Contest entries have been amazing…..   Read and be inspired to be more loving to those who surround you. 

Love will motivate me to lose weight because I am obese and I don’t want to lose the love of my spouse and children through my health. I want to keep them with me, close to my heart. – Adina 

What will love motivate me to do this year? Wow, what a loaded question…I am already a loving, giving, unselfish person BUT I think I could do more by becoming a regular visitor at our local nursing home…I belong to the auxiliary there and when I go to the monthly  meeting, so, so many people are just sitting in the hallway looking ever so lonely. So my objective as a more loving person is to visit the home monthly, take some home baked goodies and sit down and talk (and listen) to their stories. I am sure it will make their day and I am sure to learn a lot from their life stories. Thanks for the contest for giving me this inspiration! – Sharon, Pennsylvania

Love will motivate me to become a more patient better sister to my sweet little brother. My little brother is 46, and is mentally & physically handicapped with a documented 2-4 year old mentality. Jimmie lives in a home now – he does not understand danger & after starting quite a few fires, endangering himself and us.. we had to make the hard decision to place him in a small home where he was supervised 24/7. He is precious and calls and says “HOME” every Friday. He wants to spend the night home with me every Friday night. Last year, I tried this – every Friday night. When he is home, he must be watched constantly and given 100% of my attention. He is obsessed with Annie the musical and Karate Kid. As soon as he hits the door it’s EAT, MORE (drink), BOOK (he is also obsessed with car trader mags, searching their pages for pictures of handicapped transport vans, & ANNIE – waiting for me to start the VCR. He goes to bed watching his videos and wakes when they stop. My nights are full of getting up & down to rewind his videos and start them over. He has kidney problems so he either has to go “POTTY” many times during the night or wets his bed. I  lay in the floor beside of him or on the couch beside of him – to make sure he is safe. I have not been physically or mentally able to have him over night every week this year – but I have had him home for 4/5 hour visits every weekend. When he comes home he always makes the hand signal for sleep..and asks ME? When he is not going to spend the night – it breaks my heart to tell him no. For love..this year..and every year to come..I must reach up to heaven and receive more strength so that I will NEVER have to say “Not this week precious” again. For love I MUST be the sister that this precious young man needs, one that can always say “Yes baby, you are gonna stay with Sissy tonight.! And now I am going to call him and tell him he is coming home to spend the night with me .. after all….. – Debra, North Carolina

This year Love will motivate me to put my stubbornness aside and put all my faith in my husband. I have a tendency to want to control things for fear of them falling apart. We just moved to another state with no jobs, and no place to live. He’s going for his dream job (his test for the job actually takes place on Valentine’s Day) this week, and we are just praying he gets it. I love my husband. We have been married for 5 months and it’s been a tough road. The economy is no place for a young struggling couple. He has a college degree and still we started off our marriage living in our car and scared of what was coming next. I put my  faith in him then and he got me through, and I can do it now. -Melanie, Tennessee

Dedicated to My Darling Husband, Rudy…  Darling, It is only you I have loved ever since our romance first blossomed… and I resolve to do it over & over again. Like the most exquisite thorn-ridged rose, every fine romance deserves to blossom into something more beautiful & ravishing… beyond our wildest imaginations, our wildest dreams, and our wildest fantasies… beginning with the spice of life as the main ingredient.Rudy, my darling, it is only you who is worthy of the highest praise because you love me for who I am, and let me be who I am meant to be.  I dedicate this poem to you:

A Fairytale Dream Come True

I’ve loved you ever since… our fairytale romance first blossomed…..

Once upon a time in a fairytale so magical                                                                  

there was a beautiful young princess

who lived in a castle nestled in the heart

of the most enchanted forest filled with emerald

green trees and autumn leaves of ruby,

amber brown, and yellow-orange with hues so golden.
 

This is not a story about a man with a golden

touch, or wizards and good witches with a magical

wand, or about a girl with a dog and ruby

red slippers. It’s a tale about a fairy princess

dreaming of a prince to capture her heart.
 

A whimsical fairy willing to share her heart,

she wears long braided curls in her golden

locks and has eyes of green like a pure emerald

stone. Her personality makes her a princess

so passionate and fair, her senses are so magical

and her lips of seduction are as red as a ruby.
 

Here comes her prince, he’s as rare as a ruby,

she yearns for him with every beat of her heart.

Her prince is the envy of every other princess.

Now is her moment, it is her golden

opportunity to share a wonderful and magical

life so precious, more precious than a stone of an emerald.
 

The prince’s chariot is adorned in gems of green emerald,

midnight blue sapphires, and the reddest stones of ruby.

He asks the princess to marry him with his own magical

words, to take his hand and his heart,

to be his bride and to live in a golden

palace where she will reside as his princess.
 

As she accepts his offer to be his princess,

he slides a ring on her finger aglow with an emerald,

with the band polished in 14 karat gold, so golden,

outlined with multiple stones in red ruby.

It’s a ring he designed for her right from his heart,

it’s a symbol of a lasting love so magical.
 

For this golden princess with eyes of emerald, lips of ruby and a magical heart,

dreams can come true as it did in this final chapter.

The prince and princess lived happily ever after…
 

And remember, darling… it is only you I have loved…

ever since our fairytale romance first blossomed…

and I resolve to do it over & over again.   -Lisa, New York

I have the priviledge of helping people express their love to others.

It all started as a gift for my husband. Valentine’s Day 1994 was rapidly approaching. As Chief Pilot for American Eagle Airlines, Neil was away from home a lot. This particular year, I was trying to think of a Valentines gift that would be meaningful. On many occasions, I had given him shirts, ties, books, tennis equipment, even silk boxers. This time I wanted to give him something that he could carry with him as a private reminder of our love.

I was sure that Neil would be reluctant to wear a visible item of sentiment other than his wedding band. So, I decided to give him a simple heart pin to be worn inside his airline jacket over his heart. I thought that inside his jacket, this little heart would be a very private reminder of my love for him. Unable to locate a simple yet elegant heart pin, I fashioned one myself and gave it to him  with a little verse that I wrote:  “Whether you are near or far, we will always be heart to heart.”

The impact of this simple heart was immediate. Neil said that it provided him with a source of strength and reminder of our love whether he was running errands around town or flying the line. His comments made me realize the power of love in that tiny heart.

My nursing colleagues loved the idea. Totally agreeing that the choices for a sentimental gift for a man are few, my nursing colleagues raved about the idea and that they would love to give a heart pin to their husbands too. I encouraged them to ask their husbands about the idea of a little heart hidden on the inside of their jackets. The men really liked the idea. That was all there was to it, The Loving Heart Collection by Jean Schnaak® was on its way to becoming a reality.

It’s been seventeen years since the giving of that first heart pin. Now I have over thirty jewelry designs and the line is growing.  The most popular items are the unique gifts I created for men, the Loving Heart Pin and the Pocket Heart.   Valentine’s Day is one of my busiest times of the year. I like playing Cupid! 

In case you were wondering, these days my husband flies a desk instead of a Boeing 757, but he still wears a symbol of my heart over his. I wear one too.

Think back to days of…
     tiny pastel Be Mine and Kiss Me candy hearts,
         cut out red paper hearts declaring Be My Valentine! in black crayon, and
             messenger delivered notes with the near heart-stopping question “I like you.
                 Do you like me? Check Yes or No.”  These simple expressions of love were
                    effective then, so why not now?

For a grown up version of passing a love note to your Valentine,  let me offer a few fresh ideas:

• If your Valentine routinely checks his or her phone messages upon arrival at the office, deliver your love note via voice mail. For anyone who is “holidate” challenged, and you know who you are, Valentine’s Day – February 14th is on Monday this year.
   
• Formality can be fun!  Ask your Valentine out for a date!  Your written invitation can be styled as a love note.  To really WOW your Valentine, special delivery of your invitation, with fitting flowers, will create quite the impression at the workplace.  I know. I sent flowers to my boyfriend at his workplace twenty-eight years ago. The message was clear, “Neil, I’m crazy about you!“  To his co-workers, it was “Hands off ladies. He’s mine!” Neil still relishes the memory and remains my Valentine to this day.
   
•  Another much simpler approach to deliver your invitation would be to place it strategically where your Valentine will easily find it, yet be surprised. Perhaps under the windshield wiper while the car is parked at work;  inside a bagged lunch; or in a favorite coffee mug. As for the invitation itself, give a little taste of what the evening will hold, but maintain a sense of  mystery!   Then deliver - a night to remember.       

• What about a love note in the form of a poem? There are no rigid requirements.  If it sounds good to you, it is sure to earn an A+ from the one you desire to impress. Of course, you can get a little help from the famous poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, by starting with the first line of her poem:  How Do I Love Thee? Let me count the ways. Then create your own.  If you’re not up to penning your own poem, I’m sure a poet would not mind that you borrowed from their poetry on Love’s big day!  Though the poet gets credit for writing the poem, you’ll be the one who scores this Valentine’s Day.  You may be thinking, how do I introduce the poem? Keep the delivery simple.  Perhaps start by saying,  ”I’d like to share with you a little poem by (the poet’s name).  It expresses so well what I’d like to say to you.”      

• If you want an effortless way to express your love to your Valentine, not just on February 14th, but every day,  present the one you adore with a classic symbol of your love and affection – a heart. Along with a verse, it will express what is in your heart.   Here are some fresh ideas in heart gift giving.  The Pocket Heart is private, it’s fun and it will remind him of you.  In fact, everytime he puts his hand in his pocket he will think of you!  Then there is the Loving Heart Pin  worn inside a jacket over his heart and is for his eyes only.  For a woman, giving her a symbol of your heart to wear over hers is like passing her a little love note each time she wears it. Consider a heart necklace.  In full disclosure, I designed these unique fine jewelry gifts and sell them exclusively through my e-boutique:  LovingHeartCollection.com

So, if you ARE considering sending a love note,  I hope these ideas remove some of the daunting from the task ahead.  In fact, I hope I’ve ignited your imagination and inspired you into action.

Then again, those tiny pastel Be Mine or Kiss Me candy hearts worked for me in the first grade. If I get too busy, I may try them again. – virtually this time.

I remember Daddy, helping me pick out a pink and red cellophane wrapped box of twenty-five perforated Valentines Cards. Once home, I carefully separated the little themed cards and chose who was to get which card and what I’d dare say.  Of course the card face said it all – “Be My Valentine”, “Let’s Be Friends”, etc.  I can’t remember if I selected the box of cards with Loony Tune Characters like Tweedy-Bird and the Tasmanian Devil or Disney’s Cinderella, Snow White and Prince Charming.  The years blend together, and I’ve sent lots of Valentine’ s Day cards since then. Either way, I simply had to sign “Love, Jean”. But even that required a boldness, that on any other day of the year I may not have been able to muster.  When Valentine’s Day finally did arrived, exuberantly I stuffed my classmates’ red cut-out hearts and white lacy doilies decorated shoe boxes with my little declarations of love, love for friends and especially my male version of Charlie Brown’s  “little redheaded girl”.

Of course, I had high hopes that I’d receive lots of “Will You Be My Valentine?” cards and especially, one from “him”.  I did!  In fact, during the Valentine’s Day class party when the teacher and room mothers were not looking, he and I managed to “accidentally” meet  in the coat room. I presented him with a candy heart with Kiss Me printed on it. In that very moment, I received my very first real kiss. Mark was either inspired or liked following instructions, either way he and I have joked about this event some forty years later.

Once my classmates and I were more adept at sentence composition, love notes of another form began to be passed. You know what I’m talking about, the carefully folded love note. Typically made out of Blue Horse ruled notebook paper, this love note was handed off by a trusted messenger on behalf of a best friend. Either by biological drive or example, one twitterpated classmate after another sent forth on paper, the near heart-stopping question: “I like you.  Do you like me? Check: Yes or No.” 

It is easy to think that I am well beyond these childlike maneuvers, especially after twenty-seven blissful years of marriage. However, these simple expressions of love were effective then, so why not now? Let me offer this thought, whether it is a new love or a tried and true love, who wouldn’t like to hear that they are adored and, like songster Nat King Cole sings, that they are unforgettable?

Perhaps this Valentine’s Day, I will return to what I know works and compose a love note to my Valentine.

If the same thought has crossed your mind, yet you are asking yourself, “What can I possibly say or do?” Check back later this week. for Love Notes – Part Two. 

Have a wonderful day! Enjoy the video of Nat King Cole (posthumously) singing Unforgettable with his daughter Natalie Cole.

From the Heart,

Jean

Jean Cotten Schnaak
Founder and Designer
Loving Heart, LLC

Express your love everyday with a gift from The Loving Heart Collection by Jean Schnaak®
Facebook: Loving Heart ; Twitter: LovingHeartLLC

It’s just a few days until the annual celebration of romance is before us. Will you choose to approach this Valentine’s Day intentionally? Or not?

Will you see the day as an opportunity to show your Valentine that they are your priority?  Or not?

Will you choose to spend just a little time to make this Valentine’s Day not necessarily extraordinary, just not ordinary? Or not?

Grand gestures won’t carve your name on their heart nearly as much as your tenderness and thoughtfulness will.

From my own experience, wooing starts best in the bloom of the day, followed by one or two surprise whispers of love as Valentine’s Day fully blossoms.  As you design the day, imagine how you’d like Valentine’s Day….and the night to unfold.

Perhaps you’ll start the day by softly sweeping the hair from their brow and presenting them with the perfect cup of morning coffee, a paper and your shared excitement about the day.

Mid-day could be a simple phone call to remind each of you of the love you share.

Evening plans can be as elaborate or as simple as you choose.   Without a lot of fuss, you could invite your Valentine to a cozy fireside dinner or a “carpet picnic” in your living room. Prepare your own specialty.  Or opt for takeout at your local market and tell “Deli- guy” that it’s your night to cook!

Will the dress code for your soiree be evening gown and “tails”, or provocative “PJ’s'?

As the evening progresses, will you test the waters by lighting candles and drawing a fragrant, bubbly bath for the two of you?  Or play a love song and slow dance in the foyer?  Maybe a soothing massage is  more your style.

I offer these ideas just to ignite your own imagination. It’s all very affordable. On this special day, face it, can you afford not to woo the one you love?

If you are considering a Valentines gift that will express your love to “your love” not only on Valentines Day but everyday, check out the Pocket Heart and Loving Heart Pin for men and Loving Heart necklaces, earrings and charms for women.  

My passion, my company and my line of jewelry are about helping people express their love to the special people in their life.

This Valentine’s Day will you treat your Valentine like “the one of a kind” they really are?

– by Jean Schnaak, Designer
 The Loving Heart Collection by Jean Schnaak^®

To better express my love for the people who are important to me, I need to identify who they are and rank them.  That sounds a little cut and dry, but think about it – don’t you have unspoken rankings of people you know? 

Consider if you will, those to whom you give Christmas cards versus Christmas gifts; birthday cards (calls, emails, texts, Facebook posts)  versus birthday presents.  How about your guest lists for holiday parties, cookouts, weddings and so on? Whether written or simply in our minds, these lists imply a sort of value ranking of our relationships.  Don’t they?

As I continue my pursuit to love more intentionally those who are most important to me, I will take a look at how often and through what means these love connections have taken place over the past several years.  Have our communications occurred weekly, monthly, quarterly, yearly or beyond?  Has the quality of the relationship strengthened or weakened over time? Is the relationship heading in the direction that is best for all concerned?

There are friends I feel compelled to talk with every two to three weeks.  It’s like I need a  friend fix. These close friends and I make time for each other – to grab a cup of coffee and visit over the phone for a bit.   To talk with them is like a “shot in the arm.” (Just to be clear for anyone who did not grow up hearing this expression, a “shot in the arm” is intended as something good for a person, not a painful experience.)

Then there are other friends with whom I may connect every six months or yearly as we exchange Christmas cards and family highlights of the past year.  (Perhaps the Christmas cards with family update letters say a lot about peoples’ desire to stay connected regardless of these busy lives we lead.)  Anyway, it seems there is a rhythm to these love connections – something to do with frequency, mode of connection and desire.

As I review each relationship and consider my desire for this relationship the future, I’ll rank each one. With only so much time to spend with those I love, I must define the optimal love connection for each person who is important to me.  Then again, simply not forgetting a dear friend’s birthday or a nephew’s little league game would be a great improvement. 

To do anything well, I must be deliberate.  By July 15th, I intend to do the following:

• Identify the people with whom I wish to have a lasting relationship,
• Define my ranking system based on moving forward in time and  my level of commitment to the relationship,
• Define frequency of contact per relationship (daily, weekly, monthly, yearly)
• Identify options for connecting  (outings, phone, email, Facebook, special occasions, holidays, etc) and
• MOST OF ALL write it all down.

Once written, implementation of a system of Outlook Calendar reminders synched with my new iPhone, plus the occasional Post- it note should insure my success.  If  Follow-Through was for sale, I’d buy a bottle of that too!

You may be wondering what prompted these grand plans of mine.  If so let me shed a bit of light as to my why.  My adult life has involved relocating at least ten times, accruing lovely friends, colleagues and lots of  neighbors along the way.  Stretched over time and many miles, I have a pretty long list of people that have been a part of my life. Within the past year, I relocated within 25 miles of where I was raised.  Locally, I have many relatives and school mates whom I’ve not lived near since the seventies.  It is taking time for me to adjust to being back home. 

With this transition, I want to reflect on who I am in relation to all those who are a part of me.   There are folks that I never want to let time or good intentions lead to our drifting apart.

Despite E-mail, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc my top of the mind approach to staying connected, I’m afraid will only become more tedious as time goes on.

To embrace my relationships with the people who are the very fabric of my life,  I think a system will help. 

Do you have a system?

                                                                                                                – by Jean Schnaak, Designer of  The Loving Heart Collection by Jean Schnaak^®                                                                    

To love intentionally has an immeasurable effect upon the world we live in and that which is far beyond our understanding. 

Love’s language is often expressed in the form of
a quick silver grin,
a twinkling glance,
the briefest movement of a hand,
an almost imperceptible nod…
These are the silent words of love;
a powerful language known only in
those most precious relationships of our lives.

They can say “I’m on your side” or
“I’m proud of you” or simply “I love you.”
They are expressions of appreciation, joy and
understanding; silents words that give us
confidence and strength.

My passion, my company (Loving Heart, LLC) and my line of  jewelry are about expressing love and concern for others, much like my career in nursing. In fact I’d like to think that I am nursing the hearts of others everyday as these little creations serve others through the years. 

Harnessing the power of love and being reminded of the love of another each day is the concept behind The Loving Heart Collection by Jean Schnaak®.

Loving Hearts, simple and elegant by design, accompany a person where ever he or she travels and act as powerful messages of love, caring and encouragement when shared between sweethearts, friends and family members. 

In these busy times… consider how you express your love to those who are important to you.  I plan to everyday.