Valentine’s Day Gift Giving Ideas

Valentine’s Day gift-giving ideas are a red hot conversation starter for those ready to gift with love.

pastel-conversation-hearts-valentines-day-candy

Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash

Valentine’s Day gifts have long captured the hearts of both the giver and the recipient alike.

Knowing the likes and loves of your recipient(s) is a huge plus to scoring big points in the Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas game.

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Photo by Kristina Litvjak on Unsplash

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Domino

Unique accents and accessories for home or office make a lasting impression and style statement.

Mini Printed Ceramic Base Table Lamp with Printed Pleated Shade

Mini Printed Ceramic Base Table Lamp with Printed Pleated Shade

Friends, this Juliet Modern Velvet Chaise in Olive gives a great look at a great price for your him and her Valentine alike.

Curves are in for 2025, and the earthy elegance of the color and curve combination strikes gift-giving gold.

Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Modern Velvet Chaise, Olive

Better Homes & Gardens Juliet Modern Velvet Chaise, Olive

A good read, a great actor.

Sonny Boy - by Al Pacino (Hardcover)

Sonny Boy – by Al Pacino (Hardcover)

Brass Idler Gear Bookends Antique Finish (Set of 2)

Brass Idler Gear Bookends Antique Finish (Set of 2)

From fine to faux and every price point in between, a handsome watch rates as a nice Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas choice.

Seiko Men's Essentials Brown Leather Strap Watch

Seiko Men’s Essentials Brown Leather Strap Watch

mens-uomo-born-in-roma-eau-de-toilette-fragrance-collection

Valentino Men’s Uomo Born In Roma Eau de Toilette Spray

All things in their place, Ace.

jonathan-adler-dealers-choice-valet-tray

Jonathan Adler Dealers Choice Valet Tray

Creating and grilling heart-shaped steaks for a Valentine’s Day night in dinner for two makes a delicious activity.

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Foodiesfeed

How to Make a Heart Shaped Steak

Begin with a thick-cut ribeye or boneless strip steaks. Cut each steak in half down the middle, careful not to cut all the way through.

Flatten out the steak with a knife, trimming excess fat around the edges.

Carve out pieces to make the steak like a heart. Season and grill to preferred doneness.

Cuisinart 12pc Color Pro Collection Knife Block Set

Cuisinart 12pc Color Pro Collection Knife Block Set

Garden statue.

Door stop.

Hearth accent.

bye-duck-statue-copper

Bye Duck With a Backward Glance Outdoor Garden Statue, 11.5 in. Tall Bronze

Valentine’s Day Game Night Fun

MinnARK-LED-DARTBOARD

LED Magnetic Dartboard, Dart and Target Game

Twister Game with Spinner's Choice & Air Moves, Family Games for 2+ Players

Twister Game with Spinner’s Choice & Air Moves for 2+ Players

jumbo-playing-cards

Jumbo Size Playing Cards

 

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50-Red-Roses50 Red Roses from The Bouqs Co. 

Small Gold Heart Sunburst Flame

Small Gold Heart Sunburst Flame Wall Hanging

Floral Embrace - Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

Floral Embrace – Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle

Seems the colder it gets the more our thoughts turn toward spring.

18 in. Fairy Emily Statue

18 in. Fairy Emily Statue

Consider gifting a garden statue poised for sitting or standing pretty for placement in a flower garden, porch or entry.

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Options are good, and these pull back Cupid’s arrow and take aim at the heart of the Valentine’s Day matter.

Rings, necklaces, and earrings sit even prettier housed in lovely organizers and trinket trays.

Candy Dish, Blush Hershey's Kiss

Candy Dish, Blush Hershey’s Kiss

I like to use antique saucers, small decorative boxes, and Hershey’s Kiss candy dishes (I have them all over the house in different colors) as trinket dishes.

Antique-Pink-Yellow-Roses-plate-Dayton-Bavaria

Antique Pink and Yellow Roses Plate J & C (Jaeger and Co.) ‘Dayton’ 

These next treasures fall into the category of fabulously festive.

Handcrafted-Valentine-Inspiration

Handcrafted Valentine Inspiration

Labor of Love

Handcrafted Valentine themed boxes make a vintage inspired project perfect for be mine parcels.  Click on the link above for instructions.

Personalized wax seal stamp with 3 triple initials monogram

Personalized Wax Seal Stamp with 3 Triple Initials Monogram

handcrafted-valentine-inspiration

roses-composition-notebook

Roses Composition Notebook 

Notebook With Rosette Print

Notebook With Rosette Print

“The beauty of fragrance is that it speaks to
your heart and hopefully someone else’s.”

–Elizabeth Taylor

Gourmand Eau De Parfum Fragrance

Gourmand Eau De Parfum Fragrance – Rose Chocolate

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum with Vanilla, Jasmine, and Rose

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb Eau de Parfum with Vanilla, Jasmine, and Rose

Gucci Flora Eau de Parfum Travel Spray Trio

Gucci Flora Eau de Parfum Travel Spray Trio

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Aldo Whitneeyy Heart Crossbody Bag

Aldo Whitneeyy Heart Crossbody Bag

Fun is just a fact of fashion, and love and hearts make a fun and festive theme for a Valentine’s Day ensemble featuring a day into evening cross my heart crossbody bag, casual cute pink sweatshirt, red hot court sneakers, fun fashion jewelry pieces, and a touch of spring style.

Valentine's Day Graphic Relaxed Crew Neck Sweatshirt

Valentine’s Day Graphic Relaxed Crew Neck Sweatshirt

Women's Crewneck Sweatshirt with High-Low Hem

Women’s Crewneck Sweatshirt with High-Low Hem

puma-club-ii-era-sneaker

Puma Club II Era Sneaker – Women’s

bijoux-bar-gold-tone-heart-drop-earrings

Bijoux Bar Gold Tone Heart Drop Earrings

Santa brought me this Reproduction French Commemorative Medal Coin Pendant for Christmas, and it is a fantastic fashion piece.

Reproduction French Commemorative Medal Coin Pendant

Reproduction French Commemorative Medal Coin Pendant

Fashion fun jewelry pieces add sparkles, shimmer, and style.

aqua-pave-heart-imitation-pearl-multi-charm-pendant-necklace

Pavé Heart & Imitation Pearl Multi Charm Pendant Necklace, 30″-33″ 

pearl Pavé ring ladies

Pearl Pavé Heart Ring

kate-spade-new-york-bracelet-12k-gold-plated-heart-of-gold-idiom-bangle-bracelet

Kate Spade New York Heart Of Gold Idiom Bangle

Rose Travel Jewelry Organizer - A New Day™ Red

Rose Travel Jewelry Organizer – A New Day™ Red

Spring will be here before we know it, and this straw tote will make a super cute splash.

Carlotta La Vie En Rose Large Straw Tote With Wooden Handles

Carlotta La Vie En Rose Large Straw Tote With Wooden Handles

Classic chic!

Woven Bag for Women

Woven Bag for Women

Floral Butterfly Claw Hair Clip

Floral Butterfly Claw Hair Clip

Home is Where the Is

May I present an idea or two for Valentine’s Day gifts in the spirit of home is where the is.

Goose Toile Breezy Cotton Percale Sham Set

Goose Toile Breezy Cotton Percale Sham Set in Green

Be still my heart!

Toile is as elegant as it is timeless, and this sham set proves the point.

Vintage Pink Botanical Print

Vintage Pink Botanical Print

Soft pastels frame this in the style of vintage pink botanical print in keeping with a flowers for Valentine’s Day theme.

Gold-Resin-Poodle-Dog-Table-Lamp-with-Linen-Shade (2)

Gold Resin Poodle Dog Table Lamp with Linen Shade

Vanity.

Bedside table.

Whimsical kitchen countertop accent.

Accent lamps with the wow and woof factor delight.

The Bistro Tile Stoneware Dessert Plate: Valentine's Edition

Pink and Red Lips Hand Painted Appetizer Plate

Pink and Red Lips Hand Painted Appetizer Plate

Small bites and sweet delights plated upon and poured into Valentine’s Day inspired crockery enhances the visual and impresses your Valentine.

Valentine Stoneware Figural Heart Appetizer Plate Red - Threshold

Valentine Stoneware Figural Heart Platter

Stoneware You are Loved Rose Print Mug

Stoneware You are Loved Rose Print Mug

Set of 6 Vintage hand painted PINK & YELLOW ROSES dessert dishes

Thomas Bavaria Dessert Plates 6.75″ Hand Painted Pink Yellow Roses

Beautiful 1.7-Liter Electric Kettle 1500 W with One-Touch Activation, Rose by Drew Barrymore

Beautiful 1.7-Liter Electric Kettle with One-Touch Activation

garden-roses

For him.

For her.

For home.

With love in mind, these Valentine’s Day gift giving ideas get to the heart of the matter.

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Valentine’s Day Inspired

On this day of love I’m sharing Valentine’s Day inspired pretty pictures and FYI Valentine’s Day facts- a Valentine from me to you.

Handcrafted Valentine

Handcrafted Valentine Inspiration- Photography by Mac Jamieson

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Flower Magazine- Photography by Amy Neunsinger

“Love is a canvas furnished by nature
and embroidered by imagination.”

—Voltaire

Heart of Blooms Embroidery Digital Design, Floral Bouquet

Heart of Blooms Embroidery Digital Design, Floral Bouquet

Seeing that Valentine’s Day is the subject matter of conversation hearts and music of the heart, I have fittingly updated my Power of Love Spotify playlist.

54ea59a4c4f02_-_clx0607ant02dg-deAntique Heart Shaped Ring Boxes

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Written in French by Charles Duke of Orleans in 1415, the oldest known valentine was a poem penned in words of love to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine,
Since for me you were born too soon,
And I for you was born too late.
God forgives him who has estranged
Me from you for the whole year.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine,
Well might I have suspected
That such a destiny,
Thus would have happened this day,
How much that Love would have commanded.

I am already sick of love,
My very gentle Valentine.

Children First Love Statue

Authored in 1477 by Margery Brews as a love note to her fiancé John Paston,  the oldest English language valentine begins with the words “Unto my right wellbeloved Valentine John Paston.”

Esther-Howland-Valentine-card-Affection

“Affection” ca. 1870s

Valentine’s Day cards were introduced to the United States in 1849 by Esther Allen Howland, a native of Worcester, Massachusetts.

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Inspiration is everywhere.

Taken with an ornate English Valentine received at nineteen years old, Esther Allen Howland replicated the style of the card by using intricate paper lace together with decorative floral details.

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Esther Howland

Pink is such a delicate and graceful color.

Proving a personal favorite choice, the color pink is known for its soft tones and shades never failing to command principal palette attention as well as serving as a complementary accent companion.

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Photo by Jessie Daniella on Unsplash

Soft pinks, rich chocolate browns, and shades of regal red stand timeless as ideal shades and hues for a Valentine’s Day color palette.

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Veranda Magazine – Photography by Melanie Acevedo

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Murdock Solon Architects

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British Vogue – Photography by Gianluca Longo

“Where we love is home –
home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

—Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

Summer blooms in an interiorAdolf Heinrich Claus Hansen – (Danish, 1859–1925)
Summer Blooms in an Interior

Ever wonder why pink is used as the base color in many cosmetic and beauty products?

pink-and-brown-color-combination-brush-strokes

Valentine’s Day inspired interiors, colors, and accents get to the heart of the design and decorative matter through texture, craftsmanship, and design style application.

Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Macarons

Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Macarons

Chocolate confections, strawberries, macarons, meringues, fudge, cheesecake, cupcakes, cookies and conversation hearts are served with Valentine’s Day love.

DSL-valentine-card

Love lives on.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Darleen-signature-love

Valentine’s Day Sweets for the Sweet

February is fast approaching, and with that comes ideas for whipping up Valentine’s Day Sweets for the sweet.

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The Graphics Fairy

Of course each is dished and served with loe.

Watercolor Heart Shaped Stoneware Plate

Focused on sweets for the sweet, this Valentine’s Day Sweets show and tell features recipes synonymous with delectable, delicious and delightful.

Click on the link below each image for the recipe.

Mini Valentine’s Day Cakes

Mini Valentine’s Day Cakes

lemon-date-bars

Lemon-Date Bars – Photography by Anna Williams

Have you ever wondered how the symbol/letter  X came to stand for Kiss?

Traced back to the Middle Ages, X was used to sign off on documents followed by the writer often kissing the mark signifying their oath. The gesture flourished as the common sign used to certify records, books, letters and paperwork.

X-kiss-mark

X stood for Kiss, and the gesture gave life to the term “sealed with a kiss.”

chocolate-marshmallow-sandwich-cookiesChocolate Marshmallow Sandwich Cookies – Photography by Mike Garten

ripe-for-picking-no-bake-cheesecake

No Bake Cheesecake with Berry Toppings – Photography by Brian Woodcock

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

Vanilla Cupcakes with Buttercream

Treat roses keep fresh when stored in an airtight container with a sealed lid, and fresh cut roses keep best when following these suggestions:

roses-Kroger

If a packet of flower food is included with your rose bouquet you will want to use it. Dissolve the food in a couple of tablespoons of warm water, stirring to completely dissolve.

Take roses out of wrap and remove leaves that will be below your desired water line. Cut each stem at an angle which allows optimal water intake. add it to the water to promote the buds opening and to slow any bacterial growth.

Place the roses in your container of choice and arrange to your liking. Placing the arrangement in a cool area away from heat vents and out of direct sunlight prolongs the life of the roses.

When the bloom and the beauty is off the rose(s), drying the roses to keep for sentimental reasons is an easy project.

Gather the amount of rose stems you want to dry, remove all the leaves from each stem, and bind stems together with a rubber band.  Hang upside down for 2 to 3 weeks in a cool, dark place free of humidity.

Valentine's Day Macarons

Valentine’s Day French Macarons

As you begin the beguine.

What’s a beguine, you may wonder?

beguine
(/bəˈgēn/ bə-GHEEN)

a dance and music form, similar to a slow rhumba

Lemon-Elderflower Waffles

Lemon-Elderflower Waffles

Begin the Valentine beguine dance of delicious delight with a breakfast or brunch built for two starring this recipe for Lemon-Elderflower Waffles.

Dress waffles with a delightful dusting of powdered sugar, stemmed strawberries split in half, and edible flowers.

Stone Lain Brighton Round Body Marble Porcelain Dinnerware Set

Stone Lain Brighton Round Body Marble Porcelain Dinnerware Set

brownie-hearts-recipe

Brownie Hearts

Heart Appetizer Plates

Heart Appetizer Plates

Valentine’s Day sweets for the sweet favorites include this perfect for the occasion mixtape cookies recipe from Constellation Inspiration.

Valentine’s Mixtape Cookies

Valentine’s Day Mixtape Cookies

Music fuels the power of love – a sweet symphony to serve the senses.

cupcake-toppers

Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Mini Red Velvet Cakes

Breakable Chocolate Heart

Breakable Chocolate Heart

Cupid delivers dessert inspiration for whipping up Valentine’s Day sweets for the sweet dedicated to the one you love.

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Valentine’s Day Loveliness

Valentine’s Day loveliness treats heart, eye, and spirit to beauty on scroll.

Valentine's-Day-Loveliness

“Love is the flower of life, and blossoms unexpectedly
and without law, and must be plucked where it is found,
and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.”

—D.H. Lawrence

Alex Papachristidis dining room

Veranda

Valentine’s Day loveliness reaches far beyond one day of the year as demonstrated by the sublime antique gold gilt heart-shaped back dining chairs chosen as intended statement pieces in this timeless winter-white dining room designed by Alex Papachristidis.

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Unique Homestays

Perfect pairings.

Joanne-Woodward-Paul-Newman-coupleWoodward/Newman in The Long Hot Summer

“True love stories never have endings.”

— Richard Bach

beauty-and-the-beast

Disney Enchanted

Love is in the air, and the word of the day affectionately defined by the look and the dance of enamored admiration.

Love-potion

Buttery Planet

red-velvet-curvy-sofa

House & Garden – Photography by Simon Upton

Valentine’s Day tradition dictates the implementation of a red and pink color palette into delectable sweets and décor treats.

traditional-Valentine's-Day-color-palette

heart-rocks

“Whatever makes an impression on
the heart seems lovely in the eye.”

—Saadi

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“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul
and makes us reach
for more, that plants a
fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds.”

— Nicholas Sparks

Valentine's-garland

Valentine’s Day Garland

darling-I-love-you-stamped-spoon

Darling, I Love You Hand Stamped Spoon

“Sometimes the smallest things
take up the most room in your heart.”

— Winnie the Pooh

Neutral-Farmhouse-Heart-Rag-Wreath

Neutral Farmhouse Heart Rag Wreath

antique-silver-ring-boxes

Country Living

“I want the moment to start
when I can fill your heart

With more love
and more joy
than age or time
could ever destroy.”

—William “Smokey” Robinson

valentine's-day-lovelinessMore is my word of the year.

More; not driven in the vein of greedy motivation, but in the earnest desire to fill daily life with more love, more joy, more beauty, more Valen-TIME.

valentine's-day-loveliness

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Darleen-signature-love

 

Words of Love for Your Valentine

Words of love for your Valentine ignite the celebration of love.

mail drop boxFlickr

Heartfelt words of love for your Valentine put to paper, post, text, or email (modern times, folks) are the sentiments that script a love story- a will you be mine token of love.

Brass Heart Shape Ink Well & Stand Circa 1900Brass Heart Shape Ink Well & Stand Circa 1900

Nat King Cole croons lyrics destined for Cupid’s bow.
I memorize every line
I kiss the name that you sign
And darling, then I read again right from the start
Love letters straight from your heart

♥♥♥♥

Let’s take a look at quotes seemingly designed for a Valentine’s Day love letter straight from your heart.

LOVE-hands

Flickr

“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”  — Dr. Seuss

“If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.”  — A. A. Milne

“Love is friendship that has caught on fire.”  — Ann Landers

studio.sven.portfolio

Studio Sven

“One is loved because one is loved.  No reason is needed for loving.”
— Paulo Coelho

“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”  — Aristotle

LOVE

Flickr

“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever.”  — Alfred Tennyson

butterfly-in-flower-gardenBetter Homes & Gardens

“I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart).”  —E.E. Cummings

bejeweled-heart-shaped-box

Martha Stewart

“How do you spell love?”  —Piglet

The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh

“You don’t spell it, you feel it.”  —Winnie The Pooh

love hearts

Flickr

“Love is when you meet someone who tells you something new about yourself.”  — Andre Breton

mussel love

Flickr

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.”  — Herman Hesse

Ludwig van BeethovenLudwig van Beethoven

“Ever thine.  Ever mine.  Ever ours.”  —Ludwig Van Beethoven

Sterling Perfume Bottle PendantSterling Perfume Bottle Pendant

“One love, one heart, one destiny.”  — Robert Marley

words of love for your Valentine

“I want to thank you for giving me the best day of my life.”  — Dido

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