FEATURES

Valentine’s Day by Jaclyn Youhana Garver

When it’s time to pick a treat for your sweet or your bestie this Valentine’s Day, there’s no need to look anywhere but your own backyard. Fort Wayne and northeast Indiana are home to so many specialty shops and boutiques, which is ideal when it’s time to pick out that perfect something. GIFT GUIDE

“Plus, shopping local supports our home,” said Michael Galbraith, president of Fort Wayne’s Downtown Improvement District.

“We want to ensure that we preserve what makes us such a great place to live, work and play,” he said. “When we support one another by shopping local, we invest in the future of our shared community, and we make a commitment to embrace what is uniquely us.”

Here are some of our favorite spots to shop local this Valentine’s Day:

Valentine’s Gifts

Custom Popcorn Bags

Weddings & Special Events

Gift Tins Starting at $7.99

Spend $15 GLO220 receive $5 off

One use per customer. Expires Feb 29, 2020.

Popcorn Bar Favors, Thank-You Gifts and More!

EICHHORN JEWELRY

If your wife or girlfriend is a lover of all things sparkly, there’s a reason jewelry is a go-to V-Day gift: It’s timeless, and it’s meaningful. Decatur’s Eichhorn Jewelry specializes in antique and estate jewelry, ideal for a special, one-of-akind gift, as well as diamonds, colored gemstones and watches.

POPTIQUE

Poptique Popcorn, with locations in Columbia City and Fort Wayne, can be as customized as you like. Does your significant other have a major sweet tooth? Opt for Frosted Cinnamon Roll or Birthday Cake popcorn. Can you always find your best friend with his hand in a bag of salty chips? He might like Dill Pickle or Buffalo Hot Wing. Poptique’s website boasts 20 flavors, so you can select a gift as traditional (Cheddar Cheese) or creative (Cotton Candy) as you like.

Plus, Poptique packaging can be personalized. Select a custom gift tin, or put your own photo on a bag.

Bring Back Date Night

No

Reservations Needed

Couples Toys • Massage Products • Sexy Lingerie Male Underware • Shag Bags • Couples Games

512 W Superior St 5460 Coldwater Rd

BARBARA’S NEW BEGINNINGS

Lingerie is a timeless Valentine’s Day gift, and Fort Wayne is lucky to have a store so focused on getting it right. But getting it right can be tricky, especially when fits can vary among brands and body shapes. A New York Times article from this summer, which debunked the common belief that 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong size bra, found that “bras may fit differently based on the shape of the bra and the band measurements, how your breast volume is distributed on your body and, again, by brand.”

And Barbara’s New Beginnings is all about fit. Because the experience is so customized, first visits run $10, which comes off the top of your first purchase.

Pick up a gift certificate to let your girlfriend or wife choose what she needs, come prepared with her size or even browse Barbara’s other gifts, including jewelry, loungewear and handbags.

LYN-MAREE’S BOUTIQUE

Lyn-Maree’s Boutique in Auburn has an ever-changing selection, and its stylists can help you select a perfect gift, such as a handbag in her signature color or a cozy sweater with her new favorite pair of earrings. Nearly one full wall of the store is devoted to gold and silver baubles, so whether she prefers bold, statement jewelry or small, classic pieces, you’ll find something in her taste. a

Resources: Barbara’s New Beginnings, Fort Wayne, 260.432.9939, barbarasnewbeginnings.com Eichhorn Jewelry, Decatur, 260.724.2621, eichhornjewelry.com Lyn Maree’s Boutique, Auburn, 260.333.0238, lyn-marees.com Poptique, Fort Wayne and Columbia City, 877.633.5400, store.poptiquepopcorn.com