By SHARON FINK and ANNE GLOVER
Published February 12, 2004
[Times photo: Dirk Shadd]
Think outside of the box when giving your sweetie a valentine gift.
No need to have the Fab 5 from Queer Eye for the Straight Guy invade your home. Here are some fast and offbeat ideas to make Valentine's Day special. So c'mon, people, let's see you put some effort into it, as Carson Kressley would say.
- SHARON FINK and ANNE GLOVER, Times staff writers
ORIGINAL THOUGHTS: Instead of a card filled with somebody else's mushy sentiments, get a blank note card and bare your soul. Consider an adorable puppy card $8.95 for a box of 20, Being, BayWalk, St. Petersburg. For the ultimate "awwwww" moment: Add a skeleton key to the lover key chain in our picture ($2.50 at Being) and declare it the key to your heart.
Or write a real love letter on fancy stationery, like the hearts sheet pictured from Michaels arts and crafts stores (79 cents per sheet), or from Stationery Square in Tampa's Old Hyde Park Village ($1.30-$2.65 per sheet, with envelope). Need help to get the sentiments flowing? Pick up a copy of How to Say It (Prentice Hill Press, $16) or The Quotable Lover (Lyons Press, $14.95) at bay area bookstores.
IT'S A SNAP: Make a favorite snapshot into a classic by converting it to black and white and sizing it to fit a great frame like a distressed black wood model with matte ($14.99-$19.99, depending on size, at Target).
C'MON BABY, LIGHT THEIR FIRE: For romantic ambience, try candles of varying heights and scents, such as Asian spice, amber spice and patchouli ember ($8-$15). Complete the effect by arranging them on a ceramic plate ($20). All at Pier 1 Imports.
TIME IS ON YOUR SIDE: Watches are jewelry that won't break the bank, but will have your beloved thinking of you often. Try a flashing hearts Fossil watch for $65 at the Fossil store at International Plaza, Tampa, and many department stores. Or for something unique, Eduardo Milieris creates one-of-a-kind timepieces for WatchCraft using weathered, oxidized metal. Shapiro's in BayWalk, St. Petersburg, $200-$260.
CASH IN YOUR CHIPS: Poker chips aren't just for the World Series of Poker. Use them to dole out special treats to your cutie, for anything from a foot massage to a night on the town. Whatever you can think of. He or she can trade in the chips for the treat whenever they want. Get chips (a nice Michael Graves set with a cherry wood holder is at Target for $39.99) and label each with a prize.
CREATE A SPECIAL EVENING: (And it doesn't have to be Saturday.) After a fabulous meal, pop in a CD that tells your beloved, "I want to tune out everything but you." Ideas: Eva Cassidy's Songbird, with a heartbreaking Somewhere Over the Rainbow; Alison Krauss + Union Station's Live, for its soaring harmonies and instrumentals; Sinatra-soundalike Michael Buble's self-titled CD; and Alicia Keys' The Diary of Alicia Keys. To go with the mood, try a dessert wine such as Rosa Regale by Banfi ($14.99 at A Taste for Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg) and your favorite designer chocolates.
THE POSTER BOYS AND GIRLS OF ROCK: Can't think of a CD that will wow your music-obsessed friend? Check out the walls at Vinyl Fever at 4110 Henderson Blvd. in Tampa for reasonably priced posters of their faves.
IT PAYS TO LOOK CLEAN: If your love loves his (or her) vehicle almost as much as he (or she) loves you, have it detailed. Lots of car washes offer the service; prices depend on car size and what you want done. For instance, Grand Prix Car Wash, 3622 Gandy Blvd., Tampa, would charge $129-$139 for a Chevy Tahoe SUV.
