Valentine S Day

Singing valentines, performed by quartets from the Sons of the Severn Barbershop Chorus, will be available Feb. 12-14. For ordering information, call 301-801-5637 or go to sonsofthesevern.org. div.talkforum #creditfooter { display: none; } div.talkforum .feedItemAuthor { display: none; } div.talkforum div.feedburnerFeedBlock ul li span.headline { font-weight:bold; margin:0; font-size: 12px; } div.talkforum { margin: 10px 0 5px 0; border-bottom: 1px solid #CCC; padding-bottom: 5px; }

If you haven't started making plans for Valentine's Day, now is a good time to put romance on the calendar. Deals for the day of love - which falls on a weekend this year - are plentiful, ranging from the "Sweetest Suite," a hotel room decorated with 300 pounds of candy, to a "Single & Fabulous" romp for the unattached in Atlantic City. But Feb. 14 isn't just for lovers - it's also the start of the Chinese New Year. It's the "Year of the Tiger," a perfect holiday union of naughty and nice - as long as you're not a certain golfer.

Crazy Heart . ( 3 STARS) There's a powerful symmetry at work in "Crazy Heart" that's impossible to resist. It's a parallel between protagonist Bad Blake, a country singer whose entire life has led him to a nadir of disintegration, and star Jeff Bridges, whose exceptional film choices have put him at the height of his powers just in time to make Mr. Blake the capstone role of his career. It's a mark of how fine a performance Bridges gives that it succeeds beautifully even though the besotted, bedeviled country singer has been an overly familiar popular culture staple (Rip Torn in "Payday," Robert Duvall in "Tender Mercies," Hank Williams and Merle Haggard in their own lives)

WASHINGTON Guests can "Remember Romance" at The Gaylord National with a package that includes room, breakfast for two, parking, resort fee and 20 percent discount on select spa services. Rates start at $269. Also, if you celebrate your anniversary in February, the hotel offers the "Unforgettable Anniversary Weekend" package with the second night free. The Willard InterContinental offers the "Heart to Heart" package starting at $379. The package includes one night's accommodation for two, American breakfast in bed, valet parking and champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries.

It started with an invitation to participate in an art show that would present works by couples on Valentine's Day. Two MICA alumni, Christina Ayala and John Morris, decided to give it a try, and a twist. "I had been kicking around the idea of telepathy for a while," says the Georgia-born Morris, 35, an adjunct photography faculty member. "We wanted to see if we could create art using the telepathic process." Ayala, 40, who works for Southwest Airlines (she's originally from Texas)

High on love but low on cash? Swooning couples shouldn't have to shell out hundreds of dollars on Valentine's Day. And with the recession in full swing, who can afford to splurge on champagne and chocolate, anyway? There is a world of options available, from dancing to Frank Sinatra's hits in front of a live orchestra to sipping red wine over spaghetti at a Hampden pasta joint. Leave the roses on the shelf, and try one of these five Valentine's Day dates instead. Each one has its own theme, multiple stops and an alternative option, in case something falls through or an event sells out. It's always good to have a backup plan, after all. But the best part is: Every date on this list costs less than $50. If you want to celebrate Valentine's Day on a tight budget, here's how to do it. Dance the night away The Plan: : In the beginning of the year, a well-known dance promoter started renting out the building that used to house Gardel's Supper Club (29 S. Front St.)

Even in a recession, people are still saying it with flowers. But with Valentine's Day fast approaching, local florists are wishing their customers would say it perhaps just a little bit louder. "We've been getting fewer orders all the way across the board," says Avalon Thompson, owner of Enchanted Petals Florist on Lombard Street, who says her business is down significantly from last year. "Absolutely, it's hard. ... We're just trying to basically wait this out, like everybody else." Several Baltimore-area florists said business has declined between 8 percent and 20 percent during the past several months.

If there is an upside to the downturn in the economy, it might lie in the fact that we're being forced to go back to basics. We're eating out less, spending more time at home entertaining ourselves, and figuring out what's really important when it comes to material things. Valentine's Day might be a challenge if you're used to splurging on your special one (or the one you're hoping will be your special one!). A dozen roses in a vase delivered to the office could set you back about $100.

Last year was the first Valentine's Day for me and my boyfriend. Never one to fuss over the holiday - it's purely a commercial holiday, in my mind - I casually mentioned to him that I didn't want a big deal made over Valentine's. He agreed, and not another word was said of it. But my casual attitude turned out to be easier said than kept. Since I was covering Valentine's Day for Baltamour, the Baltimore Sun's dating and relationships blog, it was all Cupid, all the time. As I crafted gift guides and picked out card suggestions for those who chose to celebrate the holiday, I fell under its spell.

Valentine's Day Package What's the deal?: The Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, Va., is a National Historic Landmark and a favorite locale for weddings and other special occasions. This February, it hopes to make Valentine's Day one of those memorable occasions with a "Valentine's Day Package" that covers an overnight stay, breakfast for two, a box of chocolates and valet parking, for $215 plus tax. What's the savings?: Room rates in February start at about $255 per night and that doesn't include a meal or sweets.