valentines

Valentine's Day Treats From Bouchon Bakery

Filed under: Dining

We've featured a bunch of sweet treats for Valentine's Day on this site already but you can never have too much love or too much sugar. Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bakery is featuring some festive new creations. Shown above are the Expression cookies, classic shortbread cookies covered with white chocolate yogurt glaze. Each is complete with favorite Valentine's Day messages in chocolate, including be mine, xoxo, kiss me and I love you! and they sell for $3.75 each. Other delicious temptations include Valentine Chocolate Boxes and Cupid Cupcakes which are heart shaped devil's food cake with a passion fruit caramel center and decorated with basket weave fondant for $6.50 each. Classic Linzer cookies get a heart shape for Valentines Day and a chocolate and passionfruit velour is a heart shaped chocolate crème with a passion fruit curd center, finished with chocolate-- a temptation that will run you $8.75.You can check out more mouthwatering images at Serious Eats or just go to Bouchon and get your own.

Tags: bouchon, bouchon bakery, BouchonBakery, chocolate, cookies, hearts, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay

What You Need To Know About Red Roses For Valentine's Day

by ashleynorth (RSS feed) —

Red roses are popular year round but take on special importance at Valentine's Day. Suddenly they are everywhere. Bouquets of roses are sold by the side of the road and by salespeople hovering around restaurants. This, combined with the overflowing buckets at the grocery store, saturate a market that is deserving of a richness equivalent to its history. Favored mostly for its beauty and durability, combined with fragrance, the rose's popularity has caused an outbreak of ecologically harmful and trade-wide problems.

Many roses are raised in Ecuador and Colombia, and there is an ongoing concern of heavy pesticide use, unfair wage and labor conditions and the possibility that the rose tips themselves may have been treated with anti-fungal chemicals that are harmful to human beings.

Flower arranger and horticulture expert Betty Miles explains the importance of careful-sourcing and following care that will result in a longer life and a clear conscience. She notes that, due to favorable climate conditions as well as cheaper labor, most long stem roses (the most popular in America) are grown in greenhouses around the world, and generally in Colombia, Ecuador and parts of Africa. There can be a big difference between the white-bucketed variety amongst conventional locations and the fresher and perhaps more local available at a credible florist. Betty goes on to say:

When sourcing flowers in person, check underneath the bud to see if petals will have been removed. This will prove the flower to be old or not as fresh, diminishing their cut-life. 'Hardening-off' is a common flower arrangement term- taking a cut flower from a garden or, later, florist, and diagonally cutting an inch off the tip of the stem then immediately placing it in water (or cutting while the stem is submerged in water). Doing these steps, along with removing the lower leaves and stems will avoid rotting and water-contamination thus, shortening the life. If not removed, the most distal part of the stem will get dried, killing the cells within the stem, rendering it inactive, and killing the flower. This can and should be repeated by the distributor, the florist and finally, the customer. Though the packet of "flower-extender" that comes with your flowers appears artificial, it is an inert and biodegradable substance (typically a formula including dextrose and bacteria-inhibitors) that will extend the life of your cut flowers.

Tags: alternative, bush, columbia, day, decor-pedia, domestic, eco, ecuador, fairtrade, florist, friendly, grow, hybrid, hybridization, long, luxist-awards, main-pedia, red, roses, stem, US, valentines

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Seven His and Hers Recommendations for Valentine's Day: A Box of Chocolates and a Box of Cigars

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars, Dining

Of course, you don't have to stick to the gender stereotypes on this one. Men do enjoy chocolate, and I've met more than a handful of ladies who are happy to cut and light a double corona. So, feel free to mix and match as you see fit. You'll have all the tools you'll need to make the best choices, thanks to chocolate and cigar recommendations from Vin Lee, CEO of the Beverly Hills Cigar Club.

Some of the selections aren't surprising, according to Lee. "Obvious choices are the fine selections from Godiva, Lindt and Ghiradelli, but we thought we'd suggest some exotic chocolate indulgences you might not be aware of." He continues, "Chocolatiers can now be reached from anywhere around the globe. Our advisers did an exhaustive search, and the choices prove it was well worth it."

Let's start with eight chocolate recommendations that are sure to make your evening fantastic.

Tags: burlwood, cao, chocolate, chocolates, cigar, cigars, crumbs, Crumbs Bake Shop, CrumbsBakeShop, ghirardelli, gift, gifts, godiva, GodivaChocolate, GraycliffHotel, lindt, lindt chocolate, LindtChocolate, LindtLindorTruffles, Romeo and Juliet, romeo y julieta, RomeoAndJuliet, RomeoYJulieta, tatuaje, tatuajes, valentine, valentines, valentines day, valentines-day, ValentinesDay

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Big Heart Zip Clutch, Handbag of the Day

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Handbags

Tis the season for love, hearts, and girliness, and the Big Heart Zip Clutch by Marc Jacobs doesn't fail us! Leather appliqués in varying shades (of pink and purple of course) and textures generously cover the front and back, and almost look like they're floating around the bag as opposed to being stuck on it. Other than the hearts aplenty the design is pretty simple, featuring a gold hardware zip-tip closure, fine textile lining, and an interior patch pocket.

I really like it, although the color scheme gets on my nerves a little (I think red, white, and black would be awesome). $795

Source

Tags: bag, bags, clutch, handbag, handbag of the day, HandbagOfTheDay, handbags, heart, hearts, marc jacobs, MarcJacobs, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay

Fancy Candies and More from Dylan's Candy Bar

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Dining, Celebrity Design

We headed over to Dylan's Candy Bar to check out what's new and what's hot for Valentine's Day and found a ton of amazing goodies - edible and otherwise!

There's more at Dylan's Candy Bar (the upscale candy store and lifestyle brand created by Dylan Lauren, a.k.a. Ralph Lauren's daughter) than just sweeties for your Valentine's Day sweetie. We found a great line of canvas bags, the most adorable little raincoat, scented reeds, jewelry, and a gym bag we very nearly stole (at right - that's me in my "going to the gym" pose. I don't know why it's like that.). We liked the bright yellow towel in there, too!

So have a look through our gallery and see which treats spark your fancies. There's a lot of see at Dylan's Candy Bar!

Gallery: Dylan's Candy Bar

Tags: candy, dylans candy bar, DylansCandyBar, events, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay

SUSHISAMBA 7 Shares their Valentine's Day Cocktail Recipes

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Spirits, Events

SUSHISAMBA is a staple restaurant for many New York sushi lovers. Though Japonais normally has my vote for best sushi, SUSHISAMBA 7's Valentine's Day plans look amazing.

SUSHISAMBA 7, at 87 Seventh Avenue South, will be featuring a number of delicious dinner specials, including Maine Lobster Taquitos, Tuna Tataki, Lobster & Palmito Salad, Oysters & Pearls, Pan Seared Foie Gras, Austrialian Wagyu Beef Tataki, Kobe Gyoza, Japanese Style Salt & Pepper Mongo Ika, Broiled Alaska King Crab, Seared Muscovy Duck Breast, and Braised "Bone In" Short Ribs. Yum!

Best of all, they're featuring Naughty and Nice Valentine's Day Cocktails, and we have the recipes. Here you go:

Naughty
3 strawberry halves
1 piece of watermelon rind
Muddled jalapeño peppers
1.5 oz tequila
0.5 oz creme de fraise des bois liqueur
0.5 oz sweet and sour

Muddle fruit and jalapeno peppers in glass until pulverized. Add liquor, shake vigorously and strain. Serve in martini glass and garnish with a pierced strawberry and jalapeno.

Nice
3 strawberry halves
1 piece of watermelon rind
1.5 oz tequila
0.5 oz creme de fraise des bois liqueur
0.5 oz sweet and sour

Muddle fruit in glass until pulverized. Add liquor, shake vigorously and strain. Serve in martini glass and garnish with a pierced strawberry.

You can keep those delicious drinks on the books all year! If you haven't finalized your Valentine's Day plans yet and are in New York, call 212-691-7885 for reservations.

Tags: cocktail, cocktails, drinking, drinks, entertainment-awards, sushi, sushi samba, sushisamba 7, valentine, valentines, valentines day

How Do You Feel About Hearts?

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

I have a friend who mentioned the other day in passing (I think she might be secretly hoping that her boyfriend hits me up for hints about what she likes) that she loves hearts in jewelry, especially heart-shaped gems. When she said that I couldn't help but remember a situation years ago when another friend actually cried when her boyfriend got her a heart-shaped amethyst pendant for her birthday, saying "how could he not know that I hate hearts in jewelry?"

Some women see hearts as corny and immature, while others see them as a universal and age-old symbol of romance and love. What's your take?

Hearts in jewelry: Love them or Hate them?
Love them! They're the universal symbol of love	13 (36.1%)
Hate them. They're corny and over used.	21 (58.3%)
-delete-	1 (2.8%)
-delete-	1 (2.8%)

Gallery: Hearts, Hearts, Hearts!

Tags: hearts, jewelry, poll, polls, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay

Valentine Essentials: Sexy Lingerie

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Holiday Guides

The thought of confused men wandering aimlessly around the lingerie sections of department stores this time of year makes me laugh, and it also makes me wonder how many men actually buy lingerie as Valentine's Day gifts? I think these days it's more about women buying it for themselves, and then the wearing of it is the gift for the man in their lives. Lingerie can be expensive, but I think it's totally worth the splurge. After all, it's one of the few things that makes both people happy.

So ... red, white, or black? That is the question.

Gallery: Designer Lingerie Perfect for Valentine's Day

Tags: lingerie, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, vday, vday09

The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

We were delighted when Armand de Brignac offered to send us one of their Prestige Cuvees (right).

Priced from $300 per bottle, these decadent champagnes come in three varieties: Champagne Rose, Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and the Brut Gold, which we tried. The bottles include pewter labels, and come in luxurious black cases. These would be an excellent gift for your Valentine; The Brut Gold for him, and the Rose for her (but we hope he or she will share it with you).

If you're not convinced, have a look at our gallery below to experience the excitement of opening the case and tasting the delicious champagne. We paired it with an appetizer of fresh strawberries, sweet pears, and tart apples, and an Organic Ceviche entree with scallops and ahi tuna.

We found the Brut Gold Champagne very delicate and subtle; a rosy scent with green apple and nutmeg. The flavor was not at all grassy, but earthy, with hints of white pepper and a smooth, long pomegranate finish. Because of it's shy complexity, we thought it would be excellently paired with a very mild cheese, and loved the way it was complimented by the pear and, eventually, the ceviche.

About half a glass and we were all saying how much we loved each other. Happy Valentine's Day indeed!

Gallery: The Armand de Brignac Champagne Experience

For more information and where to buy, visit armanddebrignac.com.

Tags: armand de brignac, blanc de blanc, BlancDeBlanc, brut, champagne, hostess gifts, HostessGifts, rose, rose champagne, RoseChampagne, valentines, valentines day, wine

Valentine Essentials: A Diamond Ring

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Holiday Guides

Put "Valentine's Day" and "diamond ring" together and most people's minds will go to "engagement" next, but there are plenty of other reasons to give, get, or wear a diamond ring this Vday. There are anniversary bands, fashion rings, and of course the "Right Hand Ring" is growing ever more popular as women decide that they don't have to wait for a man in order to wear a beautiful diamond.

Engagement rings might be the most common type of diamond rings given and worn next week, but they certainly don't have to be the only type!

Gallery: Diamond Rings for All

Tags: diamond jewelry, diamond ring, diamond rings, DiamondJewelry, DiamondRing, DiamondRings, diamonds, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, vday, vday09

Valentine Essentials: A Diamond Pendant

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Holiday Guides

Whatever you're doing this Valentine's Day certain things are essential, and one of them is a pretty diamond necklace to complement your little black dress. Whether you hint around with hopes of getting it on vday as a gift from your sweetie or decide to treat yourself, a pretty new diamond pendant will not only make you feel beautiful this holiday but it will also be something you can wear again and again for years to come. Totally worth splurging on (this Harry Winston Snowflake is on my wish list!).

Gallery: Designer Diamond Pendants

Tags: diamonds, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, vday, vday09

Valentine Essentials: Chocolate!

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Holiday Guides

Valentine's Day just wouldn't feel right without chocolate, and although those cardboard heart boxes full of waxy chocolates are certainly nostalgic eating them can leave something to be desired. Take the romance up a notch this Vday with decadent, luxe chocolate from one of the best chocolatiers in the country. Whether you and your sweetie prefer truffles, chocolate blends that are specially formulated to go with your favorite wine, or even hot chocolate, there's something out there for every taste. And most of them are so pretty to look at you might find yourself hesitating to eat them (just for a second).

Gallery: Romantic and Luxe Valentine Chocolates

Valentine Spice Truffle Collection by Hedonist Artisan Chocolates

Gift Box Extraordinaire by Chocolat Céleste

Tags: chocolate, chocolates, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, vday09

Giveaway: 10k Amethyst and Diamond Necklace in Time for Valentine's Day!

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

Ladies and gentleman, it is our pleasure to offer you a beautiful Valentine's Day gift for free!

Luxist is giving away this elegant 10k Amethyst and Diamond Necklace (valued at $249, at right). Donated by the wonderfully helpful folks at DiamondShark.com, the necklace is sparkly and bright, and dangles gracefully from its delicate silver chain. This is for any woman who likes color, especially if she shies away from wearing gold. It appears gothic worn with black, and exquisite with white -- and I'm sure you can think of other color combinations!

Diamond Shark runs daily deals on diamond necklaces, watches, and fine jewelry -- just one at a time. You can read all about what they do here on Holidash, or just visit the site and see what great item they have today.

We have the 10k Amethyst and Diamond Necklace here in our office and are happy to get gift to you via Fed Ex in time for the big day, even if it's secretly for yourself! All you have to do to enter is tell us what your favorite gemstone is.

* To enter, leave a confirmed comment (telling us your favorite gemstone and why you love it) below.
* The comment must be left and confirmed before Friday, January 30, 2009 5:00PM Eastern Time.
* You may only enter once.
* One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
* One winner will receive the Amethyst and Diamond Necklace valued at $249.
* Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 and older.

See complete contest rules here.

Tags: amethyst, diamond, diamonds, giveaway, necklace, valentine, valentines, valentines day

Immortalize DNA, a Fingerprint, or a Kiss for Valentine's Day

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Art

From the same people who brought us the gorgeous Kiss Portraits, DNA11 also makes portraits of DNA (above) and fingerprints. These too make great Valentine's Day gifts, just in a less overt way than the Kiss Portraits.

Putting your loved ones' fingerprints or DNA on your wall or desk not only shows you love them, but that you value their uniqueness and want to know every part of them. It makes them feel special.

DNA11 sends you a lip-print kit with a M.A.C. Viva Glam lipstick (which happens to be a great color), a fingerprint kit, or a DNA kit to make the print. Don't worry, DNA extraction is not scary; you just have to swab the inside of your cheek.

The DNA11 portraits are available in wall sizes or desk/shelf sizes, which we really love. The mini portraits start at $169. The Fingerprint Portraits start at $190 and come in three different sizes. The Kiss Portraits start at $290. You can choose from a wide variety of colors. Check out the Gallery below for ideas!

Gallery: DNA, Kiss, and Fingerprint Portraits

A fingerprint in a gorgeous color combination

Tags: art, dna, fingerprint, fingerprints, gifts, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, warhol

The Noka-Riedel Experience

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

Red wine and chocolates, you can't get a much more perfect pairing for romance than that. The inspiration for the NOKA-RIEDEL Experience came from 10th generation glass maker George Riedel and his exquisite glassware, and it includes one of two combinations of chocolate and glasses. There's the "2-piece Vintages with 2 Cabernet Glasses" or the "4-piece Truffles with 2 Champagne Glasses."

Apparently when George Riedel visited the NOKA Chocolates boutique in Dallas for a tasting he said that combining the chocolates with champagne in a RIEDEL varietal-specific glass resulted in an experience that was "beyond words." $96-$104

Source

Tags: chocolate, chocolates, noka, reidel, truffles, valentine, valentines, valentines day, ValentinesDay, wine