Valentine's Day at The Garlic Tree

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and so is a very big day for restaurants around the world. There won't be a vacant table in the building as loving couples take over. The Garlic Tree is no exception, where there are lots of changes have been made to the décor to reflect the high levels of love which are clogging up the air...

First of all I'd like to show you the main section of my place.

Main section of The Garlic Tree

The usual set-up is maintained, but there are a few tweaks have been made for Valentine's. I used the Flower Table last year, but have decided to pair it this time with the Flower Chair. They do come as a set, and petal forms on both make for a nice combination. And the table also matches the Elegant flooring which is staying through the season. There's not been a Valentine's floor tile that I like enough to deck out the whole area with, but that's okay as I'm quite happy to stick with the current design.

The Grand Piano, Elegant Harp and String Quartet are all regular decorations, but blend in seamlessly to the theme, with lusty tunes expected tomorrow night! The Table of Romance from 2013 sits snugly in the corner, while the whole area is bordered by Valentine Dividers. I thought about using the new Romantic Dividers instead, but decided that they didn't really merit the 10,000 coins price tag when I've already got lots of a themed divider. The Eternal Roses have been utilised for the awkward junctions in the dividers - I really like this constructible item, and so this was the perfect opportunity to display several of them!

Moving to the small zones, the foyer section has had a Valentine's makeover.

Foyer section of The Garlic Tree

The Love's Eternal Flame will do a stellar job of warming our couples when they come in out of the cold, and they can peruse the Valentine Menu on the wall while waiting to be served. And when they are it will be at the Heart Host Table and by Hanbok Phoebe! The red of her outfit works excellently with the Red Carpet flooring and Modern Romance wallpaper.

In the right corner the Tea Hat Stand keeps its place, while there is also a Giant Rose Basket to give the customers a little gift as they head off into the night.

Shimmying over, there's a romantic dinner in full swing.

Romantic dinner section of The Garlic Tree

The Fondue Couple are at the centre of the scene. A goal prize in 2013, I've always had a certain fondness for this piece and make sure to put it top of the agenda for Valentine's decorating. With their own Chilled Drink and a personal Violinist, this couple are sure to have a lovely evening at The Garlic Tree. And that's before they even hit the Wine cart!

In this area I've implemented the beautiful Ruby Red Wallpaper and mounted the wall with the recently added Candle Holders. Some Red Curtains and a Fancy Window help to avoid blank wall space while the Wooden Xs and Wooden Os do the same on the floor. This is the section I'm most pleased with - there's a cosy ambience and a real sense of fine dining.

Elsewhere there's a much more raucous area for those who prefer a wild night out!

Nightclub section of The Garlic Tree

The nightclub zone is headlined by the 4x4 sized Crystal Room. I captured this beauty in the Christmas sale with the intention of using it for this exact purpose. It's a great item for Valentine's and considering it only cost me 15 gems was well worth the investment.

As if there weren't enough sources of alcohol going around my restaurant, the Bubbly Fountain and Cruise Ship Bar can also be found in this section, something which the Lounge Lizard has clearly cottoned onto. The Mexican Dancer is too busy doing her thing to stop for refreshment though! Taking centre stage on a dance floor made up of Foam Mats from the kids playground update, she's gotten the Jock's attention, although he's trying to play it cool!

 Valentine's Day 2015

 09/02/15 Goals content report
 04/02/15 Goals

 04/02/15 Goals update

 28/01/15 Content removal announcement

To add to the purple of the Crystal Room I've installed four True Love trees in a row along with some Future Rainbow wallpapers. The latter come at 2 gems each and most certainly weren't on my wishlist but I bought them accidentally when trying to slap on the Digital wallpaper. I'd already purchased three before realising my mistake! Unfortunately there's not a purple floor tile for coins on the market so I've had to make do with the Ruby Red Mosaic. It's still a cool flooring though, so it's not all doom and gloom!

For a breather from the party in there, why not take a romantic walk in the outdoor area?

Outdoor section of The Garlic Tree

There's a real selection of content on display here from a variety of different themes, and most of it wasn't even released in a Valentine's update! However it does come together beautifully to form a tranquil scene of love. The Spring Meadow flooring and Riverside wallpaper aid in creating that peaceful atmosphere, while this seemed the ideal opportunity to encompass the Field Fence Dividers. Their presence makes it only natural to include the Garden Archway, which remains to this day one of my favourite decorations.

Among the other floor items, the Kissing Swans was an expensive buy for a previous Valentine's Day while the Summer Fun was a gem buy last summer. The French Cafe Bike was another shrewd add in the Christmas sale, and has been placed to look like it is part of the Summer Fun. The only item from this year that has made the final cut is the Romantic Lounge, which luckily fits in well with the surroundings.

There's actually a nice little quest for readers in this outdoor section, and it is as follows: there are seven loving couples on show, but can you spot them all?

That brings an end to the tour of my diner's special arrangements for Valentine's Day, although there is one other themed area worth taking a peek at.

Chinese New Year section of The Garlic Tree

Chinese New Year is next Thursday, so I thought I'd raid my storage and put on a show! I had actually reinstalled my sports section in this space until yesterday as a nod to the Superbowl, but now is as good a time as any to make the transition.

The Dragon Dance was a fantastic final goal prize, and the Chinese Archway wasn't far behind. Those two are the focal points of this area, with the Chinese Lanterns on the wall helping to add to the depth. This theme is so distinctive and does stand out. I remember really enjoying the Chinese New Year goals, and have in truth been a little disappointed that this event hasn't had any attention this year (yet!)

So that's another Valentine's! And to show my lack of commitment to the proceedings, I haven't spent a single gem (at least not deliberately!) on content specifically for the occasion. The introduction of the Classic Bundle has played a part in that as I continue to save up for it, but generally I'm not that keen on Valentine's. It's certainly my least favourite of the major seasons, falling well behind Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. But I've still made an effort since there's nothing as therapeutic as redecorating your restaurant!