Love at first site
By Donna Freydkin
(CNN) -- Cupid is back, and this year, he's plugged in.
If you're looking for something unique, clever or incurably fanciful with which to woo your sweetheart this Valentine's Day, just fire up your computer. The Web will transform anyone into an accomplished romantic.
Even if Valentine's Day leaves a more sour than sweet taste in your mouth, the Web will let you work out your anti-cherub aggressions without leaving a nasty bruise.
Virtual Valentines
If your love is truly like a red, red rose, why not send either a virtual or real bouquet of flowers?
Virtual Flowers allows anyone with Web access to send and receive free virtual bouquets. The server was busy and would not allow me to send a virtual bouquet, so plan ahead if you want to send one by Valentine's
Day. A rose, however, is not just a rose, as flower aficionados well know. Before you buy or send any flowers, discover their meanings at the FTD Florists Web site. To order flowers, visit
1-800-FLOWERS , which delivers throughout the continental United States and to 15
international destinations. You can select flowers by occasion and price, and have a fresh bouquet delivered within 24 hours.
If cards are more your style, why not send free personalized, animated, musical greeting cards, courtesy of Blue Mountain Arts. Just choose from a whole slew of quirky cards and write your message. The resulting cards
are original, cute and very cool.
Pucker up and go to TheKiss.com
to e-mail someone a virtual smooch. Create a unique kiss by selecting lip shapes, colors and patterns, or choose from a selection of smooches. You can choose from a variety of cute kisses, ranging from the graduation smack to a Net Talkin' Live kiss.
At a loss for words?
Looking to express your undying affection in a passionate love letter -- or to dump that not-so-special someone? Nando's Cyrano Server lets you write a love letter, breakup letter or pick-up letter. The form
resembles a Mad Lib by simply allowing you to fill out a form and creating the letter for you. Likewise, the Sacramento Bee's Luv-O-Matic lets you create a Valentine by filling in an HTML form with words from its simple pull-down menu. Profess the good, the bad and the ugly feelings for that person in your life. However, be aware that your message will end
up on the Wall O' Luv.
If Valentine's Day is music to your ears, send your sweetheart a LoveGram with music attached. Simply choose from a variety of card themes, ranging from nostalgic to romantic, select a picture and music and write your message.
Those with little time to hit the stores should check out AltaVista's Cupid Shop to help you find the perfect gift, without ever stepping foot into a mall. Choose from flowers, CDs, Godiva chocolates or lingerie to find this year's perfect gift. You do, however, pay for the convenience of shopping from your computer, as some of the rather steep prices indicate.
Dr. Love
Need relationship tips? Check out Dr. Tracy Cabot's love advice. You
can read Dr. Tracy's love advice for singles, people in the dating scene, and couples, check out her Q&A's in the advice column or leave a question of your own. If you're willing to shell out some fairly big bucks, you can get private, personal counseling from Dr. Tracy.
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Is Prince Charming the right man for you? Take HomeArts' quiz to discover just how well the two of you click. The quiz can help guide you through such relationship issues as jealousy, sexual compatibility, surviving the holidays and dealing with the ex-girlfriend. If you need yet more insight into the intricacies of relationships, consult Joe's Amazing Relationship Problem Solver for some tongue-in-cheek solutions. Just answer a few questions, and gain incredible insight into resolving the problems of the heart.
Now that you know whether to give your significant other a Valentine or the boot, see what your future holds. If your sweetheart leaves you starry eyed, check out Swoon's
Love Match to see if your lover's stars align with yours. If you're still not convinced, read Swoon's romance forecast and astrological profiles, or calculate your rising sign.
If the way to someone's heart truly is through their stomach, be sure to check out
HomeArts' guide to romantic meals. From decadent desserts to healthy creations, the recipes here should appeal to most gourmands. Prior to creating your culinary sensations, make sure to consult Sugarplums' information on foods known as
aphrodisiacs.
Heart and mouse
If this Valentine's Day finds you wired and willing to take the plunge, you can even
propose online -- with a special Web page. Simply submit your online marriage proposal and your loved one will receive an e-mail notifying him or her to visit a special Web page created just for them to see. You can also submit classifieds to help you find your true love.
Perhaps you have a crush on someone, but are terrified of baring your heart and having your feelings hurt? This Valentine's Day, send an anonymous, risk-free SecretAdmirer
message and see if the object of your affection returns your feelings. First, you send an anonymous e-mail message to someone you like. When the recipient gets your message, he or she will be able to find out who sent the message by going to the SecretAdmirer site and sending their own
e-mail to their sweetheart. If two people send secret admirer messages to each other, a match occurs -- and true love may be another mouseclick away.
If less is indeed more, than Mark's Apology Note Generator should solve all relationship problems in minutes. Forget to pick up the dry cleaning? Didn't refill the toilet paper? Get out of
the doghouse with a simple apology. And for women, if you'd like to point out to your man that he smells or you hate his friends, just fill out Mark's criticism generator.
Anti-Valentine
If Valentine's Day makes you see red, download Kaplan's cupid attack game for either Mac or PC. Kaplan combines Presidents Day, Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day into one twisted, funny game.