VALENTINE'S DAY

The gift of Love

Six new ideas for Valentine's Day

02/07/2007

Ladies, take some lacy lingerie, lights and a camera, add yourself to the equation and you just might give your guy the best Valentine he's ever gotten.

Or rediscover the fun in fortune cookies, and show your Valentine how much you love them, even if your Valentine has four legs and uses a litterbox. Show your single friends a little love by giving them the perfect mate.

Here are six gifts that don't scream "cliche" while still saying "I'm glad you're my Valentine."

BOUDOIR PHOTOGRAPHY

Ladies, give your guy a gift to remind him just how smokin' hot you are and have a boudoir photography session.

Photographer Peggy Montgomery Ford has been taking boudoir photographs since 1990. Before the photo session, Peggy will schedule a consultation where you'll talk about what look you're going for. That's when you'll decide if you want to wear lingerie for your guy, or if he'd like it better if you were wearing nothing but his old football jersey. She's photographed women in from lingerie, sure, or just a man's shirt and tie as well.

If lingerie is your thing, she'll give you suggestions about what photographs best and what will be best for you. (Prints on lingerie are a big no-no. Solids look much better.)

When you go in for the shoot, Peggy has a professional makeup artist there to do your makeup, then she'll guide you through some poses. She's been doing this a long time and knows what looks good, but if you see something in a magazine you like, bring it in.

Her special package is $199, which includes your makeup application, the session fee, 15-20 poses in one outfit and a leather folio with three 4x5 images. The shoot for this package usually takes about 45 minutes.

If you're looking for more shots, or want to wear a few different outfits, her custom package is $425. That includes the session fee, makeup, several poses in different outfits and a $300 credit toward your pictures. You get to pick the size of your pictures, and how you want them presented, in an album or in a frame. This shoot usually takes a couple of hours, Peggy said.

The final product doesn't have to be a huge picture of you that's going to be hung on a wall. Peggy said the small albums are the most popular for a gift, and guys like them because they can tuck them away, or put them in a briefcase when they travel.

Boudoir photographs, Montgomery Ford Photography, 475-2424, http://www.montgomeryford.com/

THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND/ GIRLFRIEND

Give your single friends the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend this Valentine's Day.

They're a good listener, they never talk back, and if you get pissed you can just bite their heads off. After all, they are made of solid, Belgian chocolate.

Chocolate girlfriend/boyfriend, $12.50, Pistachio, 8 Trolley Square. 652-GIFT, http://www.pistachiohome.com/

YOU WILL FIND LOVE ... IN BED

The best part of any fortune cookie is adding "in bed" to the end of the fortune. Just imagine how much more fun that will be, with fortunes that are already love-centric.

These fortune cookies are covered in chocolate, and filled with fortunes like "Your love life is about to take a turn for the interesting," and "You will soon make someone's heart skip a beat."

Chocolate fortune cookies, $28, redenvelope.com

SWEET AND SASSY

These sassy candies are more fun than plain chocolate and more interesting than conversation hearts. Especially if they're an indication of what's to come.

Sassy candies, Pistachio, 8 Trolley Square. 652-GIFT, http://www.pistachiohome.com/

STICK IT TO 'EM

Instead of giving a card, stick a loving message on a bottle of wine. The sentiment is the same, but delivering the message on a bottle of wine is a lot more fun than in an envelope.

The message uses static cling to adhere to any bottle of wine, liquor or whatever you and your Valentine are planning on drinking. It would also stick on a mirror or window.

Message on a bottle, $3, Pistachio, 8 Trolley Square. 652-GIFT, http://www.pistachiohome.com/

MY FUZZY VALENTINE

Even if your Valentine is fuzzy, and barks or meows, they deserve a gift too. They love you unconditionally, after all.

Show them you love them and give them a traditional Valentine's Day gift of lingerie. So what if this lingerie is meant to be chewed on instead of worn? Our favorite part? The bra squeaks.

Chew toy lingerie, $13 each, Pistachio, 8 Trolley Square. 652-GIFT, http://www.pistachiohome.com/

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