If you still watch television without benefit of a fast-forward button, you're aware of what every gal wants for Valentine's Day: A diamond heart pendant, flowers or a teddy bear dressed like a person. Yes, it's the thought that counts, but surely your Valentine means more to you than such an easily forgettable gesture? This year, find something a bit more memorable at the Very Valentine Market, brought to you by Bazaar Bizarre, Room Service and Salty Not Sweet Handmade Boutique.
"It's all the Whitman's samplers that throw people off," says Candra Squire, owner of Salty Not Sweet. "People think Valentine's Day means perfect roses, perfect dinner, perfect diamonds, perfect perfect perfect." On Saturday, February 5, Squire and cohorts will be offering a uniquely edited selection of apparel, jewelry, home goods, art and a lot more, including a make-your-own Valentine table so you can get in on the handmade action.
So what makes a good Valentine gift? "A good gift is anything that does not come from CVS," says Squire. "No one I know wants a white teddy bear holding a heart that says 'I love you' with a bottle of Boone's Farm to set the night off right. Go get something handmade, because even if whoever you give it to doesn't like it, you still supported local art and are cooler for having bought it."
You can shop the Very Valentine Market on Saturday, February 5 from 10 am to 8 pm in the United Bank Building at 2012 West 25th Street. (This spring, Salty Not Sweet will re-open near Room Service in Ohio City's so-called SoLo district.) Consider it the perfect opportunity to support local craft and impress your Valentine with something that's one-of-a-kind and expresses how you really feel. "Stop with the perfect, go to Taco Bell and have a weird time," says Squire. "Unless my husband is reading this. Then I want perfect diamonds and a Whitman's sampler."
For more information on the event, search "Very Valentine Market" on Facebook.
