Valentine’s Day Gift Guide – Flowers

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and while a dozen red roses are nice, quite frankly it’s overdone, overpriced and well….not creative. Nothing says BE MINE  better than an arrangement created with your special someone specifically in mind. We at pop! don’t do boring. Step your game up and do something extraordinary.  We promise you’ll be thanked in very special and memorable ways…. Puuurrrr!

Final Tip: Since V-Day is on Thursday send the flowers on Monday so your sweetheart can have a week-long of swooning and cooing from her co-workers. Yum!

1. RUSTIC ROMANTIC
   www.krislyndesign.com
   Floral couture for the rustic inclined. How romantic is this vase made from wood, etched with your initials, to personalize your love?
2. SOFT & SWEET
   www.tictock.com
   The Fashionista in your life will go crazy over Soft and Sweet which is bursting with beautiful gifts for your sweetie!
3. LOVE ALIGNED
   www.ovandonyfloraldesign.com
   Tulips are needed for kissing! This lovable arrangement features rich pink tulips and playful heart shaped grass loops.
4. SCARLET OMBRE
   www.designsbyahn.com
   Chock full of the most amazing blooms Peonies, Orchids, Ranunculus and more! Your sweetheart will fall in love upon first sight.
5. SEDUCTIVE
   www.bloomflowers.com
   Surprise and indulge your special someone with Bloom’s hot red lucite gift box filled with an elegant mixed bouquet of flowers in pink and red, Bloom’s exclusive scented candle, Veuve Clicquot champagne, and Pierre Marcolini hearts with dark chocolate raspberry ganache in a white chocolate shell.
6. SEXY & SLENDER
   www.gabrielawakeham.com
   Sexy, slender and seductive. Three different shades of calla lilies arranged in a twist inside a clear rectangle.

Super Bowl Cheat Sheet

If you’re not into football and don’t have the luxury of attending a Swanky Super Bowl party where the color scheme is more important than the actual plays here are a few tid-bits to help you navigate through the evening of a traditional Super Bowl party.

• THE BASICS: The teams playing are the Baltimore Ravens (wearing purple) vs. the San Francisco 49ers (wearing white with red/gold accents)
• LOCATION: The Super Bowl is being held at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, home to the great Saints #WHODAT
• HISTORY: This is the 47^th Super Bowl and the first time the Superbowl will be in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina
• BRO BOWL: The head coaching battle between John and Jim Harbaugh is unparalleled in NFL history – YES THEY’RE BROTHERS! Gasp! Talk about competition! In the one previous Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh match-up it was a Ravens win!
• FINAL BOW: The last game of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis’ career will be played on Super Bowl Sunday.  He is one of the greatest linebackers ever to play the game. A win would be a fairytale ending to his career should Lewis and the Ravens emerge victorious. We just love happy endings!
• FUTURE: Speaking of Lewis, many will be wondering what he will do after retirement – word on the street is that he already has a gig with ESPN
• SQUIRREL DANCE: Learn Ray’s Dance of Glory. Google it, learn it… werk it! Make Ray Proud!
• KISS THE GUNS: Not to be out done, Niners Quarterback Collin “Pistol” Kaepernick, who is single btw, recently filed to trademark the term “Kaepernicking” – a kiss of his bicep in celebration after scoring.
• MAKING HISTORY: Collin Kaepernick also has the opportunity to be the second African American quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl, with the first being Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins back in Super Bowl XXII . oh, and at 26, he would be the youngest QB in history to win a Super Bowl.
• LITTLE BLUE BOX: Here’s something most people don’t know… can you believe the Lombardi trophy, which is awarded each year to the team that wins the Super Bowl, is made by Tiffany’s! Swoon! The sterling silver trophy is 22 inches high and weights seven pounds. It traveled in its own personal Brink’s truck to New Orleans. Tiffany & Co. has made the trophy each year since the first Super Bowl in 1967.

Swanky Super Bowl

A friend of mine recently called me all excited about the Beyonce Concert this weekend. She went on and on about the songs she’d likely perform, costume changes and the possibility of Destiny’s Child joining her on stage. Apparently she missed the occasion surrounding the concert (half-time show) also known as The Super Bowl! (sigh) I’ll be the first to admit that I am not an avid watcher of football; however my LoVe’s passion for the sport has somehow permeated into my world. Who knows by this time next year I may be hosting a traditional Super Bowl party???? Hmmmmm….

In the meantime, this post is dedicated to those who could care less about the game, but want to have a swanky affair and be able to say – I had the most fabulous Super Bowl party and truly mean it! Invite your besties, put your freak’em dress on and celebrate the BIG GAME! It would be sort of like the VH-1 version of Football wives…. Sexy and all about the glitz and glamour with a hint of football.  I mean it is a Super Bowl party after all…. PS. No throwing of cocktails of any kind! The drinks are too fab for that!

RECIPES

24k Golden Gate Bridge
1½ ounces Charbay Blood Orange vodka
1 ounce Campari
1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
½ ounce lemongrass-infused simple syrup
dash of Angostura orange bitters.

In a cocktail shaker, combine Charbay Blood Orange vodka, Campari, freshly squeezed orange juice, lemongrass-infused simple syrup and a dash of Angostura orange bitters. Add ice, shake and strain into a cocktail glass that has been rimmed with superfine sugar and Oro Fino edible gold flakes .Garnish with a sugar figurine placed through the slice of blood orange, and sprinkle a little more gold on top.

Raven
1.5 oz Russian Standard Vodka
5 blackberries
3 oz Lemonade

Muddle four blackberries in bottom of a tumbler.  Add ice, Russian Standard Vodka and lemonade.  Garnish with remaining blackberry.