results for my perfect day

20 Valentine’s Day Date Ideas

February 5, 2015
20 Valentine's Day Date Idea M Loves M @marmar
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner and since Matthew and I won’t be in town together to celebrate we are going to be having some pre and post VDay fun! I was thinking of cute things we could do together and I thought I’d put together this post of my 20 favorite date ideas that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day:

1. Recreate your first Valentine’s Day together! Matthew made me dinner on our first holiday, including a cheese course, caprese salad, and a pan-seared fish. It was so special! Then we went out for dessert at one of our favorite San Francisco restaurants. I did get sick that night, possibly from the fish, so a do-over could be fun!
2. TV marathon with one of your favorite old shows. Preferably in onesie pjs! I’ve been re-watching Gilmore Girls {sorry I know I’ve told you a million times}, but it would be nice to watch a show that Matthew and I both used to love, like LOST. I know Matthew would appreciate a break from the Lorelai’s.
3. Ice Skating. Get hot chocolate afterwards or go to a diner for shakes! Matthew and I are craving a winter wonderland right now and ice skating might do the trick!
4. Cooking competition at home. Choose a random ingredient and try to make an appetizer, main dish and dessert using it. It will be fun and if it fails, there’s always pizza!
5. Build an indoor fort with blankets and pillows and read books together.. or kiss!
6. Have a Fancy dinner..with take out! Dress up, get out the china, and order pad thai and egg rolls. Light some candlesticks and make something simple super romantic!
7. Go dancing! Take a dance class together and learn the salsa, the samba and the fox trot.
8. Listen to your favorite songs and make a “mixed CD” for your 2015 year! It will be fun to listen to on road trips.
9. Watch the sunset together after an evening hike. Or wake up super early, layer up in sweaters and scarves and watch the sunrise. Sunsets are beautiful but sunrises are really special as well.
10. Brush up on your creative writing skills and write poetry. You can make it romantic or super silly! And talking in British accents is crucial. I love when Matthew pretends to be my British boyfriend!
11. Spread out a blanket and have an indoor picnic with yummy cheeses, a fresh baguette, wine and chocolates. Chocolates are a must!
12. Play poker and bet with IOUs. I’ll raise you taking out the trash for a month or giving you a back massage once a week for 20 minutes.
13. Have a dessert buffet! Get a cake, cupcakes, cookies and truffles. Or have an ice cream bar with tons of toppings!
14. Do something for them. Matthew is really into hockey so I think it would be fun to surprise him with tickets to see the Kings play, or maybe see them practice since it’s close to our house! And if Matthew wants to surprise me by taking me to see a musical like Wicked, I totally won’t mind!
15. Have a dance party at home! Matthew would kill me if I mentioned who we danced to the last time, but let’s just say it was one of my guilty pleasure girl bands!
16. Enjoy a wine and cheese tasting. Each of you buy 3 bottles {for sipping only!} and some different cheeses. Write tasting notes and try to tell what varietal each one is, as well as the price point. This has been on our list of things to do for so long! It probably will happen this weekend.
17. Each of you start with $10 and go to the $1 store and buy a bunch of random gifts for the other person. It will be fun seeing what you can find and it will make a great memory.
18. Explore your city as a tourist. Pick some places you both have never been and have a fun adventure day.
19. Take a cooking class together! Matthew and I have been talking about learning how to make sushi. It’s our favorite food and it would be so fun to learn how to make our own shrimp tempura rolls with avocado and cucumber. Am I right?
20. Take a bunch of Instax photos to document your night and then put them into a book so you can remember your Valentine’s date for years to come!

Tell me about one of your favorite Valentine’s Day dates! Or one of your worst! I won’t judge!
xox
photo by Valorie Darling

the friday five

January 24, 2015
the friday five kiss kiss j.crew tee, distressed ankle jeans, snakeskin pumps, bracelet to layer, prada sunglasses M Loves M @marmar
  tee . jeans . sunglasses . bracelet .  pumps .

How cute is this KISS KISS VINTAGE TEE? I’m already starting to think about Valentine’s Day and this shirt would be so perfect to get into the spirit. It has a laid back cool feel that would work well with some DISTRESSED ANKLE JEANS like the ones above. I’ve been so lazy recently about getting my jeans hemmed so I think ankle length is the way to go. The end up fitting perfectly!
A girl can never have too many BLACK SUNGLASSES, especially ones with this cool wire detail. It has a little masculine quality but it’s cool enough for the girls!
While I love a classic, solid-colored shoe, it’s hard to resist a fun pair like these SNAKESKIN PUMPS. They’d add a little personality to any outfit!
This FIREBURST BRACELET is the perfect finishing touch. I noticed that I have a lot of cuff bracelets and I’m starting to miss ones like these that are just super easy to wear and layer.
Have a great weekend everyone!
xox

holiday gifts for the hostess

December 18, 2014
holiday gift guide for the hostess via M Loves M @marmar
Between Christmas and New Years, there are a few holiday parties on our calendar. I always love picking out special gifts for the party’s hostess. While a bottle of wine or fresh flowers always does the trick, I often like to pick out something that the hostess can enjoy weeks after the party. I picked out these gifts above for the hostess, domestic gal, or maybe even you! I’ll admit this Dinner Parties book has been on my wish list ever since I paged through it in a store! It’s such a beautiful book with really interesting articles. Hostesses are usually very organized so a monogrammed date book will get a lot of use! This mineral candle looks like art and would be the perfect addition to any console table! If she likes to bake, you can’t go wrong with a white spatula! It could even be something that you tie to a bottle of wine or bouquet of flowers! What do you like to give a hostess, or receive yourself?
P.S. Christmas is a week away so make sure to take advantage of these great deals 
while you still can:

J.Crew is offering 40% off sale items and 30% off full-priced items with code JINGLE
LOFT has 40% off everything and 50% off sweaters!
Shopbop is giving 20% off sale items with code EXTRASALE
Nordstrom has free delivery by Christmas Eve so order up!
Amazon is a one-stop shop for all your holiday shopping and they’re doing a 12 Days of Deals!
Take 20% off select gifts at Anthropologie!
Take 30% off your entire purchase at Madewell with code WRAPITUP!
Love these value sets from Sephora! Only 2 days left for Standard Shipping!
Get some boots and booties from Neiman Marcus! They’re having 25% off right now!
Get 35% off blouses at Ruche with code BLOUSE
Get 30% off last minute gifts from ASOS! They have so many great options!

xox