Nailed

Sometimes, you just want to know your relationship is hammered down.  This necklace is a sure way to communicate just that.

This Martin Margiela silver nail necklace is a fabulous unisex gift (ok, it's really for men, but I see no reason why a woman couldn't receive and wear it).  It's simple yet hardcore.  Elegant in design yet not precious in any way. And its heaviness communicates importance.

I don't, however,  recommend purchasing this gift for the commitment nail-gunshy.  But if you mean business, it's excellent.  Check it out at www.laoki-ni.com.

She Can Eat Her Hat

First, if you've purchased your love a hat for Valentine's day, hang your head in sorry shame. Hats are for Easter, silly!  Plus, there are too many variables in size, shape and style to ever fully satisfy a giftee.

But a hatbox?  A totally different story. Especially when said hatbox is brimming with candy from Boule.  Normally, I'm against candy for this Hallmark holiday, but this stuff is an exception.  Imagine lots and lots of sugar and chocolate, enough to keep her happily occupied for hours, nibbling and sampling before dissolving into a woozy yet compliant heap at your feet.  Now that's a Valentine's Day gift.

And the hatbox?  Look, she probably already has a hat she never wears, and needs someplace to store it.  I've also heard hatboxes make great lingerie storage, too (hint).  Order the whole thing at www.boulela.com.  Maybe she'll even save some for you.

House of Hope and Love

Ok, maybe not completely.  Or not for everybody.  But for many, the Obama White House comes pretty close to a true house of hope and love.  

So give your Obama fan some concrete proof of the hope living under that roof.  This tiny democrat blue Obama White House looks perfect on every liberal-loving mantel.  And it's a far more hopeful (and much more tasteful) departure from the other scale models in this line, "Buildings of Disaster," featuring the Pentagon, The Watergate, etc.

It's good in times like these to remind your politically minded friends for whom they voted and why.  Repainting the White House might just do it for them.  Grab the Blue White House at www.cooperhewittshop.org.

Jumbo Valentine

Yes, the "Love" poster might be a bit of a cliche.  But, aren't cliches ultimately what Valentine's Day is all about?

At least this particular "Love" poster comes in wonderful bright colors that would look pretty stylish in almost any home.  This is not a V-Day gift to give on a whim, or to someone you just met.  It's going on their wall, after all; a reminder of your confession of emotion in perpetuity. Or at least until your cherished one changes the decor.

Locate this wall candy at www.sparkability.com.  And remember, at least for the time being, that a love poster is all you need.

Dirty Knickers

I'm not suggesting that you buy your love dirty knickers for V-Day.  Sad fact is, those fancy pants tend to get laundered incorrectly after the deed and are destroyed.  It's a waste of silk and lace.

Instead, buy your love something to keep those knickers clean!  The Laundress is loaded with useful cleansing products for delicates.  Go for the delicate wash, a mesh bag to protect said delicates from snags, AND some spanking clean knickers (to be discussed in a later post).  This stuff is hypoallergenic, and those clean-freak ladies at The Laundress have washing advice galore.

Find these romantic and practical scrubbing bubbles at www.thelaundress.com.  Her knickers (and other delicates) will thank you.

A Really Great Read

This is not a book review blog, but I felt I had to make an exception for this particular novel.  

I first heard about Elizabeth Strout's "Olive Kitteridge" on the radio station KCRW.  The author Pam Houston (a wonderful writer in her own right) was waxing rhapsodic about the book.  She said she got so into the characters, she didn't want to betray their secrets by talking about them. She turned out to be 100 correct; this is a killer book.

The whole book is like a series of vignettes based in a small town in Maine.  Every vignette includes the character Olive, who's impossible and irascible (and not usually in such a charming way).  It's beautifully written but not overwritten.  And it crosses gender lines; this is NOT chick lit.

I highly highly recommend this book for any reader on your gift list.  It'll give them a wonderful few hours of both escape and contemplation.  You can find it at www.amazon.com, or in bookstores everywhere.  And my apologies for the lack of a photo.

Now Love Stinks?

Yes, there seems to be a fairly stinky theme on Find A Toad these days, but this item is especially for your love on Valentine's Day.  And no, it ain't perfume.

It's roses.  Not overpriced real roses, grown in a hothouse somewhere and smelling vaguely of air. These are paper roses that look real, but won't die on the love of your life anytime soon.  And, on top of that, they're constructed of a completely renewable resource: elephant poop.

Yep, you heard right.  Pachyderm poop piles are transformed into visions of loveliness.  And why not?  It sure beats cutting down trees for paper, or growing mutant roses using tons of pesticides. Plus, if your relationship is unfortunately on the skids, it proclaims, loud and clear, "love stinks."

Grab a non-fragrant bouquet today at www.uncommongoods.com.