All the Pretty Dresses
Turn heads on Valentine’s Day with these form-fitting dresses ($169 each) from Stop Staring! A scorching red number in a tight, Lycra blend reveals every dangerous curve, though the real showstopper may be the sweet-but-sizzling satin and Lycra-pieced dress. Flirty inverted pleats reveal a repeat of the satin top’s champagne-rose hue. A self-belt with rhinestone buckle at the nipped waist keeps things nice and tight.
Talulah
Plaza Mercado
112 W. San Francisco St.,
505-983-6573
Cry st al Fire
Exquisite, antique, fiery opalescence perfume bottles, ($95 and up) designed by glass master Ernesto Sabino (1878-1961), are the perfect gifts for those hard-to-shop-for valentines. Sabino’s secret formula injects gold into the mix with results that light up like “fire within” when bathed in sunlight. Golds, reds and yellows calm down to a ghostly pale blue when the lights are dimmed. These particular collectibles come with sensual names like La Danse, Petalia, Frivolities and Orchidia.
Scarlett’s Gallery and Antique Shop
225 Canyon Road, 505-983-7092
Ahhh, Romance!
Set the scene with an elegant etched champagne bucket ($28) to chill your fave bubbly and delicate glass flutes ($11), all set atop a black-mirrored bar tray ($155). Scatter vintage valentines ($1) around or tuck cards into drawers, coat pockets or briefcases and you’re sure to win Most Romantic Valentine ’09.
Poem
125 E. Palace Ave., 505-820-7884
All Tied Up
Corsets are back or, rather, they are out from underneath and ready for public flaunting. Handmade in Ruidoso by the Laced label, these stunningly sexy bindings ($125 and up) are available in every look, from biker chick to renaissance faerie. Silks, brocades, denim and leather are shaped on metal boning (just like in the olden days); lace up the back to fit just under the bust. Not sure about your corset size? Subtract 4 to 6 inches from your waist measurement to find your perfect fit.
1008 Pen Road, 505-983-7700
Heart of Glass
Fall in love with Wanda Lobito’s sterling silver earrings and pendants ($74 and up), which feature turquoise, glass hearts, portraits of Frida and Diego, and tiny images of the Santo Niño de Atocha. Traditional sacred-heart styling includes gold flame accents that give a new dimension to these sincere works of wearable art.
101 W. Marcy St., 505-988-3585
