JUST FOR LOVERS: Local stores gear up for Valentine's Day

Skyler Hammons |, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·3 min read

Feb. 7—With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, many shop owners around Tahlequah are feeling the love by offering gift suggestions.

Heather Crowell, co-owner of the Craft Addict, Bubble Bee Soap Co., the Craft Annex and the Rustic Brush, said they have several options for shoppers. Crowell said they're selling 40-ounce cups with Valentine's Day designs and a small bouquet of flowers in the cup.

The shop also has "blind date with a book" baskets that include literature-related items and a book covered in wrapping paper. The items are covered to make sure patrons can't see what specific type of book they will be gifting. Crowell said homemade soap and bath bombs are always good gifts.

"It's so hard to really tell what's going to be big or not," Crowell said. "I would say spa care things are always good gifts."

Since the store features permanent jewelry, Crowell said customers can purchase gift certificates for recipients. Sara Barnett, Meigs Jewelry operations and marketing manager, said Igohida permanent bracelets are also popular at her store due to their simple chain style.

Barnett said buying jewelry for someone else can be difficult, but shoppers should go off the individual's style. Barnett said men's jewelry can also be bought for Valentine's Day, including watches or chains.

As a special promotion at Meigs Jewelry, Barnett said a customer who spends $199 or more will get a free gift box featuring a small bottle of sparkling cider or champagne, a card, and chocolates.

While chocolates and jewelry are popular items on Valentine's Day, there is another staple: flowers.

Rian Cragar, owner of A Bloom Flowers & Gifts, said while her store mainly focuses on flowers, other gifts are also available. For Valentine's Day, Cragar offers younger recipients plush toys and assorted candy, some of which are also available year-round. Other popular Valentine's Day delivery additions a carendles and bath and body products.

Cragar said the bouquets' simplicity and look "stands out as a genuine and heartfelt gesture," and turns the arrangements into "tangible symbols of love." Cragar said flowers are appropriate for many types of relationships: parents to children, significant others, and friends.

"Flowers, by their very nature, remind us to appreciate the beauty in simplicity and cherish the fleeting moments that love brings," Cragar said. "Beyond their aesthetic appeal, flowers offer an immersive sensory experience that resonates with our customers. The vibrant colors, the delicate touch, and the fragrant notes all come together to create a memorable moment for the recipient."

While the shop's biggest days are Feb. 12-13, Cragar said orders have already started flowing in.

"Valentine's Day at A Bloom Flowers & Gifts is our Super Bowl, and we're here to win the hearts of our fantastic customers," Cragar said. "We absolutely love and look forward to this special time of the year when love is in full bloom. It's a joy to be part of the moments that make hearts skip a beat. Big shoutout to all our amazing customers; your love and support mean the world to us!"

Gifts do not have to be store-bought; for some recipients, homemade items are the best.

Heather Winn, Cherokee County OSU Extension Office family and consumer science educator, said a simple present can be a coupon book that features different chores or activities.

"Many times, just your time is more precious and more valuable than anything that anyone can purchase for you," Winn said.

A special dinner or meal is another way to show off love. That could mean making the recipient a favorite meal, or making a pizza or cake in the shape of a heart. For those with dietary restrictions, Winn said, chocolate-covered strawberries can be a healthier treat.