Love and Sweet, Sweet Excuses

Oh, no. This won't be another bitter blog post about how Valentine's Day is made up by card corporations and is only designed to torture single people. In fact, let me start on the opposite side of that argument:

Ways in which Valentine's day is awesome:

• It is a great excuse for giving a love note to the hot guy or gal you've been crushing on so hard. If you are too shy, go tell your secret to the guys at Kiss & Tell podcast.
• Is is also a often-needed reminder to do something special for the one(s) you love. Time really does fly, and we all could use a hint. Hint, hint.
  
• It is a spectacular reason to dress up (we need more reasons in Seattle) and drink and eat fancily while pretending to be grown up.
• It could be inspiration to research the myth of Cupid and Psyche. Nicked with his own arrow? Not a baby? Ya don't say.
• And, most importantly, you can totally get away with eating an entire box of chocolates if they are a gift. (Photo below center is 100% vegan). Fingers crossed that KC goes this direction.
  

Suggestions for making it not suck:

• If you have a sweetie, but hate holidays, make your own special day on Feb 15th. All the chocolates will be on sale and you won't fight for a reservation.
  
• If you aren't in love, mail real valentines cards to all you friends. My friends are going to get completely inappropriate illustrated Law & Order valentine's day cards.
  
• Take the money you would have spent on champagne and donate it to the charity or cause that you love the most.
• Text/call/write everyone that you adore: family, friends, whoever and just tell them something nice. Maybe why you like them or something?
• Go to a nifty show where nobody will have cupid on their mind. Be your own valentine and treat yourself to a better beer or a top shelf cocktail.

Seattle vegan Valentine's Day ideas:

If you want to go out and wear your fancy duds, make reservations early!

• Cafe Flora: 4 course meal for $45 per person. Avocado butternut pate, anyone? Check out the menu. (Lots of gluten-free options too).
• Plum Vegan Bistro: I heard they are going to do something really special. Check back for details.
  
• Carmelita: Will have an all-vegan prix fix for $55/person (or $80 with wine), The porcini & hazelnut agnolotti sounds fancy. Check out the menu.

Some treasures for your treasure?

• Make something, bake something, cook something, or my personal favorite, write your sweetheart a poem.
• Cruise on over to our wonderful Chocolate Shoe Box up on Phinney Ridge for the largest collection of gourmet vegan confections this side of the Rockies (or maybe anywhere).
  
• Send him or her a mega retro (read: hokey) Vegan Chocolate Heart Box by Rose City Chocolate (Photo top center). Want it!
  
• Pick up a sweet Paper Heart Box or Chocolate filled heart by Sjaaks's available at Sidecar. (Photo above left.) The paper box is made by a women's collective in Thailand.
  
• Order a special Valentine's treat from Sage Organic Bakery. I've heard that they will have chocolate covered strawberries and pink vanilla butter cream frosting special for Valentine's day. (Photo above center.)
  
• Pop the cork off a bottle of Domaine Carneros (by Tattinger), available at Sidecar and other fine wine shops. Or head on over to Barnivore for a longer list of champagnes sans pain. (Photo below center.)
  
• Order a box of amazing, local, organic, vegan Nicobella Chocolate Truffles. Yes. that. (Photo below right.)
  
• Find something hand made iffen you're no good at making things yourself. Skip on over to Etsy, type in "love" and you won't believe the sweet things people have made. (Like this adorable "be mine" library card card by Crabapple. (Photo below left.)

Okay. I am all out of ideas. Next week I am going to post about how to find a date. Yes, it will include some mention of the dating and matching experiment going on over at Waterproof Match, but also lots of other ideas. Stay tuned lovlies!