PRESS RELEASE
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Libby Shares Her Unique
Valentine's Day Ideas
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HGTV's Libby Langdon Dishes Out
Her Entertaining and Party Ideas for this Valentine's Day
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NEW YORK, N.Y., Jan. 10, 2008
/Westin Rinehart/ -- Libby Langdon, expert commentator on
HGTV's "Small Space, Big Style" tells us how to make this
years Valentine's Day special for singles, couples and friends
with her unique touches and ideas.
Libby's Valentine's Day Ideas –
Entertaining & Party Ideas:
Saturday Brunch "Mixer" with Single gal pals – Each gal is
required to bring a single, straight guy that she thinks is
great (in a "non-romance" kind of way)
- Fun homemade Valentines for invites
- Mimosas with blood orange juice to get the conversation
"flowing"
- Easy cheese/spinach strata, fresh fruit, biscuits and
chocolate dipped strawberries
- Play charades to get people interacting with each other (not
to mention laughing pretty hard too!)
Romantic Dinner for two -
- Set a small table near the fire, in front of a window, or in
the bedroom
- Use a tablecloth, good silver, fine china and crystal
- Use only candlelight, play soft romantic music anything from
Beethoven to Barry white
- Start with finger food, use your hands – roasted red
pepper/goat cheese crostini
- Serve multiple courses yet simple food – artichokes in lemon
vinaigrette
- Main course can be prepared ahead of time and popped in the
oven for low maintenance – Ricotta, rosemary & olive Stuffed
chicken
- Warm individual chocolate cakes and champagne for dessert
- Music: Diana Krall, The Brazil Project, Marvin Gaye, John
Coltrane, Jimmy Scott, Cole Porter
Outdoor Ice Skating Lunch for Friends and Family-
- Use a fire pit to not only cook but to keep everyone warm,
set up portable chairs around it
- Bring thermoses of tomato soup, giant chocolate chip
cookies, Hot tea/ Hot chocolate and roast hot dogs and
marshmallows over the fire
- Bring extra mittens, socks and blankets for when little ones
get wet and cold
- Put name tags on mugs for refills of hot tea/hot chocolate
Valentine's Cocktail Party –"Must Wear Pink to Drink"
- Send fun invitation "Must wear Pink to Drink!"
- Make fun cocktails: martinis with pomegranate seeds, vodka
and pink lemonade, champagne and blood orange juice,
pomegranate margarita's
- Food can be as simple or as complex as you like –
Simple - order in trays of sushi and arrange on platters to
serve
Complex – make caviar pie, lobster butter, foie gras
- Make small goodie bags for guests with valentine chocolates
and candies, include a homemade CD "Love" songs – make a
compilation of all the songs you "Love"
- Decorate with lots of pink carnations, roses, lilies and
orchids
"Current Attraction" – A Comfort food dinner and a romantic
movie
- Salad, Quattro formaggi baked pasta and chocolate napoleons
- Light only candles in living room, set out wine and glasses
- Set trays with good placemats, napkins and silver for eating
in front of the TV
- Have soft blankets to snuggle under after you've finished
dinner while you watch the rest of the movie
- Romantic Movie Choices: Out of Africa, Sabrina, The Piano,
Babette's Feast, Annie Hall, Doctor Zhivago, Casablanca, Desk
Set, High Society, Breakfast at Tiffany's
Valentine's Single Girls Spa Night: Invite all your single
girlfriends over for a spa night at your place! Hire a
manicurist and a masseuse to come to your home, and if you're
low on cash check out your local beauty school- there's sure
to be some good students that would love the experience and
the chance to get some new clients. Ask your guests to each
bring a comfy robe, slippers and wine or champagne. You
provide some simple appetizers and great ambiance; make sure
to have super music playing and lots of scented candles. Your
guests will leave feeling pampered and pleased and wondering
if they really need a guy anyway!
Valentine's Day Crafts/ Cards
- Make valentine boxes with doilies/craft paper and fill with
homemade chocolates or fudge
- Make edible valentines – make cookies, ice them and then
write your sweet nothings on them. Put each one in a glassine
envelope and seal with a heart shape sticker. These are for
hand delivery only!
- Make a pink carnation heart shaped wreath using dampened
florist foam and hang on your door with pink double-faced
satin ribbon – it will last at least 1 week
- Make transparent hearts to hang and liven up your windows in
February – melt pink, red and coral crayons onto wax paper
with an iron, cut out hearts and hang in window
- Wrap small gifts (tickets, jewelry, etc.) in homemade paper
hearts and ribbon
- Glue silk rose petals to a yogurt container, overlapping
them as you go- fill with tiny sweetheart rose arrangement and
give it to an elderly friend who may not have a sweetheart
- Write a romantic poem on tinted vellum and wrap a romantic
gift in that
- Write romantic words on small paper disks and place beneath
chocolates in a box
Food Ideas
- Red cranberry "cider" – warm cranberry juice with mulled
spices and orange
(The dark rum is up to you!)
- Pancakes in the shape of hearts – it's easy to pour the
batter into that shape
- Use varying sizes of heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out
pie crust dough and top a berry pie with tons of hearts and
bake!
- Make heart shaped scones and invite a lonely friend over for
tea
- Make heart shaped chocolate wafer cookies and fill two
cookies with ice cream for a valentine's day ice cream
sandwich – wrap in wax paper, wrap in a bow a serve after
dinner
- Make easy yet impressive chocolate turnovers, with store
bought puff pastry and good quality chocolate
- Garnish party trays and serving platters with cherries and
pomegranate seeds
Menu Ideas – Low Maintenance to Luxe!
Low – Artichoke dip, pork roast, lemon rice, quick zucchini
sauté, foolproof fudge and ice cream
Luxe- tomato/basil soup with garlic toasts, leg of lamb,
risotto w/ peas, quick sauté of zucchini, chocolate
profiteroles with ginger ice cream
Low – Hummus, roast garlic/lemon chicken, roasted butternut
squash, green beans almandine
Luxe- yellow pepper soup, Short ribs ragout with parpadelle,
shaved asparagus with pecorino, Chocolate mousse
Low – Mixed salad, grilled salmon over spaghetti squash, baked
apples with store bought ice cream
Luxe- pear, stilton and endive salad w/ walnut vinaigrette,
Steak au poivre, sautéed lemon spinach, chocolate fondue
Libby Langdon
Libby Langdon is an interior designer and expert commentator
on HGTV's hit show "Small Space, Big Style." She assesses the
design tactics used in the featured home and offers insights,
techniques and tips to help viewers make the most of their own
small space. Previously, Libby hosted and was the lead
designer on the FOX makeover TV show, "Design Invasion." This
winter she'll be shooting a series of episodes for the new
HGTV show, "The Design Club" where she'll share her cheap and
chic design tips with viewers.
Libby founded "Libby Interiors" in 2003 and has completed
numerous commercial and residential design projects all over
the country. .
Libby was the interior designer for the New York City
restaurant, La Masseria, which was voted as one of the top ten
new restaurants in the United States by Esquire. She also
designed the flagship store for Italian designer Massimo
Bizzocchi in New York's Meatpacking District. "Libby created a
sleek, contemporary space that displays our clothing in the
best possible fashion," raved Massimo Bizzocchi. "Her design
of our store is streamlined and sensuous, a perfect
combination of uniqueness and style." She also designed the
Massimo Bizzocchi showroom on Fifth Ave.
Libby has designed private residences in New York's Sagaponack
and Southampton as well as apartments in New York City and the
Rhode Island oceanfront home of PGA golfer Brad Faxon. This
summer she designed a home in Austin, Texas and a loft
apartment in Providence, RI.. She is currently designing a
residence in Dallas, Texas as well as the pro shop of the
exclusive Atlantic Golf Club in Bridgehampton, NY.
Libby's designs have been featured in numerous national
shelter magazines and 3 of her projects recently appeared on
the covers of Hamptons Cottages and Gardens and Decorating
Spaces . She is also a regular contributor and a small space
expert to Decorating with Style, Budget Decorating and several
other design magazines.
Libby is a regular contributor to the nation's top daily
papers with design, food and entertaining ideas and is writing
her first book, Libby Langdon's Small Space Solutions, to be
published by Globe Pequot Press next year.
A High Point, North Carolina native, Libby spends her time
between New York City and Sag Harbor, New York.
Source: Westin Rinehart
CONTACT: Tara Silver, Westin
Rinehart, 2001 Pennsylvania Avenue NW,
Suite 250, Washington, DC 20006
Tel: 202.466.1396
Website:
www.libbylangdon.com
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