Do we really have to choose between Love and Lust!? Carrie and Big certainly didn’t! Can we please have it all? Can you keep it HOT after the infatuation wears off!!! We think so! Our number one recommendation is fitness! The endorphins you feel after a killer workout are orgasmic (or pretty damn close)!
When you feel euphoric and good about yourself, well, you’re going to want to have sex! Of course, healthy eating does a body a world of good, and remember to indulge too! Life is way too short to eat veggies and fruit every day all day with nothing crazy fun in the mix! I can’t imagine not having a cocktail and chocolate! With our super HOT ‘shop this story’ edition, we CAN and WILL have it all! In this Valentine’s issue, we have our favorite lingerie featured. Like we can’t get enough, it’s so good!! We are also featuring a chocolate martini recipe straight from our recent trip to Puerto Rico (we use aged rum in place of vodka). This drink and lingerie sets the scene for one fabulous night! You may not make those dinner reservations you booked on opentable.com.
No date, no worries! Get your Uber driver to swing by and pick you and your friends up, hit the town and celebrate love with your besties. Looking for one of a kind jewelry? Look no further! Todd Durm, artist and curator at Pippin Vintage in NYC has shared some of his favorites to gift this Valentine’s Day. Or go ahead and treat yourself, you deserve it! Pippin Vintage has some of the best vintage jewelry and accessories in NYC and anywhere around for that matter.
If you are not in a relationship or simply don’t partake in this holiday, you will still want to read this blogpost. We don’t need someone to buy us flowers or a favorite vintage ring. If you like it, treat yourself. We also have recipes, travel destinations, and beauty. Whether you celebrate with your lover, your friends, or in bed with your fur babies; there is something for everyone to enjoy on Valentine’s Day!
Pippin Vintage by Todd Durm
Romance in New York City
A day in New York City is a guaranteed romance. You could be in any borough at any time and be provided with mystery, excitement, and a sense of remoteness from everyday life - even when New York is your everyday life.
You see, in the city every aspect of living is intensified. It forces you to go out on the pavement and participate in life in a manner that may not feel possible anywhere else. It is the place to dream, to change, to find love, to fail, and to rise above; and when you’re surrounded by 8.6 million other individuals, so diverse yet all living, breathing, and dreaming just the same, it creates a communal energy that inspires you. It pushes you to work harder, play harder, and love harder.
New York also has a way of making you stop and appreciate all of the small moments that make life worth living. It shows you that beauty can be found on every street corner and in every subway car; that you can feel love even in the most fleeting exchanges; and above all else, that there is something tremendously and ceaselessly beautiful about being so small in a place so large.
And what could be more romantic than that?
A Perfect Meal:
There’s nothing like a homemade breakfast in bed on a cozy Valentine’s Day morning. My most preferred specialty would be a hot stack of pancakes, fresh black coffee, and a tall glass of orange juice.
A Favorite Place To Go:
My favorite place to go is actually a myriad of locations that are just a lazy crawl away in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I would start at Devoción, a Colombian owned cafe that is devoted to serving exceptional and ultra-fresh coffee. The environment is simple, rustic, and features a lush plant wall drenched in natural light from the glass ceiling. It’s tough to get a seat but, no worries, next door is my favorite plant shop in New York City, Sprout Home. The store has a contemporary feel and features hundreds of plants, trees, cut flowers, and much more. It is truly an oasis with the freshest air in all of NYC. And then there are the vintage stores: Beacon’s Closet in Greenpoint and Urban Jungle in Bushwick. Both are warehouse spaces full of the most unique and well priced vintage finds in the city.
Five Perfect Valentine’s Gifts:
1-3) Glamorous handmade retro ruby rings from the 1930’s. These rings are made with 14k gold, diamonds, and synthetic rubies.
*In the 1930’s creation of synthetic stones (grown in a lab) was the new science of the time. People were so fascinated by this discovery that synthetic stones actually became more valuable than natural stones. Today that is not the case but does speak towards the authenticity of the jewelry.
4) An adorable 1950’s poodle pin featuring AAA fine akoya cultured pearls, sapphire, and diamond set in 14k gold.
5) A beautiful 1950’s - 70’s angel skin coral rose made with 14k gold and diamonds.
Todd Durm is a visual artist living and working in New York City. He graduated with a degree in photography and contemporary art from Parsons: The New School for Design in 2016. Currently, he is working as a retail jeweler at Pippin Vintage Jewelry and producing his own independent photography zines.
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The Flower Girl
Looking for the perfect gifts? When it comes to flowers, no one does it better than The Flower Girl! Our Paris House long stem roses, bouquets, chocolates, body lotions, and jewelry are beyond romantic and can be preordered here or at 908-581-7200.
Winter Beauty
My top 10 ways to have dewy radiant skin at any age (the top 3 are free!)
1. Orgasm. Can we please bottle that apres sex glow already!
2. Water. Stay hydrated.
3. Fresh Air Fitness. Take it outside and walk in the fresh air.
4. Sleep
5. Botox. I love it. I get it and it makes me so happy! Currently seeing the fabulous Dr. Tutela. He is a master at erasing those pesky lines yet not erasing my age, I love my age! He just softens them a bit. Let’s face it, women get better as we age like a fine bottle of wine. Find him on Instagram @tutelaps (his Stories are a MUST)!
6. Retin-A. I have been using this since I was in my 20s. It is a miracle in a bottle.
7. Avocados and Salmon. They make my skin supple and healthy.
8. Nuts. Super good for your body and skin.
9. Fresh berries. Also helps keep your skin healthy.
10. Sunscreen
All of the above applies for both men and women. As always, please consult with your doctor before following any of our beauty, health, or fitness suggestions.
Recipe
Old San Juan Chocolate Martini (with aged Rum)
- 1 ounce aged rum
- 1 ounce baileys cream
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate powder made according to directions. Make sure it is very cold (we used Choco Frioo from Old San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Add all ingredients to a shaker
- Serve in an ice cold martini glass and top with shaved white chocolate
Asparagus Spears With Prosciutto and Garlic Herbed Montrachet Cheese
- Apprx. 4-5 ounces of good Montrachet Goat cheese
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, less if you prefer a more subtle garlic flavor 1 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
- If using salt, be careful to add just a pinch as the Prosciutto is very salty
- 32 asparagus spears, trimmed of the woody bottoms
- 16 pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto
- Cook asparagus in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for approx. 5 minutes and remove and immediately plunge into a prepared ice water bath to shock and stop the cooking, you want the asparagus to be firm! - - - Drain and pat dry
- Cut each slice of prosciutto in half crosswise and spread your Montrachet mixture on each piece and roll around the asparagus, you should have 32 spears, chill until your party
- I like to serve mine in a chic vase with a glass inserted, so it resembles a floral sculpture!
Travel
Getaway to the Mountains for a weekend of Romance! We love The Dorset Inn in Dorset, Vermont or closer to Upstate New York is The Arlington Inn in Arlington, Vermont.
Fashion
Our new favorite lingerie line is Savage X Fenty by Rihanna. It is gorgeous and we stocked up for Valentine’s Day. Also on our lust list is just about everything from fleurdumal.com. The love necklace is from Olive & Cocoa oliveandcocoa.com.
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Michele Rosenthal
Founder, Designer, and Editor, The Paris House