Wasn’t it just last night that we were wearing funny hats, sipping bubbly from a slipper and struggling to remember the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne? Suddenly we’re all “Punxsutawney Phil” and shoveling out from the latest “snowpocalypse.” You know what that means: Valentine’s Day is nearly here! And Valentine’s Day, while believed by many to be a mere capitalist invention, remains the one day you do not want to forget.
So the goal of this week’s Friday Five is to make absolutely sure that you remember. And that you remember with style.
1. First, the chocolate. While nearly 4,000 shops sell chocolates in the United States alone, there are very few that provide chocolate so extraordinary that your sweetie’s reaction alone will be your valentine. Vosges’ Sweet Coquette Collection, for example, features a dossier of aphrodisiac truffles and folklore. “Just slip off the bow.”
2. Second, well … more chocolate. (You can never have too much, right?) Recchiuti’s “XO” Box is an assortment of Morello Cherry Truffles and Champagne Hearts filled with silky caramel kissed with Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs. Sigh.
3. And now for something completely different. Chocolate. And some other mind-blowingly delicious things as well. The Tell Tale Preserve Company offers up a lover’s dream with the special Tell Tale Heart package. It features four individually packaged signature sweets, wrapped lovingly in a Japanese furoshiki. (All we’re saying is there’s passion fruit, chocolate, caramel and coffee—read it yourself to appreciate the possibilities.)
4. Say it with flowers instead. It’s difficult to imagine anything that would say “I love you” with quite so much drama as 50 Black Baccarra Roses. Shipped directly within hours of picking, these long stemmed roses are said to be such a deep red they almost appear black. And, yes, if you want to go for an even 100, there’s a price break, of course.
5. It really is the thought that counts. If over-the-top drama just isn’t your style, check out the surprising and unique greeting cards at Broadway Papers. You can always rely on this Milwaukee stationer to provide something fresh to carry your heartfelt prose.
No matter how you choose to celebrate, we wish you someone to love who loves you back on this Valentine’s Day … as well as all of the other 364.
