Love & Sex 2009

Single, coupled or in between—we've got your Valentine's lowdown

For some folks, Valentine's Day is the holiday they love to hate. Not me. I heart any tradition that involves chocolate, sexy music and anonymous poetry.

Yes, like most holidays, Valentine's Day has its commercialized dark side. But there also are plenty of ways to acknowledge your long-time love, secret crush or single self without breaking the bank (since, let's face it, the banks seem pretty much broken already).

Along these lines, we asked several Santa Fe couples for advice on their favorite cheap dates and also assembled a Valentine's calendar with plenty of affordable options. This isn't to say you shouldn't go shopping if you're so inclined—we've got some choice tips to get you started.

Is a romantic dinner in your future? SFR food writer A Qasimi tackles the relationship between food, love and sex in epistolary fashion, while Rani Molla faces her flower fears and comes out smelling like a rose…or, possibly, an orchid.

Still tense over all this love stuff? Loosen up, preferably with a group of friends in a hot tub or perhaps with some trained love experts.

Or maybe you're like me and just ready to have some old-fashioned Valentine's fun—DJ Melanie Moore sure is. Get her take on love, music and getting sexy on the dance floor.

Speaking of sexy, we think this year's Love & Sex cover art brings that concept home, which makes sense, since artist David Gonzales is the creator of Homies and a New Mexico homeboy himself. We caught up with Gonzales for a pre-Valentine's interview.

XOXO,
Julia Goldberg

EXTRA: Please enjoy SFR's slideshow of cozy pre-Valentine's portraits from our 2009 party

Letters to the Editor

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page.