By Lynn Norusis
No matter the state of your relationship, we all can communicate better. Alva Castanou, a Herndon-based graphic designer and writer, has made this an easy process with the debut of Vive Les Amoureux, a box of 30 love notes that adhere to any glass surface and let your significant other in on how you’re feeling.
Why love notes?
It is a tool to use in those times of silence when we don’t know what to say. Men enjoy this product because they are looking for a word that will bring the relationship back on track and bring it to a higher level. It’s a word they probably didn’t think about, or they want to say it, but there is maybe the ego or issues that come between the two.
What are some of the sayings in the 30 love notes?
Some of them are whimsical, but some of them are on point. One says “Burnt Toast: Cold Soup … Locked the keys in the car? Perfection is overrated! I love you just the way you are.” The purpose is for us to not get so serious about the mistakes that we make.
How did you come up with the phrases?
I took myself to a hotel for three days and locked myself in there. We have four boys, so I needed a little bit of privacy. I came up with different directions, different needs that we have: the need to be accepted, the need of significance, the need to be loved and to be forgiven.
French is considered the language of love. Do you feel like you had a different playing field because you’re married to a Frenchman?
Totally, it’s not just the language; it’s the culture. The two of them have so much to do with one another … The idea is we are looking in the mirror, and when we look at ourselves, we do look at ourselves, but we [also] look on the inside. These decals are an opportunity and an invitation to work on the inside of us so we can be a better person.
( February 2016 )
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