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February 1st, 2008
Every Valentine’s Day in high school, we had to sit there and listen to our female classmates’ names being called over the intercom to come to the office and pick up the flowers/candy/stuffed animals/balloons that a certain special someone had sent them. Some of them even got called twice! And the gal who was voted “Most Friendly” senior year (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) actually got called up four times on the same Valentine’s Day. Then they would come back to class beaming, loaded down with red roses or a ridiculously large pink teddy bear. We would pretend not to care, but we wanted so desperately to have our names called just once! Now, more than a decade later, we don’t need to wait for our names to be called on any intercom, and neither do you! So whether your Valentine is your husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, neighbor, best friend, cubicle mate, cat, dog or even yourself, you are the master of your own Valentine’s domain! And we’re here to help you with some most excellent ideas with the first-ever Seattle Picks Valentine’s Day Gift Guide. Happy Valentine’s Day, lovelies! |
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Seattle Picks' Valentine's Day Gift Guide: |
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| 1 | Italian for Romance No one does romance better than Romanza in Ballard. Luckily for us, our Valentine knows this and hits them up each year. Romanza carries all the brands of sweetly scented candles that we love, as well as luxurious bath and spa gifts, whimsical glittery items, and even snuggly jammies and bathrobes. Top the night off with a bottle of Northwest wine, and we’ve got it made. Romanza Gifts |
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| 2 | Oh! Oh! Oh! With Valentine’s Day so close, there’s one thing we cannot stop thinking about, and sorry, Cupid, it’s not romance—it’s chocolate! In particular, the appropriately named Oh! Chocolate. From truffles to Hot Hearts—heart-shaped ginger cookies dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with crystallized ginger—these yummy handmade chocolates are so decadent they just make us melt. We think we might have to treat ourselves and our Valentine! Oh! Chocolate2703 76th Ave. SE, Mercer Island 10500 NE 8th St., Suite 108, Bellevue 3131 E Madison St., Suite 100, Seattle www.ohchocolate.com |
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| 3 | Bling Ring Fling We’re all about girl power and don’t need a man to buy our jewelry. In fact, we have our eye on a gift for ourselves this V Day: It’s all about the bling ring, baby. Bling Rings by Bijounique are made from the highest quality sterling silver from Thailand. Plus each ring is handmade using freshwater pearls, black onyx, turquoise and more. Enter VALPICKS at checkout for 20 percent off! Available locally at Voletta Couture, Marco Two Union Square, Frenchy’s Salon & Spa and on your mobile phone at http://mybijounique.mobi |
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| 4 | Desperately Desiring Derek We have a crush on Derek Andrew. We’ve never actually met him, but his Bellevue boutique has us head over heels. Opulent yet friendly, this spacious shop features in-house designs from Twill Twenty Two and Twisted Heart as well as exclusive lines like Bond No. 9 perfume. Do yourself a huge favor and get to know Derek Andrew. You’re bound to find your heart’s delight! Derek Andrew |
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| 5 | How Suite It Is We love the idea of a night away for Valentine’s Day—and we can have it without even leaving Seattle with the Fairmont Olympic Hotel’s Valentine’s Package! The romantic decadence begins at The Georgian, where you and your love will enjoy a delicious four-course dinner, followed by a horse-drawn carriage ride where you'll sip champagne. Then it’s off to the cozy suite. Isn’t it romantic? The Fairmont Olympic Hotel |
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| 6 | Road Trip for Romance Looking to head out of town for a romantic weekend? Not just for Valentine’s Day, the Romance by the River package at Portland’s Avalon Hotel & Spa is the perfect getaway. Chilled champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries await in your cozy river-view room. Then it’s just a few steps to the hotel’s oh-so-divine Italian small-plates restaurant, Aquariva. That’s amoré! Avalon Hotel & Spa |
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| Chick Picks: | |||
| 1 | Soft as Silk While we won’t expect a trail of rose petals leading to a scented bath on Valentine’s Day, we can draw the bath ourselves and slip into something decadent. And for that, we recommend AngelFaceBotanicals.com. Pamper yourself in water scented with Blush Aphrodisiac Bath, exfoliate with Double Love Scrub and slather on Dreamy Vanilla Shea Butter for silky soft skin! Enter discount code SeattlePicks online to save 15% off your first purchase of $25 or more, plus free shipping for orders over $75! |
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| 2 | Puppy Love Chocolate for dogs is a huge no-no, but when it comes to Valentine’s Day, we’d like to indulge our pups a bit. So while they can’t have Godiva like their momma, they can enjoy Dogdiva. This plush, squeaky toy isn’t edible, but your pup will enjoy it all the same. Plus it looks way cuter than that gross rope thingy he found and wouldn’t part with at the dog park last week. Available locally at Mes Amis, 321 West Galer St., 206.283.6064 |
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| 3 | Must We Suffer for Beauty? We wanted to get all smooth and hair-free in an “if you build it, they will come” effort, but we have to say—it’s a pretty awful regimen. We were considering going back to the razor until we discovered No-Scream Cream. This magic lotion numbs you just enough to take the edge off the hair being ripped from your body. We ran out of it before our last wax and noticed a huge difference in our pain threshold. With No-Scream Cream, suffering for beauty is definitely a whole lot easier! |
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Hip Happenings: |
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| 1 | P is for Pop Tots There is nothing cooler than a kid in a Ramones T-shirt. Some may say that punk rock isn’t cute, but it sure is on a baby. Besides awesome kids’ clothes, Pop Tots boutique presents “The Alphabet Show,” 26 artists and 26 works of art. Bring your little artist along to rock the house. What: The Alphabet Show |
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| 3 | No Glitter or Puff Paint Required A handmade, one-of-a-kind gift is the peachy keenest thing you can give your lovah, especially something made by artists with heart and soul. Check out paintings, sculpture, jewelry, warm knit hats and scarves, and limited-edition T-shirts from featured artist Eric Osborne at Twilight Artist Collective during the Feb. 14 West Seattle Art Walk. What: Twilight Artist Collective Valentine’s Day event |
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| 4 | Have a Night of Fun at Retail Therapy! In addition to a fantastic sale (half off winter clothes, boots and shoes), Retail Therapy is holding a Dumbclothing Trunk Show! The goddess of fantastically fuzzy colorful clothes will be there, as well as fabulous treats and drinks! Bring your gal-pals, and be prepared to play dress up! Trust us, you need Retail Therapy. What: Trunk Show and big big sale at Retail Therapy |
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A poem: Flowers come in pinks, reds, violets and blues; having a Valentine is fun, but so are new shoes. See you next week, lovers! P.S. To our beloved shop owners/buyers out there, be sure to check out the Winter Gift and Home Accessories Show through Feb. 5 at the Pacific Market Center. |
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