LOVE is in the air! The big V-Day is coming and all of February is filled with romantic events to boost the love angles in every relationship.

My golfing husband, Dennis, is renewing his love affair with the game. It?s been off for a while as he flirted with underwater hockey and other sports. But this month is the Manila Golf & Country Club?s annual Golden Tee, and he was lured back to the tees by the siren songs of Callaway and Nike.

Is it a sign of our 15 years of wedded-ness that he has asked me to spend Valentine?s with him at the Golden Tee Awards Banquet? I can just imagine the romance in the air as we sit at our table, looking into each other?s eyes and listening to the emcee read off the winning raffle numbers. When it comes time to whisper sweet nothings, he?ll probably drone on about how fast the greens were this year. And to make matters worse, like a good golf widow, I might actually be listening!

But I shouldn?t complain. With some powerful divine intervention, he might just achieve the perfect swing and hit a hole-in-one! A Mercedes Benz C Class is up for grabs on Holes 6 and 14, thanks to budding golfer Felix Ang of Cats Motors. And if he doesn?t hit the shot, he can always talk to Felix about what other romantic gifts he can get me. Now that would make for a truly romantic Golden Tee!

Bridal exhibit

For those just starting down the road to marital acrimony, er? matrimony, there is the bridal exhibit ?Dream Wedding Theme Bridal Showcase.? The Philippine Association of Wedding Planners has organized this exhibit with eight exciting theme weddings, like Hollywood, Oriental, Mardi Gras, Beach and Renaissance. Catch it at TriNoma Activity Center Feb. 11-13, with a fashion show at 6 p.m. on the last day.

Wedding planner Liza Alviedo-Lugue will do a Winter Wonderland theme while PAWP VP Bangs Zaldivar will set up a Moroccan-theme booth. Event planner Bangs is also the editor of Dreams, an indispensable guide to wedding possibilities. The catalog will be given out to soon-to-be-weds who come to the three-day event.

For those already on the road of romance and want a bit of a twist to it, head to Club Mwah on Feb. 14, 8 p.m. For the first time, R&B soul prince Luke Mejares will perform with the bejeweled showgirls of Club Mwah. The Valentine Show tickets are P1,000 with a free drink. For inquiries, call Edwin at 0929-8568428 or e-mail luke_atmwah@yahoo.com.

?Romanza?

For those who want to take their romance to the next level, catch ?Romanza,? the 15th solo mixed-media art exhibit of Dreamscapes artist Marivic Rufino. Her series, ?Dreamscapes 2009,? will be held at the Upper Lobby of The Peninsula Manila on Feb. 23, 6 p.m. The exhibit will then be displayed at the Nielsen?s Patio until the end of the month.

Together with all the paintings are interpretations in practical art, like furniture, lamps and evening bags. ?Romanza? is also a book launch of the short poems of National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario, illustrated with paintings by Mav Rufino and translations by Marne Kilates. ?Romanza? is published by Tahanan Books, with an introduction by professor Ruben Defeo.

?Dreamscapes? exhibits are for the benefit of St. Mary?s House for Young Girls and Serra?s Center for Girls. Marivic has been supporting these homes for abused girls for over 15 years.

Makeup and hairstyle gig

They say love is blind, but to those who are attracted to beauty with gorgeous makeup and vibrant hairstyles, the Philippine International Cosmetologists Association (Pica) will be showcasing the country?s top makeup mavericks and hairstylists at Cosmetologie 09 at the SMX Convention Center from Feb. 26 to 28. Call Gem Manuel at 4080021 for info.

Pica president Fanny Serrano has been actively promoting Cosmetologie 09, together with other top stylists in the country. Their aim is to create an event to showcase the young talents in the beauty industry. Major sponsors include L?Oreal, Matrix, Davines, Tigi, The Australian College of Hair Design and Beauty, Pond?s, Clarity Aesthetic Medical & Dental Center, and Kleenex.

Last week, several contestants participated in different categories, such as Men?s & Ladies Cut, Color & Style, Bridal Makeup, Red Carpet and Animé Total Look. The top finalists in each category get into the awards ceremony, where the winners will be proclaimed. I was hoping to be asked to judge the Animé category, but went the safe route, judging the Ladies? Cut, Color & Style along with ?Celebrity Duets?? Carlene Aguilar and Direk Laurice Guillen.

Fun race

February is the month to do things as a couple. Dennis and I just joined the first leg of the Speedo Aquathlon, a fun swim-run race organized by the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP). TRAP race director Rick Reyes flagged off the different waves of participants, ranging from 7 to 8-year-old boys and girls all the way to 50-and-over men and women. There will be several more legs of this Speedo Aquathlon, so check out www.triathlon.org.ph for details.

Dennis? friends from the Philippine Underwater Hockey Confederation joined the event, with PUHC VP Chari Ongyangco even finishing second in the women?s division. The underwater hockey group will be doing a demo of the sport for interested participants on March 7 at the Manila Polo Club. Meet the PUHCers by checking out www.puhc.com.ph.

Marathon

So many are into physical exertion during this Love Month. My gazelle-like cousins Leica and Amanda Carpo head to the Boston Marathon soon and equally fleet cousin Jon-Jon Rufino is contemplating the Tokyo Marathon, too. Ironman finisher Ani de Leon has been encouraging me to return to running, so I joined the recent PSE Bull Run and finished 10K. The event was enough to get me re-excited about running, after a slight layoff due to the post-New York Marathon blues.

Love and physical exertion truly go together, whether one is sweating it out in a fun run, or swatting golf balls on a golf course, or sweetly sweating in some other activity that I?ll leave unmentioned in this family newspaper.

E-mail seaprincess@inquirer.com.ph