So it’s almost that time of the year again for all the single ladies out there—Valentine’s Day, or what I liked to call I Hate Explaining Why I am Single/Time to Mope About Being Single Day. For me, year after year it went down the same way:
1) All my female friends with significant others would let me know what they are doing on Valentine’s Day, ask for my advice on what to purchase Joe, Mike, Steve, or whoever else they are dating this time around, and we would talk about how excited they are for this year’s day of love and how it will top last year’s for sure.
2) After this whole situation goes down, my friend and/or friends would get a guilty/pitied expression on her face. We both know what’s coming—she remembered that I am unattached. She asks, “What are YOU doing for Valentine’s Day this year?”
3) I would answer cheerfully, “Oh, you know, lots of stuff. I am super busy and I have a ton of things to do like [insert half-truths here].” Her pity is assuaged and we can continue on our day/conversation.
4) In truth, however, this exchange with my friend would leave me unsettled and I would end up moping and restless on the big heart-filled holiday.
However, I finally realized that this year I don’t have to feel awkward about Valentine’s Day or get really down about my single status. I mean, for one thing, I don’t have to stress about what to give some random guy I just started dating the perfect gift in order to impress him and I certainly don’t have to dig myself into a financial hole to get some crazy expensive gift for a guy I am in a long term relationship with in order to show him I really care. Instead I am going to take the money I would spend on a Valentine’s Day shindig with someone else and spend it on the person I should focus on most: myself!
So instead of going through the above mentioned Valentine’s Day steps, I am going to mix it up and pick between three different alternatives to celebrate not loving a significant other—but loving and embracing my own awesomeness. And, I am going to have a stunning outfit for each to boot.
1. Go Out And Party With My Single Friends
I always have one or two single friends come Valentine’s Day, both female and male, and we always spend it apart on the dreaded day (probably because we are all too ashamed/depressed on the holiday to face each other or anyone else). Why not this year go out and hit the town and have a blast; make a night to really remember. We can go for dinner, drinks, go dancing, or any other array of fun activities. Whatever it is, we can do it bigger and better than any other night of the year—the sky’s the limit. For this option, I’d opt for a killer dress and some scandalously sexy heels. Something like this:
Courtesy: Leather Girls
Steve Madden P-Raissa, 6pm.com, $80.99
For all the criticism Miss Kardashian may get from the media, I do have to give her credit. Girl can work an outfit and she definitely seems to embrace herself to the fullest. So on Valentine’s Day when I am hitting the town as a single lady, I will definitely follow Kim K’s cue on how to love myself and look absolutely hot when out about town.
2. Get Out Of Town And Explore
This plan can be done either with my single friends or completely on my own. Either way it’s a splendid plan because instead of feeling sorry for myself, I can enjoy new wondrous sights and take in something new the world has to offer. I can finally learn how to ski in Vermont, take a trip to the Grand Canyon, or find out if everything really is bigger in Texas. For either of these trips, I would make sure to do comfortable chic in the very best possible way. After all, when you look your best you, feel your best—even when at the airport. I’d take a cue from royalty on this one:
Courtesy: Getty Images
Even though we clearly can’t all have a budget like this princess, non-royal women should take a lesson out of Kate’s handbook. You can be both comfortable and dazzling every time you step off a plane. In fact, there isn’t any reason why you can’t make the airport your own runway. Just look at how Victoria Beckham struts her stuff in various airports:
Courtesy: Photo Agency
3. Luxuriously Chill At Home
Finally, if going out with friends out in my own area doesn’t work out and travelling to a new adventurous place isn’t a viable option come February, there isn’t any reason that staying at home can’t be absolutely fantastic. However, it shouldn’t be a day to wear stained sweatpants and a big old college T-shirt that never made anyone look good or feel confident. Also, it shouldn’t be a day spent sitting on the couch idly eating a TV dinner or a frozen pizza. Instead, I would cook myself an extravagant dinner for one, watch some of my favorite films, or take a soothing bubble bath while listening to some soulful tunes. In any case this night at home doesn’t have to be like any other. I can really go ahead and pamper myself this Valentines Day. For this option, I would definitely look to Victoria’s Secret for an attractive lounging outfit:
Yoga Legging, victoriassecret.com, $29.50
In short, I won’t mope and kick myself or explain to everyone why I am alone this Valentine’s Day. And neither should the rest of you single ladies. Embrace yourself and all the different exciting things you can be doing on this day of l’amour—and look drop dead gorgeous too!
Posted by JennShar on January 24, 2012 at 03:49 PM EST #
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