Mr. Potato Head gave flowers to Mrs. Potato Head on Valentine's Day. The photograph was taken on the street outside of Hasbro's American International Toy Fair showroom in New York. Hasbro still makes the Potato Head dolls which allow kids to change the Potato Head's smiles, noses, arms, eyes and other features.
Barack and Michelle Obama had a quiet Valentine's Day dinner together in Chicago at Table 52 last night. Well, as quiet as these things can be with an entire complement of secret service agents and a traveling press pack. Although strangely, somehow the traveling press corp got "accidentally" left behind when they went to dinner, leaving the first couple without press coverage of their every move for almost an hour.
The Obamas are spending a long weekend in Chicago for their first real break since he became president on Jan. 20. Aides say they have no public events.
The couple left their Hyde Park home on Chicago's south side Saturday evening for a quiet dinner at Table 52, a restaurant owned by Oprah Winfrey's former chef, Art Smith. The menu features traditional Southern fare such as grits and sausage and catfish jambalaya.
The trip came with a minor hiccup: Obama's motorcade left without the small group of reporters who travel everywhere with the president. The motorcade pulled out of the neighborhood and left the president without media coverage for about 45 minutes, unusual for the news organizations covering Obama and the White House.
Earlier in the day, Obama began his weekend with a familiar trip to a gym in a friend's apartment building. Between his election and inauguration, Obama made the daily trip to his friend's gym. Obama didn't speak with reporters.
An entire 45 minutes without press coverage of the Obamas? Absolutely shocking.
Food and Wine's Gail Simmons shares her knowledge of food-related aphrodisiacs with Maggie Rodriguez and Julie Chen. We miss Gail on Project Runway. Gail discusses oysters, honey, honeycomb, caviar, chilis, avocados and chocolate. She says these foods contain the nutrients that help you get in the mood. Gail also shares some historical insights into how these foods become known as aphrodisiacs. Take a look:
Chef Jonathan Cartwright from Maine's White Barn Inn shows you how to make a lobster omelet that could be served as a gourmet Valentine's Day Breakfast in Bed. Cartwright says lobster is currently both extra tasty and less inexpensive this usual.
Cartwright says that lobster is particularly tasty this time of year. The cold water results in meat that's sweet and juicy. And lucky for all of us, lobster is relatively inexpensive right now.
As with all seafood, the fresher your lobster is when you buy it, the better it will be when you eat it. However, Cartwright understands that it may be difficult for people in many parts of the country to buy live lobsters. He says not to be afraid of frozen lobster. And if you do have a local fishmonger that offers fresh lobsters, ask which day they are shipped in to the store and plan to purchase them that day.
You can see a recipe here. In the clip below Chef Cartwright shows the Early Show's Harry Smith how to make the lobster omelet.
Martha Stewart visited Papabubble, an artisanal hard candy store. While she was there she made spiral Valentine lollipops with the help of Papabubble's expert candy makers. Take a look:
Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes were at the Victoria Secret flagship store on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan on Wednesday to promote the store's latest lingerie collection. There's photos of Victoria Secret models at the event posing with chocolate hearts here and here. Adriana Lima's tip is to "get it in black." She says black is the new alternative color instead of pink and red. Doutzen Kroes says she loves the babydoll because it's "sheer, very sexy and comfortable in the bed." Doutzen also says she's planning to make this Valentine's Day the best ever because she is "so in love." Take a look:
The 2009 Times Square Ball. is now decked out in red-themed LED lighting by Philips to help New Yorkers celebrate Valentine's Day. The Ball made its debut as a permanent installation for the first time this January and is lit by high-power LEDs from Philips Lighting, which made the ball brighter and more energy-efficient. The Ball remains lit from 7am to 2am daily. It will also be used to recognize other holidays, including St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day and Halloween.
Bruce Littlefield has some great tips for homemade valentines. He says store bought greeting cards are okay but suggests at least underline some of the words on the card to make it more personal. He recommends buying a big pad of different colored paper at the crafts store. It can be used for cut-out valentine hearts and for other cut-outs during different holidays. Some of his Valentine's Day craft ideas include little hearts stuffed with candy and a message in a bottle gift. Take a look:
MSNBC.com reports that an NRF study finds that spending on Valentine's Day among households earning over $150,000 a year is expected to drop by almost 25%. The quote Jewelers of America president John Green who says some ultra wealthy buyers are shying away from pricier yellow diamonds.
John Green, president of the Jewelers of America trade group says the ultra wealthy have gone "back to basics." For the wealthy that means purchasing white diamonds as gifts on the most romantic day of the year which, he claims, are easier to match with clothes than pricier yellow diamonds.
A Reuters article citing the same study notes that restaurant reservations are easier this Valentine's Day at expensive Hollywood restaurants.
In Hollywood, it is easier to book reservations at marquee restaurants than last year for the romantic day on February 14, a restaurant publicist said, noting entertainment big shots now tend to favor eateries that have cut their entree prices.
Among U.S. households earning at least $150,000 per year, Valentine's Day spending will fall by nearly one quarter, data showed from a survey for the National Retail Federation.
Anecdotally, those with investment portfolios worth more than $10 million are shunning flamboyant gifts that could be seen as out of step with the somber economic mood.
"You have a level of social opprobrium," said Richard Baker, chief of luxury marketing researcher Premium Knowledge, adding the super-wealthy were anxious about "being labeled as ostentatious" and were "pulling back substantially."
You can read more from the NRF study here in our earlier post that found people plan to spend an average of $102.50 on Valentine's gifts and merchandise, down from last year's $122.98 per person.
TripAdvisor conducted a survey of 1,800 U.S. respondents and found that Paris is viewed as the most romantic city for couples to visit.
Paris
Hawaii
Venice
New York City
San Francisco
Las Vegas
Rome
Aruba
Jamaica
Bora Bora
Beautiful Scenery and Great Accommodations Key to Romance:
The study found unsurprisingly that beautiful scenery and great accomodations make a destination more romantic. 31% of travelers said beautiful scenery is most important in making a destination ripe for love, while 24% believe the recipe for romance is all about outstanding accommodations. 28% said amazing views are what makes hotels best for affection and 22% said a noticeably comfortable bed is the top ticket to love. 51% percent believe ambiance is the primary factor that makes a restaurant romantic - even more so than the food, chosen by 25%.
Mood Killers:
Mood killers included noisy children and unsatisfactory accommodations. 24% of respondents said that the number one reason romance fizzles while on vacation is because a hotel doesn't meet expectations. 22% said other people's noisy children are most to blame for dampening the mood. Parents, however, appear unfazed by the presence of children, as 72% indicated a trip with family can still be romantic. Sadly, 6% of travelers said they have broken up with a significant other while on a trip.
Tesco stores in the UK are carrying a red heart-shaped spud that should be a big hit this week for Valentine's Day. The red potatoes are an imported produce from France called Franceline potatoes. Franceline potatoes are not naturally heart-shaped. The Mirrorsays these potatoes were grown in clay to mold their shape. Tesco potato buyer Jonathan Corbett told the Mirror, "Amazingly, the heart-shaped potatoes have never been sold over here before because of their unusual shape. But now their time has come."
Paul Smith has added these two web exclusive Valentine's Day handkerchiefs to his collection. Each handkerchief has Paul Smith's signature is printed in the right corner. The handkerchiefs retail for 20 pounds each ($30 U.S.) and can be found in the Valentine's Day section of Paul Smith's online UK store. There's also key chains, wallets and cufflinks. Paul Smith also has an online US store here but the handkerchiefs and other items found in the UK store are not listed. (via Fabsugar)
Here's a heart-shaped version of those Plasma balls released in time for Valentine's Day. When you touch the surface of the USB Plasma heart the "lightning" inside the heart moves toward your hand. It plugs into the USB port on your computer or laptop.
USB Plasma heart will create a unique and fun environment on your desk or workstation. The fascinating flashes between the center of and the edge of the ball. Your will feel amazing when you touch the glass heart as the blue flashes of lightning will move to greet your fingertips. It is small enough not to take up too much desktop space and its awe inspiring light show is big enough to amaze your co-workers. Just plug this plasma heart into any USB port on your computer, switch it on and enjoy it.
The Plasma Heart has really stirred up some gadget bloggers' emotions. Gizmodo despises it but Boing Boing Gadgets thinks that any girl whose face does not light up at the sight of the Plasma Heart should be dumped. We think they are both taking the USB Plasma Heart far too seriously. The USB Plasma Heart can be purchased here for $17 U.S. (via Dvice)
Here's a clever Valentine's Day gift idea for the Wii lover. Chocomiis are chocolate Wii avatars from Paul Pape Designs. The 4" tale Chocomiis sit on a slap of Wii-shaped chocolate. Paul Page Designs is also giving $1 from every Chocomii box sold to the Child's Play childrens' charity. There's a good review of the Chocomiis here from Candy Addict.
Smittens are a mitten for holding hands. You can hold hands with your significant other on a cold day with smittens. The Smitten idea was designed by Julie Weisenberger and the instructions and pattern for how to make them can be found here at Coco Knits. You can't buy the smittens picture above - you have to make them yourself. There is a different kind of smitten that you can buy here. (via Make)
