Houston Lifestyles and Homes Magazine Jan 2010: Sa

Houston Lifestyles & Homes January 2010

One or Two Perfect Flowers -- If one perfect flower’s symbolic, two are mythic! Two tulips, lovely!

Saved by the Bud

Simple but effective Valentine’s Day

floral gift ideas to surprise her

USING ONE PERFECT FLOWER

Or maybe two. There’s no rule (nor joke of dubious taste either) about how many flowers it takes to make a gift feel special. One or two wisely-chosen stems can be just as cool a gift as two dozen — if your presentation is charming.

Here’s the secret to this approach: choose a flower with character (a lily, a tulip, a rose), think up a nifty way to display or present it, add a sweet note, have some fun with it: be confident and enthusiastic.

She’ll be thrilled if you are. Don’t spoil things by saying, “I couldn’t afford a dozen.” Remember: One perfect flower is symbolic. (It shows you’re deep, get it?) If one perfect flower’s symbolic, two are mythic!

HEARTS AND FLOWERS

Okay, so it’s obvious! What can we say: girls go for this. Hearts and flowers are classics with history to back them up (worked for Shakespeare, or somebody, right).

Get red tulips, add heart-shaped red paper cut-outs or candies. Get a bright red vase and any color flower will convey that Valentine ’s mood. Best yet, snap up any heart-shaped vases or containers you come across (a really romantic guy would re-fill these for his Valentine each year, assuming you ’re still a couple.)

Make the presentation special: decorate your gift with stuff like ribbons, colored tissue, foils and those bendy-wires with doo-dads on them. You ’re probably wondering where a guy would find such thematic things. You’d be surprised how often you’ve walked right past them while looking for aftershave.

One or two wisely-chosen stems can be just as cool a gift as two dozen — if your presentation is charming.

One perfect flower has panache when presented with confidence. She’ll be thrilled if you are. Don’t spoil things by saying, “I couldn’t’ afford a dozen.” Remember: One perfect flower is symbolic.

One purple hyacinth, one brilliant red tulip and one glossy green leaf make a sophisticated arrangement. Tulipa 'Mazda'.

Simplicity can be exciting.

A bright red vase and any color flower will convey that Valentine’s mood without busting the budget. Glistening white tulips are sure to make her smile. • Get red tulips, add heart-shaped red paper cut-outs or candies. Get a bright red vase and any color flower will convey that Valentine ’s mood.

Get a bright red vase and any color flower

will convey that Valentine’s mood.

them while looking for aftershave.

Most drug stores and supermarkets have what you need. For broader arrays, check out dollar stores and vendors for crafts, art supplies and office goods.

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