With this heart-shaped waffle maker from Williams-Sonoma, you can cook up a romantic breakfast in bed. One hot press of the griddle creates five connected hearts. Two-sided cooking plates let you make round Belgian versions other days of the year. $99.95 at Williams-Sonoma.
Forget champagne toasts. Press the I Love You Toast Stamper from Urban Outfitters into a piece of bread before toasting and voila: an original warm-and-crispy (and much cheaper) kind of toast.
$6 at Urban Outfitters.
You can’t help but spice things up with these salt and pepper shakers. Mint’s The Hug, a black-and-white ceramic pair, is shaped like two people hugging. Kissing Salt and Pepper, a sleek silver set by Nambe, features two shakers lightly smooching.
The Hug ($25) at Homebody, 715 8th St., SE; 202-544-8445
Kissing Salt and Pepper ($99) at Macy’s or online on Nambe’s Web site.
You could use Alessi’s heart-shaped, stainless-steel spoons for their intended purpose: to feed each other dark-chocolate ice cream. Or you could have a contest to see who can wear their heart on their, um, nose.
$39 for a set of six at Rckndy, 1515 U St., NW; 202-332-5639.
Those dozen long-stem roses you splurged for will never go out of style. Tabletop’s ivory-colored ceramic vases from Klein Reid will bring out the red in the roses. The minimalist, curvy vases come in a variety of shapes and sizes. The ten-inch Peep, with an oval base and straight neck, is best for long-stem flowers, while the shorter Scout is a good bet for smaller blooms, like tulips.
Peep vase ($98) and Scout vase ($68) at Tabletop, 1608 20th St., NW; 202-387-7117.
Valentine’s Day falls in the middle of National Condom Week. Coincidence? We think not. For those of you thinking about an office romance, make sure you have a condom paperweight handy in your cubicle. That’s right—a crystal weight that contains a removable condom. Feel even better knowing that one-quarter of the profits go to an AIDS foundation for children.
$16.95 at condompaperwewights.com.
Waterworks heated towel racks will keep you feeling warm and fuzzy all over—even after a steamy shower. Pair it with “His” and “Hers” towels for a great romantic gift.
Towel rack ($19.95) and towels ($55) at Waterworks, 3314 M St., NW; 202-333-7180.
Want more Valentine's Day advice and information—from where to dine, to where to go, to what gifts to buy? Click here for the Washingtonian Guide to Valentine's Day.
