My Valentine’s Day favorites

Ahhhh…. Valentine’s Day is coming soon. One thing you probably didn’t know about me is that I’m a hopeless romantic. If I could have it my way there would be a Valentine’s Day at least once a week. Ok, maybe once a month. Although I’m a big fan of Valentine’s Day, my idea of romance is perhaps a bit different from the standard dinner in a fancy-schmancy restaurant and a dozen red roses. I’ve been taken to a lot of restaurants on Valentine’s Day because that’s what guys think girls want. But for me, securing a reservation at some stuffy eatery isn’t all that romantic or original. To me, romance equals time and thought. The idea that someone is thinking of you and is going through all this trouble to surprise you is magical.

Let me tell you about my favorite Valentine’s Day date, many years ago. I hadn’t been dating Willem very long and didn’t know what to expect so I was really surprised when he pulled the car over by a local arcade center. He booked a game of laser tag in this deserted rundown place. It was late, we were alone. There was something very intimate about running around in the dark trying to kill each other. Afterward, he took me to his apartment and shyly asked me to wait in the hallway. When he let me come inside there must have been close to 100 little candles flickering light throughout his living room and a heated frozen pizza on the table. A few months later, when we broke up, I found out that he hated gaming but knew that I loved it, and that made this date unforgettable and to this day the best Valentine’s Day date I’ve ever had.

I’m not big on gifts in general. I think gifts need to be very genuine and thought through, not something you must get just because you should. But if you do want to give something to your special girl, here are my favorite, most romantic sustainable gift ideas for a Valentine Day:

Shibumi dressing gown

In Russian, we have a lovely word: halatnost, which means “dressing-gownness” (halat = dressing-gown). The word has come to mean negligence, but originally, “halatnost” equaled lazing around reading the papers on a weekend, hanging about the house, doing not much at all but drinking coffee and daydreaming. And so, the “halat” in halatnost is all important. The right dressing gown will make you feel like a bohemian rockstar on a holiday. And my Sibumi dressing gown certainly does that.

This stylish cashmere dressing gown is the epitome of elegance and being made cleverly with a french seam you get the bonus of having two sumptuous gowns for the price of one!

Shibumi is an ethical company and does not use any factories or unethical labor. They also try to ship all the orders from their tailors in batches to reduce their carbon footprint. 10% of all online sales are donated to Mata Amritanandamayi, who is known throughout the world as Amma (www.amma.org), or Mother, for her selfless love and compassion for all beings. Her entire life has been dedicated to alleviating the pain of the poor, and those suffering physically and emotionally.

Julia Otilia Jewelry

Julia’s designs are some of the most breathtaking I have seen in a long time and my photography skills really don’t do them justice. Her inspiration comes from all shades of nature. The real and the raw. The subtle and the soft. The pure. The wild. Julia’s jewelry reflects all that and more. Like Julia herself, it’s gentle, almost fragile but somehow strong and peaceful at the same time. All this is done using sustainable materials and with attention to the environment and her surroundings. Have a look at her beautiful jewelry here and you will see what I mean.

These three petal lilies earrings are my favorite, I wear them all the time, (0,6 x 0,8 cm), 24K gold plated sterling silver, handmade in Bali.

The sweetest tiny heart ring.

Pretty hortensia blossom earrings.

ANEKDOT BOUTIQUE

One of my favorite lingerie brands is Anekdot: it’s lacy, sexy and so pretty I don’t want to cover it with my clothes. And what Valentine’s Day gift guide would be complete without sexy undies, right?

Anekdot Boutique is a Berlin- and Sweden-based brand that creates upcycled sustainable lingerie. The creator, Sofie Ingrid Christina Andersson, jokingly claims that “upcycled does not mean you will be wearing someone else’s underwear. It means that we source our superb materials from production leftovers turning them into something beautiful and meaningful for your everyday life.”

Check out their cute swimwear too!

Underwear is an essential part of a woman’s wardrobe. It is the garment hidden like a secret under clothes and has the power to influence the way a woman feels throughout the day. And yeah, damn right you want to feel sexy on Valentine day!

My set from Anekdot.

Ok, now it’s your turn, tell me your favorite Valentine Day date.