Valentine's Day gift giving doesn't just have to involve heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and vases of red roses.
And for V-Day 2010, I'm noticing a range of creative and unusual options.
Since I'm sworn off of all sweets during this time while competing in the 2010 Seattle Sutton Slim Down Challenge, I can certainly appreciate food-free alternatives:
TREE-Mendous Toast - - It was in 2001 that glass designer Lolita was tasting and trying her very first cosmopolitan martini. Today, she's one of the most popular custom designers for stemware, ranging from clever hand-painted martini glasses to wine goblets. One of her most popular designs for Valentine's Day is a wine goblet resembling a tree, with the stem serving as the tree truck and two tiny love birds perched above in the branches. Today, Loltia sells more than 4 million glasses a year. Glasses go for around $25 and can be purchased at many stores and boutiques, including Hallmark, in additon to thelolitastore.com.
Smells so Good: The Sweet Indulgence Gift Set from PartyLite has a strawberry rhubarb scent (my favorite pie!) and includes creams blended with antioxidant-enriched vitamin E. The line, featured in the kit called Body Escentials, promises to leave skin feeling smooth, silky, refreshed and smelling delicious. Gift box contains 4-ounce bottle of Strawberry Rhubarb Body Escentials Body Wash, a 4-ounce container of body lotion and one Strawberry Rhubarb Mini Barrel Candle with a 25 to 35 hour burn time. FYI: $24.95, 888) 999-5706 or partylite.com
No Necking: HBO, in collaboration with designer Udi Behr has created a line of jewelry around the network's hit vampire series "True Blood." Inspired by the dark and sexy nature of the vampires in the show, the collection includes bracelets, leather cuffs, necklaces, rings and earrings in a edgy fusion of sterling silver, polished steel and crimson rubies and many of the bracelets and necklaces even feature a patented fang-like clasp. Most pieces, like The Infinity Ring ($169) incorporates the shape of the "infinity" symbol, since vampires live forever. FYI: (888) 445-3714 or store.hbo.com
No Broken Hearts: Ann Clark Ltd. aka The Cookie Cutter People from Vermont have some clever ways to give a gift that might likely inspire a sweet thank you in return in the form of a platter of fresh baked and decorated cookies. Their new Nesting Hearts cookie cutter set sells for $7.95 and includes a recipe for Honey Fruit Cookies. Equally popular are the Large Desire cookie cutter for $4.99, which includes a recipe for Chocolate Passion Cookies and the Traditional Tin Heart cookie cutter for $3.99, featured with a recipe for True Heart frosted cookies. FYI: (800) 252-6798 or annclark.com
A Precious Drop: This year for Valentine's Day, why not make the most of your money while simultaneously splurging on your significant other with a gift that will last. Meaningful skincare can last months and years and Decleor's Aromessence Rose D'Orient Serum promises the gift of youth. The rose is found in its liquid form in Decleor's therapeutically, high-grade pure natural rose oil, which is said to have a range of benefits. Centuries ago, Arab healers believed it could heal lung complaints, while Greeks used crushed rose in early forms of cold cream. The serum in this tiny vial from Paris is useful in eczema, fighting wrinkles, helping remove puffiness, reducing lines, increasing smoothness and adding radiance to the skin. Rose oil also helps relieve depression as well as working as an aphrodisiac. This line is popular with Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Brooke Shields, Liv Tyler, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Katie Holmes, Nicole Richie, Kourtney Kardashian, Debra Messing and many others. It's available at most fine department stores, like Nordstrom or at decleor.com.
The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or 219.852.4327.
Today's Celebrity Birthdays
Actor Robert Wagner is 80. Guitarist Don Wilson of The Ventures is 77. Singer Roberta Flack is 73. Singer Jimmy Merchant of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers is 70. Bassist Bob Spalding of The Ventures is 63. Swimmer Mark Spitz is 60. Golf legend Greg "the Shark" Norman is 55. Country singer Lionel Cartwright is 50. Political commentator George Stephanopoulos is 49. Actress Laura Dern is 43. Actress Elizabeth Banks ("Scrubs") is 36. Singer Eric Dill (The Click Five) and keyboardist Ben Romans of The Click Five are 28. Key witness Amber Frey (ex-girlfriend of convicted murderer Scott Peterson) is 35. Baseball star Lance Berkman, of the Houston Astros, is 34. Actress Emma Roberts ("Unfabulous," "Nancy Drew") is 19.
