I’ve always associated flowers, chocolate, candy and cake with valentine. Each year I’d receive lots of cards and roses from friends and near ones.
But the first time I truly understood the meaning of valentine was after my engagement to my boyfriend. This was going to be my first true valentine where I could express my inmost feelings and share my thoughts with someone.
I’d heard Martina Mcbride sing ‘My Valentine’ a million times but did not understand its true essence till now.
This time I wanted my valentine gift to be unique and very personalized.
I searched through the web for fresh gift ideas but every site landed me on flowers, sweets, balloons, chocolate, perfumes, toiletries e-cards etc…. I wanted something very personal which I would not locate even after hours of net surfing.
I finally gave up and went to make myself a mug of hot chocolate. The kitchen was quite cold as I’d left the window open to vent the fumes from the cooking. Brushing my face, the icy breeze blew away my hair and sent a chill wave down my spine. I felt like a frozen snowman with only a scarf wrapped around its neck to keep it warm. Yes, only a ‘scarf’!
Wow, I know what my valentine gift is going to be. Its gonna be a scarf. A hand painted red silk scarf.
Some might think of it as a silly idea but I believe this is the most romantic valentine gift as it would be hand crafted by me for my love. I’ll paint a cupid and hearts on my scarf and make it my personal valentine’s gift. I’ll add a white chocolate bar and wrap both the chocolate and scarf in a plain white wrapping paper with a red ribbon on it.
Yes, this would be the best valentine gift ever!
Everyone needs love and valentine is the best time to express this strong and important emotion.
Millions around the world celebrate Feb 14 through exchanging personalized gifts.
Some chose traditional presents such as fresh flowers, chocolate, cakes,candy and balloons. Others go for unusual presents such as personalized gift baskets which may include anything ranging from a simple silk scarf to roses or laptops and mobiles.
There are no hard and fast rules of what a valentine’s gift should be. It is your own special way of expression your own feelings and no one dictates your heart.
A variety of gift ideas are available around the web and many of the mentioned items are even available online. They can be delivered to your sweetheart in cheesy wrapping paper with personalized ‘I love you’ notes.
Many e-cards sites give you the option of sending free messages and love poems.
So imagination is the key and the expression is yours!
As an admirer of nature I sometimes wish I were born during the Romanticism period. Perhaps, I too would have created some breath taking piece of art which would have made me famous like William Blake.
Being a person of this nature and walking around the picturesque streets of Paisley I feel like preserving every scene through my digital camera. The sublimity of nature and its untamed qualities remind me of the presence of the Almighty.
Downloading the pictures on my laptop and browsing through them casts a magical spell reminding me of all the lovely sceneries.
One picture amongst my album is quite different and unique. It is of a paisley I once saw on a scarf in a small boutique. This is the best picture among my collection as it is congruent with the name of the town, Paisley. I wish I had bought this cashmere paisley shawl but don’t remember the location of the shop.
Having a passion for scarves and putting my thinking hat on, I plan to monogram the paisley onto a chiffon silk scarf and keep it as a souvenir from my trip to Paisley, Scotland. I have lots of silk and cashmere scarves but none would be like my paisley silk scarf.
My black scarf with a paisley monogram would be my breath taking piece of art and might one day make me famous like William Blake.
Top 10 words related to a silk scarf include:
Scarves
Shawl
Neckwear
Scarf accessories
Wraps
Pashmina
Shawls
Silk scarf
Women’s scarf
Scarfs
Designer scarves have always been my weakness and I can’t seem to resist walking down the scarf accessories section of the top labels.
This time my dilemma lies between choosing one from two of my favorite brands, Gucci and Louis Vuittion.
The Gucci scarf my heart is set on is a GG pattern shawl. It is a dark purple scarf with black GG on it. The blend is 70% cashmere and 30% silk. The size is 45.3”L X 49.2”H. And it costs USD 395.
The other one is Louis Vuittion’s Leopard and Monogram Scarf. It is a crepe silk scarf with two Louis Vuittion signatures, the monogram and the leopared print. The size is 70.7”L X 7.9” H. It is 100% silk and costs USD 281.
Both of the above are excellent fashion scarves and would make great scarves for women. They can either be worn as a head scarf or as a neck scarf.
The above information confuses me as to if I should go for the purple scarf or the leopard monogram scarf. Both have become my heart throbs but would be too costly for me to buy two.
Can someone please help and advice me what to do?
When it comes to thinking of scarves we normally think of a warm shawl snuggled around as a neck scarf. Scarves are an accessory which can be worn year round depending on the material it is made of.
A cotton, light weight linen or pure silk scarf would be one’s summer accomplice. On the contrary, woolen knitted shawls and those with a higher percentage of cashmere or pashmina would make good winter scarf accessories.
A cashmere silk scarf is quite a unique add on as slightly playing around with the blend can make it adjustable for either weather. The standard ration is 70% cashmere to 30% silk. This blend makes the scarfs quite warm. Altering the ratio by adding more cashmere would make it warmer with 100% pashmina being the warmest. On the other hand, reversing the blend by adding more silk and lesser cashmere would make it lighter and more suitable for cooler climates.
My passion for scarves began as a teenager. Teenage is the time when all young adults love independence and are keen to explore new horizons. I shall never forget my 18th birthday as it brought forward a hidden passion within me.
As a child, I loved to have lots of clothes and always wanted to wear a new outfit every time I went somewhere. My dad’s job at the time was such that we would travel around a lot and I don’t remember living in one for over three years. Unfortunately, with all this travelling I could not carry a large wardrobe with me all the time since packing and relocating was a big concern for us.
I had always admired my grandma who had always lived in the same house she was born in. She had large cartons stored in the attic of used unwanted clothing and other things and never had to think of packing or extra storage space. Whenever we’d go to granny’s house I’d go to the attic and enjoy playing with the tons of extra clothing.
By chance, we happened to be visiting granny at the time of my 18th birthday. Each year she would ask me what I wanted as birthday gifts and would get me whatever I asked for. This time only two days were left till my birthday and she had not even once mentioned anything about a birthday gift. I kept on waiting till late the night before but still she didn’t ask and I disappointedly went to bed thinking she has forgotten my big day.
To my surprise when I woke up the next morning I was covered with a warm shawl wrap instead of my routine blanket and a bundle wrapped in a silk scarf lay by my side. The shawl wrap was so soft and comfortable that I wrapped it around my shoulders and reached for the bundle which was tied with a velvet ribbon. A small card attached to the gift said “There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents and only one for birthday presents – With Love from Grandma”. To my amazement, as I pulled at one end of the ribbon knot the bundle opened and beautiful colored scarves lay in front of me. There were pashmina, wool, silk, cotton, velvet, cashmere, linen and all sorts of fashion scarves in different shapes and sizes.
Just then grandma opened my bedroom door and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ walked towards me. Breathless with joy I dashed out of bed and hugged her. I was so happy that I did not have the words to thank her.
This was the best gift ever. There were so many scarves yet upon folding they took so little space. I was so happy as I got so many scarves and could carry them with me everywhere we travelled without having to think of packing space.
Since that day my passion for scarves began as I realized how convenient it was to travel with scarf accessories and add style to your ordinary clothing.
Christmas comes only once a year but I try to preserve its essence throughout the year!
Ever since I can remember, everyone starts hunting for Christmas gifts as the holiday season approaches. Great care is invested in shopping for these presents but they are soon forgotten as soon as the big day is over.
As a child I’d always looked forward to giving and receiving presents but it has always saddened me of how we all forget about them shortly after and lock them in our cupboards.
Now for the past couple of years I try to give gifts which would be used year round and still not look boring.
This year my ideal gift is going to be silk scarves for all my friends. I am going to make these scarves myself with great care. Being a big fan of simplicity and neatness my scarves will be white in color so they can be unisex. This type can easily be worn with a blazer, skinny jeans, or an oxford for a casual yet professional look anytime of the year.
Hope my friends like my idea as I want them to remember the message of Christmas by wearing these scarves year round.
Eid 2009 dates have been announced marking Nov. 28 as the day of celebrations and prayers. Muslim all over the world are looking forward to celebrating eid ul adha with their loved ones.
Everyone wears their best clothing and visit friends and family.
Women enjoy eid time the most as it gives them an additional chance to indulge in their lust for a bigger wardrobe. They shop a variety of clothing items ranging from scarves, dresses, shoes to anything their purse allows.
New designs of abayas are introduced in the market each year near the eid season as the demand is highest as this time of the year.
The trend for women’s scarves is also high as they fall under the hijab category and are mandatory for all Muslim women. Women search for the best available shawls and scarves including pashmina and silk.
Another important part of eid celebrations is feasting. Lavish and extravagant meals are prepared and everyone is invited.
Various materials are used to make scarves. Some of these materials are so soft and shabby that they have to be stiffened by starching. Starch can be applied to any material such as soft cotton, linen or even silk if it needs stiffening. Starching is a simple method requiring two basic techniques of starch cooking and ironing.
Laundry starch is easily available in the market in the form of spray starch, liquid or powder.
Spray starch is the easiest as you simple have to lightl spray the starch over the scarf and gently iron it.
The second form is liquid starch which has to be diluted with lukewarm water before dipping clothes into it.
The last and the traditional method is powder starch. This is available in the market under different brand names but you can also use normal cornstarch used for cooking. Preparation for this is a little time consuming but the results are quite satisfactory. For a single scarf you will require:
2 heaped tablespoons of starch powder
&
2 liters water (1 liter boiling & 1 liter cold)
Method:
1) Mix the starch powder in a cup of warm water and stir it into a smooth paste
2) Add the mixture to the boiling water stirring constantly to avoid lumps and cook for 2 minutes on low flame
3) Turn off the flame and after cooling add the cold water and stir swiftly till a smooth milky concoction is made
4) Dip the scarf fabric into the prepared liquid
5) Sun dry to achieve better stiffness
6) Iron on medium heat and enjoy neat and stiff scarves.