There’s something I can’t resist about a holiday that runs right up to the edge of ridiculously marketable, then teeters giddily, often unexpectedly, into our best and deepest impulse.

And just as there are so many kinds of love, there are so many ways to illustrate them, so many feelings to wander through and marvel at. Start with the hearts and on to the roses, in honor of all the love in our lives, and the romance, too: Happy Valentines! Today and every day.

All images in this post are by Catherine Rutgers © 2011