La Vie en Rose...WARNING...long post ahead -.-

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching...and me being the epitome of procrastinators...I started perusing   the web in hopes of plundering some mighty fine VDay gifts for my beloved.  Arguably, Valentine's is a commercial nightmare preying on people to spend lots and lots of $ on gifts to "prove" their love...but no one said a sincere sentiment came with a pricetag.  I'm subscribing to this concept this year because a) a genuine and heartfelt notion lasts a whole lot longer than $60 long stem roses....and b) I'm pretty broke, lol

I digress...here is a range of Valentine's gifts spanning the price spectrum:

Vosges Haut Chocolat....For the chocolate lover in your life!  Lots to choose from...Fell in love with Vosges while on a business trip to Chicago - there's a pop up store in O'Hare =) You can find intoxicating gifts from anywhere between $10 and $100...This is definitely one of my guilty pleasures!

vosgeschocolate.com

Cupcakes! Who doesn't love cupcakes?! If I were still living in NJ, I would head over to Sweet Avenue Bakeshop for some Champagne & Pomegranate cupcakes.  They're vegan. They're yummy. They're beautiful. But, i'm in CA....and not knowing much of my surroundings and being on a budget, I think i'll make my own =)  My boyfriend can't eat chocolate, so i'll be opting for something sans cocoa.  There are a million recipes online and for the most part, they're easy. You can't really screw up cupcakes.  Here are some decorating ideas:

 

A map of where we met....Found this during a morning internet romp.  What a cute idea?! $32 @ Paloma's Nest... A custom map utilizing a lil heart to show where you met...stamped with names, the city and the date.

A mix cd....I know....I know...it's been suggested and done a million times....but it's budget friendly and can be immensely romantic...as long as you're not loading it up with Slayer (one of my favorites...but not very romantic).

A cut-out card...handmade by you.  All you need is a steady hand, pencil to lightly sketch your design and an xacto knife.  If you slip and cut yourself, no biggie...hey! Red is a very Valentine's hue =)

instructables.com

Dinner.  You can't go wrong with a romantic meal made with love <3  Since ancient times, people have believed in the power of Aphrodisiacs....Thousands of years and millions of people, can't be wrong, right?? Eat something sexy =p  Food Network has a ton of recipes available: Dionysian Dishes courtesy of Food Network <3

& why not accent your decadent dish with some adorable decor that quick and easy...and most importantly...cheap!?  Remember origami fortune tellers (aka cootie catchers) from middle school?  Well I do.  I remember making these with my girlfriends and filling them with absurdities...using them kind of like a magic 8 ball...to see if I'll marry (insert boy sitting in front of me in English).  Usually, they have #s or colors listed on the top and inside panels...your thumbs and pointer fingers go inside this thing and you move the puzzle according to what you chose (i.e. "red" is 3 movements, because there are 3 letters.  the movements are made by opening the pyramid in a left/right or up/down motion). The newly opened up pyramid now reveals more options and thus "movements." You do this 2 or 3 times and then you choose one of the visible options.  Flip it up and your fortune is revealed. 

Fill them in with whatever your heart desires....and feel free to get frisky ;p These aren't your grade school cootie catchers, ok?

Silly, I know, but cute nonetheless!  If you don't remember how to make these, here's a tutorial: enchantedlearning.com/crafts/origami/fortuneteller/

Here are some decorating tips: 

Drinks!! For those of us who like to imbibe, here are some of my favorite liquid indulgences:

For the beer lover:
Abita Purple Haze....A wheat beer made with spring water and raspberry puree.  This stuff is seriously delicious...Fruity and a bit tart.  Probably my favorite beer of all time.

abita.com

Unibroue's Ephemere Apple...Granted, what caught my eye when I tried this beer is the absolutely stunning label.  I'm like a barracuda...pretty, shiny things catch my eye.  I read the label to find out it's infused with apples and cardamom...do go on label! You've got my attention... The beer is rested (aged) on it's lees (dead yeast cells) giving it a toasty flavor element - kind of like a beer champagne.  Being a champagne fanatic, I HAD to try this stuff...and it definitely did NOT disappoint.

unibroue.com

Bubbly...No Valentine's Day is complete without something bubbly to tickle the nose and entice the palate.  I present 2 options...Budget Saavy and Blow the Bank =) Both are sure to impress.

Budget Saavy...Mumm's Napa Brut Rose NV...made in the traditional method...as in the methode champenois (only bubbly made in the Champagne region of France can be called Champagne, but! and this is a big but...that doesn't mean that a sparkling wine made elsewhere is of less quality or that it can't be made in the same method as those sparklers of Champagne, FR) ANYWAY! I tried the Mumm on a whim...mainly because 2 days ago, I was seriously craving something effervescent and yummy and PINK! I am a sucker for Rose (Bubbly infused with red wine).  I decided to try this sparkler because for a Tuesday night impromptu wine purchase, the $17 price tag was perfect.

So I don't know much about CA wines and didn't expect too much (I like the imported stuff..what can I say?)..but I was certainly pleased...and surprised.  A lovely salmon color and full of tiny bubbles...this sparkler was tart, nicely acidic, yeasty and tasted of yummy strawberries.  Loved it!

mummnapa.com

Blow the Bank: For those of you to whom $ is no object, might I suggest some Bollinger Brut Rose NV.  Bolly just started making a NV Rose, and thank goodness they did.  I love the vintage La Grande Annee...but with a $200 price tag, it's not the most accessible wine.  The NV comes in at around $100 and is definitely worth the money.  Wine Guru, Robert Parker awarded it 91 points and had this to say: 

all of which are woven together in a fabric of unusual class. The NV naturally 

doesn’t have the weight and gravitas of the 2002 Rose La Grande Annee 

tasted alongside it, but it nevertheless shows striking purity and class in a 

more accessible, fresh style. It is another terrific effort from Bollinger." 

It's no surprise this is the bubbly of choice with sophisticated palates - James Bond and the British Royals swear by it!

And not that either bubbly needs anything extra...me? i'm a fan of cocktails and I love to add a few raspberries and a dash of St. Germain.  I'm no mixologist and more than likely someone has "invented" this concoction by now...but I have no clue what it's called or who made it.  ANYWAY! I love St. Germain...if you don't know, it's a liquer made from Elderflowers picked in the foothills of the French Alps.  

stgermain.fr/

Ok! That's all I got....for now....i'm sure i'll have another V Day inspired post in the near (very near....V Day is Monday!) future.

Cheers!