Valentine's Day that begins to swam weeks in advance is among us once again. Seriously, we've barely digested Christmas when we're bombarded with images of rosy-cheeked, diapered-bottomed cherubs sparking that coup de foudre into the hearts of their unsuspecting victims, via arrow to the buttocks, and the like. All matters lovey-dovey become a recurring trend in Facebook statuses and a raging sea of red and pink begins to dominates the card section of your local Tesco (those with sensitive eyes beware).

There's no escaping the lurrrrve, whether you embrace the mushiness wholeheartedly or if (like me, and a vast majority of the population) you're a loyal member of the Lonely Hearts Club Band, or checking into the Heartbreak Hotel for the umpteenth year in a row. This is why I channeled my personal inspiration for Valentine's Day into a humble Polyvore set - my first attempt at a "mood board", if you will.

As much as I try to abstain from plaguing my posts with unnecessary and often long-winded drivel, I do feel the need to at least give a brief reference to each item of inspiration.

{Left to right}

• Venus and Child, Jean Honore-Fragonard - a painting I was most fortunate to discover upon a trip with my art class to the National Gallery of Ireland. Cupid, being the god of desire, affection and erotic love (what a gem of a title to have on your CV), embodies the whole element of Valentine's Day in his ethos. His job description is to make people fall in love. Also, as you all know, I have a fetish for Renaissance art.
• The infamous "I Choo Choo Choose You" card Lisa pity-presents to Ralph, in the I Love Lisa episode of The Simpsons - later to be succeeded by the Let's Bee Friends card.
• Heart Candies. My favourite confectionary concoction as a child. Also great for those days when you realise nobody loves you or are simply in dire need of a pick-me-up.
•  Vivienne Westwood "Melissa" shoes - do I even need an explanation?
• The Lady Marmalade video, starring Mia, Pink, Lil Kim and Christina Aguilera. Need I say more than "Voulez vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"
• Lana Del Ray's photoshoot for the March issue of Vogue UK. The sultry New-Yorker graced the pages of Vogue for a very fitting, pin-up affair. Frothy textures and Valentine's Day-esque colours made up the bones of the shoot, while a sign off of "Lots of love, Lana Del Ray xxx" in her playfully curvy print doesn't fail to remind you of something you'd see on any given month of a calendar hanging in a garage somewhere in America. 
• Dress from Valentino's SS 2012 collection. It's red and lacy. Enough said.
• Dusting off the DeLorean here, with a gem from Christopher Kane's SS 2010 collection. Remember the to-die-for gingham patterns that stormed the runway - and eventually the rest of the world (Daisy Lowe owned it). Prim, pink and light enough for picnics in the country side with a significant other.
• Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder. Now, Monsieur Depp has been with a string of beautiful women in his time (Jennifer Gray, La Moss, and of course Vanessa Paradis) but these two were the most adorable. WINONA FOREVER!
• Meadham Kirchhoff's Heart Pinafore. In fact, the whole SS 2012 collection from the designer duo would be appropriate but for the sake of limited space, and keeping to the topic, I included just the one. 
• Clare Danes and Leonard DiCaprio in Romeo + Juliet. The original tearjerker and expectation-crusher. "Did my heart love til now? Forswear its sight. For I never saw true beauty til this night".
• Clutch bag by Lulu Guinness.

If you have somehow managed to get through all that, I applaud you. A lovely Valentine's Day to you all - "merry" and "happy" don't quite seem to fit. Watch out for any of those flying arrows...