The Valentine's Collection

It all began in a little chocolate shop in Hollywood, just off Sunset Blvd. On a rare occasion long ago when I was shopping and having lunch with a friend in Hollywood, I saw the word "chocolate" and well, can you blame me?! I went in, but they only made chocolates, didn't sell any. I did get a fabulous sample though. So there was that. Cue at least 8 years later, and I am over the moon bowled over by this pink, yes PINK, chocolate. Shopping at market for holiday in early January {well, yes, you know retail is a bit crazy right? Just when we've packed away the trees, the ornaments and the ribbons, it's time for me to shop for next Christmas.} But I digress. Thanks for sticking with this rambling story for as long as this. In this post I'm sharing our Valentine's Gift Collection. Our Valentine's Gift Collection is filled with sweet gifts for everyone on your list. Chocolate, linens and luxury gifts to give to people you love. The chocolate story? That's how it began. Shop the Valentines Collection here> At market, there are showrooms filled with candy and food and chocolates. Which I avoid, because 1. I don't sell that usually. and 2. they have so many samples that I could probably gain 5 lbs. in one go. But that day, I saw a rep that I knew, and while we were catching up with each other's lives, she winked at me, and popped a pink chocolate heart in my mouth. And it was love at first bite. These hearts are little bites of love.

Pink Linen Runner|Pink Linen Napkins

They are made of the new ruby cacao, which is a naturally pink cocoa bean, with a fruity taste, There is no color or flavoring added. It's the most exciting discovery in chocolate in 80 years! So of course I thought of all sorts of people you & I could give this pink chocolate to around Valentine's Day. And that is how, even when I had no intention of doing so, our small Valentine Gift Collection was born! The full-circle-it-was-meant-to-be part of this pink chocolate story is that it is made by that little Hollywood chocolate shop I mentioned at the beginning! Because people kept stopping in and wanting to buy their chocolates, they finally started selling their chocolates to shops, not just hotels. Yay! Always wanting to have something special just for you, I had the hearts and the bars specially packaged for FrenchGardenHouse. So that it's a perfect gift to give, already tied with vintage velvet ribbon and millinery flowers. I used the gold crown place cards in the photos, they make wonderful gift tags. The pink chocolate comes in a box of 8 solid hearts, or a package of two luxury bars. Aside from the pink delicious chocolate gifts, our set of two petal pink taper candles is a perfect gift. Candles make everyone look better (and who doesn't love that?!) and add to the ambience of romantic living that we all need in the wintery month of February. This year, our Hostess set comes with a luxury box of matches, all tied up with a lush pink satin ribbon, ready for gifting. I keep a small supply of these at home in my "gift" drawer for giving to friends and family. These candles are made in the USA by a family business, and they cast such a beautiful glow. Long lasting, the 12" tapers burn about 9 hours. I'm always up for a cheerful little bunch of flowers in winter. I do get fresh flowers for the living room, but don't really have the time to arrange, refresh water, and keep up with real flowers in every room at home. Fabulous Faux are my secret answer to flowers everywhere! This little bunch of tulips is almost sold out, and you can see why. Cheer, by the bushel. The tulips look amazingly real, too! Shop the entire Les Belles Fleurs Collection > There are some really sweet pieces in this collection, from luxurious cashmere shawls in red, to linen wine bags that dress up any bottle of your favorite wine to really make it a gift. While I didn't buy a lot of ribbon for this collection, I do love this hand marbled ribbon to tie up pretty packages. It looks gorgeous with simple kraft paper, and is just the thing that makes everything look just a little bit more special. I tied up cellophane bags filled with heart shaped palmier cookies with this ribbon to gift to friends, and this ribbon took it to another level. Jewelry is always a wonderful Valentine's Day gift! You can shop our Heirloom collection of jewelry, for friends, for your Mom, your daughter, or for yourself. {You can also send a link to your Valentine with a hint!} Last but not least, you may know that we had the best gift born on December 30th! Our little girl caused me to go off track from French antiques and add a line of 100% GOTS certified organic baby things. Because my baby's mama only wants organic. If you have a little tiny sweetie in your life, consider buying a blanket and hat set for him or her, or a onesie or romper. SO cute!

SHOP OUR ENTIRE VALENTINE COLLECTION >

A BIENTOT

Shop for the best in French Antiques, furniture with the patina of age, vintage accessories to delight you and your family & friends, and French Country utilitarian pieces. Treasures that make your home fresh, beautiful, inspirational and uniquely yours. Visit our shop FrenchGardenHouse.com