whati... valentine I

let me preface this by saying that there is nothing i love more than a thoughtful homemade gift.

[both giving and receiving.]

but if we're going to go down a more "traditional" valentine's day path, here is my spin on some classics:

jewelry

1 | 2 | 3

 there are few things i love more than delicate and stack-able gold jewelry.

i swoon over the arrow cuff.  cupid's arrow?

chocolates

chocolate truffle pigs | vosges | trader joe's

these are my favorite chocolate treats.  

they're certainly not cheap, but i'd rather get one of these gourmet lovers over a box of drugstore chocolate any day.

romantic getaway

maybe you and your valentine are rich, and that's really great!

however, my val and i are not [monetarily] rich, which is why we love a good travel deal.

you can totally sweep your love off of their feet [even if you're only going an hour or so away] at a reasonable price using:

livingsocial escapes - always lots of new options with locations close to every major city.

airbnb - rent a funky bungalo or a city loft for a weekend.

aaa - roadside assistance AND great trip packages?  yes please.

nothing sparks a romance like a one on one trip together that breaks up the routine a little bit.

i'll be back with some creative (read: FREE) ideas as the month goes on.