rose

On Valentine's Day start your romantic evening with a fizzy, festive cocktail. This drink, appropriately titled "Cupid's Arrow," is made with easy-to-find ingredients like pomegranate juice, orange liquor, and sparkling rose.

If your man won't drink anything too girlie, mix the vibrantly red drink for you and serve him a vodka tonic. With dinner sip a light-bodied red like a Pinot Noir or Italian Sangiovese. Pair the chocolate-strawberry cakes with a lush Port or effervescent dessert wine.

For the cocktail recipes, read more

Since I grew up in the Midwest, I associate mid-September with falling leaves, chilly temperatures, and apple picking. However, here in California, where I've lived for seven years, I'm still getting used to the concept of mild seasons. As if to prove this to me, my rosebushes, which were just blooming back in May, are back in full yellow-and-red splendor again. I suppose I'll get used to it eventually, right?

Right now, there's not enough food in my house to make anything but mac 'n' cheese, but there is enough to make a DIY salt scrub (so maybe I can spend my pedicure money on groceries). Salt scrub tends to exfoliate more than sugar, so it's better for rough areas like feet, and mint is refreshing and soothing. The rose gives it a great scent and pretty color.

For instructions and to see the finished product, read more

Over the weekend I had the lovely opportunity to taste many of California's Rhone-style wines at the Rhone Rangers wine tasting. I'm not too familar with the Paso Robles wine-making region, so it was exciting to taste what they had to offer. While I enjoyed sipping both the Syrah or Grenache, I found that the Rosés better complemented the sunny Spring day.

One that stood out was the Arroyo Robles 2006 Syrah Rosé. Normally I don't love Rosé, but this wine was smooth and uncomplicated. It has a lovely, rosy pink color with a fresh fruity aroma and it tasted like Summer in a glass. At $21 a bottle, it is affordable enough to purchase now and enjoy when the weather actually warms up.

Although rose and poppy seed was not my favorite of the 2008 flavor pairings, I couldn't help but think it would make for a great cupcake. So I set out to find a delicious poppy seed cake, and a nice rose-infused frosting. The result was a subtle floral flavor, that really took me by surprise. I figured that the rose and poppy seed would complement one another, but I didn't expect them to be quite so delicious. If you're interested in trying it yourself, get the recipe, just read more

TeamSugar member Davie_K wrote in, saying

Okay, my fiancè is the most romantic guy. He bought us a white rose bush for our place. The thing is, I know very little about roses and I can't even find out what this one is. It's called "princess snow" and it's a small tree with light green-colored foliage. It's been outside a couple of days and I'm worried that we're not looking after it properly. It's a white rose, as I said, with occasional pink spots and dark stamen. I'm not even sure if the foliage is supposed to be light green. Can someone help me out please? It's seriously deteriorating. ANY and ALL advice is greatly appreciated!

Your fiancè is indeed a romantic—and appropriate—gift giver, Davie_K, since white roses are traditionally thought of as the bridal rose. They also represent true love, purity, innocence, sympathy, and spirituality. But this symbolism doesn't really aid you in your question, does it?


To see my advice, read more

Darphin Rose Aromatic Care ($75) is a nighttime facial serum that hydrates, soothes, softens and smooths unbalanced, dry, and tight skin. It is made from rose oil, hazelnut, primrose, sweet almond oil, Vitamins A, E, C and horsetail extract which also helps protect skin from free radical damage.

15% of the proceeds from all October sales will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, an organization that provides funding for clinical and genetic research as well as outreach and public awareness of breast cancer.

By creating this special and limited-edition pretty pink bottle and donating a portion of its profits, Darphin joins the fight against Breast Cancer. To use, simply apply five drops of the serum to your face and neck in the evening and rub it in with gentle circular motions. Follow with a moisturizer.

In 1749, gardeners John Potter and William Moore joined forces to start a business cultivating herbs and flowers. They specialized in lavender and eventually they evolved into creating fine bath, body and beauty products including perfumes. They took a special interest in garden roses and believed that individuality had a great deal to do with fragrance choices. Soon, their company became very successful, so much so that products are still being developed to this day.

One of their best-selling floral and herbal essences is a romantic scent called Tea Rose and Sage Eau de Toilette ($63).

The smell is delicate and sweet, but what also makes it special is knowing that 10% of October sales are donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the world's largest network of breast cancer survivors and activists.

If you have never taken the time to read the touching story about a promise between two sisters, and about how this foundation was born, I suggest doing so as a reminder about what these seemingly small donations can do to help. Every person can make a difference.

A new lovely and delicate scent has just launched from Bulgari called Rose Essentielle Eau de Toilette. Well, to clarify, it's actually a softer version of the ever-popular 2005 fragrance called Rose Essentielle Eau de Parfum.

Bulgari wanted something a little bit more airy, tender and young, so they worked with perfumer Beatrice Piquet to modify the formula and develop this lighter more luminous "reinvention."

The fragrance contains notes of pure rose, violet leaves, blackberry, mimosa, jasmin sambac, patchouli, and gaiacwood and is currently available in a 1.7 ounce bottle for $69 and in a 3.4 ounce bottle for $98. I love the fresh fragrance of roses, so this is something I am definitely interested in checking out. How about you?

If you ignore the fact that a misstep with these EarDrops Rose Earphones could leave you with a jamming plastic rose lodged in your ear, these little buds are pretty darn cute.

Designed for women, the EarDrops Rose Earphones from Elecom are lightweight and come in small, medium and large sizes. (When you order the 9mm diameter driver unit you get two pairs of extra ear pieces for an exact fit, which is perfect for all those people whose ears are too big or too small for regular buds.) I think the buds, which cost $49, are fun, but largely impractical. If you need to dress up your earphones why not use something like the Emotibud Earbud Set, which are changeable and less expensive?