How We Do Date Night

Whether you've been married 10 years or dating 10 weeks, date night is an event that should never lose its spot on the calendar. It may feel redundant to hear that seeing how every Glamour dating column includes this as a way to "keep the spark alive" but we're beating a dead horse for a reason, ladies. A Redbook survey of readers found 45 percent of couples "rarely" have date nights while 18 percent said they manage to go out around once a month. This is not enough!

Finding time for the two of you, whether it’s as simple as dinner and a movie or trying something new, like a weekend East Coast road trip (hint, husband!), is so important, as these moments are reminders of why you fell in love and contributing factors to creating new shared experiences.

Whatever your plans are for a night with your favorite, we've got you covered! Looking for something new to do in the city? Try this guide on for size. For everything from style to home decor, shop our favorite looks for love right here:

Date night style tip: Soft romantic looks always work...think blush tones, sequin embellishments and tulle. After all, when else can you dress like an adult ballerina and get away with it? ;)

See some of our other date night looks here:

Pin-up glam | Retro Mod | Casual Plaid | Dinner for Two

How often do you do date night?
Do you dress up, even for date nights in?

Valentine's Day Made Easy (For Guys!)

Guys, take note: We are about to present you with a superb Valentine's Day gift idea for your lady. For Christmas, I gave Lisa an illustrated version of our standard profile picture on all social media accounts - we have used it for over 2 years now so I think it best represents us and figured it would be a nice design addition to our blog. 

I have found so many amazing illustrators through Instagram (so jealous of all that talent) but I also knew a girl through fellow #fblogger, Heart of Chic (sisters!) with a cute Etsy store so I told her what I was looking for and she was able to replicate it within 1-2 weeks...not to mention, her pricing is extremely reasonable. 

I was very pleased with the final drawing -- it's so unique and something you could never compare to a store-bought item. I think Lisa loved it as well and it's the perfect addition to her jewelry table.

This is an AWESOME Valentine's Day gift (or birthday, graduation, anniversary, random Tuesday) for that matter. Pick a favorite photo of you're significant other (or better, one of the two of you) and send it to Alyssa...we promise major brownie points for this one! ;) 

Here are a few other illustrations by Alyssa:

What are some of your favorite Etsy shops?

Because Kaitlyn Celebrated Valentine's Day

This was the 7th Valentine's Day with my husband but our first one as husband and wife, so we celebrated with a fancy night out. We go to dinner every year on this day and this time, he surprised me with reservations to Eddie Merlot's which is now one of our new favorite restaurants. 

They specialize in steak and seafood so ordered asian-style calamari to start which was addicting…I will go back just for another taste of that sauce. Our main entree's were just as delicious, as we each ordered a different cut of steak and paired it with a great Malbec wine…full bellies and lots of laughs, I couldn't have asked for a better night.

Dress: Victoria's Sweet (swap w/Lisa) // Shoes: Just Fab // Bag: Just Fab // Jewelry: Francescas (similar)

And let's be honest, Valentine's Day shouldn't be all about the ladies…instead of flowers and candy, I went with beer and bacon…beer and bacon cupcakes, that is. Two of my husband's favorite things combined in a sweet and savory dessert? I figured it was a sure bet ;)

The recipe called for an IPA so I went with Red Hook and the you could definitely taste it in the mix and frosting. I topped the bacon with brown sugar and cooked it in the oven for a few minutes, making it the perfect candied topping. I would definitely recommend these for the man in your life!

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day! 

Dear Etsy, Will You Be My Valentine?

Whether you're taken and looking for the perfect Valentine's Day card (see Walter White below) or single and buying something pretty for yourself on February 14th, Etsy has you covered. 

Here are some of our favorite picks for the romantic holiday:

1. Breaking Bad Card // 2. You're My Person Mugs // 3. Monogram Ring Holder

4. Romantic Mason Jars // 5. Heart Soaps // 6. Decorative Garland

7. Conversation Heart Crayons // 8. Conversation Heart Lollipops // 9. Kraft Heart Tags

Have some other Etsy favorites? Share them with us in the comments!