You Rock, Valentine!

Valentine's Day celebrations—whether at home, work, or school—are marked by the anticipated exchange of handwritten notes, decorative cards, and sweet gifts. It's such a fun tradition, that it's estimated that 1 billion Valentines are sent and received each year! Due to the holiday's popularity and our "Honest" love for DIYs, we're kicking off a week-long series that will feature Valentine's Day cards, décor, and other handmade projects made exclusively for you by bloggers, graphic designers, and artists.

Today, we'd like to introduce Rachelle Schwartz of Wiley Valentine (we couldn't think of a more fitting name!), a fashionably classic line of paper goods that are designed with the environment in mind. "We wanted to create pretty paper delights that meant something to us and who we were creating them for. We also wanted to keep the environment in mind making choices to have everything made in the USA, and use recycled or renewable resources whenever possible," says Rachelle of her partnership with her friend Emily.

In addition to creating a business around sustainable practices, Rachelle shares that she and her Wiley Valentine co-founder are both avid users of all things Honest. "It's really important to us to choose products that are natural, free of harmful chemicals, and to share this with our friends and families. We are especially conscious of the foods we eat, keeping them has natural, whole, and free of pesticides as possible," relates Rachelle. "My absolute favorite thing is to visit the farmers' market as a family. We then take all the fabulous goods and have a picnic in our backyard. Spending time outdoors with family, enjoying local foods prepared by people you form relationships with is priceless."

Like us, Rachelle loves Valentines because they can be fun for kids, adults, a friend, anyone. Rachelle and the Wiley Valentine team sat down and had a "crafternoon," all designing the You Rock! Valentine's Day Cards just for the Honest Community. Keep reading to learn from Rachelle how to make these at home:

When Honest asked me to do a guest post for Valentine's Day, I was so excited and inspired. I love doing crafty Valentines with my daughter and then giving them to family members. They just love it!

This play on words—You Rock!—is a fun Valentine that you can give to anyone. A friend, a loved one, a classmate. You can go outside and find rocks, dig through your craft bin (natural and non-toxic paint and glue, feathers, twine, ribbon, recycled paper, repurposed material all make great options), and get decorating. Then print out one of our fun mini Valentines to attach or include with your rock. The rock becomes a tiny piece of natural artwork, and they are surprisingly fun to decorate! Enjoy!

~ Rachelle Schwartz of Wiley Valentine

Want to make other Valentines that rock? Check out these great DIYs...

You, Me, The Stars & The Sea Valentines (+ printables)

"My Heart" Sweatshirt

Modern Heart Mural

Four Crafy & Simple Valentines