As Valentine’s Day is but a breathless day or two away,
I thought I’d gather a few of my roses for you.
Some fun with Instagram
I zoomed these roses through a shop window in Paris. I think the glass had a beautiful effect on them, don’t you?
The Beloved
It is enough of honor for one lifetime
To have known you better than the rest have known
The shadows and colours of your voice,
Your will, immutable and still as stone.
The shy heart so lonely and so gay,
The sad laughter and the pride of pride,
The tenderness, the depth of tenderness
Rich as the earth, and wide as heaven is wide.
~
Sara Teasdale
From my garden.
K, I’m ready for spring.
Do you have any special plans for this romantic day that, let’s admit, has become just a tad commercialized ?
Remember way back before political correctness when as kids in primary school we were allowed to send Valentine’s cards to whomever we wished and not necessarily the entire class, girls & boys both??
I DO. Oh, The Horror.
I will have dinner out with my husband of 25 years (this April. He would have sent me a Valentine in class) and then we’ll rush home to watch the opening season of “Survivor!”
I know. Can you believe how hot that is?!
Thank you to all you sweethearts that have voted for me in the final round of the HOMIES .
And have a beautiful Carnation & Baby’s Breath-free Valentine’s Day!
“Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but looking outward together in the same direction” Antoine De Saint-Expery
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It’s Smoochie Smoochie Time again…no, Silly, not The Grammys-I’m talking about kissing on the LIPS!
Valentine’s Day Tomorrow!!
What Lips My Lips Have Kissed
by Edna St. Vincent Millay
What lips my lips have kissed, and where, and why, I have forgotten, and what arms have lain Under my head till morning; but the rain Is full of ghosts tonight, that tap and sigh Upon the glass and listen for reply; And in my heart there stirs a quiet pain For unremembered lads that not again Will turn to me at midnight with a cry. Thus in the winter stands a lonely tree, Nor knows what birds have vanished one by one, Yet know its boughs more silent than before: I cannot say what loves have come and gone; I only know that summer sang in me A little while, that in me sings no more.
Sigh.
Let’s stroll down a romantic path together, shall we?
What’s your favourite romantic restaurant ? What foods spell ‘Sensuous’ to you?
Your most treasured romantic novel?
Mine is;
“To him she seemed so beautiful, so seductive, so different from ordinary people, that he could not understand why no one was as disturbed as he by the clicking of her heels on the paving stones, why no one else’s heart was wild with the breeze stirred by the sighs of her veils, why everyone did not go mad with the movements of her braid, the flight of her hands, the gold of her laughter. He had not missed a single one of her gestures, not one of the indications of her character, but he did not dare approach her for fear of destroying the spell.” Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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What about a film, flower or song?
Where’s the most romantic place you’ve ever been, or dream of going?!
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Herewith, a few images and some of my picks;
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Oak Alley, Louisiana- that’s Romance for me.
One of my favourite songs about LOVE (And played at our wedding )
Let’s Stay Together
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Romantic Roses in my garden
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“Sofia” is a nice, light, inexpensive Rose’ in a very pretty bottle
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“LOVE” by Kilian.
A seductive blend of neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, rose & vanilla
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My friends Dani & Bill Hahn’s magical rose farm in Carpinteria, CA; ROSE STORY FARM
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Rose Story Farm
(spot the kitty- distant kin of our cat )
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Fun reference book by Diane Ackerman- I love her books
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Beautiful little arrangements for a Father & Daughter event created by TOAST, Santa Barbara
And for sensuous food…pretty much anything that involves white truffles gets a big pungent thumbs up from moi. Quite honestly- just bury me with a good bottle of fresh white truffle salt (but make sure it’s pure, no “Essence of” stuff- Could there be anything worse than heading off into The Afterlife with an aftertaste? You have to think of these things…)
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Ultra long stemmed red roses from Toast, Santa Barbara
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One of The most Romantic Gardens I’ve ever been to, NINFA, outside of Rome
In a shaker filled with ice .. 2 parts Capt Morgan Spiced Rum 2 splashes Rose Le Sirop de Monin 1 part of fresh pear juice Shake vigorously and pour into a chilled champagne glass. Fill the glass to the top with rose petals .. which are completely edible and quite simply .. gorgeous. enjoy
(Recipe courtesy of Lola’s)
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‘Le Sirop Monin’ mixed with champagne, yesterday afternoon… For the sake of THE BLOG, People
PS. So I cheated and used a camellia petal because I didn’t have pear juice or roses in bloom right now- not poisonous, right?
It’s been almost 24 hours now…
So far, I’m feeling OK.
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This Cherry Bomb cupcake from Whodidly Cupcakes, Montecito, CA. made me feel even better
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Wishing you a LOVEly Valentine’s Day and if you’re up for a Grammy Good Luck !!
And the sound of your voice and the sight of your smile
Make all my burdens and cares worthwhile.
~
Somebody cares for you
bye and bye. When the years roll on,
you will know it’s I ;
Then, looking back o’er the road we fared,
You’ll see how much for you somebody cared.
Edgar A. Guest
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Almost 23 years ago, when my husband and I were first married and living in NY, we happened upon the beautiful little poem above framed in an antique shop. I still think to this day it is just so sweet and lovely. Although the poem’s not exactly Byron-esque or raging with passion, I believe it encapsulates one of the most important aspects of a strong and lasting union; to feel the person you have chosen to spend your life with will always be there for you.
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The Ways in Which Love Can Still Surprise Me
-The evolving forms your love assumes as you grow older can still, on occasion, surprise me. That the soaring of your heart when your sons, who now tower over you, hug you really, really tightly is just as thrilling and wonderful in it’s own unique way as romantic love. And you acknowledge for the umpteenth time since they were born that there is no more astounding or ferocious feeling on the planet than parental love.
- That this fierce protective love doesn’t ease or diminish with age- I see it in my own mother who, despite all these years of being a mother myself, is still very much a Mother, and that every stumble and triumph, ache and elation of each of her children is felt as her own. (scareee)
- That the siblings you argued with, complained about baby-sitting, accused of taking your clothes, the car, or just general Dorkdom are actually just as cool as you are now and you would choose to hang out with them even if your parents didn’t make you!
- That as much as you thought the love of your friends was important when you were young, it pales in comparison to how important it becomes as you get older. And that for every time you might advance the theory that your partner or teen-agers (or both, after all, it’s an Invasion!) have been body-snatched, your best friends are always there with a hug, sage advice, a good laugh and a strong beverage, not necessarily in that order.
-That the completely 100% unqualified joy and love that your pets give to you is both heart-breaking and humbling.
-That with all the dismal news we see in the media day after day, there are still countless people performing acts of knee-buckling kindness and love that don’t get recognized nearly enough. I say we’re well overdue for “The Good News” show. Good news not only feels good mentally, it’s actually been proven to have a positive physical effect as well.
-And lastly, on this most romantic day of the year, I want to say that all The Sawyers, The Brando’s, The John Hamms (I should probably stop now) couldn’t possibly be more romantic or sweet than my husband still is to me after all these years. But wait…I guess I don’t find it that surprising after all. I was hoping it would be so when I married him. I knew it would be so when he loved the poem.
Some fun with Instagram 
I zoomed these roses through a shop window in Paris. I think the glass had a beautiful effect on them, don’t you?
From my garden. 
Do you have any special plans for this romantic day that, let’s admit, has become just a tad commercialized ?
Slim Paley photo
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