February blogs often address Valentine’s Day, and mine is no different. Well, maybe a little. I have been thinking about the heart shape, and why it is so appealing. It has a nice symmetry and pleasant rounded sides that meet in a sharp point. It is one of the first shapes little kids learn to draw because it is easy, just two rounded lines. A cut-out heart is equally simple: just fold paper in half, one curved snip, and you have an appealing, handmade Valentine.
There used to be an ice cream shop in Raleigh named Heart’s Delight. Anyone who brought in anything heart-shaped got a free ice cream cone. The quirky little building had one wall covered in home made hearts, fabric printed in hearts, baseball hats with hearts. A shelf above the work station held Teddy Bears with hearts on their tummies, heart shaped pillows, heart shaped boards painted all over in flowers.
If you look around your house, I bet you will find at least one heart-shaped item. Some of my own favorite are this antique Altoids, a little heart box that contained one truffle, and the embroidery on my new jeans.