Ah, Valentine’s Day. Celebrated annually on Feb. 14, it “is recognized as a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and romantic love in many regions around the world” according to Wikipedia. “There are numerous martyrdom stories associated with various Valentines connected to Feb. 14.”
In an effort to ensure your romance isn’t one of them, The Denver North Star has the following unique, romantic recommendations — and you can impress your love bug even further by pointing out that they’re all local, which means your love is supporting not just each other, but also the local economy:
Jolly Goods, 4020 Tennyson St., www.jollygoods.shop
Jolly Goods is chock full of all kinds of handmade clothing, jewelry and unique gift items, from scarves to bath bombs, and an extensive collection of Colorado items. They carry 50 local artists and designers, including Aksels, Coloradical, Big Colorado Love and Yo Colorado to name a few. It’s a great place to go if you’re not quite sure what you’re looking for, but you know you need something special.
Word Shop, 3180 Meade St., wordshopdenver.com
With aprons and oven mitts that quip “Alexa, feed my children” and acorn topped corkscrews that proclaim “twist my nuts,” Word Shop is as much fun to shop for someone as it is to receive a gift from. The store has stationary, journals and other fun writing related items, and fun word-centered gifts for everyone in the family, including a baby section.
Indulgences Day Spa, 4100 Federal Blvd., indulgencesdayspa.com
Let’s face it, what better gift is there than the pampering of a spa? Spa services range from facials to couples massage, and come complete with access to their steam room. Indulgences offers beautiful gift certificates you can even order online at indulgencesdayspa.com, in the event you can’t make it in person. We suggest pairing a little something from their gift shop with a gift card: check out the aromatic candles and soaps, silly socks or unique jewelry.
Roberta’s Chocolates, 4840 W. 29th Ave., robertaschocolates.com
It’s just not Valentine’s Day without chocolates, and we have our own heavenly selection of gourmet sweet treats right here in the Highlands. Roberta’s carries a wide variety of confections, from candies to creams, nuts to truffles — and you can buy them individually, bagged, boxed or as part of a gift basket. Don’t forget to checkout their gourmet popcorn and bacon.
BookBar, 4280 Tennyson St., bookbardenver.com
Skip the crowded restaurants on Valentine’s Day and take your lover to pick out a romance novel you can read together at BookBar. You can sip wine at the bar together, or even snuggle up on the patio at the fire, weather permitting. BookBar also offers gift cards.
Honeycomb & Co., 2440 W. 44th Ave., honeycombandcompany.com
You can get the most gorgeous traditional or modern Valentine’s Day flowers you’ve ever dreamed of at Honeycomb & Co., a gorgeous floral and decor boutique located in Cobbler’s Corner in Sunnyside. Or branch out and go for a long-lasting succulent garden or terrarium instead.
VaVaBloom, 3209 Zuni St., vavabloom.net
I first found VaVaBloom by following a trail of flower petals on the sidewalk into the quaint neighborhood flower shop, bursting with color, gifts and gorgeous floral arrangements. The cooler is filled with fresh, seasonal and not-so-ordinary flowers and foliage that is hand selected daily. If you want something specific, they can have it for you the following day. You’ll also find unique, adorable and affordable gifts, including gift baskets especially for men, beer baskets, succulent gardens, and cards ranging from naughty to nice.
Stir Cooking School, 3215 Zuni St., stirtolearn.com
What could be more romantic than learning to cook together? Stir is a recreational cooking school open to the public, offering cooking classes for anyone and everyone, novice to professional. Classes are three hours long, for a fun-filled, hands-on experience. They also offer a bar area where you can learn to make signature cocktails! Check out all their classes and private events online. For Valentine’s Day, they are offering a romantic dinner in Italy! Hurry though as holiday classes fill up fast. Warning: giving your loved one a cooking class that you’re not attending with them could send the wrong message, kind of like buying them a vacuum cleaner.
Savory Spice Shop, 1537 Platte St., savoryspiceshop.com
Treat yourself to the fabulous aromas of Savory Spice Shop as you select a special gift set for your loved one. You can select from kitchen basics to more sophisticated sets for the BBQ lover or the baker. You can even upload your own personal photo online to be printed on the gift set label.
Furnace Glassworks, 11354 W. 13th Ave., furnaceglassworks.com
Owned by North Denver glass artist Corey Silverman, Furnace Glassworks offers decorative, sculptural and functional hot glass art, including ornaments, vases and drinking glasses. Or, for the adventurous and artistic, take a glass blowing class and make your own unique work of art.
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