Have a Truly Romantic Valentine's Day 2012

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and while you pick out the perfect card for your sweetheart, bake heart-shaped cakes for your friends, and all-around dominate the month of February, you might as well look fantastic while you’re at it!

Take a cue from the month’s obvious color scheme and reach for the pinks and reds in your wardrobe.  Layer according to the temperature in your current locale (our model on the left there brilliantly combined a sheer and ruffled ecru blouse with a cozy angora sweater-vest from the 1960s to create a sweet and stylish ensemble perfect for a seamless transition from a spontaneous rendezvous with someone special to afternoon tea with friends and family.

For date night or drinks with your friends, consider a bolder choice like this sexy maxi skirt made from Victorian lace and left entirely sheer to show off your legs.  If you’re the more reserved type, you can still keep it demure (though daring) with a conversation piece like a silk flower for your hair in a bright, light-catching pink.

Remember, the secret to romance is the risk.  Apply that to both your love life and your wardrobe, and you’re in for a February to remember!

Depending on the tolerance of your sweetheart for a.) sappy lovey dovey storylines and b.) black and white film, it’s easy to stick to new releases and the less saccharine story-lines to keep everyone happy.

Here are three films (from a variety of eras) that will provide you and your honey genuine entertainment and a sweet underlying message (without putting either of you to sleep):

Roman Holiday (1953) 

There’s something about this film that makes it watchable over and over and over again.  Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn in her Hollywood debut) gets a little drunk on a sedative on a goodwill trip to Rome and decides in her intoxication to climb out the castle window and stumble happily out onto the street, spouting poetry, jumping in vans, and eventually falling asleep on a public fountain.

She’s stumbled upon by a down-on-his-luck American reporter (A very studly Gregory Peck) who takes her in before realizing who she is.  As he records all the wacky binds she gets herself in while playing hooky from her job as the Princess, he plans on building the story of his career.

Fun, entendre-laced dialogue and the cheeky fact that this is based on something Princess Margaret of England actually did in the 50s should keep you both fairly entertained, even when you know that these two have little hope of riding off into the sunset together.

At the very least, the quirky and clever Ann will annoy both of you a lot less than whoever Katherine Heigel is playing this season.

Modern Times (1936)

Okay, yes, this is kind of a silent film (but not really), and we imagine that’s already turned some of you off to the idea of watching it, but hear us out!

Firstly, for you film buffs out there, this is the first film in which the world heard the voice of The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin).

Pretty much everyone in the film aside from Chaplin and his ladylove (real-life wife Paulette Goddard) talks regularly, so go ahead and shirk that concern.

Secondly, the premise of this film is a political attack on the giants of the industrial era (namely Henry Ford), and damn was Chaplin a cheeky bastard when it came to calling out people he found politically distasteful (see The Great Dictator, in which he stood up to Hitler before the United States had decided how they felt about him).

You might think the humor is going to be ridiculous slapstick in the vein of the Three Stooges, but trust us, Chaplin’s comedic technique is more sophisticated than that, and it has aged incredibly well.  His comedic timing is still superb and incredibly fun to watch, even today.

Give it a shot, and be sure to tell us what you thought.

Midnight in Paris (2011)

No, we’re not cheating.  Here’s the deal.  If one (or both) of you is just inherently adverse to the idea of watching an “old” film, here’s one that came out last year that has all the makings of a great romantic story without the gushy discomfort of a rom-com (even though that’s what imdb insists on calling it).

Woody Allen’s return to form last year starring Owen Wilson, Marion Cotilliard, Rachel McAdams, and Kathy Bates takes viewers to some seriously unexpected places when Gil (a less-obnoxious-than-usual Owen Wilson) accidentally finds a way to escape his touristic vacation with his insufferable fiancee by jumping back into 1920s era Paris every night.

With hilarious interludes with some of the era’s most famous figures and a healthy handful of personal revelations for Gil, this one stays safely enough out of the traditional romance category to keep even those most cynical, black-and -white-haters amused and entertained.

The brooch has gone in and out of vogue on a steady rotation since the dawn of fashion.  More recently, you can see them sprucing up gowns on the red carpet, dresses on the first lady, and even adding some sparkle to cloth headbands on it girls.

If you’re looking to add a classic vintage brooch to your collection, it’s important to consider versatility and your personal style.

Whether you want a pop of color like this cheerful red leaf clip or a classic statement of Old Hollywood style a la Bergman like this Blue Rhinestone flower, a well-chosen brooch has the potential to become your signature piece, combining in a variety of ways with the most dressed down to the most formal of your wardrobe pieces.

If you’re not quite ready to commit to something as daring as the above choices, go for a neutral, matte metal in a classic cut.  Silver and gold are the obvious choices, like this classic gold leaf, but pearl and black are also solid choices for an understated but elegant addition to your lapel.

While early nights and chilly afternoons are lovely in grays and blues and indigos, we can’t help but feel a little more somber in comparison to spring’s pastels or fall’s warm hues.

Perk up your day with a splash of color in your winter wardrobe.  Try a turquoise jacket like this asymmetrical tweed or a loud, cheerful orange like this 1970s Coat Dress to immediately draw eyes and shrug off that cold weather for a sunnier day ahead.

When you’re back home, tucked into your favorite armchair with a steaming mug of cocoa, wrap up in something like the beautiful silk robe featured to the left.

Wearing your festivity isn’t a requirement during this time of year, but it certainly can’t hurt when it comes to boosting your mood all through colder months!

1950s Velveteen Party Dress

With our store-front in sunny Florida, Yesterdaze will greet December perhaps dreaming of a White Christmas but never needing more than a light cardigan.

Though, while we in the sub-tropics revel in the occasional opportunity to slide into a pair of boots, the temperatures in the rest of the States continue to drop, providing the perfect opportunity for those cozy and timeless fabrics to return to wardrobes around the world.

Our etsy store is bursting with options to wrap up in through the winter to come.

We suggest velvet (left), tweed, and wool to stay toasty throughout the holiday season without compromising a sense of elegance and style.

So while we sit and reflect this weekend, perhaps patting our satisfied bellies or a stack of deeply discounted impulse purchases, there’s one profoundly important thing to remember: with the arrival of this weekend it is now socially acceptable to get into the Holiday Spirit – in whatever form of extremity your little heart desires.

So while some of us might be whipping up our signature batch of English Toffee (that’d be me) and others are out pacing the aisles in the nearest tree-tent debating on the merits of Douglas Fir versus Spruce, let’s all remember to stay warm and to have a great time doing it.

Now, as far as warmth goes, the tradition of spiced and heated wine (otherwise known as mulled) unfortunately gets punted to the side in climates like our native Florida.  Due to first-hand knowledge of just how damn delicious mulled wine is, we think that’s a shame.

So, here’s what you do:

1. Grab a bottle of red wine.  You want something sweet and dessert-y like a merlot or a cabernet.  Cheap gas-station wine is a-okay. We won’t tell.
2. An orange.  Peel and slice it.  Grate up a bit of the peel (about 1tbsp) to use as flavor and toss the rest.
3. 1/4 cup of brandy
4. 8-10 cloves (you can find these in the spice section at your grocery store.  You can find them cheaper in the ethnic section of your grocery store.  Just sayin’)
5. 1/3 cup of honey.  You can use sugar alternatively or a combination of the two, depending on the flavor you’re after.
6. 3 cinnamon sticks (ethnic aisle!)
7. 1tsp fresh ginger (or 2 tsp of the powdered stuff)

You are going to get the best results using something like a crock pot for this, but we understand if your hesitant to ladle out booze from your pot-roast cooker, so if you like, you can just use a large pot over your stove hob.

Toss everything into the crock pot and heat over medium-low, stirring frequently to ensure the honey or sugar melts.  Don’t boil, you just want to get it to steaming.

Ladle it into mugs.  You can garnish with leftover orange peel rounds and/or cinnamon sticks.

Enjoy!  And let us know how it turned out.

Discount tickets available @ YesterDaze.

Plus we have costumes for sale or rent. So enhance your experience at the festival by dressing the part!!

Poodles you can wear…

Poodles that sit up and look cute…

In glass being artsy or a bottle….

Poodles for your table…

Poodles for your wall…..

And an elegant sitting poodle for your floor!