Valentine's Day gifts: Think outside the heart-shaped box

Want to wow your sweetie this Valentine's Day? The odds are that the usual cards and teddy bears won't get you very far. Instead, think unique, personalized, and exceedingly romantic. Both men and women expect romance on Valentine's Day — and a gift that will remind them that they're loved beyond February 14. We enlisted Cupid's help and scoured the city for gifts that said "be mine." Here's what we found:

A BOX FULL OF LOVE, AND MORE

If you're hoping to pull together an assortment of gifts for your Valentine, you could spend an entire Saturday scratching your head, or you could check out Bumble B Design's gift baskets. This locally-owned gift packager has several ready-made gift boxes that are sure to score points. Choose from the Chocolate Lover's Basket (complete with Spanish hot chocolate, chocolate almond truffles, honey and ginger Belgian chocolate hearts, and more), the Spa Basket (loaded with bath salts, body lotion, a loofah mitt, an aromatherapy candle, soap, tea, and lots of extras), or the super-cool Cupid's Arrow Box (a combination of chocolates and fun romantic items such as strawberry and champagne massage oil). The best part is that Bumble Bee will include a personalized hand-lettered love message from you.

If you're looking for something a little more simple, but equally lovely, consider a deliciously scented candle. Sure, it's small, but here's a chance to say "I still burn for you." We love Romanza's selection of Voluspa candles, especially the Fragaria and Josephine scents. Choose an 85-hour candle ($27) or a petite 45-hour ($13).

LOTIONS AND POTIONS

Bath and body products are also on our Valentine's Day hot list. Check out Lush's Love Bug heart-shaped massage bars ($5.95), which are made with fair trade cocoa butter and shea butter, scented with vanilla, rose, and orange flower. Or, how about the Love Spell ($9.95)? Peel back the gift wrap to unveil a heart-shaped rose-scented bath bomb.

A visit to Ravenna Gardens also revealed an interesting find: scented Soap Petals by Tag ($9.95). They look like rose petals, but they're made out of soap so you can sprinkle them in the bath. You'll also find a good selection of Valentine's Day-inspired bath products at Romanza. The Cupcake Bath Bomb by Rendezvous in Paris ($13.95), for example, is a three-layer masterpiece with chocolate "fudge," strawberry "cake," and shea butter vanilla crème "frosting." Yum.

LACE AND SATIN

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GLAM GARB

A nice alternative to Victoria's Secret, lingerie from Glam Garb is one-of-a-kind (prices vary)

If you're tired of Victoria's Secret-style mass production, you might be interested in Glam Garb, by local designer Gunlis Alainentalo. This Swedish-born lingerie designer creates beautiful, handmade lingerie. The best part? Like your sweetie, each piece, hand-sewn and dyed, is a work of art. Alainentalo's Valentine's Day-inspired winter line is available at Velouria, where you'll find slip dresses ($45-75) and camisoles ($35-55) in colors as diverse as chocolate and plum wine.

BAUBLES AND BLING

When it comes to jewelry, your sweetie will love it if you think outside of the box — that is to say, the little blue Tiffany and Co. variety. Valentine's Day is the time to think custom-made, one-of-a-kind, and original. We were taken by local jewelry designer Sophie Gardener's gorgeous love bird pendants ($185), which features two tiny kissing sparrows inside a textured heart. And romance seems to exude from pieces designed by local jeweler Christa Hope Robinson, such as the rose and pink quartz waterfall necklace ($198).

AN INCREDIBLE DINNER, AND MORE

You could make the perfect Valentine's Day dinner at home, or leave it to the pros. If you choose the latter, you'll want to know about the following: Cascadia Restaurant chef Kerry Sear is whipping up a menu for lovers -- from red pepper and eggplant caviar to roast free range chicken with black truffle pate for his Valentine's Day dinner. Or check out (and check in to) El Gaucho, where $570 buys you a suite at the Inn at El Gaucho, in-room champagne service, fresh flowers, truffles, valet parking and a $100 dinner credit at the restaurant. The Salish Lodge offers a similar arrangement of dinner and a room (call for specific pricing information), but here, you can also move your date to the spa. Choose from a palette of couple-inspired spa treatments such as the Rekindle Ritual ($199 per person) — 100 minutes of bliss that begins in a fireside treatment room complete with side-by-side massage tables. Enjoy a relaxing foot bath, a lemongrass body treatment, and heated river rock massage.

A BETTER BOUQUET

Send a lady flowers on Valentine's Day? Absolutely. But who knew than men wanted roses too? Recent surveys have shown that a healthy percentage of men said they would welcome flowers from their Valentine. But don't send a generic bouquet heavy on baby's breath and light on design. Instead, check out Bumble Bee Design's gorgeous Valentine's Day Bouquet ($50), which features red roses and red tulips presented in a silver julep cup. Or visit Fremont's Hansen's Florists for the ultra-hip red gerbera daisy arrangement ($130) in a cylinder vase.

SWEETS FOR YOUR SWEETIE

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VENUE

Send your lover's taste buds to heaven with chocolates from Ivy Chan's Cocoa Chai Chocolates (prices vary).

One of Seattle's best kept secrets is chocolatier Ivy Chan's handmade truffles. From her Cocoa Chai Chocolates studio in Ballard's trendy artist space/boutique Venue, Chan whips up chocolates inspired by her world travels. The truffles include the following exotic flavors: chili, 2002 Beringer Merlot, lychee tea, fleur de sel, and French marshmallow. (Prices vary.)

And you can't go wrong with a box of heaven from Fran's Chocolates, Ltd. Choose from a large selection of fine chocolates, boxed and tied up with pink and red ribbons. Particularly pretty is the Pink Velvet Heart Gift Box ($42), which includes 20 truffles in flavors as diverse as raspberry and dark chocolate espresso. If chocolate feels a tad bit predictable for your tastes, how about a box of cupcakes (prices vary) from Cupcake Royale? Nothing says "I love you" like real butter cream.

UNUSUAL, FUN, and ECLECTIC

Ever wondered how to declare your love in Swahili? Check out the I Love You Translator for the Universal Language ($5.95). Available at City People's Mercantile, this nifty invention provides a rotating wheel that tells you how to express your love in any part of the world. Also on City People's Valentine's-inspired shelves, you'll find red and pink kitchen towels ($12.99) stitched with the words "love" and "kisses." And if you where your heart on your sleeve, why not hang it on your door, too? Welcome your sweetie home from work with a heart-shaped door wreath crafted from twigs or boxwood ($24-38.95), available at Ravenna Gardens. Also available here is the Magnetic Poetry Kit, Romance Edition ($19.95) complete with dreamy words so you can leave love messages to your Valentine on the refrigerator. And, if you're a year-round romantic, tuck the book "Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest" ($19.95, Sasquatch Books, available at most local bookstores) under your honey's pillow with a note that says "P.S. I love you."

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