happy Galentine's day!

Valentine's Day isn't ALL about hearts and roses and romantic love.

it's also a great time to share the love with your girl friends - especially the single ones ;) 

(and who needs roses when you have rose', amiright?!)

the idea for our party decor started with a pink paint chip from the hardware store.

i had a few on hand after helping a client select paint colors for her retail shop,

and with them, this party theme rapidly became 'Paint the Town Pink!'

continue reading to see some fun ideas for a themed GALentine's dessert party...

first, i made a digital invitation... that looked like a paint chip! 

i posted it in our neighborhood's facebook group, inviting all the gals on our street to join us.

i painted that 'Paint the Town Pink' sign (in the first photo) to hang on our front door,

welcoming guests and continuing the 'paint' theme.
(ps: it's re-purposed, painted on the back of a sign from Target that i use in the fall - see it here)

i also made a paint chip card 'Welcome' sign, popped it into a white photo frame, 

and used it as part of the centerpiece display on our kitchen island:

(that sweet little pink children's parasol was found at a thrift shop long ago!)

in the martini glass, there are little paper hearts made from strips cut from the paint chip cards.

sadly i didn't get a close up shot of those....

next, i gathered up a bunch of cake plates, dessert dishes, and martini glasses

 to present the desserts on our kitchen island:

you can see some pink shopping bags and vintage pink-edged napkins used as decor here, too...

i've had those for years. they fold flat and take up little room to store, so it's easy to keep them on hand!

i added glassware, paper napkins, and even Mom's pink rosebud wedding china,

which never gets used (and believe me, no one had tea that night!!!) but looked really sweet.

(basic IKEA wineglasses, btw - not too big and they store in boxes of 6)

more paint chip cards served as signs to identify the yummy sweet snacks:

 

(and in case you didn't notice, many of those treats are from the bakery / grocery store!)

the all-pink beverages were served in style:

 

the pink paint cards and sign really were the theme... SO easy!
(i could have taken the theme even further and incorporated brushes and paint and canvases -

even made it a 'paint night' if i had wanted to spend a bit of money and put in more effort.)
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a word about paint chips:

i had these left over from a client project. i did NOT go to the paint department of a major retailer
and grab handfuls of paint chips to use in a craft project. i do not advocate doing that!

if you want to use paint chips for craft projects,  here's what you do:
go to the counter of the paint department - or to a paint store - and ASK the staff
if they have old, outdated paint chips from last season, or last year.
paint companies are constantly updating their color catalogues, adding & removing colors.
they print new cards and replace the ones in the displays on a regular basis.
SOME of the paint departments keep the old cards - just ask, and they'll give you a handful. free.
or you can buy a paint chip fan deck for about $10 and have a rainbow of hues to choose from.
PLEASE do not grab dozens of paint chip cards from the displays. it's stealing.
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so our party was a huge success...

we girls (some single, some mommies / grandmas, some married)
spent two hours that evening giggling and enjoying our desserts, wine, and conversations

as they left, our guests grabbed a bag from a basket by the door...

each one contained a tiny bottle of sparkling pink champagne and a pink candy bar.

just a lil' bit of love to take home with them.

you don't have to host a party to make it a special day, though!

when my four kids were little, i used to do something special on each holiday

(valentine's day, st patrick's day, easter, fourth of july, halloween)

decorating the kitchen table and making colored milk & pancakes for breakfast.

they'd get a small treat - stickers, a small stuffed animal, a cookie - in their packed lunch.

there was never a lot of money spent, but those small touches made a special day even more so.

now i see my daughters and my son do things like that for their kids, and it warms my heart...

expressing love to the people in our life is always worth our time and effort, don't you think?

don't miss MORE ideas for February decor and Valentine's Day 

over on my February Pinterest board!