I love my bedroom.  I knew when we first got married that one day I wanted to have a purple bedroom.  Not a nice cool lavender color, but a deep, dark, passionate purple!  I couldn’t wait to get to work when we bought our house!  My husband went with me to the paint store and laughed when I showed him the color I wanted, but he went with it and now he loves it too!

And did I mention our king sized bed?  That was another thing that I always wanted… a very tall king bed that I almost need a step stool to get up into.  So needless to say, I was thrilled when we went to pick out our new bedroom suite!  We have a huge, soft, down comforter and several purple throw pillows to match our walls.  In fact, we have 10 pillows on our bed (when all of the throw pillows are on there).

We have small candles on our dressers and night stands, and we also have a nice pear scented spray called “Between the Sheets” that we sometimes spray on our sheets that is soothing and nice to smell.  I have found that certain aromas can certainly be a real turn on.

We don’t have a fancy canopy bed with curtains or anything, but what we do have works for us.  I love my bedroom.  I love that it has always been a ‘kid free zone.’  (Our kids are not allowed in our bedroom at any time.)  I love our oversized comfortable bed, all of our pillows, our mirrors, our purple walls, and our private bathroom.  It’s exactly what we need.  It works for us.

So tell me… what makes your bedroom work for you?  What makes it passionate?

September 15, 2011
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 22 Comments

We already have an article on the importance of taking the time to have date nights with your husband, but I wanted to take some time to discuss together ideas for winter dates. For me, I have so many more things that I enjoy to do in the warmer weather and also many of them are free, which I like. 😀 But winter dates are important too. What are some free or inexpensive winter date ideas apart from eating out and/or going to the movies. That is always our default and honestly we do it because it’s fun for us, but it’s also easy.

Some of the other things we have enjoyed when the colder weather is less conducive to being outdoors are:

• going to the library and sitting quietly together while flipping through magazines.
• driving through different neighbourhoods to get ideas on how to landscape or renovate our home.
• bundling up and walking through a park.

What are some fun, creative winter dates you have shared with your husband which haven’t cost much (under $30)? My husband and I are out of our dating routine right now and I am looking for ideas on how we get our dating groove back. 🙂 Maybe you are too and we can get some ideas from one another.

January 13, 2011
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 22 Comments

For us, it’s hard getting a sitter for our kids.  Both sets of grandparents live out of town, although we do use them from time to time.  We don’t have other extended family members nearby and we just don’t feel right leaving them with the neighbors.  While we do ship the kids off to grandma’s house to spend the night every couple of months, we sometimes feel like we need some quality time together in between those times.  We have found something that works perfectly for us… DAYTIME DATES!

Both of our children are in school now.  That makes daytime dates possible for us.  We pick a day that we want to spend together and my husband takes a vacation day for that date.  Then we don’t tell the kids!  We wake up acting all normal on the morning of said date, and put the kids on the bus for school as if nothing is up.  Then, as soon as they are gone we have the entire day together…until the bus brings them back home that afternoon.  We know that we have from 7:45am until 3:15pm to fit in whatever we can!

Morning sex is always a possibility, and we don’t have to be quiet.  Then we can leisurely get dressed and go out to breakfast together or go to a coffee shop.  From there we usually set our sights on shopping for something that we need, like clothes for the kids or something for the house, or even just a grocery store trip together without the kids!  Sometimes we just window-shop and stroll hand in hand in a nearby mall checking out what’s going on.  On a couple of these dates we have been known to get intimate in the dressing rooms! 😆

There are so many possibilities though.  You can go to a park and swing together (like we did when we were dating), you can go bowling, you can play tennis or go to the batting cages, or you can go see a matinee!  You could grocery shop and come home and cook lunch together or you could find a nice restaurant for lunch.  You could take a walk or rake the leaves together, all the while having fun with each other.  The important thing here is just being together and having your focus be on each other.

We have been having one or two daytime dates per month, and it’s really been so good for our relationship.  I so enjoy the time that I get to spend with my husband, and it helps me to relieve stress and be in a better mood when my kids get off that bus in the afternoon.  So everyone wins!

I know that for some of you this idea may be impossible right now.  We weren’t able to do it when our kids were little.  We had to wait until they were both in school, and me being a stay-at-home-mom helps too.  But think about it and see if there is any way that you could make it work for your situation at all.   Even a HALF a day may work for you and your spouse.  Just remember that there is no rule that says your “dates” with your husband have all got to be at night!

If you are able to work out having a daytime date with your husband, leave us a comment and let us know how it went!

April 22, 2010
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 13 Comments

In light of the fact that this weekend is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to share a devotional that I read from a book called Daily Grace for Women in place of today’s poll.   Since I am copying the devotion, I want to be sure to give full credit to this book.  It’s on p. 39.

It’s been called a phenomenon, a mysterious and splendid thing.   It’s as invisible as the air we breathe, yet equally essential  Poets have tried to describe it.   Philosophers have sought to understand it.   Songwriters have mined from their hearts the emotional treasure it evokes.   But the mystery and miracle of love remains indescribable.  What an amazing gift God has given us – not only to observe, but also to miraculously experience!  His Word proclaims it to be greater than hope and faith.

Long before St. Valentine was adopted as the patron saint of lovers, God’s love was the foundation of true love.   Because of the romantic symbols we use to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we forget that St. Valentine actually lost his life because of his love for God.   Beyond the glamour of roses and chocolates that help us celebrate the world’s view of romantic love, we find a man who gave his all for the love of his Savior.

Love is the deepest and most fulfilling gift God has ever given us.  That gift transcends outward symbols and trivial attempts to explain it.  Without His love, we wouldn’t experience God’s mercy, His Salvation or His joy.  Once received, the deep abiding love of Christ in our hearts will overflow into every aspect of our lives.  Real love, the kkind of love that sacrificed all for you and me, came in human form to unite our hearts to God’s.

Do you desire to love more and experience more love in your life?  God’s word encourages, “If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12 NASB)

Celebrate the sacred bliss of true love.  Wrap yourself and others in this extraordinary gift that was hand delivered from Heaven by the Author and Creator of love.

As you approach Valentine’s Day, remember where love first came from…your Father in Heaven.  If it wasn’t for His love, we would have no love at all.

February 9, 2010
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: spicynutmeg . Comments: 1 Comment

One of our readers sent the following email:

My wife and I are going to to celebrate our 6th anniversary in May and I would like to go ahead and at least begin to plan our “date night”.  I would really like to absolutely blow her away with a surprise mini vacation or something.  I can spend around $500.00 to do whatever.  I’ve done the hotel with candlelit dinner before and am thinking about doing it again, but would like some ideas to change things up and make them more exciting.  Thank you in advance for your help.

I offered to write a response because I have had numerous opportunities to go away with my husband and they are most certainly some of our favorite memories. We have taken the opportunity in times of financial plenty and in times of needing to live sparingly. We always found a way to save enough, even if it was for one night at moderately priced accommodations.

With a $500 budget you can certainly manage a night at a luxurious hotel or quaint inn. Depending on what your wife is craving at this time of her life you want to consider if she needs a more peaceful setting or a exciting metropolitan. I have thoroughly enjoyed both and both offer great opportunities to celebrate your anniversary.

If you live near a big city, there is a lot in the way of entertainment to enjoy such as live theater or concerts, wonderful restaurants, and most hotels can give you a list of things to do in the city if you are less familiar with the area. Be prepared to do some walking since most of the time a new city is a lot of fun to explore by foot, but be aware of safety issues as some of the areas may not be good neighborhoods to walk around. Again, your hotel should be able to advise you on issues like this.

If your wife leads a very busy life, she may be craving something more relaxing. Maybe she needs a time where she can go for a peaceful walk with her man or she can just sit back and relax while other people bring her drinks and food. A nice inn or bed and breakfast nestled in a wooded area or on the waterfront can be a really nice option in this case. Definitely try to find a place with a private jacuzzi if your wife enjoys that. Most of the women I have talked to enjoy the intimacy that a hot tub can provide. One place we stayed at had one nestled in a treed area of the property. It was really nice. Another one was indoors in the guest area of the house.

A word on a couple of practical issues. For just one night, my personal opinion is that traveling to the destination shouldn’t take much more than an hour, or two at the most. If you can manage a full weekend, then you could probably look to further areas. Also, assuming that your wife still menstruates, try to plan it around her cycle so that she isn’t having her period when you go away. The other consideration is, of course, the fact that you may have children. If you are blessed to have family that can care for them, then asking them to stay with your kids is an option. Parents, siblings, cousins. Think about people in your family who might be able to help out with this. The other thing you can think about is doing a swap with some friends. You watch their kids for a night for them and then they do the same for you. Your church family may be a good place to look for relationships that allow for this. If you really are at a loss as to how you can manage a night away without your kids, start praying for God to bring people into your life who you can trust to care well for your kids. It will be good for you and for your kids. Also, if you have a baby, you have the option of bringing him or her along. We did that once when my first was 3 months and I was still nursing. It was still a wonderful getaway, so make the best of whatever situation you are in. It won’t be that way forever.

Whether it is an active getaway or a more laid back one, its a really great opportunity to focus on one another. Bring along coconut oil for a full body massage. Make a concerted effort to learn more about your spouse. Try some new things sexually and enjoy the old faithfuls. Talk about your dreams for the future. No matter what your love language is, a weekend excursion will provide you with an opportunity to show and receive a tremendous amount of love. Walking hand in hand in a beautiful setting, conversing over a succulent dinner, laughing together at a comedy show. All of these are great chances for love and intimacy to blossom. Enjoy it! And seal the memories in your heart to enjoy again later 🙂

You may find more ideas in the following articles:

• Hotel Getaways
• Spicy Getaways

April 15, 2009
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 6 Comments

So, my wife and I are planning a romantic escape to Vegas in April. I was wondering if you had any tips on things to do there besides laying poolside and catching a show in the evening. We’re not big gamblers – but we’ve seen so many great travel shows on Vegas that it seems like there is alot to do for those of us romantics who don’t want to break the bank doing it. Any ideas?

My husband and I just visited Las Vegas last summer and it ranks right up there with one of our most memorable vacations ever!!!!  There is always something to do in Vegas and I have heard that the hotels are very reasonable right now because of our sluggish economy.  I’ll share what we found enjoyable and hopefully our readers will do the same if they have visited as well.

So many hotels are on the strip and they each have a different feel about them. Take a walk down the strip and check them out but because you will be walking a lot, make sure you have comfortable footwear.   The ‘casino’ parts are basically the same so make sure to venture out to the shopping areas.  Here are a few hotels that really stick out in my mind:

The  Bellagio has a beautiful garden that you can walk through.  The garden has many great photo opts, so make sure you have your camera in tow.  My husband’s favorite scene at the Bellagio was the chocolate fountain, which is the window display for a bakery in the hotel.  If you are in this area at night then the water show is a ‘must see’.  The music, accompanied by a beautiful water show is shown every 10 minutes outside the Bellagio.   

The Venetian has a gondola ride that travels right down the middle of the hotel.  The tickets were $10 a piece and the ride is not long but it was a nice memorable experience for us.  A couple in the gondola next to us actually became engaged during their ride!!

Paris is a replica of the Eiffel Tower and it has an elevator that goes up high enough to see the entire strip.  Watching the Bellagio water shows from this elevator is supposedly one of the most romantic things you can do in the U.S.

MGM has a gold lion in their main lobby encompassed by beautiful flowers.  No, the lion is not real….the real lions are in the shopping area of this hotel.  If you time it right you can see the trainers feed the lions.  This happens to be the hotel that was showing KA……I’ll write more about KA in a moment.

We did take a walk down the entire strip and I honestly feel like I could go on and on about each hotel but unfortunately I don’t want to overwhelm you so here are some bullet points.  Many of the hotels have a live band playing and you can go one the dance floor to boogie on down.  The old strip, known as Freemont Street, is not too far.  There you can see some familiar sights from the older movies.  It is enclosed and they have a light show on the ceiling which is a lot of fun.

We did go to a few shows and if you have some money to spare I urge you to see a Cirque du Soleil show.  We watched KA and it is, by far, the best show I have ever seen.  They do perform a more risque show with partial nudity, so you want to be sure to research which show you are buying tickets for. 

Our downtime was spent at the pool just lounging and people watching right at our hotel.  We did rent a cabaña for a day.  It was nice to be able to get out of the heat and it was fully stocked with all the juice and water that you could drink.  Remember, we went in the summer so it was very hot!!

While we were in Vegas we did encounter some people trying to hand out ‘call girl’ information to everyone who walked by.  They smack their hands with the cards to get your attention.  They were easy enough ignore and look the other way.  By the end of the week these people had upped their game by wearing a sandwich board, that light up, exploiting women.  This was the only thing about Vegas that I did not like.  Hopefully they will be able to remove this from the streets in the near future.  If you see them up ahead just avoid eye contact or if you are more aggressive than me you may want to try educating them but then again I don’t think they spoke much English.

Vegas has endless amounts of shows and things to do.  I hope this list helps get you started on some ideas for your own memories.  Have fun and enjoy each other!!!!!!

April 2, 2009
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: peppermintgirl . Comments: 8 Comments

Urban Romance from art.com

In July last year I published and article entitled Sexy Art and it was so fun to research that I decided to release a sequel. Honestly, I have loved researching for these articles because there are so many great pieces of sensual art available. My last article inspired me so much I got a piece of sexy art for my husband for his birthday.

Please note, as last time, that some of these images may contain some partial nudity.

One art subject that can be quite sexy or romantic would be those that are of couples dancing:

• Spanish Heat
• Scarlet Dancer
• Evening in Jade
• Mille et Une Nuit

You might also be inclined to find a subject that is more subtle:

• In Thoughts of You
• Back Where You belong
• First Kiss

Another subject of sexy art that you might consider for your boudoir would be of couples engaged in an embrace or sensual moment:

• Adore
• Tender Passion
• En Brazos de Morfeo
• Good Morning

Or you might want a piece of art that portrays a sensual woman:

• Nude in Repose
• Odalisque I
• Evening Remose
• Modesty

You can also find several pieces that are created by the same artist and purchase them in sets:

• Now!
  
• So Gentle!

One artist I like has created paintings inspired by the Song of Solomon:

• The Secret Place
• My Beloveds Return
• Thou Hast Doves Eyes

These are just wall images, but there are beautiful sculptures that are very sensual as well. I love art. I love how it can be so expressive of emotion and how it can create emotion in the observer. I see the Lord of Heaven and Earth as the ultimate artist and how he expresses His creativity through us is a true gift.

I have an artist friend who I will interview next week about her contribution to the world of sexy art. Stay tuned 🙂

April 1, 2009
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cinnamonsticks . Comments: 14 Comments

“I have been wanting to do some sexy pictures for my husband, but I am not very creative. I would like some ideas for positions and things I can do at home with the timer on our digital camera. I don’t know if any of you have any experience with this, but I would love some tips! (Seems like it might make a great article as well!)”

What a great topic! We already have one article on here that is a great introduction to this called: Camera Shy? I encourage you all to read that one first and then come back to this one. I have a lot of experience making my own homemade movies and pictures for my husband, so I’m going to give you some tips to remember when you are saying cheese!

Prepare your background. This is for both movies and still pics. If you are using the bed as your background then make it up! Throw on some accent pillows or rose petals to make it look nice. If you have satin or silk sheets, then you may want to remove your comforter so that you can show them off! If you are outside, think about what props you could use or what you want in your background.

Use plenty of light! I cannot stress this one enough. I know that in person, candlelight is soft and romantic and great for setting a mood, but for pictures and movies you will need bright light. If you try to use candles or low light, then the picture will just end up dark and your husband will be squinting to try and make it out. Turn on your 60-watt overhead lights, turn on that spotlight on your camcorder, or go outside and use the sunlight! You may feel a little uncomfortable with it at first, but I guarantee you that your pictures and movies will turn out so much better this way.

Watch out for shadowing. Sometimes you may move into a position that will actually shadow parts of you that you are trying to get seen. Overhead lights are sometimes the culprits for this. To help, use the spotlight on your video camera or get a couple of flashlights and position them to shine directly on you.

Decide on positions beforehand. Think about what it is that you want to show. If you need help, then grab up some magazines or even check out the latest album covers! Look at the different poses that today’s stars are striking and think about how you could incorporate that into your photo shoot. What is your best asset? What feature of yours is your husband’s favorite? Is he a boob man or a butt guy? Whatever it is, try to think of ways you can flaunt the parts that you know really get to him!

Decide on costumes and props beforehand. Is this going to be a nude shoot? Will you need lingerie? What heels/boots will you wear with it, or will you be barefoot? Do you need jewelry? For videos, do you want music playing in the background? If so are you thinking slow and steamy or fast and erotic?

Apply more make-up than normal. The camera (especially video camera) doesn’t pick up on make-up real well, unless you are going for a close up face shot. I’m assuming here that you are not. If you are going for a zoomed out full body shot, then applying your make-up a little darker than you normally do will help it to show up better. Fingernail and toenail polish are also a nice touch!

Think about using black and white. If you are only interested in doing sensual photographs (and not X-rated ones), then play around with black and white pics. Sometimes black and white pictures can be sexy in a more subtle way.

Don’t smile too big! If you are going for sexy then you want a minimal smile. Use your eyes to convey what you want from him more so than your smile. Sometimes your tongue can be used as well. Think about sucking on your finger, a lollipop or a pop sickle!

Show him your booty! It doesn’t matter if you are shooting still pics or a video, your husband will love seeing your rear. For X-rated pics I suggest you stand up and bend over as if you dropped something. Another really good one is to get on all fours (doggie style) and then turn your head to look back at the camera. This will give your husband the visual of taking you from behind, and also the sexy eye contact. I suggest incorporating these same poses if you are making a video for him.

Talk to him! Of course this one is for videos only. If you are daring enough to make an X-rated video of yourself masturbating or striking sexy poses for your husband, then please add some sound to it! Ooooooo and Aaaahhhhhh and moan and groan. Say things like “Oh this feels sooooooo good” and “I wish you were here right now to ________.”

Use lube. This is if you are going for explicit and graphic shots or videos of yourself. Applying coconut oil (or your lube of choice) will help your body to glisten. Rub it all over your breasts and then stand in front of a mirror and look at how hot you look! Your husband will want to glide his hands all over you! For close up shots of your labia, make sure that you have her all lubed up too.

Tell him a story. This is an idea for a video. Make up a sexy story of the two of you on a beach somewhere, or out in your backyard, or on the hood of your car in the garage. Touch yourself while you tell him the story. Use a low sultry sexy voice and speak slowly. Maybe you could be removing clothes while you are telling the story.  Or describe to him a fantasy you have of the two of you. Something that you’d like to see come true sometime.

Incorporate toys! This is for those of you who have husbands that like them. If your husband likes seeing a toy disappearing into your vagina, then use that idea in your photos or video! Don’t have any toys? Well, you could always go pick up a cucumber at the grocery store!

If embarrassment is an issue, then crop out your face. This can help particularly with shooting a video too. If you have an idea that you want to do, but you are feeling a little iffy about your facial expressions and you aren’t sure how it will turn out, then just zoom in to your body where the action will be taking place and leave your face out of it. That way you won’t have to worry about what goofy expression you may have on your face. (Yes, I’ve done this.)

Use the shower! Take a shower and get lathered up real good in all the right parts. Then have your camera already set up on a tripod just outside the stall. Reach out and mash the button for the timer and snap some pics of yourself clothed in nothing but suds and bubbles! (Don’t forget to give him a hinny shot in the shower!)

These are just some suggestions I have and some of the above may not apply to every person or situation. I think it is wonderful that you are planning on using your digital camera like this! Hopefully others will leave more ideas in the comment box.

Related Articles:  Camera Shy? &  Boudoir Photos

November 5, 2008
Categories: Romantic Ideas . . Author: cumingirl . Comments: 26 Comments