Valentine S Day

On what is their highest profile and busiest time of the year, florists and sellers of all things sweet said Valentine's Day business this year was a definite improvement over 2011. That was in line with forecasts from the National Retail Federation that Americans would spend $17.6 billion on Valentine-related items this year, up from $15.7 billion last year. The average person celebrating the holiday was expected to spend about $126, up more than 8% over last year's $116 and the highest amount in the survey's 10-year-history.

So your sweetheart wants to go out on the town for Valentine's Day? Dinner can be pricey and reservations hard to get. How about cocktails, small bites and entertainment till the wee hours of the morning? Can this be found in Glendale? Absolutely. Here's a guide to the burgeoning Glendale night life scene and to some tried-and-true spots. Instead of splurging on an expensive dinner, why not start the night by sharing the outstanding Taco Tasting platter at Frida in the Americana at Brand.

Paul M. Anderson GLENDALE -- Before a self-help group changed her life, Susie used to have her own holiday traditions. "I felt like I needed to climb under a rock after Halloween and stay there through the New Year and then go back under it for a short time around Feb. 14," Susie said. With Valentine's Day almost here, consumers are barraged with advertisements for that perfect gift for your lover. It's enough to make those who have trouble dealing with other people cringe.

Claudia Peschiutta LOS ANGELES ZOO -- Love will be in the air. Valentine's Day will come early with the "L.A. Zoo Lovin"' event Saturday and Sunday. In celebration of the day of love, Valentine-themed activities will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Visitors will get to meet "Chimpy," have their cheeks painted with red hearts, color Valentine cards and make flowers. Valentine's Day is Monday. Classical music and children's songs will be performed.

Ryan Carter LA CRESCENTA -- Valentine's Day was more than a box of chocolates in Glendale and the foothills on Monday. It was four-part harmonies and tunes like "Love Me Tender," thanks to a quartet of local chorus of singers. Norma Ellis, the owner of Ellis Realty in La Crescenta, was eating lunch with her colleagues when, unbeknownst to her, a female barbershop quartet walked in. Ellis came downstairs to receive a Valentine wish from her staff, delivered by the quartet.

On February 14, 270 A.D. a priest named Valentine was beheaded for performing marriage ceremonies. It is doubtful that Valentine foresaw his misfortune evolving into an annual holiday that would lead to future generations agonizing over the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Centuries later, couples everywhere, no matter how mature or new their relationship, struggle over finding a Valentine's Day gift that offers the appropriate level of sentimentality without breaking the bank financially.

Not had time to shop or can't figure out what distinctive or unusual gift to buy for your special valentine? Well, we may have the answer. We just might have the gifts. We will have quite a few valentine prizes and you will have several opportunities to win them. There is only one way to find out. Show up for the Chamber's February mixer, hosted by Bonners Party Rentals. Bonners has been around since 1941 and was once located on Verdugo Blvd. The current location is the second one for Liza and Tim (Tim started with Bonners in 1981, which was then owned by his brother)

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and love is in the air. So what are you going to get for your sweetheart? A practical gift can be boring ? one does not show love with a hand-mixer. Rather, surprise your sweetheart by taking a romantic approach. Whether you'll be toasting by candlelight or surprising your loved one with a hand-picked bouquet, that extra romantic gesture can make the most out of someone's day. A traditional, classic expression of love is often the perfect thing to give.

With a few days to spare before Valentine's Day, love is already in the air for some residents. And thanks to a stretch of lovely weather, it's high- lighted by warmth and sunshine. Cindy Moon and Andy Nam spent Saturday after- noon at Brand Park, posing for wedding pictures and taking advantage of the beautiful weather that has engulfed Southern California the past few days. The sunny conditions should continue right through Valentine's Day. Highs in Glendale will stay in the upper 60s and low 70s for the next week, although some wind is expected today, meteorologists at the National Weather Service said.

"Roses are red; violets are blue. Sugar is sweet and so are you." Remember the first time you wrote that on a handmade red paper heart to give to your mother? Remember how clever you thought you were to think of it? And the card itself was a real work of art, wasn't it? The heart was kind of lopsided and the lacy doily was torn in a few places and the paste had sort of bled out from it, smearing the red part. Mom loved that little card and kept it in her handkerchief drawer for more than 60 years.

So your sweetheart wants to go out on the town for Valentine's Day? Dinner can be pricey and reservations hard to get. How about cocktails, small bites and entertainment till the wee hours of the morning? Can this be found in Glendale? Absolutely. Here's a guide to the burgeoning Glendale night life scene and to some tried-and-true spots. Instead of splurging on an expensive dinner, why not start the night by sharing the outstanding Taco Tasting platter at Frida in the Americana at Brand.

On what is their highest profile and busiest time of the year, florists and sellers of all things sweet said Valentine's Day business this year was a definite improvement over 2011. That was in line with forecasts from the National Retail Federation that Americans would spend $17.6 billion on Valentine-related items this year, up from $15.7 billion last year. The average person celebrating the holiday was expected to spend about $126, up more than 8% over last year's $116 and the highest amount in the survey's 10-year-history.

The main feeder middle school for Crescenta Valley High, where a 15-year-old student apparently jumped to his death on Friday, is organizing a massive Valentine's Day card campaign for the grieving campus. Rosemont Middle School Principal Cynthia Livingston is asking the public to create a Valentine's card with the phrase "I CARE," accompanied with your name, age, city and how long you've been a resident. Organizers plan to collect the cards at drop-off locations and distribute them at Crescenta Valley High when school convenes on Tuesday.

Couples married for 20- to 50-plus years say they keep the spark in their romance through communication, humor and patience. Marj and Bob Overstreet of Burbank were married Sept. 6, 1958, and are John Burroughs grads — he in 1955, she in 1957. They met on a double date. “His good sense of humor is what first attracted me to him,” Marj Overstreet said. “He seemed to know what he wanted in life.” Parents of three grown boys, the Overstreets say they have kept their marriage romantic by making private time a priority.

Opening a new business during the nation’s economic downturn can be risky, but Spa Pura owners Ben Chun and Michelle Ju think their massage and skin care business will weather the storm. The pair understand that people are cutting back on spending, but Ju said people should treat themselves during these tough economic times. “I like to give people a good place where they can relax and they can relieve their stress with not too much expense,” Ju said. Chun and Ju knew they would have to make their prices affordable to make it through the recession, Spa Pura marketing director Kristen Spaun said.

Shaking hips, cat calls, feather boas, blaring salsa music — no, this was not a raucous night club, it was a group of more than 60 seniors midday at the Adult Recreation Center celebrating Valentine’s Day. Dressed in strappy red numbers, high heels and jewelry amid red and pink decorations, there was little indication that this was the city’s senior center. Since it’s a leap year, women were asked to bring a date, and they did — they brought more women.

On February 14, 270 A.D. a priest named Valentine was beheaded for performing marriage ceremonies. It is doubtful that Valentine foresaw his misfortune evolving into an annual holiday that would lead to future generations agonizing over the perfect Valentine's Day gift. Centuries later, couples everywhere, no matter how mature or new their relationship, struggle over finding a Valentine's Day gift that offers the appropriate level of sentimentality without breaking the bank financially.

Not had time to shop or can't figure out what distinctive or unusual gift to buy for your special valentine? Well, we may have the answer. We just might have the gifts. We will have quite a few valentine prizes and you will have several opportunities to win them. There is only one way to find out. Show up for the Chamber's February mixer, hosted by Bonners Party Rentals. Bonners has been around since 1941 and was once located on Verdugo Blvd. The current location is the second one for Liza and Tim (Tim started with Bonners in 1981, which was then owned by his brother)

Valentine's Day is around the corner, and love is in the air. So what are you going to get for your sweetheart? A practical gift can be boring ? one does not show love with a hand-mixer. Rather, surprise your sweetheart by taking a romantic approach. Whether you'll be toasting by candlelight or surprising your loved one with a hand-picked bouquet, that extra romantic gesture can make the most out of someone's day. A traditional, classic expression of love is often the perfect thing to give.

Marriage between seniors is a highlight among the various Valentine's Day events in the city.SOUTHEAST GLENDALE -- It's not easy finding love at any age. But for Ellen Crocker it came naturally -- even at 62 -- when she met 58-year-old John Wehnert. "I like younger men," she said of her resident neighbor at Leisure Vale Retirement Center. "I loved him at first sight." The two are getting married today, on Valentine's Day, at the retirement home -- something of a rarity for the seniors living there, administrator Polita Barnes said.