Speak to me of Love |
Speak to me of love or anything romantic. I’m a fool for
romance. I love hot love stories that boil like classic film noirs
or newer versions like the Sea
of Love. It’s divine
when Ellen Barkin snaps her fingers at
Al Pacino and declares “I believe in animal attraction”.
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I like snappy, sexy romances, such as The Big Easy.
I love their old time counterparts such as His
Girl Friday and The Big Sleep, too.
I like a sexy hard case and gorgeous smart girl all tumbled up and
snarling and snapping until they end up in a clinch. I can’t
resist the classics; give me Audrey Hepburn
as Holly Golightly or Jane
Fonda bedeviling a very young Robert Redford
in Barefoot in the Park.
Bittersweet or kooky, romance soothes my soul. |
I love Pride and Prejudice, all the
versions from black and white to the latest breathtakingly beautiful
epic with Keira Knightly. I even like
Sense and Sensibility with an earnest
Hugh Grant and a pithy Emma Thompson..
I adore a good book, but when it comes to Jane Austen,
I find her sexier and more amusing – dare I
say more romantic -- on the silver screen. |
| I adore love letters. I’ve cherished each one I have ever
received. I think it’s a pity, so few put pen to paper these
days. Is there anything that can compare with a declaration
of deep, true passion? I don’t think so darling, any card I
have seen can be improved by a line or two |
And I confess I love Valentine’s Day. And darlings, I feel
so guilty saying it. Valentine’s Day seems to engender more
controversy and stir more hurt feelings than any holiday but Christmas.
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It’s so sad a holiday of hearts and flowers seems to have
been poisoned for so many by mean classmates and unthinking grade
school teachers. I shudder reading newspaper and online tales of
children left feeling unloved and rejected as popular children reaped
scads of valentines. Are my friends and I the only ones who
subscribe to the practice of one or none for everyone when it comes
to small children and cupcakes, lollipops, and valentines? |
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| Make Valentine’s Day a Celebration
of Affection as well as couples love |
Photograph by www.karinpacione.com
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Over the years many women have marked the holiday by exchanging
affectionate tokens with dear friends. In Finland that is still
how many celebrate Valentine’s Day. |
I think it’s a lovely tradition and wonder that more people
don’t celebrate that way here. |
Last year in a new city, I was both touched and delighted to
receive a homemade Valentine from a dear friend and her daughter.
It brought them close to me and added wonderful dimension to a day
made for an exchange of affection. |
I know it can be hard to be in a sea of love, if you feel lovelorn
or lovesick, but I am not sure scorn or depression is the answer.
Actually darlings, I am pretty sure both states just age your face
and ruin your day. |
I think it best to go back to a truly romantic tradition and
think of the day in terms of love - not necessarily couples love,
but any warm, nice soft place to land in your life and celebrate
those relationships. Why not celebrate Valentine’s Day with
your best friends, your daughter, or your mother? |
If you have an artistic flare and enjoy making things, why not
make wonderfully, old fashioned valentines that delight the eye?
There are terrific shops and online stores with all you will need.
Try your local crafts or art shop for supplies, even office supply
stores have great card supplies. Think cardstock, gel pens, glitter
pens, etc. Send your creations to those who warm your heart and
light your life. If you can draw or have a wicked sense of humor
put your own spin on it. You will be surprised and delighted with
what you come up with in an hour or two, if you try. More of a shopper?
There are cards so gorgeous they can make you cry. In a hurry but
thinking warm thoughts, go online and email your heart. |
| Restaurants will be busy and full of lovers, so either make a reservation
for a group, stay home and cook for friends, or organize a potluck
and have a fun. Whatever you do have good chocolate, great wine, and
flowers. All romantic thoughts and gestures deserve great trappings |
Feel like being alone? Then get yourself your favourite things
and indulge. What’s your favourite night in? A luxurious spa
night, gourmet for one, or delish take-out and foreign flick? Remember,
once you embrace the holiday and romance as a lovely concept to
enhance your life and not a couple thing, alone is a choice.
So darlings, make it a fabulous choice. |
As for celebrating Valentine’s Day as a couple, it’s
classic and not all that different; all you need is each other and
a few special treats. Perhaps you’ll want to try your hand
at a love letter. Looking for inspiration? Try the greats; Emily
Dickinson, Shakespeare, John Keats, Elizabeth Barrett Browning,
The Righteous Brothers, Barry White, and Willie
Nelson, just to name a few. |
Darlings, Valentine’s Day is silly, I know. It has a checkered
history too. Imagine a romantic holiday emerging from the lives
of two martyred Christian saints and a bunch of pagan traditions.
So what! It’s about romance and love - all kinds. As with
most things in this life, it is what you make it. Life is
busy and often hard, so take a minute, an hour, an evening - whatever
you can manage to tell people you love them and bring a little more
romance into your world. After all darlings, there are worse things
than tossing around a few hearts and flowers with feeling. |
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Traci Slatton
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Have you heard about femme
naissance? |
This month, inspiring novelist Traci Slatton
shares here insights on why so many dynamic and successful North
American women seek and find fulfillment by traveling to and living
in France or Italy. Why does the theme of seeking answers resonate
with so many women? Just think of the recent phenomenon of such
books as Eat, Pray, Love and Under
the Tuscan Sun. |
Traci has just finished her own moving and magical novel Immortal,
inspired by her passion for the Renaissance. In the book, Slatton
brings to life 14th century passion and drama through Luca Bastardo,
a mysterious orphan left on the streets of Renaissance Italy. He
explores his roots, befriends figures such as Giotto, Botticelli
and Leonardo da Vinci, and encounters growing religious persecution. |
In this interview, Traci shares her thoughts on how living in
Europe inspired her, the attraction of Europe, and how to bring
a European feel to your life here. |
| DD: What attracted you to Italy? |
| TS: I visited Rome and Florence
briefly after graduating from college and always wanted to go back.
I am intrigued by the long history of civilization in Italy, and I
love the art, Giotto’s work in particular. During my divorce,
my then-boyfriend, now-husband, whose mother is from Torino, suggested
a trip to Italy. It was partly about interrupting the sadness of that
period of my life. He also wanted to visit his grandmother and uncle
in Pisa and his friends in Rome; he had apprenticed to a master sculptor
in Rome and knows the city well. And he’s fluent in Italian.
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| Being with someone who speaks like a native made Italy magical.
As we traveled together, we met people who would invite us into their
homes for dinner. We were advised on little known sites and museums
and treated with friendly respect at restaurants and shops. And Italians
love artists, so when they heard my husband is a sculptor, they wanted
to talk for hours! It seems every Italian family has an artist! |
| DD: You talk about how women seemed drawn and inspired
to seek new meaning in their lives in France and Italy during middle-age,
and you call the phenomenon femme naissance? What do you think there
is about these countries women find so inspiring? |
| TS: I think it has to do with the
sensual way of living there. In Italy, the sky is a more deeply saturated
blue, scents are more intense, tastes are more vibrant, and fabrics
feel slinkier and softer. Food in France and Italy is delicious and
dinner is a longer, slower affair, with a glass of rich red wine to
enhance the meal and increase conviviality. |
| This greater sensuality and slower rhythm puts women back into our
bodies and reminds us that we have personal selves. We spend so much
of our time giving ourselves away: to our children, to our mates,
to our jobs, to our friends. It feels good to re-embody ourselves.
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France and Italy simply have sexier vibes. In Rome, mannequins in
the window have nipples. In both countries, women of all ages put
on perfume and skirts, and they walk with a sway to their hips. Women
of all body shapes are dressed in self-confident, attractive ways:
they like being women! Here in the US, there’s often a feeling
that sexy is 24 years old and a size two. That’s one version,
sure, but not the only one. I see a greater diversity of sexiness,
and greater appreciation of that diversity, in France and Italy
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| DD: How is life different from life in the U.S.
– or is it just being a way from home that changes a person’s
perspective? |
| TS: Life is different from the U.S. in
terms of a slower pacing, but also in practical, concrete ways. Italians
don’t seem to have the grocery store mentality. They go to the
market every day, and squeeze the paniota and smell the tomatoes before
purchasing them. An Italian lawyer once told me that Italians spend
up to 25 percent of their income on food. They are going to nourish
themselves well. The French, too. It’s not about quantity of
food - they aren’t going to super size it - it’s about
the quality and the almost meditative state of mind with which you
linger over a meal with congenial company. |
| Regarding food, Italians are extremely suspicious of genetically-modified
food. I’ve come to believe that part of the reason so many Americans
are overweight is because we have apricots with fish genes spliced
in to make them shiny. So we eat an apricot and it looks pretty but
its flavor is watered down. There’s no experience of satiation.
We go looking for a Twinkie. In Italy, the apricots are orange and
speckled and imperfect. But they taste fabulous! Two apricots and
you feel like you’ve feasted! |
There’s also a more expansive outlook on the world community.
We’re a little isolated over here on this side of the pond,
a little parochial. In France, there’s daily discussion, on
the street and in the home, about events in Africa, Belgrade, St.
Petersburg. At any bar in Paris in the morning, you’ll find
people standing at the counter with their café au laits and
newspapers, arguing over politics and world events. |
| It’s not all perfection over there, of course. My husband
is very sensitive to the Italian penchant for conformity, and I’m
not sure the French knee-jerk leftism is always the best solution
to every world issue, problem, or conflict. Of course, it’s
not about utopia; it’s about the distinct flavor of a different
culture, and how that enriches us. |
| Being in an unfamiliar environment, and being bathed in differences
both subtle and obvious, both positive and negative, changes a traveler.
It wakes us up to a new way of being. Gives us more choices and options.
Inspires us. |
| DD: What is the real purpose of these journeys
abroad? What are women looking to find or recapture in themselves?
|
| TS: I think women are trying to rediscover
themselves. In our 20s, 30s, and early 40s we define ourselves through
our work, our husbands, and our children. Then the point comes when
we say, “Hello, isn’t there a ‘me’ who isn’t
a wife or mother or ______ (fill in the blank with your job title)?”
It’s that time to re-embody who we are as persons in our own
right, that time to be awakened and inspired. |
| Women’s lives run in a cycle, and each segment of the cycle
is clearly defined. There’s a certain point where we want to
be more than the cycle, to break out of it and seek self-definition
that’s not about what we do for other people. In fact, what
we’re seeking is not about doing: it’s about being. It’s
about essence. |
| DD: How can women who go and live in Tuscany or
Provence bring the essence of European life style into their lives
here? |
| They can do practical things like use the objects, the artifacts,
of life there, here. I have one of those stovetop Bialetti espresso
makers, and every time I use it, I think about the weeks we spent
in a little villa outside the city of Lucca. I also have a nice cappuccino
maker. It takes longer to make a cup of coffee than a regular coffeemaker
would, but it’s a superb cup and reminds me of the ritual importance
of eating food with enjoyment.
I always bring home posters, calenders, maps, and photos from my
travels. If I can afford it, I buy a print or painting. Then I have
an object that brings Tuscany or Provence into my home in two ways:
it's comes from there and so carries the energy of the place, and
it always reminds me of my trip and my feelings there of being alive
in a new way. I have a poster of the head of Michelangelo's Delphic
Sibyl from the Sistine Chapel that I framed beautifully, and it
makes a wonderful statement. Provence and Tuscany abound with
beautiful objects of home utility and home decor. Provence is full
of brightly colored table linens and ceramics that are typically
Provencal, and they imbue a home with a European air. |
| It's not just about objects, though. It's also about attitude, the
attitude with which we approach our daily lives. Women can make
dinner a slower, more sensual experience, with time set aside, wine,
flowers. It takes effort, and we seem to be way more harried here
in the US than they are over there, but it’s worth the effort.
We aren’t going to have richer lives if we don’t create
them for ourselves. |
| My husband Sabin has put small sculptures around our home; he also
went to a marble quarry shop and bought a large slab of marble that
he had cut to match our dining room table, then he simply laid the
marble over the table (with the helpf of two other men!). Having the
beautifully grained marble as our table top changed the whole feel
of our dining room, made it much more Italianate. |
| DD: How has visiting Italy changed your work as
a writer? |
TS: I have a greater sense of the integration
of art, and time, into everyday life. In Rome, Bernini’s sculptures
stand on the bridges; pedestrians walk by them every day! Italians
are surrounded by centuries of history and culture. Our couple of
hundred years is miniscule in comparison. Visiting Italy also made
me more aware of world politics, the sensuality of food, and the
pacing of life. |
For more about Traci and her work www.tracilslatton.com |
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weekly email newsletter? Help us grow; sign-up
today, and forward
to your friends. Because life should be sweet. |
|
Our first giveaway! |
From the editors of Cosmo, a classy and up-to-date how-to guide
on the art of love. The Cosmo Guide to Red-Hot
Sex is a beautiful, hardcover book with lovely photography
- nothing X-rated, just cute couples. It’s chock full of sound
advice from experts and plenty of playful tips, too! Count on Cosmo
to know their stuff!
|
|
We have three copies for the U.S. and three for Canada - how
fabulous is that? To win, be the first to email the words Cosmo
Red-Hot with your name, address, and phone number
to domore@dolcedolce.com.
The books will be sent via UPS. We cannot send them to post boxes
in either country.
|
Do you talk with your hands? |
Darlings, if you think men don’t notice a manicure - they
do! A group recently quizzed on a popular TV talk show about what
turned them on made it clear that long shiny hair, manicured nails,
and hot sexy heels are not wasted on the male animal.
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When it comes to nails that say come hither, look to the manicurist
's choice OPI. Their new collections say
it all: Log on to Love is a sexy shimmery
coral red; Met on the Internet is a pinky-pearly
red; and Text-Me Text-You is a sheer slivery
shimmer perfect for the high-tech glitter girl. Whatever you do, don’t
forget your toes; everyone likes a little fancy footsy.
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Blow them
kisses! |
If you love L’Oreal Paris Infallible Never
Fail Lipcolour in the beautiful mirror compact, you
will love the new the L’Oreal Paris
Infallible Never Fail Lip Gloss. It has a heart-shaped
applicator for the perfect bow and a gloss that doesn’t stop
shining for six hours - and it’s all-in-one easy step. How
fabulous! Then again, when it comes to gloss, L’Oreal
Paris gives you department store style at drugstore
prices. Don’t be caught without a gloss this Valentine’s
Day. Put on a shine and blow the world a kiss!
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|
Breaking up
is hard to do |
All break-ups are bad, but parting with your hair before you
want to is especially wrenching. With split ends and hair
breaks, having a long-term relationship with your hair takes lots
of tender, loving care. Then comes the unkindest cut of all –
the unwanted haircut. Herbal Essence knows
you can’t bear with your hair part so they have created
Long Term Relationship product line: shampoo,
conditioner, and a leave-in to pamper long hair. It has luscious
ingredients to super condition, protect, and leave long locks silky
and smelling delicious. I use gallons of Herbal Essence products.
I confess, I have loved it since high school. I try pricier potions
and always come back because it leaves my hair looking and feeling
fabulous. And I love the scents. I wish they’d make a new
super-rich set of products with the original green hippy-dippy Herbal
Essence scent. Heaven!
|
A Heart-Smart
Wrap |
Most DolceDolcerecipes aren’t based on
a single product. We try to avoid that sort of thing, but every
once in a while a new product comes along that is so exciting, I
can’t resist. After all, the point of our weekly recipe is
to be quick, easy, elegant, and inspiring. I know we are all pressed
for time and the goal is to have everything be gourmet, healthful,
and look like it came from Chez chi chi - even if most of the budget
was spent on Manolo or Jimmy
- or something even less glam that week. Oh, if the recipes take
no more than 15-30 minutes to do, and don’t need too many
ingredients, so much the better! |
This week it’s all about Soy-Full Heart Flatbreads.
The health benefits of these tasty tortilla-like flatbreads are
impressive: 4 grams of fiber, 6 grams of protein, at only 90-100
calories each. They also contain 420 mgs of Omega 3s. The evidence
for the benefits for a diet rich in Omega 3 is overwhelming. As
well, they are 92 percent fat-free, have zero transfats, are in
low sodium, and are kosher. What’s more, they contain Solae®
soy protein. Soy protein is recommended to help prevent heart disease
and low cholesterol, as is a diet rich in grains. They are multigrain
and come in three great flavours. What a nosh! |
At my house the Apple N’ Cinnamon was
a big hit. The flatbreads are rich, nutty, and not too sweet. I
like it for a ham and cheese roll-up: |
Spread the flatbread lightly with good grainy mustard. |
Cover the bread with thinly sliced goodies, such as quality black
forest, Virginia, or honey-glazed ham. |
Cover the ham with thinly-sliced or shredded cheese: Emmenthaler,
Gruyere, smoked Gruyere or smoked mozzarella. |
Tuck in one end and roll-up tightly. |
Toast for a few minutes to melt cheese. Great with gherkins. |
Delicious darlings! For a more heart-smart alternative, replace
the ham with smoked turkey or lean turkey breast. Be sure to get
a good quality organic brand to avoid nasty additives. You can also
use a low-fat soy cheese instead the full-fat version, or replace
the cheese altogether with apple slices or organic apple sauce. |
My husband was so inspired, he actually went into the kitchen
to cook something besides breakfast, and dished up a quick and elegant
dessert in minutes. |
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced. |
5-10 nuts: almonds, pecans, or walnuts - chopped |
1 -2 tbsp. sugar |
Some warm maple syrup or 1/8 cup heavy cream, whipped. |
In a non-stick pan, caramelize your apples with a little water
and the sugar, until they are tender and syrupy. Add nuts. Warm
two Apple ‘N Cinnamon Flatbreads and fill them like crepes.
Top with either the cream or the maple syrup. |
Simply delicious and surprisingly elegant. You can do this in
minutes. It also works with pears and other fruit. |
So darlings, enjoy a holiday full of love and romance. If you
are haunted by bad Valentine’s Days past, let it go. Make
new memories that are warm and sweet. Never miss a chance to say
I love you, send a pretty greeting, eat
some chocolate, or toast anything with champagne – or something
bubbly. And whatever you do don’t forget to gloss your lips
and blow a kiss! Spread the sweetness. Until next week Happy Valentines
Day to you all darlings. |
And as always: please sign-up
to DolceDolce if you haven’t already. DolceDolce
is free! And forward
us to all your friends. Because life should be sweet – especially
on Valentine’s Day! |
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| Gracey Hitchcock |
| Editor |
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