Special gifts abound for Valentine's Day

submitted photo Valentine's Day -- a time for love. [Click to enlarge]

Herald-Tribune

Fort Scott, Kan. -- For those people who want to stray from tradition and purchase something unique for that special someone on Valentine's Day this year, the options are numerous.

A unique and unusual gift available at Sekan Occasions Shops, south U.S. Highway 69 in Fort Scott, are bags of rose petals that can be purchased for $5, store owner Lonnie Banwart said. The petals can be tossed on a table or bed as a romantic decoration for that special person in someone's life, and they are also popularly thrown at weddings, Banwart said.

That significant other should be most pleased with the romantic gift combination of a box of rose petals and another traditional Valentine's Day gift of that person's choice, such as a scented candle, Banwart said.

While off-the-wall gifts are available at his store, traditional Valentine's day items -- such as the typical box of chocolates and a bouquet of roses -- remain the store's biggest seller, Banwart said.

"Flowers are still the biggest," he said. "Flowers, some plants, and chocolates are big, too."

Another popular item the store carries are Colorado Almond toffees, which have become a top seller at his store, Banwart said. The candies come in boxes that are wrapped in red paper to signify the holiday. Classic Precious Moments figurines, as well as angel figurines bearing romantic messages of love, are also flying off Banwart's shelves, he said.

A unique gift available for children this Valentine's Day are called Webkinz, which are stuffed animals that kids may use in conjunction with the Internet, Country Cupboard owner Judy Renard said.

Each toy comes with a card that youngsters may use to enter a secret code once they access the Web site, and then bring their toy to life, much like a virtual pet, Renard said. Once online, children may choose to adopt their pet, design it in a number of different ways, and play a variety of games. Renard said the toys, which cost about $11 each, are hugely popular at her gift shop and novelty store, located at 12 N. Main St. in downtown Fort Scott.

"We've had lots of calls about those," Renard said.

Other popular Valentine's Day items at her store include scented candles and a variety of different styles of cosmetic jewelry, Renard said. The store also features an assortment of chocolate-covered sunflower seeds, coated in a thin candy shell, that are available in both red and pink -- traditional Valentine's Day colors. Containers of the seeds are available for $3 each, Renard said.

The list of available gifts for Valentine's Day -- another one of those "Hallmark holidays," as they are often called -- doesn't end there, however. Country Cupboard offers an assortment of different confections, other stuffed animals, and balloons. Painted pony figurines, which are popular with many collectors, are available in a number of different designs, Renard said. Colored scarves and matching earmuffs make nice practical gifts on Valentine's Day, she said.

For the person who must satisfy his or her sweet tooth, Renard's store also offers homemade jams in a variety of flavors (sugar free varieties are available, too) that vary in price. The jams are made by an Amish family from Rich Hill, Mo., Renard said.