Valentine's Day?! But Maggie-Pie, it's still January, have you totally lost your Bird-Brain? Let it never be said this Bird is not thinking ahead. Also, Valentine's Day really sneaks up on you -- we have the end of December and November for typical holidays, but February 14th is coming up faster than you can say, "box o' chocolates." The holiday is about as stealthy as a Cupid's Arrow being shot right into your behind, so get your tailfeathers moving, Lovebirds, and send some sweet St. Valentine notes to Special Someone's!

I was blessed in early January, by my good friend and fellow blogger, Radish and Rose, who sent me an early Valentine, a sweet stand-up paper doll card made by illustrator Brigette Barrager. This totally inspired today's post, because it was a sweet reminder that Valentines don't have to be romantic -- give a handmade or hand-picked note to a BFF, a relative, a totally awesome workmate who always buys your latte when you hit the Starbucks. We are all blessed with Special Someones, so why not send them something clever in the mail? 

So here are some Jaunty picks that I thought would fit anyone, be it friend, family or the one who is lucky enough to have your precious heart: {1} Guitar Valentine Card Kit from Paper Source, {2} Dress Shoppe, 12 Paper Doll Notecarcds by Brigette Barrager on Chronicle Books, {3} Hand-drawn Valentine cards from Creation Faeries on Etsy, {4} XOXO Robbie Robot Mini Valentine note cards by Papertivity on Etsy, {5} Love: King and Queen of Hearts stamps from US Postal Service

Jaunty Fine Print:  images from listed shops above - get those Valentine's Day notes ready!

This Bird is a nerd for, yes, you guessed it... stamps! I love writing notes to loved ones and I admit to having an extra bit of satisfaction being able to put a thoughtfully-designed stamp on the envelope. A portrait of a favorite musician or actor, something socially-conscious for the environment or animal welfare, or just something gosh darn pretty. I was really excited to see the latest set of USPS stamps coming out featuring a dozen legendary American industrial designers, adding these stamps to a Fancy gang of envelope corner dwellers that I like to keep at my desk.

You may not have names like Walter Dorwin Teague or Eliot Noyes on the tip of your brain, but you've likely seen these their work before. These designers helped shape the design of the modern-day appliances we use to this day -- flatware, phones, lamps; they all need someone to consider a look that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Much like the haute couture of fashion, it took innovators to shape the idea of what we consider a pleasing form, and eventually the look trickles down into the mass market. But these designs had to start somewhere and the new stamps seek to celebrate these design pioneers. In the same notion that a well-designed life should be sought out and embraced, the same goes for your notes. If you're going through the effort of writing a letter, isn't it nice to send it off with a Jaunty stamp? (Save the boring, plain stamps for sending out bills!)

Jaunty Fine Print:  images of stamps from USPS stamps page