Valentine’s Day & The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time

Welcome to the 524th Metamorphosis Monday!

Years ago I had a bunny-painted window hanging atop the windows in the upstairs family room.

 

After a while, I began to crave seeing the windows in their wide-open, natural state, so I took Miss Bunny down.

Bonus Room Upstairs Family Room

 

She now stands guard in the garage over a potting bench. I may move her back to the bonus room one day, but for now I really enjoy seeing her here.

 

A week or two ago I removed all the pillows from the window seat. Last night I added back a little something for Valentine’s Day.

Upstairs Family Room with a Touch of Romance for Valentine's Day

 

If you’re looking for a bit of nostalgia and romance this Valentine’s Day, check out the book, The 50 Greatest Love Letters of All Time. In the book, the love letters are divided into six categories: Tender Love, Crazy for You, Passionate Prose, Painful Separations, Fire and Ice and Forbidden Love.

(The LOVE pillow is from here: Love Pillow, but I don’t think it’s still available. I did find a similar one here: Love Pillow.)

Love Pillow

 

The book includes 50 love letters written by famous and historical figures. You’ll recognize most of the lovers, if not all of them.

The book includes letters from Ernest Hemingway to Mary Welsh, Alfred de Musset to George Sand, Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine Bonaparte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning to George Barret, Harry Truman to Bess Truman, Benjamin Franklin to Madame Brillon, George Bernard Shaw to Stella Campbell, Frank Lloyd Wright to Maude Miriam Noel, Abigail Smith to John Adams, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to Constance Mozart, Zelda Fitzgerald to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Marjorie Fossa to Elvis Presley, Lewis Carroll to Clara H. Cunnynghame, Elizabeth I to Thomas Seymour, Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn, Oscar Wilde to Constance Lloyd and many more.

That’s just a small sampling, there are too many to list them all here. I bought this book back in January 2013. I noticed today that it’s still available here: The 50 Greatest Love Letter of All Time. It’s hard to put down once you start reading it.

The 50 Greatest Love Letter of All Time

 

Happy Valentine’s Day a few days early! ♥♥♥

 

Looking forward to all the fabulous Before and Afters linked for this week’s Metamorphosis Monday!

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Comments

  1. Julie Williams says

    What a fun book–and alas, in a day and age of texting will there be love letters to be discovered a hundred years from now? Nothing wrapped in ribbon in a trunk in the attic…sigh. 🙂
    Have you thought of making a light box behind your bunny window?
    Julie W.

    • That’s so true with email. Hopefully, there are still a few romantics out there.
      Since it’s in the garage, I don’t mind so much that there isn’t light behind it. Just enjoying it as it is right now. But thanks for that suggestion! I never would have even thought about that. Will keep that in mind since it could end up in another spot one day. 🙂

  2. I love the LOVE pillow!! Your images are always so beautiful.

  3. Thanks so much for hosting each week!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

  4. In 2010 my sister passed away and last summer my brother-in-law joined her. They had a large home and had been married 57 years. My brother-in-law didn’t clear out or change anything after my sister died, so my nieces had a daunting task. One of the treasures they found was a small suitcase filled with the letters my sister had exchanged with her future husband while he was in Korea during the Korean War. They were bundled up and tied with ribbons. None of my nieces or my nephew were willing to read the letters yet. I’m the only sister left and the only aunt on their Mother’s side. I’ve worked with their Mom and continued to work since her death on the family genealogy. All my nieces decided I should take the letters and read them. It has been a bittersweet task with fascinating family history included in between the I love you and miss you’s.

    • Oh, I can see how they would have a hard time bringing themselves to read them. What a treasure they must be, though! My mother and father-in-law were married over 60 years and were inseparable. True love like that is so rare these days.

  5. Hi Susan!
    I will have to read that book. It’s wonderful to season seasonal/holiday decorations. Valentine’s isn’t one but it should be…the Love pillow is a nice touch.
    A friend organized a outing on the county “senior” bus to a lovely restaurant in Houston called Chez Nous. There were 6 couples and we wined and dined. My friend called the bus the “valentine’s express”.
    At the restaurant she asked each couple to tell the story of how they met.
    Most were very funny and only 2:6 couples had romantic stories.
    None involved letters.
    Oh back in the day where men had to woo their loves. This valentine’s women are lucky to receive a card since everything seems to go the way of text & emojis. Now I keep all the cards I receive in the mail – handwritten notes seem to be a thing of the past.
    Your miss Bunny looks perfect in her new spot.
    Wishing you lots of sunshine.

    • I know, you have to really treasure a card when you receive one…so rare these days. I was just thinking, I need to finish going through all my Egypt pictures…why did I take so many! lol

      • haha – I wish I had taken more especially during that “window” when we were in King Tut’s tomb. Talk about letters – remember those walls? Covered with messages to guide them in the afterlife.

  6. That bunny window is darling. Thanks for hosting. You always have such a great party.

  7. And yet they are nothing compared to a simple, ‘love you, Mum’ on a post it note. 🙂

  8. Years ago I was in Martinique and visited the home of Josephine Bonaparte and displayed there were some love letters from Napoleon. Don’t know if this letter was in the book but he ended one with “A thousand loving kisses everywhere…everywhere.”

    The man could turn a phrase.

  9. Miss Bunny looks quite at home over the potting bench; the combo brings Peter Rabbit and gardens to mind.

  10. That book seems like a wonderful read for Valentine’s Day!

    Thanks for hosting the party. Have a great week ahead!

  11. Thanks Susan, cute LOVE pillow!

  12. Thanks for telling us about the book! Love the pillow. The painting of the beach girls is cute also! Happy early Valentines Day to you. You’re a special Valentine for all that you do for us! I’ve learned and enjoyed many posts from you. YOU are greatly appreciated. ❤️

    • I found that painting in A Classy Flea several years ago and fell in love with it even though I’m not much of a beach lover. I just love how happy they look, like the best of friends. 🙂
      Aww, thanks so much Dawne! Appreciate that so, so much! I hope you have a wonderful Valentine’s Day! ♥

  13. Susan,
    one of the saddest videos you can find on YouTube are “tutorials” about how to write a letter! Really!? It seems most people have forgotten how a pen and a sheet of paper looks like! 🙁
    I’d love to read all those letters included in that book, especially the one Marjorie wrote to Elvis! 🙂
    PS: I didn’t notice in your previous posts how large those crackling candles actually are! Love them!

    • Oh man, sad that we’ve come to that. What really bothered me was when I heard they were going to quit teaching cursive in the schools. I hope schools haven’t really gone through with that, cursive is so much prettier than print, at least it is to me.
      Yes, the candles are huge. I loved it so much after I bought my first one, I bought quite a few more so I’d always have one to burn. Well, I needn’t have worried, I still have finished burning the first one yet and I’ve burned it a lot! They last forever!

      lol Well, Marjorie, who was married, was definitely smitten. Apparently, she had just seen Elvis in concert in Madison Square (along with her husband) before writing the letter. She says that her husband became a big fan too, after seeing his performance. In her letter says, “I am now on cloud 9,000.”
      She goes on to say that her boss didn’t mind when she had asked for the day off, but when he found out it was so she could buy tickets to the concert, he fired her. She says, “hope he can’t find another secretary to replace me.” lol Then she added, “But in the end it was worth losing fifty jobs.”
      Probably the best part of the letter is when she says, “I love you for what you are and the way you please thousands of people the world over, not for who you are.”

      • OMG! Thanks so much, Susan, for summarizing Marjorie’s letter’s content! Awww… you can tell she was Elvis’ biggest fan and a kind soul!
        Too bad her boss didn’t value and support her! His loss! lol
        But so sweet that her husband became a fan, too! 🙂
        I’ll definitely order that book!
        Thanks again for all you do, Susan! ♥

  14. I’m trying to purge and downsize, but books are my love and weakness, and now I’ve added yet another to my shelves because of your sweet Valentine’s post! (Hubby will say, “Another book?!” — maybe I can hide it — or wrap it and say he gave it to me ;-)) Thanks, Susan!

  15. Bernadette M Gibson says

    I have the same LOVE pillow. It’s out on my bed. It adds a great pop of color.

    • I was hoping Susan would say where she found it. Where did you find yours?

      • Hi Wendy,
        I linked in the post to where I purchased it at Pottery Barn a few years back, but unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be available any longer. Just click on the link I have in the post and it should take you to the page at PB where I purchased it a few years back. Sorry that it doesn’t appear to available anymore.
        XX

      • Bernadette M Gibson says

        Wendy, I purchased mine at Pottery Barn right after Susan put her’s on her blog. I love my pillow. You might want to try ebay. You never know what you’ll find there. Good Luck
        Bernadette

  16. As always, Susan, a delightful post. This book sounds like a wonderful read. Could you please provide info about the shutters in your upstairs family room? Louver size, tilt mechanism, etc. I have decided to use shutters on the windows on either side of my fireplace, but I have no prior experience with shutters. There is literally one inch of wall between mantel and window trim! Privacy is needed so I think shutters may be the solution. Any and all suggestions are welcome.
    Thank you, Karen

    • Thanks so much, Karen! Those are 2-1/2 inch louvers. That’s what I have throughout my home. That size works really well with normal size rooms/windows and 8-9 ft ceilings. The louvers aren’t too large but a nice size for letting in light and view.

      Here’s a detailed post where I shared a lot of information about plantation shutters and features you want to look for when purchasing them for your home: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/plantation-shutters/

      Another post you may find helpful is this one where I shared how to tighten up louvers that have become loose, using the tension adjustment screws that are designed into good quality shutters: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/how-to-fix-loose-sagging-louvers-on-plantation-shutters/

      Hope those two posts help. I don’t think you’ll have any problem with the installation since they can be mounted on the frame around your window or inside mounted. Whoever comes out to give you an estimate should be able to let you know which installation would look and work best for your situation.

  17. Thank you Susan for hosting today. Your family room and your garden room both benefitted from the rabbit moving for awhile.
    Joy

    • lol Yes, it’s fun to move things around and lighten up some rooms, especially with spring headed our way. Have a great Valentine’s Day, Joy! XXX

  18. I’m a sucker for a cute pillow, especially when it’s red!! 😉

  19. Cyndi Raines says

    Great pillow. I have one for Valentine’s that says, “Love you to the moon and back” with a crescent moon in the corner, given to me by my sister as she know how much I love the moon. On our fireplace mantel I like to display 2 cherubs (one at each end) and various Valentine cards from my hubby with some pink lights and the curly wire hearts. Fun to read them over and reflect. Thank you Susan for being so sweet to us with all your tips, special purchases and just great information. May your Valentine’s Day be filled with lots of love and laughter! ♥️

  20. That book looks lovely; what a wonderful read. I’m going to look for that. I like the new Peter rabbit life you breathed into your bunny window by the potting shed. Thanks for hosting as always. Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day. xo- maryjo

  21. Susan, I had to order the Love Letters book! We will be married 20 years tomorrow on Valentine’s Day. Have a wonderful day! Love the pillow too.

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