Day 3

14 Days of "Sweet Ideas"

Don't forget: During the next 14 days I would love for everyone to send in their PERFECT DATE ideas. (Leave it in the "comment" section of the blog.)
Your name will be entered into the drawing for one of the 2 prizes - (the necklace set and the spa care package)..for each date idea you post ! You can see a pict of the necklace in my post from Jan. 25th - 14 days of "Sweet Ideas".


Some Great Romantic Movie Ideas: 
You might want to print out this list and tuck it away somewhere to use as a reference!

A Knight's Tale

A Walk to Remember
A Walk in the Clouds
An Affair to Remember
Anne of Green Gables
Anne of Avonlea
At First Sight
As Good As It Gets
Bed of Roses
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Beauty and the Beast
Casablanca
Dear John
Dr. Zhivago
Dances with Wolves
Dirty Dancing
Don Juan DeMarco
Ever After
Emma
Far and Away
French Kiss
Forever Young
Fiddler on the Roof
Fools Rush In
French Kiss
Father of the Bride
Ghost
Gone With the Wind
Green Card
Hope Floats
I.Q.
It Could Happen To You
Jerry McGuire  
Joe Versus the Volcano
Kate & Leopold
Little Women
Love Affair
Life Is Beautiful
Moonstruck
Music from Another Room
Notting Hill
Never Been Kissed
One Fine Day
Officer and a Gentleman
Only You
Pretty Woman
Pearl Harbor
Pretty in Pink
Pillow Talk
Return to Me
Runaway Bride
Roxanne
Romancing the Stone
Romeo & Juliet
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Serendipity
Sleepless in Seattle
Something New
Sabrina
Sense and Sensibility
Something’s Gotta Give
Somersby
Say Anything
The Notebook
The Cutting Edge
The American President
The Princess Bride
The African Queen
The Wedding Planner
The Holiday
The Three Musketeers
The Sure Thing
Titanic
The Saint
The Mirror Has Two Faces
The Sound of Music
The Wedding Singer
Top Gun
The Cutting Edge
The Mask of Zorro
You've Got Mail
When Harry Met Sally
While You Were Sleeping


I know there are many more Romantic movies out there! If you have a favorite (not on this list) you would like to share...post a comment!



Fun Date Idea:

A DAY SPA

Being on a limited budget can be frustrating but here's a great idea for someone wanting to do something really special for your wife!

Create an "At Home Day Spa"!

To set the stage...you can give her a "redeemable gift certificate" with a few details of the services she will receive to build her anticipation!

You can either set up the entire spa experience for her to enjoy on her own while you check back and forth on her....or dress in white ...like a masseuse and be there to carry out each step of her Spa Day.

First things first.....

You will want to provide her with a special drink (in a beautiful glass)...maybe a margarita, a pina colada, a glass of wine or her favorite beverage and a special snack like cheese and grapes, or chocolate dipped strawberries.

The setting of the bath must be serene, maybe bring in lots of plants for a tropical feel, or set out tons of candles, soft music and plush towels. An added touch would be purchasing her a new bathrobe and slippers.

Rose petals in and around the bubble bath are a beautiful addition!

A love message in a bottle floating in the tub would be sweet too! 

As her personal attendant you may decide to give her the bath, and wash and condition her hair or allow her to do those things on her own.
She would probably LOVE for you to give her a manicure and/or pedicure!

Some other special treatments you could do throughout the Spa Day would be a mud face mask (costs a few $ at the grocery store), and a hot or cold compress over her eyes during the bath.

After the bath and manicure/pedicure you could indulge her with a warm lotion body massage!

Either a romantic dinner you have prepared for her at home or an evening out at a nice restaurant would be a wonderful finish to a very special day!

Day 2

14 Days of "Sweet Ideas"

Don't forget: During the next 14 days I would love for everyone to send in their PERFECT DATE ideas. (Leave it in the "comment" section of the blog.)
Your name will be entered into the drawing for one of the 2 prizes - (the necklace set and the spa care package)..for each date idea you post ! You can see a pict of the necklace in my post from Jan. 25th - 14 days of "Sweet Ideas".



A Fun Date Idea!

A Trip Around the World....

Create a "passport" booklet that you can later add pictures and memories to, with each page of the passport listing a destination you will be traveling to during your date but no other clues or information.

You can "visit" the places listed in your passport over the course of a day or even a weekend!

Some ideas:

France - A French toast, quiche or crepe breakfast served in bed
The Carribean - A trip to the local Museum of Science and an IMAX movie on the beauty of the tropics.
Morocco - Lunch at a favorite Moroccan restaurant (including a belly dancer, eating with your hands, and lounging on floor cushions)
India - Checked in at a themed hotel room
Sweden - A full-body massage with oil, candles, relaxing music
Italy - a romantic booth at some dark and secluded restaurant, candles and wine included

Mexico - upscale mexican restaurant with live music and dancing

Kenya- a trip to a local zoo to take in the sights of an African Safari

At each destination make sure to take a picture or two to include in your passport so there will always be a memory of your special date.

A memorable setting...

Candles are an amazing and inexpensive way to create a romantic scene!

Imagine....

~ a pathway lit by 150 tealight candles leading to a special destination...or YOU!

~ a bubble bath surrounded by tiny candles on every ledge and counter space

~ a bedroom illuminated by 20 candles (in all shapes and sizes)

~ an outdoor patio with a table set for two surrounded by the glow of millions of candles

~ a rooftop picnic with 200 tealights setting the stage for a magical night

The possibilities are endless and the impression it makes is lasting!!

Planning ahead...at a restaurant

It has been my experience that most restaurants will work with you to create a special suprise or atmosphere for your date! Most of the time they will even get excited about what you are trying to do and go above and beyond to make sure your plans go off without a hitch!

Here are some tips and ideas for planning ahead to make it a memorable experience for all:

* Visit the restaurant ahead of time (when it's not busy) to look it over. This will give you a chance to select a preferred section or even a particular table (by a fireplace or a secluded area) when talking to the management about a reservation. Some restaurants may not allow this but it never hurts to ask! I've never had a restaurant tell me no!

* Earlier in the day before you are to arrive at the restaurant with your date ...stop by to remind the staff of your special plans, and to drop off roses, a candle (if allowed), chocolates, a wrapped gift, or even a special dessert to be brought out after your dinner. You can even pre-arrange wine or champagne to be ready and waiting on ice at your table. Most of the time if you plan with this much detail...you are more apt to be given the table you have asked for! :)

Can you imagine how your date will feel when they see the careful planning and trouble you have gone to...just for them?? Absolutely Priceless!!

* Make sure to tip well for the wonderful service you receive! A phone call the next day to the management/staff thanking them for their help in making it a wonderful evening for you would also be a nice touch!!

Day 1

14 Days of "Sweet Ideas"

Don't forget: During the next 14 days I would love for everyone to send in their PERFECT DATE ideas. (Leave it in the "comment" section of the blog.)
Your name will be entered into the drawing for one of the 2 prizes - (the necklace set and the spa care package)..for each date idea you post ! You can see a pict of the necklace in my post from Jan. 25th - 14 days of "Sweet Ideas".

"Love is a friendship set to music."
                                     ~E.Joseph Cossman


"You're on my mind"...fun ways to communicate your feelings:

* love note...formal....informal...in a special place...or hidden, waiting to be found
* greeting cards...carefully selected or made yourself
* letters ...hand delivered or sent through the mail...to be saved and read over and over again
* poems...something you read and love or something from your heart and pen
* sticky notes...stuck here...stuck there
* lipstick...on a mirror
* calligraphy ...for an artful flourish
* an ad in the newspaper
* audio recordings...a private message, a special song, or something read aloud
* e-mail ...something cryptic, something tantalizing
* radio...called in to your favorite station
* Welcome Home sign...a banner or a poster in the front yard or attached to the door
* a series of yard sale type signs with your special message placed along his/her daily route
* a room filled with helium balloons with love notes attached to the ribbon streamers
* front desk message...when he/she checks in
* a handmade bookmark with a special message tucked into their favorite book

Fun Idea:

Pick a Card...Any Card...

Keep two "wish"jars in your kitchen, one for each of you. Next to them keep a stack of index cards. Whenever you think of something special that would be fun to do together...write it down and drop it in your jar. At the beginning of each month set aside some time to sit together (maybe with a glass of wine and some cheese),and pick 5 cards at random from the other's jar. Read over them, talk about them and negotiate a bit. The only rule is you have to agree on two activities to be done during the next month!

Extravagant Indulgences:

~ a sunrise hot air balloon ride followed by a champagne brunch
http://www.rohrballoons.com/rides.html

~ reserve the bridal suite at the fanciest hotel in town
http://www.hoteladolphus.com/rooms-suites/luxury-suites
http://www.hotelzaza.com/#dallas
http://www.stoneleighhotel.com/penthouse-suite/index.html

~ tour the city with a sunset helicopter ride
http://www.epichelicopters.com/Helicopter_Tours.aspx

~ paddle a canoe under a full moon
http://whiterockpaddle.com/
http://dickscanoe.com/rentals.html


Some of my favorite romantic DFW restaurants:

1. III Forks (Three Forks)
Type of food: steak and seafood
Why I love it: dark, romantic atmosphere. Very upscale. Valet parking is available. Huge fireplace in main dining room, pretty decor, wonderful service and THE BEST steak I have ever eaten. Your sides come with your meal which I really like. Live music on weekends!This is my ALL TIME favorite Dallas steak restaurant!
http://www.iiiforks.com/

2. Joe T.Garcia's
Type of food:mexican
Why I love it: gorgeous outdoor gardens with a beautiful water feature. So many romantic little hideaways tucked in the gardens. Simple menu with 3 or 4 main entree choices and really good food.
Very potent Margaritas! FYI: Cash only!!
http://www.joets.com/

3. Avanti 
Type of food: Mediterranean
Why I love it: several locations, beautiful atmosphere, great food, live music, very romantic setting and they even have a Moonlight Breakfast from midnight to 3 am! The location at Fountain Place is stunning! It is not open in the evenings because of special events but a great place to go for lunch or happy hour! The entire restaurant is encased in glass walls and there are dancing fountains right outside!
http://www.avantirestaurants.com/avantir/dinner.htm

Blessings!
Brandy


Many of these idea's are taken from the source:
The Book of Love, Laughter, and Romance by: Barbara & Michael Jonas

14 Days of "Sweet Ideas"

As Valentine's Day quickly approaches I thought  it might be fun to post "14" days of "Sweet Ideas"... Ways to show your love, appreciation, and affection for the special people in your life.

Over the next 14 days I'll be posting some:
* great gift ideas (for most any budget)
* yummy recipes
* romantic/fun date ideas
* recommendations for some great local DFW area attractions/restaurants
* a few wedding proposal ideas...for those choosing to 'pop the question' this Valentines
* special ways to celebrate as a family...especially with your kids
* fun decorating ideas: including a step by step 'how-to' in designing a gift basket and your very own flower arrangement

I am also going to give away 2 great prizes!

During the next 14 days I would love for everyone to send in their PERFECT DATE ideas.
(Leave it in the "comment" section of the blog.)
Your name will be entered into the drawing for the 2 prizes below ...for each date idea you post.
Let's be really creative you guys....while keeping it "G" rated!! Lol!

For fun....I will select some of the most creative PERFECT DATE ideas and repost them throughout the 2 weeks.

February 8th will end our 14 days of "Sweet Ideas" and our 2 prize winners names will be announced!

The Give Away Prizes will be:

#1.

A Breast Cancer Awareness - zebra print necklace set I recently designed.                                       
Valued at: $64.00




#2. A Relaxation Spa Care Package including a satin eye mask, bath pillow, sea sponge, candle, bubble bath, body lotion, music CD, nail polish and chocolates!!
Valued at: $75.00


Hopefully after 14 days of inspiring ideas ....you will have come up with the PERFECT Valentines celebration for the one you love!

Looking forward to it!!
The 14 days of "Sweet Ideas" starts tomorrow - Jan. 26th!
Make sure to tell your friends.....

Blessings!
Brandy

pinterest

Just for fun....

I am constantly posting new pictures of decorating and party planning ideas from all over the place on pinterest.com!

You can follow me at:

pinterest.com/brandylow/

All things creative....

Hi there!
I'm so glad you stopped by...

This is going to be a fun little spot where you can drop by often for inspiring thoughts and creative ideas on all sorts of things like party planning, floral arranging, cake decorating, amazing gift ideas, sweet children's accessories and even romantic date suggestions.

Please feel free to ask questions about any of these topics and I will gladly help out with answers if I can!

Blessings!
Brandy