Oh, Romance!

Steven and I had an interesting conversation last night. It was about ROMANCE (birds chirping, strings singing, hearts and stars in the air, and fireworks, oh fireworks!). More specifically, Romantic Gifts. Like, Romantic Christmas Gifts. My grandfather is the master artist of Romantic Gift Giving. Once, when my grandparents took Steven and I out to eat, we were leaving and my grandpa told my grandma to get something out of the glove compartment for him. Do you know what was in there? A diamond bracelet. Or ring. Something with a diamond. Why? Oh, he'd just seen it in the mall while we were in there, and he just knew she'd like it. Because he loves her. Dang, my grandpa is GOOD.

And that isn't even a romantic setting. Have we ladies made it too easy for our men, so they think that setting isn't important? I know when I was in high school, I stood on this here's-why-you-should-date-me soapbox: I was low-maintenance. BOYS OF AKRON-WESTFIELD! COME ONE! COME ALL! COME SEE THE AMAZING, BEAUTIFUL, LOW-MAINTENANCE GIRL! But now, it's like, Oh, she's low-maintenance (for your benefit, men, not for ours) so she doesn't care about things like that. She doesn't need a lot of glitz and glamour. She's low-maintenance.

Men, hear, hear! A bathrobe is a mother's day present! A first anniversary needs to be planned! (And she wants to KNOW that you took the time to really plan it out!) A third Christmas together is an opportunity (nay, an obligation) to really show her that, hey, you know she's been putting up with you for three years now of ring-less glory, so, since it hasn't happened yet, it's time to sweep her off her feet! Video games are safe for a first Christmas, and sloth stuffed animals are thoughtful. But I cannot say that Romantic is a good word for either. THIS is your chance to shine, man of mine.

And by the way, set-up, setting, and who is there for an engagement DOES need to be figured out many months ahead of time. I'm not even saying that I want a ring for Christmas (I want a ring now). But whenever a girl gets her ring, it DOES matter when, where, how, and who is there. IT JUST DOES, SO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Instead of thinking of a few ideas haphazardly in your head and going with whatever one falls into place first. We can tell when that's the case, and it cuts Romantic factor by 33%.

So, as promised, a list of ROMANTIC GIFT IDEAS:
1) ____________________________________ I'm sure you already know.
2) a beautiful, possibly expensive dress - hey! we like to know you think of us as pretty, and want to dress us up a little. I have, in fact, received a dress before, and that was a good present.
3) any jewelery, expensive or not - everyone knows I'm not a diamond girl, and I don't like frivolous gifts... but I DO like other types of things that would fit under jewelery (cough black hills gold, cough aquamarine/sapphire gem stones)
4) a trip to the theatre! Or to a show! A PLANNED OUT ROMANTIC DATE is what we are getting at. We want to feel like you took days figuring this out - "We have to be at Aunt Maude's by __insert time__." (Because you made a RESERVATION) And then, order her something, maybe, that you have thought she would like (Because you already went in and looked at the menu for her) - HEY, why don't you tell them what you want for both of you before we even get there, so it's like HEY, you REALLY planned this! And THEN, take us somewhere, whether it's to, say, hairspray, or oh, My Little Pony LIVE! And finish the night off with a rose, a kiss on the doorstep, and let that be that.
5) a GET AWAY TRIP - like to the Old Market, or to the Zoo, or Downtown Minneapolis, or the Botanical Center (I almost got there once)
6) a ring you bought in Rwanda, kept a secret a secret for months, and then present at a perfect moment
7) a surprise of showing up at my house when I go home alone for the weekend
8) really expensive bedding. I don't know why, but when Brandon bought Lindsey really nice bedding before they got married, that just got to me.
9) a BIKE
10) a dessert dinner - go buy every option of dessert available from a couple different restaurants, and then set them all up on a candle lit dinner and let's eat it all.

I can think of lots of things, probably, but this was what YOU asked for. We were under the impression you were the romantic type. We'll see.

I DO love you, though. I just am replying to your request. I'm cute.