Friday, February 27, 2009

Loving Valentines Day

Can anyone believe it’s actually February? I feel like 2009 is going by at lightning speed. My birthday this past weekend an it was amazingly fun and eventful. But now it’s Monday, and I am like, last weekend was my birthday, this weekend is Valentine’s Day.

So what do you do for V-Day? Some of you are single and some of you have beaus to spend time with; some of you hate V-Day and some lavish in it. So no matter your feeling on this day that worships a lil’ naked baby with wings, you are gonna feel the sting of his arrow. Here are our top ideas!

Valentine’s Day For The Single Girl or Guy

1. Go see a movie - Confessions of a Shopaholic comes out Friday! I have mixed feelings on this one, but I love Sophie Kinsella and have read the majority of her books. I have to see if the movie translates as well as Candace Brunshell’s did for Sex and the City. Plus, over the top Carrie Bradshaw-esque fashion is always a must see.

2. Get thrifty and - maybe - get famous - Have you recently purchased something from 1928.com? Well, I have a challenge for you. Go to your local thrift store and buy something vintagy to go with it, but you can’t spend more than $50 on the whole shabang. Want to be even more creative and frugal? I am willing to accept you diving into the depths of your closet and creating an outfit that is uniquely you out of what you have. Take a picture and email it to me at macalaw at 1928.com. Not matter if I like it/love it/hate it, I will showcase it on the blog.You can also upload it to our facebook fan page.

3. Try some healthy/ alternative cooking - Anyone around here will tell you I am health nut, so I challenge you to try some healthy cooking. This weekend, I made my own gluten-free cookies. Healthy doesn’t necessarily mean fat free/low carb, it means health smart. Removing certain things from your daily diet can improve your health. Wanna good book, I suggest then pick up French Women Don’t Get Fat and learn how eating locally and in small proportions can cause drastic differences on your waist line.

4. Use Facebook to get fashionably connected - I know the majority of our readers are on facebook, and if your not, then you need to be! If you want to keep V-Day low key, stay in and work on your Facebook feeds. You be suprised about how many of your favorite brands are constructively using Facebook - Hayden Harnett, H & M, Gap, BCBG and even 1928. You can find discounts, private sales and things that just are offered anywhere else - not even your on your most secret coupon sites.

Facebook is where it’s at. You can also find local networking events, concerts and other things that will make you feel like the queen diva of your area. Great example: I went to a jazz concert with my beaut at Hotel Cafe in Hollywood to Julianna Raye, very low key. But afterwards, Sara Barielles took the stage in a secret concert (yeah, the “I’m Not Gonna Write You A Love Song” girl), followed by acustic sets from Counting Crows. Kate Hudson was sitting in the crowd too. All because of Facebook back channels.

5. Wash away the whining with some wine - Not a huge fan of this holiday, fine. But please don’t whine and moan about it. Instead, go to your local Cost Plus, World Market (yes, it’s okay, we are living in hard times and they have great prices on wine and a fairly good selections) and explore Italy, France and Spain through some vintage vino. Expand your palate, if your a Chardonnay girl, then try a Pinot Noir or get gutsy and try a Grenache or Spanish Temperanillo. Reds go well with the dark chocolate you can buy yourself.

Valentine’s Day For The Coupled Girl or Guy


Create a French style open table meal and a romantic evening at home - I don’t know if you have a La Pain Quotidien in your area, but they’re a staple to LA living. I suggest taking the theme of a country open table and bring it home. This requires a trip to Whole Foods or the local farmer’s market. Buy a loaf of bread, three to five different styles of cheese, strawberries and pears. You can add a bit of Middle Eastern/Greek flair by purchasing olive tempanade, hummus and cucumbers. Also make sure you pick up a few organic mixed greens for a light salad. Cut them up, lay them out on open platters (finger food style). Take a blanket or table cloth and spread it out on the floor in your living room or bedroom, wherever you have more space. Open a bottle of very fine bubbly or wine of your choosing. You can have a romantic evening to yourselves. What comes after the food is up to you.

Create something that special to you - The couple’s recommendations are shorter than the single ones. Personally, I think couples need to create an experience that is unqiue to them. While some of us enjoy crowds and people, others would perfer a weekend alone. So visit the place you first met, do something that both of you have never done before, visit your local contemporary art museum; whatever allows the two of you to connect and rekindle some steamy, hot passion.

Sunday, February 22, 2009

Romantic Ideas for Valentines Day

Just days to go for Feb 14. Just days to go for Valentine's Day. A festival for love 'n romance, Valentine's Day provides us with a splendid opportunity to spend some quality time with our truelove. Are you looking for some tips to romance your sweetheart on this Feb 14? You've come to the right place then. Here are ten nice romantic ideas that you can use to build the romance in your relationship with good effect on your special someone. Check out! If you like our 10 romantic ideas for Valentine's Day, don't forget to and share the tips with your friends. Celebrate Valentine's Day with everybody and have a great time with your sweetheart. Happy Valentine's Day!


Create a LoveSpace A splendid idea on Valentine's Day is to open your heart to your sweet one and let know your feelings for her. An easy way to do this would be to create a "lovespace". If you are not already registered to myspace, you can sign up for a free account and within minutes you'll have a page dedicated to your sweetie. Keep it focused on romance with weekly love notes, romantic poems, and photos. You can even add a romantic love song that she loves very much in your 'lovespace'. That way she will get to listen to her favorite song whenever she visits the page! If you both are private persons and don't like to let the world know about your relationship, you can sure make the page private. That way you'll also feel free to open your heart and write about your inner feelings without a care.


Send an e-Card


You may have doubts whether sending an e-card will not be an impersonal way of communicating with your special someone. But trust us, this is a great way to add a little romance to your sweet one's day. Browse the various free e-card sites, such as DeepestFeelings.com, for a gamut of romantic e-cards ranging from the funny 'n flippant to the poetic and passionate. It is even better if you can send a personalized message with your card and sites like DeepestFeelings lets you do that. Put in a bit of thought to your message and rather than ending it casually, think deep and write from the heart. It will work wonders with your lover. Imagine your sweet one's delight on finding a cute, romantic e-greeting with a romantic message in his/her inbox on Valentine's Day. Doesn't that seem great?


Make a Video


Another splendid idea is to make a short video declaring your love for your honey. If you have a camera phone or a webcam at your disposal, you can easily make a video and upload it online in sites like YouTube for free. You can then send a link via email to him/her to check out your valentine video! If you don't prefer a public declaration of your love, you can keep it personal and have a private viewing of your video with your sweetheart who'll surely love the idea.

Buy roses for your love




This one is specially for men. Buy a dozen roses for your sweetie, hide them in different spots of a place like a park or a mall. Invite her and hide in some nearby spot from where you can watch the proceedings. Arrange a person to hand over a rose to her as soon as she arrives. Attach a note to it informing her where to find the next rose. This should be the case with each rose and the last one should lead her to you waiting with a bouquet of flowers. You should take the authorities into confidence for this plan to work out smoothly. Thereupon, treat her to a sumptuous lunch/dinner.

Candle-lit Dinner





Treat your honey to a romantic dinner by candle-light. That doesn't mean you don't have to take your sweetheart to a posh restaurant and spend a lotta bucks. Rather, you can arrange your own candle-lit dinner at home. Cook up a splendid dinner together. Even a simple pasta would work; buy dessert from the bakery in the grocery store. Set the table; create a romantic atmosphere with candles, sweet snacks and wine. Have soft romantic music playing in the background, and dim the lights so that it's mostly the candles lighting the room. Then dress up and "attend" the dinner walking up to the table hand in hand with your love. You'll be amazed how much more fun it gives to have a candle-lit dinner at home. Once dinner is over, dance slowly to your song. Then snuggle as you watch a romantic flick together.



Balloons in the car


Sneak into your sweet one's car while he/she is busy at work and fill it with roses and balloons upto the roof. Also leave a note inside telling how much your sweetheart means to you. It will amaze and touch your love to no less measure.

Walk on the beach


Take a ride to a secluded beach at sunset and park your car nearby. Slip your hand into your partner's and take a stroll along the beach bare foot, watching the sunset together. It will be better to stay awhile after the sunset and enjoy the sight and sound of the waves crashing into the shore, as the water covers your feet. Look up at the starry sky and feel the magic of the universe.


Have a beach-dinner



If you can arrange it, treat your love to a candlelit dinner under the stars, preferably to the accompaniment of some music playing off somewhere in the background. You can arrange it all near a lake or pond to make the ambience even more romantic. To top it all, you can rent a small boat and row it after dinner to go out to the middle of a lake and watch the stars.



Love-letter

Believe it or not, writing love letters is still as cool. Yes, the world may have changed and e-mails and text messages may be the order of the day, but a passionate letter of love still posseses that eternal charm and out-of-the-world romanticism which many would die for. So put your pen to paper and pour your feelings out for the love of your life. Say in simple words what your sweetheart means to you, and how your life has changed since his/her arrival. Then hide it in some spot where your sweet one is likely to lay his/her hand soon. Don't worry if you're not too good with words, your sweetheart will surely appreciate your gesture. Your effort will culminate into a moment which both of you'll treasure forever, trust us.