all you need is love.

its valentines day, lovelies!

{kudos to here found via.}

(i just love this picture!!)

in past years, i've usually been depressed on this day, feeling sorry for myself, moping around and wallowing in my self pity. (i don't have the best v-day track record, to be honest. any time i've been with someone on valentines day, its resulted in a fight at the end of the night. not my cup of tea. - i digress.)

but this year, i decided "NO!" i will not feel sorry for myself. i don't have anything to feel sorry about. sure, i don't have a significant other at this moment in time but who said valentines day was strictly for those who are in love? there are many people in my life that, although i'm not in love with them, i do love them. and that counts, right?

so i've decided to make today about them.

observe, if you will, some of the people i love most in life:

 {cousins}

i love all my cousins, but these two girls specifically have such special places in my heart. they are the cousins i have the closest relationship with. i love them because they make me feel like a rock star and are always so much fun to be around. i absolutely cannot imagine my family without them.

{friends}

these are my very best friends in the whole world. we've been a group since we were seniors in high school and there isn't much we don't do together. i love them because they know the real me and they are still friends with me anyway! we always have a blast together and i know we will remain close for the rest of our lives. (we better! or i'll hunt them all down and tell them what's what.)

{family}

i love my family. each and every one of them, all in their own little ways. i know i have the family i do for a reason and i'm so grateful for them. yes, we have our rough patches. sometimes we fight or disagree on things, but at the end of the day, i know that these 7 people, above anyone else, will always be there for me no. matter. what.

again, i love my family.

(no, my dad does not going tanning. i have no idea why he looks so orange. bad lighting i guess.)

{my girls}

these 3 girls are my very best girl friends ever. i've been friends with them for so long i don't even remember what its like to NOT be friends with them.

i love them because i can trust them. i can be myself around them.

they are some of the most amazing people i know.

of course there are many more people in my life that i love, but not a day goes by that i don't express gratitude for each and every one of those aforementioned people.

that being said, valentines day is more than flowers and chocolates, paper valentines and candle lit dinners (do people even do that anymore?) its about taking the time to express your love for someone and to ponder on the many reasons why you may love that particular person. you could love them because of the way they smile at you or how they make you feel. it could be how they say "i love you" back or the way they get up a little early to make you a special breakfast. whatever it is, its something that makes you happy which makes them happy in return.

in addition to that, valentine's day is about loving probably the most important person in your life.

yourself.

so along with all the others i mentioned, today i'm also loving:

{myself}

(even when i look like this^ *shudders*)

its been a long time coming, learning to love myself, and i think it will always be something i'm working at, but i can't express how important it is to love yourself. if you can't properly love yourself, flaws and all, you will never properly love anyone else.

so, if today you've got no one else to love (which i highly doubt) go ahead and love yourself.

who do you love this valentines day?

need some more lovin'?

check out these valentine's day posts:

love around the world by busy bee lauren

because revolutions are SEXY by chelsea talks smack

happy valentines day (my valentines post from last year).

link up YOUR valentines day posts so we can all share the love!!