Don’t be a scrub: Get your love one of these Valentine’s Day gifts from Vail Valley shops

Sure, you could run into Walmart or City Market and grab a generic bunch of blooms as a last-minute way to say “Happy Valentine’s Day,” but that’s exactly what it might look like: last minute.

Instead, why not support the Valley’s local flower shops with a designer arrangement? Whether you’re looking for the finest roses or more exotic varieties, Vail’s florists are experts in their field. Just make sure they’re open on Sundays, because some aren’t. For instance, Petals of Provence will be open today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and it even has specialties like French country boxes filled with chocolates.

Aside from flowers, if you want to wow your sweetie, here are several ideas to get your creative love juices flowin’.

Bedazzling Gemstones

Local jewelers like Dan Telleen and Jim Cotter are known as pioneers of organic, contemporary jewelry that only Vail is known for. Telleen’s pieces might integrate an 1856 U.S. flying eagle penny into a necklace or a half-billion-year-old fossil into a pendant. Cotter’s bold style incorporates unique textures and surfaces with various materials, ranging from diamond-embedded concrete rings to precious stones free-floating in healing soil form the church of Chimayo in Santa Fe. They’ve both created signature jewelry in Vail for over 50 years, so they’re a great bet for a unique piece.

Squash Blossom has been selling Native American style jewelry for almost as long; it all started when the owners, John and Patti Cogswell, spent their two-week honeymoon on the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni reservations. Since then, the boutique has brought in designer jewelry. Visit squashblossomvail.com.

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Fabulous Furs

Faux or not, Vail offers a luxurious selection of jackets, boots and other furry accessories.

Hillis Akin has been a furrier for more than 50 years, and now her apprentice, Sue O’Leary Adams, works with Akin at Fantasia Furs on Gore Creek Drive. They believe real fur carries a low ecological burden, as it lasts for decades and is biodegradable, so it doesn’t add waste to landfills.

Between Fantasia Furs, Alaska Fur Gallery in the Solaris Residences and Designer Furs Ltd on Bridge Street, you’ll find women’s and men’s leather and fur outerwear, as well as capes, slippers, hats, purses, mittens and more. The furs range from beaver, badger, mink and rabbit to raccoon, coyote and Russian sable.

Lovely Linens

OK, so maybe linens aren’t the perfect first- or second-date Valentine’s Day gift, but they’re a great way to freshen up long-time love — and send a tonight’s-the-night kind of message. The Linen Kist in Avon specializes in fine bed linens and down comforters from Europe, as well as soft towels to wrap your loved one in after a romantic shower or bath. Renata’s Linens in Edwards also carries the finest designer brands.

Sweets

Just about every woman loves chocolate (and, these days, there’s even sugar-free chocolate for people with diabetes), so you can’t go wrong with a sea salt caramels, chocolate-covered pretzels or truffles from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Vail.

Rimini Gelato and Coffee Bar’s 24 flavors of gelato will make your tastebuds sing, while its hot chocolate will warm both of you right up.

Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory and Rocket Fizz Soda Pop & Candy Shop sell traditional chocolates and candies, along with nostalgic candy, for a sweet blast from the past.

Local shops

From sporty to soft and sensual, Vail Valley boutiques more than likely carry something that will make your Valentine light up.

For example, you can wrap up a gorgeous red vase or Baccarat Flutisimos in red crystal from Annie’s in Vail; give a gold metal heart engraved with “happily ever after” in French from The Home Outpost in Gypsum; or present a golden heart (a solid, brass-plated heart or a linen heart to store trinkets) from Gorsuch. You can illuminate the evening with a marbled alabaster or salt rock candleholder from Hygge Life in Avon, or rest in worldly flair with a Soumak pillow from Lolo Rugs and Gifts in Vail; the store aims to bring colorful, unique items based on Turkey’s rich culture.

If you want to roll around in elegance, consider Alaska Fur Gallery’s sea otter blanket (granted, it’ll set you back $38,000) or a velvet-lined American lynx throw for just under $6,000.

Or, tell your loved one you only have eyes for him or her with a pair of designer sunglasses from Eye Pieces of Vail.

Restaurant Gift Cards

During holidays like New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day, it’s hard enough to get a last-minute reservation at one of the valley’s fine dining establishments, and with COVID-19 restrictions, it’s even harder. But that doesn’t mean you can’t give your significant other a gift card for a future dining date. In fact, a gift card might just be the ticket to another date early in a relationship. And, for committed relationships, who doesn’t want to get out of their own kitchen these days?

Of course, these suggestions only scratch the surface. Booking a couple’s session with a local photographer, buying outdoor gear or purchasing bath salts or lotions at a local spa are all great options. Remember: you know your loved one the best, but chances are you can find whatever he or she would like in the Valley.