No doubt, the best gift you can give your girlfriend is quality time. Surprise her at home or have her brought to a restaurant and treat her to a dinner date. To set up the surprise, you’ll have to coordinate with her friends, family or roommates to make sure that she’s in the right location. It may take a lot of time and organization to pull it off, but her reaction when she sees you will be unparalleled and so worth it!
How to Surprise Your Girlfriend on Valentine’s Day: 35 Romantic Ideas
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, meaning shelves will soon be stacked high with heart-shaped candy boxes, pink and red flowers and piles of plush teddy bears. It’s true that we should show love and appreciation year-round, but there’s something so fun and romantic about Valentine’s Day and the romantic flowers and gifts that accompany the holiday.
Shop Best Selling Valentine’s Day Flowers
It’s a great opportunity to flex your creativity and show her how you feel. There are different Valentine’s Day ideas for every relationship stage and some women care more about the holiday than others, so keep that in mind when picking out gifts or planning dates. Whether you’re looking for a laid back idea or something more extravagant, we’ve got all the ideas you need to wow her this Valentine’s Day.
How to Surprise Your Girlfriend Away From Home on Valentine’s Day
Your girlfriend is sure to be impressed if you plan her a special outing on Valentine’s Day. There are many romantic indoor and outdoor date options depending on her tastes and interests. For additional inspiration, check out the top Valentine’s Day ideas in your city. Here’s a tip: Take your surprise date to the next level and blindfold her while you’re driving there so she has no idea what to expect. Just remember to make plans and reservations in advance since everything books up quickly on and around Valentine’s Day.
1. Plan an outdoor adventure
If your girlfriend loves to get out and explore, cater to her adventurous side and plan a romantic outdoor date. Depending on the weather and where you live, some options include hiking, camping, boating, hitting the slopes and kayaking. A great gift to pair with this date could be some outdoor gear that’s on her wish list like a sleeping bag or a thermal water bottle.
2. Retro-style date
For a fun and quirky Valentine’s Day, think roller skating rinks, carnivals, arcades, diners, and drive-in movie theatres. Even if you live together, make a point to get ready separately, pick her up and arrive at the doorstep with roses in hand. Spend the evening sharing milkshakes and fries or snuggling at the drive-in.
3. Wine or beer tasting
Whether she loves pinot noir or pale ales, a tasting is a low-key and fun idea that can be its own date or a precursor to dinner. Go on-site to a winery or brewery or just visit local spots to make an adventure out of it. Pro tip: Keep an eye out for which drink is her favorite so you can buy her a bottle or growler as a gift — either for Valentine’s Day or a future occasion.
4. Take her to a show or event
If her favorite artist or sports team happens to be in town on or around Valentine’s Day, surprise her with tickets. If the event is out of town, make a mini vacation out of it by getting a hotel and exploring the area. She’ll love the show and be impressed by the effort that you put into the experience.
5. Go to a class together
Spend time with each other on Valentine’s Day by learning a new skill together. There are all kinds of classes to suit everyone’s interests — like cooking, baking, massage, painting, sculpting, dancing, mixology and many more. As a bonus, if you both like the class, make it a regular date night or a new hobby for you both to enjoy.
6. Glam night out
For a romantic and glamorous night out, get dressed to the nines and take her to an opera or symphony performance. Not only are the venues gorgeous, but there’s something so powerful and romantic about live classical music.
7. Out of town retreat
Take your girlfriend on a weekend getaway to spend quality time together, explore a new area and be tourists for the weekend. If you aren’t at the level in your relationship for a weekend-long outing, a fun day trip to a nearby city is a good option.
8. Relive your first date
If you’ve been together for some time, recreating how you first met or your first date is a fun and romantic way to celebrate. Your first date is a sentimental blast from the past that she’ll love — plus, it’s a great opportunity for a proposal if you’re at that point in your relationship.
How to Surprise Your Girlfriend at Home on Valentine’s Day
You don’t need to go far to have a fun and romantic Valentine’s Day with your girlfriend — keep it close and create the perfect date at home. No reservations required and you can really enjoy some one-on-one time.
9. Create a grand entrance and romantic scene
Let the surprises begin the second she walks through the door by decorating the entryway with a trail of flowers, wrapped candy or sweet notes leading her to the next surprise. Set the tone with lighting, candles and romantic music — she’s sure to swoon.
10. In-home spa treatment for Valentine’s Day
Surprise your girlfriend this Valentine’s Day with a spa day at home. Start with a candlelit massage to help her unwind from work or school. Then draw her a bath, toss in some heart-shaped bath bombs and provide her with a relaxing face mask. Pro tip: Bring her some champagne and chocolate covered strawberries to take her bath to the next level.
11. Make art together
Recreate a fun wine and painting class in your home. Gather up any art supplies you need as well as snacks to fuel your creative energy. You can follow online tutorials or create a piece all your own. Hang the completed piece in your home as a sweet reminder of your fun date.
12. Movie night
Take movie night to the next level by creating your own personal cinema. Rent a projector to watch movies on a blank white wall or a big screen — don’t forget plenty of blankets, pillows, and candles, of course. Grab her favorite treats and drinks to have alongside a nice big bowl of freshly popped popcorn. Turn on her favorite movie and enjoy!
13. One-on-one dance party
If your girlfriend loves to dance, why not throw her a one-on-one Valentine’s Day dance? Dancing isn’t everyone’s forte, so make sure it’s something she likes before making your plans. Create a playlist of songs with a good mix of fast and slow songs. Ask her to slow dance and she’ll get those school dance butterflies all over again.
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Sarah Graham
Posted on April 26, 2020 May 15, 2023 by art_teacher_mcr
Artist Sarah Graham creates bright and colourful paintings of food that could be described as ‘still life’, however many of her paintings focus on wrappers, sweets and desserts.
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Sarah Graham is a British painter, born in 1977. Her artwork is often painted on a large scale using oil paint, giving her beautiful paintings a rich, deep and vivid finish.
Sarah Graham often chooses compositions (layouts) that show a small section of the subject (sweets, wrappers etc.) in focus, with the background out of focus. Why do you think this is? What effect does blurring the background give the work?
If you look very carefully at Sarah Graham’s paintings, you will notice a huge range of tones. There are a lot of very dark and very light, almost white colours. The use of tints and shades in her work makes them seem more realistic.
She tries to capture all of the crinkles, creases and reflections in the wrappers. Adding all of these details and textures to her paintings also makes them more realistic; they could be described as hyper-realistic.
How many reflections and textures can you see in the painting ‘Candy Carnival’ above?
Sherwin-Williams’ Magnetic Gray (SW 7058)
Designer Katie Davis of Katie Davis Design in Houston refreshed this space with a bit of color. Magnetic Gray by Sherwin-Williams is a favorite because of its versatility. “When in doubt, go for color,” she says. “Adding color to a space, especially the cabinets, instantly adds ‘happy’ to a room.”
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Benjamin Moore’s Normandy Blue (2129-40)
Interior designer, Megan Molten of Charleston, painted the shelves and walls all one color in this small room, choosing the blue-gray Normandy Blue by Benjamin Moore. “Typically, you wouldn’t think to bring a darker color into a smaller space,” she says. “This created depth, making the room feel larger while making a statement.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How much space does eight ounces of paint cover?
On average, one gallon of paint covers up to 400 square feet. For a small room, one gallon of paint should cover the space, according to PPG Paints.
What sizes are available for paint cans?
Paint cans vary in size, including one gallon or five gallons. There are sizes in between, including a half gallon, one quart, one pint, and a half pint.
