Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Valentine's Day Gifts

As we prepare for Valentine's Day, I am thrilled to bring you some new, original, thoughtful, practical, decadent and delicious gift ideas.

Stylish Nyal Noor is a New York based designer and I saw the Hobo Neauvo bag from their launch collection in person last week. It is gorgeous, practical and beautifully constructed. It is the perfect accessory. Shop Little Birdie for 15% off. Use code: lilbirdie15.

Romantic Candy can cause cavities and roses wilt after a while. How about flowers that last forever and sugar that doesn't make you gain weight, impossible? No. Well.... Amy from Sugar Flower Cake Shop creates beautiful flowers from sugar, they are not made to be eaten but will speak volumes to the one you love.



Artistic Purchase artwork by emerging artists. Raandesk Gallery showcases talent from all over the world. Gallery Owner Jessica Porter can helped the most novice or experienced art enthusiast select a perfect piece.



Parched City Winery is a perfect night out for music loving wine drinkers. On the eve before Valentine's Day Pat McGee & Taylor Carson are performing live. Still thirsty. Want more?

Make your own private label wine at Manhattan's first winery in 40 years. Barrel ownership is designed for an individual, couple or small group of friends. For as little as $30 dollars a bottle, owners have the privilege to make their very own barrel of wine that yields over 250 bottles. During the winemaking process, all barrel owners have access to our winery and professional team led by winemaker David Lecomte. City Winery offers a selection of grape varieties from internationally renowned vineyards; currently members can choose grapes from California, Oregon, Washington State and New York in the fall, and fruit from Argentina and Chile will also be available in the spring. Barrel owners have the option to work closely with our wine specialists during crushing and de-stemming, pressing, fermentation, and bottling, or can simply choose to have their favorite grape variety crafted, bottled and delivered to their home: Each member can participate as much or as little as they desire. Over the next six to twelve months, while the barrel is racked and the wine is aged in our climate-controlled facility, barrel owners may visit the winery to monitor the progress of their wines as often as they like, and barrel tastings are also open to favorite friends, colleagues and clients. Once aging is complete, it's time to bottle, cork and distribute the wine: barrel owners may customize their bottle with their own label, or work with our in-house design team. The final product is a personalized vintage to enjoy or gift for many years to come--over 20 cases of wine crafted for you, and by you!



Twisted When I had to scratch the iPad from my list because it's not available until March, a friend recommended this well told, smart, dark film. She watched it years ago at a Valentine's party. Through iTunes you can choose to buy it or rent it. Sans a Valentine this year? Curl up on the couch with Crazy Love.



Scrumptious Thomas Keller's Per Se is considered one of THE restaurants in New York and while I am sure they are booked on February 14, all veteran Valentines know that is not the day to eat out. Make reservations for the week after or the month after. Sometimes the anticipation of an evening this special is as much fun as the actual experience.



Sweet Vermont Brownie Company won a throwdown vs. Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Their dark chocolate chunk brownies are swirled with Chevre (goat cheese) and topped with sea salt. I have not tried them yet but they looked delicious and I am anxious too. This woman owned business is donating 10% of all their sales from now through Valentine's Day to Women Helping Battered Women. Thanks ladies.



Intellectual Order a subscription to The New York Times. Newspapers need our help and while getting information online is convenient, having the Sunday paper delivered to your home and sharing it over coffee or brunch creates conversations and quality time with your partner.




Cultural
Swan Lake is being performed by The New York City Ballet at The New York State Theater at Lincoln Center on February 14. Tickets are still available here.




Sentimental
Paloma's Nest is dedicated to creating modern heirlooms -- pieces for the home and for the heart. Each Paloma’s Nest piece is designed and individually hand-crafted with care, pride, and passion. Ceramic bowls, tiles, and decorative pieces are intended to last for generations, and so they are crafted with the finest natural materials available, including porcelain and clay, wood, paper, and cloth. The inspiration for Paloma’s Nest lies in the purity of the materials used, and the idea that something so simple can be so bold.



Suggetive Sweet on the wallet, these are the perfect accompaniment to all of the above gifts. Amy of ABCD designed these sexy and sacastic cards to send to your sweetheart. Write them a love note on her bespoke letterpress stationery. Splurge for the stamp and send it via snail mail. Remember when people used to get Valentine's Day cards in the mail?



This list is my answer to Oprah's favorite things. I hope you enjoy. Good luck shopping and enjoy your Valentine's Day! xo


(Photo Credits: Photos are courtesy of the companies' websites)

No comments:

Post a Comment