It's that time of the year again when Valentine's Day comes upon us. Although it may be considered a "Hallmark Holiday" mostly popular in the United States, it has since it's conception evolved to a day that is supposed to symbolize the love you feel mostly for your mate, family and friends. Traditionally there is a dinner with flowers and chocolates involved however nowadays especially with the advent of Galentine's Day (the day before Valentines Day where females celebrate each others , especially single females in my experience), gift giving has expanded in categories and thoughtfulness.
With all the attention we put to others and making sure they feel cherished, especially on Valentine's Day, we can easily forget to give love where it's needed most and that is ourselves. Self-love on Valentine's Day should be a given as we should acknowledge that we too need love and self care and sometimes we can show that by rewarding ourselves. This can come in many forms whether a gift that you always wanted, time alone, self care, travel, time in nature or rejecting something that makes you unhappy and stressed. How are to show someone we care and love for an appreciation for them if we don't show that to ourselves? It's that old metaphor that we see on every airplane ride, we must use the oxygen first if we are to help others. What if by acknowledging our self-love the gifts we give ourselves help others? It has always been in our mission at Patent of Heart to create product knowing that there is a full circle in giving back as with our women's leadership we help women's economic empowerment as Patent of Heart employs female artisans empowering women by supporting women and providing empowerment through education as proceeds our our sales go to female education. In gifting yourself and others with Patent of Heart handbags and small leather goods you promote women's leadership and women's independence. It's amazing how much a little self-love can help women's skill development and education for all.
We here at Patent of Heart have some amazing Valentine's Day gift suggestions that are not only perfect for your loved ones but also are perfect to show self-love with philanthropy, ethical fashion, social impact and artisan made products. Besides gift suggestions from Patent of Heart we have a few suggestions from brands that we follow that are women owned businesses that give back and rely on artisans for women's skill development and financial independence.
For Valentine's Day we at Patent of Heart have the perfect gift suggestions for your loved ones (and yourself) such as leather wallets, handcrafted bags, leather clutches, backpacks and totes. All are sustainable and ethical fashion made with ethically sourced leather. Our Bella Mini Wallets are very popular as for a small wallet they really pack a punch. We especially recommend the fuchsia with a grey zipper. Bella Wallet has room for all your credit cards and, cash & coins; plus, it will fit in your small bags as well as your pocket. It is designed with high-quality pebble leather & finished with a contrasting vibrant zipper. Features six credit card slots, a center billfold, and a coin compartment with dual gussets. Secure zip closure. For $75 it's an affordable and thoughtful gift. Who doesn't need a leather wallet?
Our Hearty Clutch handbag actually has a heart embroidered which makes it the perfect Valentine's Day gift. The Hearty Clutch is made by converting contemporary artwork into hand-embroidered designs by highly skilled female artisans. The embroidery is created using centuries-old chain stitch techniques with hand-dyed silk yarn and combined with premium leather to create the final design. Each clutch is adorned with a heart-shaped Swarovski Crystal charm in the upper-left corner. The clutch is versatile and can be carried in various ways, such as a wristlet or cross-body with detachable chain & leather strap options. For being a handmade bag $145 is a steal! We love the cream colored leather with the red embroidery for Valentine's Day.
How can you not want the Joyce Mini Pouch for yourself and all your girlfriends at an affordable $45! These colorful leather pouches are made from soft metallic leather with a contrast fun color zipper closure, they are perfect for storing little essentials. Fits credit cards and folded cash, earphones, small makeup products such as lipsticks, and many other miscellaneous things. They have a clean chic style with a smooth texture and luxurious feel. All pouches are beautifully lined and have a durable -easy to use- zipper to open and close at your leisure. We have a beautiful red colored option with a red zipper for Valentine's Day.
You don't necessarily need to purchase a red gift for Valentine's Day. We love the Jade Wallet in gold (also comes in a gorgeous silver). The Jade Wallet is a slim yet durable wallet that fits easily in any size bags. The wallet features 6 CC slots , 2 hidden pockets for more cards, as a bifold for bills. The flip side has a coin pouch for your change and a pocket for 3 to 4 credit cards or similar sized items. On the top of the wallet between the money pockets and the coin pouch is a large opening to hold a stack of credit cards (approx. 10 max). All of this, made by artisans with sustainable leather is such an affordable gift at $75!
We at Patent of Heart have further recommendations for Valentine's Day gifts that we recommend are perfect for self-love and the object of your desire. They are female own, artisanal and give back to society with causes they are passionate about. Our first recommendation is Red Heart from Desideri Design. Roman jewelry designer Claudia Desideri has founded Desideri Design which is a New York City based brand. We think her Red Heart perfectly represents a gift of love for Valentine's Day with a literal red heart shaped crystal. Made of Austrian crystals and gold filled, the heart pendant necklace its perfect for layering and everyday wear. It includes a 13mm Coral red Austrian crystal heart pendant and 18” long 14k gold filled chain at $245.
Another great and thoughtful gift is something for the home. Whether it's for you to make your environment more beautiful or bring the beauty to someone's else home, we love this Heart Moroccan Boucherouite Rug from Atelier Boemia. This Boucherouite Rug is a genuine article produced by women in the areas around Marrakesh and in the Atlas Mountains. These are mostly vintage pieces whose humble beginnings as fabric scraps are turned in to beautiful works of art. A cool and amazing piece of art for any room at a reasonable $480! Atelier Boemia was founded by interior designer Stacie Van Treese Stricker who in her travels for home decor found artisan goods and realized how much it helps local artisans when she promoted their work which led to her creating Atelier Boemia.
A very traditional gift for Valentine's Day is chocolates, however that does not mean you cannot give the most beautiful and tasty chocolates that will please a gourmand with great aesthetics and that is where MarieBelle Chocolates comes in. Founded by Maribel Lieberman, this New York City based brand has become the chocolatier of choice. The fine chocolates and beautiful graphics from this brand make the chocolates from this brand a very popular gift and we recommend the 25pc Cupid’s Valentine Pink Heart Box. Play the cupid and celebrate the most romantic day of the year with this mouth-watering Valentine’s chocolate from MarieBelle New York’s limited edition Valentine’s Day Chocolate Collection. Elegantly presented in a fanciful light pink heart-shaped valentine’s chocolate box featuring beautifully scalloped trim in a golden sheen, it opens to present 25 handmade chocolate ganache, each artfully highlighted with love-inspired designs that tell a story all for $75.
We all know making a reservation to go out to dinner on Valentine's Day is troublesome and very expensive. So why not make dinner for either yourself (or make dinner together with someone you love) and may we recommend these heart shaped pasta from Pastabilites. Pastabilities is a pasta brand founded by Carey Arons who fell in love with pasta making while she was visiting Italy in 1992. The brand also raises funds for kids and schools with their sale proceeds. Eat Your Heart Out Pasta from Pastabilities crafted special bronze dies to bring you heart pasta with old-world Italian texture and shape that holds onto sauces and still looks good even after refrigerating or reheating. They are USA-Made, Naturally Vegan Pasta Noodles made with rich Durum wheat along with natural vegetable powder coloring (and no eggs) for a fun heart-shaped pasta that’s Vegan-friendly, and naturally tasty. The package of pasta is only $19.99 so think of the incredible savings you will have on Valentine's Day!
Who says a Valentine's Day gift has to be an object? What better gift than the gift of happiness for either yourself or your loved ones? We love the idea of a podcast and we recommend Gretchen Rubin and her podcast Get Happier with Gretchen Rubin. The #1 bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before brings her practical, thought-provoking insights into happiness and good habits to this lively podcast. Her co-host and guinea pig is her younger sister, the Hollywood show-runner Elizabeth Craft, who (lovingly) refers to Gretchen as her “happiness bully.” Each week, listen to episodes packed with helpful ideas, suggestions, interviews, and research-based strategies; enjoy laid-back “More Happier” episodes; and get a quick boost of happiness from the “Little Happiers.” Part of the Cadence13 Network.
If you are looking for something more lux for either yourself or as a gift we recommend Comuninad Wrap from sustainable fashion designer Voz. This oversized shawl featuring the Comuninad symbol is made from 100% luxury merino wool hand-loomed in Chile by Mapuche artisanal weavers. The measurements are 200cm x 90cm and at a reasonable price of $795 for a sustainable artisanal product. Voz is a sustainable brand founded in 2012 by Jasmine Etoile Aarons, and today provides over 100 jobs throughout their supply chain. VOZ is a Benefit Corporation ethical fashion company whose mission is to protect the livelihoods, well-being, and cultural values of rural indigenous women globally. Voz pays living wages for every textile and sewn garment, and use sustainable fibers and processes. If you are going to go luxury for Valentines Day this is the perfect gift.
Let's not forget Valentine's Day is not just about gift giving but also about romance and one of our most romantic suggestions is a scented candle from Kismet Olfactive, Tuberose Tantra Valentine Candle. These limited edition Tuberose Tantra Valentine Candles are hand poured in New York City with 100% organic soy wax in frosted red glass. The candle is 9 oz with 50 hrs of burn time. This aphrodisiac is quite affordable at $68. Kismet Olfactive is New York City independent fragrance studio founded by Shabnam Tavakol who wanted to make artisanal .candles with more inclusive, natural scents for a more integrative approach to scents.
A perfect gift to show self-love and is a great affordable gift are bath and body products and we recommend Lula's Garden Happy Valentine's Day Shower Steamer & Gua Sha & Dry Brush Set. Treat your Valentine to ultimate relaxation with this Shower Steamer, Gua Sha, and Dry Brush set. This spa-inspired trio brings the luxury of self-care home, perfect for unwinding. Ideal for soothing pampering, it's an exceptional gift for that special someone who deserves a tranquil escape this Valentine's Day. Lula's Garden was founded by Liraz Birnbaum whose mission is to create memorable gifts that not only bring joy to those we love, but also have a positive impact on the world. They proudly support water.org, an organization that helps improve lives around the world by providing access to safe water. Each garden sold provides six months of safe water for one person in the developing world.
Last but certainly not least is a novel based on real life feminist and mathematician Ada Lovelace. The book is "Enchantress of Numbers" by Jennifer Chiaverini. The book is a good read and will inspire the power of intelligence, love and independence which is the perfect give to symbolize self-love.
These are our suggestions for Valentine's Day gifts, we hope you are inspired by them and chose to prioritize self-love as well as your loved ones. We made sure our recommendations were woman owned businesses, artisanal and gave back to causes they are passionate about which is quite contagious for love.
By Natalie Rivera
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