February 14th is right around the corner. Another Valentine's day to either cringe at the thought of being single or cringe at the anticipation of whether or not he'll forget. Either way, you can't deny that the sweetest part of the day, whether you're a lover or a hater of it, is getting some form of love and appreciation. Whether it be from your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, mom, or dad...receiving even just the smallest token of affection goes a long way.
Here are some ideas to make the middle of February just a little bit more special.
Carolina Cupcakery- Whether you’re treating yourself or someone special for Valentine’s day, I strongly suggest heading to Carolina Cupcakery to purchase sweet treats for that sweet tooth. Where their slogan is “Real Men Eat Cupcakes” they ask their male counterpart customers, How do you like your women? Stuffed, spiced or stacked…. that’s how we bake our cupcakes. Carolina Cupcakery bakes from scratch every day using only freshest, most natural ingredients such as Amish butter and Fair Trade Callebaut chocolate. Thus far they have created 178 creative varieties in pursuit of a record 200. Might I suggest their Dirty Pirate-- a salivating combo of pineapple up-side-down cake, with brown sugar buttercream frosting topped with toasted coconut shavings..!!!
Burn The Floor- Please hint to you man that this brilliant stage production is in town February 15-20 at Chrysler Hall. It’s perfect for a little V-day date night. Featuring dance after dance of International Style, the show is a perfect combination of steamy Latin flare meshed with traditional ballroom styles. The energy, technique, and rockin’ dancer bodies set the stage on fire. I bet it’ll definitely put you two in the mood to try those sexy moves back at home. No? OK fine, forget the guy. Make it a Valentine’s Day treat for the Gals!
Keep It Simple- Cook a meal at home. Forget making a reservation at a swanky, expensive restaurant downtown for Valentine’s Day. There’s nothing romantic about a reservation. Forget that V-day cliché. Key to the guy’s heart? Food, of course, but try something more personal. Think of a few of his favorite dishes. Whether it be filet, pasta, seafood, or even pizza…you can spice the meal up from your very own kitchen. There’s something very sweet to be said about designating the time and energy away from all dinnertime distractions to just be the two of you and enjoy something home made. Just make sure not to forget some very prestigious aphrodisiacs. Cocoa, oysters, honey, garlic, basil, nutmeg, rosemary, avocado, chile pepper…whether they work or not, I’m sure if you verbally make note of it before you chow down, it’s effectiveness won’t be an issue!
Just Escape- Let’s face it. What we really want is to forget about the hustle and bustle of our daily grind. If you have it in you, and you don’t care about the distance, visit here for some get-a-way ideas.
And now for your reading pleasure, in case you weren’t aware of its history, here is the story behind Virginia’s state slogan.
With Valentine’s Day a few days away, I thought now would be an opportune time to reflect on this state’s beloved slogan. Launched in 1969, Virginia is for Lovers is one of the most enduring tourism slogans in our country.
The Meaning Behind it All:
In 1969, the Virginia State Travel Service adopted the slogan given the mood of the times. Virginia is for Lovers appealed to a younger generation who were the market of the future. Coincidentally it debuted alongside Erich Segal’s famous book , Love Story, peace & love demonstrations, and Woodstock. The first advertisement featuring the famous line ran in Bride’s Magazine in 1969 and a new illustration of Virginia was born.
The creative minds of Richmond based ad agency, Martin & Woltz Inc. came up with the idea. Apparently a copywriter named Robin McLaughlin created an advertising concept dependent of the market of the ad. So for a beach-oriented ad it would read “Virginia is for Lovers”. For a mountain ad it would read “Virginia is for mountain lovers”. For a sports ad, "Virginia is for sports lovers". You get it.
The agency thought that style was too limiting so they revised it to its simplistic form “Virginia is for Lovers”. The idea was that whatever people love most in their vacations, whatever they’re most passionate about, Virginia was their ultimate destination. It played up a new, bold image of a more exciting state enriching the lives of Virginians and visitors alike through their passions for history, heritage, the arts, food & wine.
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