With New Wardrobes a Tough Sell, Chains Try Belts,
Clothing retailers are expanding their collections of belts,discount tiffany bracelets, bangles and bags in hopes these high-margin accessories will boost slumping sales.
Casual-wear retailer J.Crew Group Inc. opened its first accessories boutique last month in New York and soon will release its third accessories catalog. Accessories last year accounted for about $165 million, or 12% of its sales, almost double the amount in 2004.
Gap Inc. launched the first accessories-only branch of Banana Republic, called Edition, in May. And Henri Bendel,tiffany cuff Links sale, part of the Limited Brands Inc. portfolio, is expanding its offerings this summer with six new, 2,000-square-foot accessories stores. The new outlets come as Bendel said it would discontinue apparel sales at its flagship store on New York's Fifth Avenue.
Retailers said jewelry, belts and scarves remain impulse-purchases that don't require a lot of budgeting, unlike a new wardrobe. "It's a little bit of a candy moment," says Jenna Lyons, J.Crew's creative director. "You don't have to try it on. You can just take it to the cash register."
Jewelry and bags can yield as much as double the 40% profit margins of apparel,tiffany rings sale, though both vary greatly. The goods take up less space and have more of a timeless appeal, which helps retailers avoid the types of costly markdowns that have hurt results this year. Ed Bucciarelli, chief executive of Limited's Henri Bendel unit, describes the category as "season-less . . . which obviously speaks to the profit."
And sales are still growing. Women's accessory sales by units for the three months ended April 30 were up 2% from a year earlier, according to market-research firm NPD Group. Women's jewelry-item sales were up 5%,tiffany bracelets clearance, and men's and women's watches and sunglasses were up 11% and 5%, respectively. By contrast, women's apparel sales in units were down about 5.6%.
There are signs shoppers are willing to spend. More than a third of respondents in a Shopping Habits Survey conducted by Shop It To Me, an online personal shopping service, said they were "still splurging" on shoes, and nearly a quarter said the same of handbags. Just 15% of the 940 respondents said they were still splurging on work clothing.
For shoppers such as Julie Chang, a new necklace or a handbag can provide an easy -- and less expensive -- outfit update. Ms. Chang, a 30-year-old senior developer for an online educational services company in California, recently bought a double-strand confetti necklace from J.Crew for $98 because of its versatility.
"You can't wear dresses too often, or people will notice,thanksgiving money clips," says Ms. Chang. "But you can take a necklace and wear it on many different outfits."
J.Crew jewelry, which launched in just 13 stores about two years ago, "is becoming a business totally unto itself," Millard Drexler, chairman and chief executive, said in a May conference call on the New York company's fiscal first-quarter results.
J.Crew opened a separate space for its accessories in its SoHo store in New York. Elsewhere, the jewelry is interspersed with the clothing to help shoppers envision entire outfits and add "an immediate approachability" to the pieces, says Ms. Lyons.
Before the recession, so-called aspirational purchases by shoppers spending above their income level drove sales at high-end retailers, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst with NPD Group. The economic downturn has halted that trend. "Luxury isn't going to get that midlevel consumer back anytime soon," Mr. Cohen said.
Henri Bendel's Mr. Bucciarelli describes the pricing strategy at its outlets as "prestige, not luxury." Its new, smaller outposts will carry everything from bangles to flip-flops, all with the Bendel logo or iconic brown-and-white stripes.
Bangles leader and alt-rock singer find chemistry
It doesn't seem surprising that 1990s alt-rocker Matthew Sweet and 1980s pop icon Susanna Hoffs, who fronted the popular girl group The Bangles, should have similar musical tastes or even seize an opportunity to work together.
What may have been surprising is that when Sweet and Hoffs recorded a project together as Sid 'n' Susie (Sweet's given first name is Sidney) in 2006, it was an album of 15 covers of iconic 1960s songs such as Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue," The Mamas and the Papas' "Monday, Monday" and The Bee Gees' "Run to Me."
Even more surprising may be that the disc,discount tiffany jewelry, "Under the Covers, Vol. 1," not only cracked Billboard's Top 200 album chart, but persuaded record label Shout! Factory to have the duo release a second volume in July -- this one of 16 hits from 1970s, including The Raspberries' "Go All The Way," Rod Stewart's "Maggie May" and Carly Simon's "You're So Vain."
But the biggest surprise may be that Sweet says both things were surprises to him, as well.
Sweet, who in the early 1990s hit the top of the Alternative Songs chart with "Sick of Myself" and "Girlfriend," says it was Shout! Factory's idea for the duo to record covers when they proposed working together. And that the label decided to name it "Vol. 1."
"What I thought was, 'Let's write songs together and I'll produce the record, but it'll be a Sue record. I never wanted to hear myself," Sweet says, laughing, in a phone call this week from New York, where he and Hoffs were on a tour that Sunday brings them to Sellersville Theater 1894.
But he says label executives "really wanted us to do something that was a little more novelty-esque, I think. And we were sort of like a little bit, 'Ehhh, do we want to do that?' But in the end, we felt like it was a good place to do something,discount tiffany, that it would be fun to just be able to do it in my house; it'd be kinda low pressure."
Sweet, 45, says he and Hoffs, 50, met in the early '90s and worked together occasionally, including a stint in a band called Ming Tea that actor Mike Myers, a mutual friend, created for his "Austin Powers" movies. Hoff's husband, Jay Roach, directed the films.
But it was around 2005, when Hoffs invited him to participate with The Bangles in a benefit show, that Sweet says he told Hoffs he loved her voice and suggested they do a project together.
"We just thought it would be fun to just do something," he says. "It would be low-pressure because we could do it at my house and at our own speed and," he says with a laugh, "inexpensively."
Sweet says he and Hoffs simply started thinking about songs they liked, and that quickly focused on the '60s as they bounced ideas off each other.
"One of us would call up [the other] and go, 'What if we tried to do this?' " Sweet says. "As long as the other one was like, 'Yeah, OK,' then we'd try to do it."
Sweet says he wasn't bowed by the fact that some of the songs were iconic, from some of the biggest names in music.
"We really didn't do it to try to be cool and we never really worried about what cynical people would think about what we did," he says,Atlas charm bracelet, laughing. "If we started thinking like, 'Will we be cool like Robert Plant and Alison Kraus , we probably would never have done it."
Instead, Sweet says, he and Hoffs saw well-known songs as a challenge: "Like, 'What if we did a song by Yes? That would be awesome.' " He says Hoff was concerned only that the songs be done well.
Sweet says the duo tended to be more true to the original songs than most cover projects,tiffany money clips on sale, "but we have such a definite sound of our voices and kind of how we approach it that we felt that it worked."
In fact, Hoffs and Sweet even used the original artists on some songs.
"When we recorded the Yes song ['I've Seen All Good People'], which was one of the earlier things we did for it ... we just had this wild-haired idea," Sweet says. "We were like, 'Oh my god, [guitarist]Steve Howe was just so amazing, what are we going to do for those leads?' And we're like, 'What if we could get him?' And we kind of tracked him down and he was willing to do it.
"And again, it's like kids having fun,thanksgiving cuff Links," he says, laughing. "Not for any reason but because we thought it'd be cool."
Getting guitarist Lindsey Buckingham for Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News" was easier. "We know him from a ways back, both of us, and also one of Sue's kids goes to school with Lindsey's son," Sweet says. "He was at Sue's birthday party last January and she's like" -- his voice lowers to a whisper -- "Ask him about playing on it."
The process gave Sweet and Hoffs "huge amounts of songs" -- almost 40 for the second album alone -- that were winnowed basically by how well the performance turned out, Sweet says. But the '70s album had the extra complication of representing a decade of widely varying musical styles, he says.
"We tried to cover a lot of different kinds of music," he says, but styles such as the late-'70s early punk/new wave of The Buzzcocks and The Ramones didn't seem to fit with classic rock. "We did covers of them but they didn't really seem right," he says. "They kind of weren't in their best light." So the duo released 10 extra tracks on a Deluxe Edition.
Wrangling over what to include even pushed the newer disc's deadline, he says. Record executives "were tired of waiting. We didn't really have that much time to sort of make our harder decisions."
So will Sweet and Hoffs make the obvious third disc: 1980 covers?
"We would like to do it, but it really comes down to whether, I suppose, Shout! Factory feels they can make some money from doing it," he says.
At their shows, Sweet and Hoffs play not only the covers but songs from Sweet's solo career, as well as ones by Hoffs and The Bangles, he says.
He's working with The Bangles on a new disc for release by late spring, and the group is taking on more of a "girl-group/garage-rock group" sound.
He says he's also working on a solo disc to follow his 2008 "Sunshine Lies," on which Hoffs sang on the title track, and hopes to release it next year.
"It seems if I can get out and play more it's easier to sort of keep it alive," he says.
‘TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA’ TO PLAY AT WHEELWRIGHT
Cambridge American Stage Tour (CAST),thanksgiving key rings, the University of Cambridge's student theatre company, will perform a modern-dress version of Shakespeare's comedy "Two Gentlemen of Verona" at Coastal Carolina University at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 22 in Wheelwright Auditorium.
Following the fortunes of four lovers, three outlaws, two clowns and one dog,tiffany key ring, the play is a witty discourse on the themes of youth and immaturity, loyalty and betrayal.
CAST is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a 12-stop tour along the East coast. The production is directed by Tom Attenborough, an English literature graduate of Trinity College, and co-produced by James Baggaley and Tim Checkley.
"Two Gentlemen of Verona" is set in Italy and begins with the journey of two friends,thanksgiving bangles, Proteus and Valentine. When Valentine leaves Verona to take his place at the court of the Duke of Milan, he falls in love with the duke's daughter, Silvia. With urging from his father, Proteus eventually leaves Verona as well and is forced to say goodbye to his love, Julia. However, when he arrives in Milan,cheap tiffany bangles, he too instantly falls in love with Silvia.
Suddenly an unbreakable friendship and four people's happiness is threatened by the course of young love heading in all the wrong directions.
Special performance admission ranges from $10 to $15 depending on seat choice; teens (ages 11 to 17), seniors,cheap tiffany jewellery, alumni and Osher Lifelong Learners get a $5 discount; children ages 10 and under are $5 with ticket but must be accompanied by an adult. Coastal Carolina University and Horry Georgetown Technical College (HGTC) students, one ticket for $5 per valid ID; Coastal Carolina University and HGTC faculty and staff, two tickets for $5 per valid ID.
Tickets may be picked up from Wheelwright Box Office (843-349-2502) Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., or prior to the performance.For more information please contact: Sarabjit Jagirdar, Email:- htsyndication@hindustantimes.com.
Perfect gentlemen
There they were, together again,tiffany cuff Links clearance, the hero and villain of this story,tiffany money clips for sale, looking a lot like hero and hero.
Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga and the man who accidentally robbed him of a perfect game, umpire Jim Joyce, shook hands Thursday afternoon and tried to move on from one of the most bizarre nights in baseball history. And everybody from Comerica Park to the governor's residence to the White House was still talking about Galarraga's Extra Perfect Game.
Galarraga received a standing ovation and a new Corvette (courtesy of Chevrolet). But he did not get what many fans and politicians and news media personalities wanted: a restoration of his perfect game. Galarraga apparently had finished his masterpiece Wednesday, but umpire Joyce blew a call at first base.
"He was robbed," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said. U.S. Rep. John Dingell,tiffany earrings clearance, a Dearborn Democrat, said he would introduce legislation on the House floor to overturn the call. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said he hoped "baseball awards a perfect game to that pitcher."
But this is baseball commissioner Bud Selig's can of worms,discount tiffany, and Selig decided he is not ready to open it. He did, however, issue a statement saying he would look into instant replay.
"I cannot believe the outpouring of support I've gotten," Joyce said. "Not only from my fellow umpires, but all my friends, my family. Frankly, you guys. I can't thank you enough."
What do fans want from sports? Michael Rosenberg,thanksgiving day celebration, 5B
Crafton Sunoco ‘coffee lady’ in was always on the go
Although Doris "Dory" Coax made her career in the printing industry, she was better known in later years as the "coffee lady" of the Sunoco APlus in Crafton.
"My mother was the kind of person who was always on the go," Tiffany Necklaces her daughter, Betty Schlott of Crafton. "When she retired from Standard Printing, she went to work at the Sunoco station."
Doris J. Coax of McKees Rocks died on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, in Family Hospice and Palliative Care in Mt. Lebanon. She was 86.
Rick Schmeider, store manager for Sunoco, recalled what an asset Mrs. Coax was to the business.
"Dory was with me for eight years. She handled the coffee section, Tiffany Rings was a busy section. And if you came in for coffee and were in a bad mood, you went out smiling," Schmeider said. "Once Dory got hold of you, you couldn't stay mad.
"There were a lot of customers who just came in the store to see Dory. And when business slowed down, she even washed the windows."
Doris Seibert grew up in Chartiers City, the daughter of railroader William Seibert and Mary McCartney Seibert.
In 1942, after graduating from Langley High School, she began her career in the printing industry. She married John "Jack" Coax of the North Side in 1943, prior to his leaving for the military.
In addition to her daughter, Mrs. Coax is survived by her son, Daniel Coax of McKees Rocks; grandchildren, Denny, Jaci and Lindsay Schlott and Rebecca, Rachel, Rosalind and Jessica Coax; four great-grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Gee.
Mrs. Coax was preceded in death by her husband in 1983, and a son, John Coax Jr.
John Coax Jr. was born a day after her husband, who was serving with the Tiffany Money Clips in Europe, arrived at St. John's Hospital in the North Side in time to be with his wife when she gave birth.
The story made papers around the country, Schlott said. "Unfortunately, John was only 39 when he died."
A funeral service will be at 10 a.m. today in St. Matthew's Lutheran Church, Lincoln Avenue at Steuben Street, Crafton. Arrangements by Hershberger-Stover Inc. Funeral Home, Crafton.
To see more of The Daily Progress or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.dailyprogress.com. Tiffany CuffLinks (c) 2010, The Daily Progress, Charlottesville, Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Trial begins for woman accused of neglect
Laura Fritts wasn't home when an ambulance rushed her ailing mother to the hospital in February 2008. Still, Fritts is now on trial, accused of criminal neglect.
Authorities say Fritts, 64, was licensed to operate an adult foster care facility in tiffany sale at the time and that she knowingly let conditions exist at the facility that led to the neglect of her mother, Barbara Noyes, 78.
Fritts has pleaded not guilty to the gross misdemeanor charge. The trial got under way Thursday and could continue into Monday.
Fritts was one of three people charged in connection with the care of Noyes, a vulnerable adult suffering from Alzheimer's disease and a myriad of medical problems. She was one of four residents in Fritts' elder-care facility.
Prosecutors say Noyes was admitted to the Olmsted Medical Center emergency room on Feb. 9, 2008, for treatment of a pressure ulcer on her back. When admitted, staff at the hospital said she had an ulcer on her tailbone that was infected. Noyes died Feb. 12. The coroner listed the ulcer as a contributing cause of death, according to the complaint.
Jurors won't be told that Noyes died. Fritts and the others were not accused of causing her death.
Also charged were Kathleen Bryan of Arkansas, the victim's sister, who has pleaded guilty. An employee, Gloria Kay Darlene Graham Gleason of Winona, has pleaded not guilty; her trial is scheduled for October.
In opening statements Thursday, prosecutor Laurie Anderson told jurors that Fritts, as tiffany rings sale of the facility, was responsible for patient care.
"She hired the staff and set the standards," Anderson said.
At the time Fritts' mother was taken to the hospital, Fritts was in the hospital herself, where she had undergone scheduled surgery. Fritts entered the hospital on Feb. 5. Anderson said she gave no instructions to staff and left Bryan, who is not a nurse or trained professional, in charge of the foster care facility.
Anderson told jurors that the ulcer found on Noyes' tailbone had been there for some time and went unnoticed by Fritts or her staff.
Defense attorney Deanna Schleusner told jurors that Fritts had professional staff in addition to Bryan caring for residents in her absence. And, she said, when Bryan and the staff became alarmed that Noyes was deteriorating on Feb. 9, they called Fritts at the hospital and were told to call the ambulance.
Bryan was one of the early witnesses Thursday, who told of her experience caring for other family members in the past with similar conditions, including her own mother. She said she moved to Rochester to help care for her ailing sister and spent four years here helping out.
"I was not an employee," she told jurors. She said she helped with cooking, played card games with clients and cared for her sister.
When asked if she was left in charge when Fritts went to the hospital, she said "I guess you could say I was in charge."
She told jurors she never saw the ulcer on her sister's tailbone, even though helping her tiffany bracelets sale and change clothing.
Bryan told jurors she pleaded guilty to the criminal neglect charge because she failed to change her sister's underwear the morning Noyes was taken to the hospital. Medical staff said the undergarments were wet, a condition that could aggravate an ulcer.
"I never saw it," Bryan said of the sore. "I am not a nurse, and I would have freaked out and called for help."
In October 2008, Fritts was convicted by another Olmsted County jury of mistreating an 80-year-old Alzheimer's patient. She was convicted of gross misdemeanor maltreatment of a resident and ordered to pay $82 and do 90 hours community work service and be on probation for two years.
Gambrills jewelry store closes abruptly: Customers’ repairs not returned for months
Bonnie Richards just wanted her husband's watch fixed.
Richards, a Crofton resident, had taken the specially engraved timepiece to Parisi's Diamond Trust to be repaired in March after a previous cleaning hadn't fixed clockwork problems.
When she didn't receive any phone calls about the watch, Richards stopped by the store several Valentine's Day gift in May. Each time she was greeted by a locked door and large 'Closed' sign.
"I wasn't that concerned about it because I've dealt with them for years," she said.
Earlier this month, Richards went to the Gambrills jeweler again, but this time it wasn't just closed -- the store was empty.
"There was nothing in there," she said. "They just kind of disappeared."
Kenneth Parisi and his wife Amy owned and operated the jewelry store in the Crofton Shopping Center on Route 3 for the last 25 years.
But Amy Parisi just started contacting customers last week, -- months after some had dropped off silver rings -- to pick up their belongings.
"I was so frustrated I didn't even ask her any questions," said Christine Cheesman, who was finally able to pick up her belongings on Friday.
Cheesman of Millersville had been missing her pearls and son's watch since she took them to the jewelers in April. Like Richards, Cheesman said she had used the Parisi's services so many times, she never thought twice about trusting them with her valuables.
"We used them in past and they had always been very good," she said. "That's why we trusted them."
Amy Parisi said she didn't want to comment about the situation, because she said she was worried about talking during an active court case.
According to county civil court documents, she filed for voluntary separation from her husband in July 2007 and in November 2008 she was granted sole operation and ownership of Parisi's Diamond Trust pending resolution of the couple's divorce case. Since then, Kenneth has filed a motion to re-open the record and the case is still in progress.
Justin Mulcahy , a county Police Department spokesman, said customers are welcome to contact consumer protection agencies such as the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division or the Better Business Bureau if they wish to make a complaint about the business.
No charges have been filed against the business or its owners.
"We're aware of complaints and we're looking into it," Mulcahy said.
Stuart Tamres , president of the Maryland-Delaware-Washington D.C. Jewelers Association, said when silver bracelets go out of business and still have customers' merchandise they normally make arrangements for people to reclaim their property.
"They owe an obligation to their customers to make their repairs available to them," he said. "In most instances people go out of their way to do that."
Over the past two and a half decades in the area, the Parisi's accepted jewelry donations on behalf of Partners In Care's Valentine's Jewelry Extravaganza and participated in Bowie Knights of Columbus Hall Kiwanis charity auctions. The Parisi's also donated items to the Crofton Ecumenical Choir Auction in 2001 to help the choir defray travel expenses to the International Musical Festival in Verona, Italy.
"It's sad since they were very much a part of the community as far as people using them as a local jeweler," Richards said. "You think if someone's been in business a long time they're trustworthy."
Parisi's Diamond Trust was one of eight area jewelers served with search warrants by county police in silver cufflinks for the alleged illegal purchases of second-hand gold and jewelry. Charges were never filed against the jeweler.
Cheesman said her experience has definitely shaken her confidence.
"I do appreciate they were helpful in getting it back," she said. "But now I have this thought in the back of my mind: Who should I trust with my jewelry?"
Red and white Valentine’s Day theme marks event
Looking through the wall of windows at Algonquin Regional High School's cafeteria Friday night, it is clear there's a party going on.
With the white holiday lights and Valentine's Day-themed red and white balloons and streamers, it looks like any high school dance.
There are a few differences, however, that are hardly noticeable. The room is dim, but not dark. valentines gifts The music is inaudible from outside. There are no flashing multicolored lights. And everyone is dancing.
There are no wallflowers at this Best Buddies Friendship Ball, where pupils with special needs had a rare chance to participate in a traditional high school ritual.
Best Buddies International is a nonprofit organization that pairs individuals with intellectual disabilities with a "peer buddy" to establish a one-to-one friendship.
Peer buddies take their "buddies" to special planned events as well as outings that would be on any typical high school student's calendar - attending a basketball game, watching a movie or taking a trip to the mall.
There are more than 50 public and private high school chapters in Massachusetts, along with 16 middle school and 11 college chapters. Best Buddies provides training, leadership programs, and continued support to the chapters.
Friendship balls have become a common event, according to Kelsey Wegner, Best Buddies program manager for the Central Massachusetts region, but this is the first one held at Algonquin and the first to include other high school chapters.
Guests from Tahanto, Wachusett and Nashoba regional high schools were among those who enjoyed the valentines bangles music, food and games at the ball.
Meredith Irvine, a senior and vice president of the Algonquin chapter, has been involved with the organization for three years.
"I was with a group of friends sharing stories about the prom," she remembers. "I realized that most of the buddies are unable to attend their prom because the environment doesn't match their needs."
Many of the special needs students have sensory problems and loud music, rowdy dancing, and darkness are often intolerable to them, she said. "Everyone should have the opportunity to attend a special prom."
Ms. Irvine, Chapter President Kelley Sholl, two faculty advisers and other chapter members decided to start a new tradition at their school, where there are 15 buddy pairs.
Kevin Hausmann, a biology teacher and adviser, explained that the buddies have a range of intellectual disabilities. Those with more severe disabilities at Algonquin participate in a life skills program that continues up to age 22. Others with mild to moderate learning difficulties are either partially or fully integrated into the regular classroom.
Thanks to donations from local sponsors and its own fundraising efforts, the team was able to put together a special evening for the buddies, who seemed to be enjoying themselves.
Matthew McCarthy, 16, agreed that he was lucky to have two female peer buddies. "I like girls," he said, valentines rings adding that he was looking forward to having brownies for dessert.
Kate MacClean, 21, said she is a fan of "High School Musical" and the Jonas Brothers. She showed off her long pink gown and her crimped hair. "My mom did my hair," she said.
Gavin MacDonald, 18, Ms. Irvine's buddy, spent most of his time on the dance floor, grooving to the "Electric Slide" and crowd favorite "YMCA."
Parents were also involved, acting as chaperones and food servers. Jennifer Saffran of Southboro, mother of autistic son Alex, 17, praised the Best Buddies program.
"It is something really needed," she said. "Chances like this wouldn't happen any other way."
For the parents, who tend to socialize through their children, it also allows them to be a part of their child's high school experience. "It is not only the kids who feel isolated, it's the parents as well," she said.
While the buddies benefit from their new friendships, Ms. Saffran said the peers learn valuable lessons through the program.
"The typical kids become much more tolerant and less freaked out by those with differences," she said.
She added that this is something that cannot be done in private schools that specialize in teaching children with special needs, since the pupils there don't have regular access to typical peers.
"No private school can offer this," she said.
Created in 1989 by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, Best Buddies International is dedicated to the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in all aspects of the community.
By 2010, according to Ms. Wegner, the organization hopes to expand from its current presence in all 50 states and 38 countries.
"Our goal is to work ourselves out of business," Ms. Wegner said.
Valentine’s Value Vacations: BedandBreakfast.com Valentine’s Day Packages Tug at the Heart Strings with Complimentary Extras
This Valentine's Day, give your special someone The Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com; it's the gift of a romantic escape to your choice of 4000 B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada. Best of all, to insure a perfect Valentine's Day, BedandBreakfast.com has a ten-percent discount on all February gift card purchases of $100 or more. Simply enter the promotional code ROMANCE10 at check-out. To learn more, go to http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/GiftCertificates.aspx.
This year, enjoy a Valentine's Value Vacations, loaded with extras, and listed alphabetically by state.
Captain's Inn at Moss Landing, Moss Landing, CA: Mention "Captain's Inn valentines gifts Special" in February and you'll be treated to a free one-hour rental of the inn's red tandem bicycle ($35 value).
A Mountain Valley Home B&B Inn, Estes Park, CO: Stay February 13-15, and men are invited to a complimentary "gents only" cooking class with Chef Paul; then the next morning, the guys display their culinary expertise by cooking and serving brunch to their ladies.
Washington Plantation B&B, Washington, GA: Stay two nights throughout February at the standard rate ($150-$220) and receive such complimentary offerings as fresh roses, champagne, a rose-petal-strewn bed, and a Valentine's teddy bear to take home.
Tryon Farm Guest House, Michigan City, IN: Stay in February, and this innkeeper will send a text message to your sweetheart (with your input). Romantic extras include chocolates, flowers, gourmet breakfasts, and a fun relationship quiz.
Inn at Norwood, Sykesville, MD: Stay two nights in February, and you'll be treated to a silver bangles sparkling cider, chocolates, a surprise gift, and a candlelight breakfast with soft music. Mention this special when booking.
Garden Gables Inn, Lenox, MA: Stay February 13-15 and receive a free bottle of wine, a champagne brunch, rose petal bubble bath kit, and an artisan-made Valentine card with your personalized message (advance notice).
Seagull Inn B&B, Marblehead, MA: Book a two-night stay on Valentine's weekend and get a ten-percent discount plus a complimentary bottle of champagne.
The Kerr House, Statesville, NC: Come for a romantic Valentine's getaway February 13-14 and enjoy a 20-percent discount plus chocolate-covered strawberries.
Fallen Tree B&B, Carlisle, PA: Stay two nights between February 6-15 and enjoy complimentary roses and champagne.
Silver Service Inn, Manchester, VT: February 14-15, guestrooms have complimentary champagne, chocolates, and heart-shaped cookies. A special Valentine full breakfast will be served on Sunday.
Sweet Dreams Luxury Inn, Abbotsford, BC, CANADA: February 12-15, enjoy chocolate-silver rings covered strawberries, sparkling cider, tea lights, rose petals, and breakfast in bed, a $50 value.
For another Valentine's Story visit BedandBreakfast.com's Press Room (http://www.bedandbreakfast.com/about/pressRoom.aspx) for BedandBreakfast.com's Romantic Picks for Valentine's Day and Beyond, a listing of favorite inns for romantic getaways year-round.
To learn more about 7,000 perfect choices for your next B&B getaway visit BedandBreakfast.com, the leading online bed and breakfast directory and reservation network worldwide. A variety of search functions and extensive maps enable inngoers to find the perfect B&B. Travelers can make reservations online, purchase The Getaway Gift Card from BedandBreakfast.com, welcomed at over 4,000 B&Bs in the U.S. and Canada, read up-to-date trip reports on The BedandBreakfast.com Blog, read and write independent reviews, and post questions on expert-hosted message boards.
Colombia’s Cupid Campaign to Spread Love and Flower Reminders Before Valentine’s Day
Romance will be in the air in New York, Boston, Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco as dozens of "cupids" take to the streets with messages of love and flowers. As part of a flower awareness campaign by Asocolflores, the Association of Colombian Flower Exporters, cupids will target high-traffic areas in five major U.S. cities on February 10th, 11th and 12th to remind consumers to make flowers the gift of choice this Valentine's Day. The cupids will be outfitted in attire featuring messages such as "Men Love Flowers Too, Don't Forget Him," "Flowers tiffany jewellery Have Zero Calories" and "Follow Your Hunch, Give Her a Bunch of Flowers." Passersby will also receive blank Valentine cards to further spread messages of love to others and to pass on reminders to purchase flowers.
"We wanted to create a simple, yet effective program aimed at reminding consumers that a dozen red roses are still the best way to express your love this Valentine's Day," said Augusto Solano, President of Asocolflores. "Colombia's Cupid Campaign is a fun, exciting way to interact with consumers while also reminding them to plan their Valentine's Day flower purchases for anyone they love."
While consumer spending may be down, Asocolflores believes Americans will still look to flowers as the gift of love this holiday. In fact, according to the just released National Retail Federation's 2009 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, conducted by BIGresearch, this year the number of flower purchases will be about same as last year. The survey revealed over one-third (35.7 percent) of people will buy flowers compared to last year's 35.9 percent.
To meet the demand for beautiful blooms this Valentine's Day, Colombian growers have shipped hundreds of millions of stems to the U.S. in time for the holiday. Two out of every three cut flowers sold in the U.S. are grown in Colombia and the majority of these blooms are grown on the 163 farms participating in the Florverde(R) program valentines rings. Florverde(R) is a third-party certification program that ensures flowers grown and harvested in Colombia adhere to stringent international socio-environmental standards.
"Florverde represents a commitment to social and environmental responsibility by Colombian flower growers," said Solano. "When Americans purchase flowers this Valentine's Day, they are not only expressing an act of love and communicating emotions, but also supporting businesses in the United States as well as global environmental progress and social programs that help Colombian flower workers and their families."
About Asocolflores
Asocolflores was created in 1973 as a non-profit industry association to promote Colombia's flower sector in international markets and seek the comprehensive development of floriculture, especially in terms of scientific research, transportation, environmental sustainability and workers' welfare. Asocolflores participates actively within Colombia and valentines bracelets internationally to represent the interests of flower growers. In Colombia, the Association is part of a range of committees and economic councils, in both the public and private sectors.