Despite its popularity as a romantic gift, I have never received a box of chocolates from a boy. Well, there was one or two boxes of macadamian nut chocolates from a boy-friend as a souvenir from a trip to Hawaii but when we’re talking about a heart-shaped box of chocolates alongside a bouquet of flowers, never had the pleasure.

But if I were to receive a box of chocolates, here is what tops my wishlist. (Feel free to leave this page open on a browser at home for your BF to “stumble upon” if you need to leave a hint.)

Because chocolates should be as beautiful as they are tasty, Mariebelle Chocolates are like works of art, compared to semi-precious jewels displayed in a box. The Valentine’s Day series feature unique art that depict a love story that is detailed in an accompanying brochure.

If Mariebelle chocolates are haute couture, then Compartes Chocolatier in Brentwood is like the stylish, colorful Paul Smith of chocolates. If you’re not into truffles, they also have a selection of heavenly chocolate covered Oreos.

If you are looking for something more romantic (read: sexy), try out the K Sensual chocolate experience from K Chocolatier. Dubbed “for women only” these bonbons contain a mix of Chinese herbs to get a girl in the mood. (Somehow if your boyfriend is reading this page, I have a feeling this is the box he chose. )

More chocolate as art, Christopher Elbow chocolates are as impressive as they come: they are handcrafted and handpainted one by one. With ingredients like Japanese yuzu, Venezuelan chili spice, or locally grown rosemary, these are as artfully cooked together as they are presented.

The more traditional in the group, Payard chocolates are all about classic chocolate ingredients put together in a tastefully, luxurious presentation. I wouldn’t mind a box of macarons from there either. >.<

And last but not least, I would ask for several Vosges Matcha Bars. They don’t have to be wrapped, painted or presented in any special way, just give me a stack of these and I’m good to go.

Since I can’t actually blog about what I got the BF for Valentine’s Day yet (he’s a regular lurker and I don’t want to ruin the surprise), for now I’ll pass over some suggestions that didn’t make the cut for this year. These are my top picks for what to give and do for your honey on Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day this year falls on a Sunday which usually means the guy is stuck doing girl things all day before he takes his sweetie out to dinner. If money is no object, why not let him enjoy the ride as he drives you from brunch to your favorite cupcake place? $775 will get you an Audi R8 rental for the day at Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car. (If your beau is not into cars, rent him that dream camera or whatever makes him drool — these days you can rent anything.)

I always use gifting as an excuse to get the boy on a proper skincare routine and this Kyoku for Men gift set is the perfect one; think of it as Shu Uemura for boys! Kyoku incorporates ancient Japanese knowledge with modern scientific research, resulting in the ultimate luxury grooming line for your guy. $120 gets him a set of 5 full-sized essentials in a keepsake box. Of course, this gift requires a second, more manly gift to balance it out.

Who says a girl can’t get a guy a bouquet on Valentine’s Day? However, instead of the usual tulips and daisies, opt to get him something tasty he can share with his office. Last year I picked out an Edible Arrangement to send to his desk at work. Instead of jokes and snickers about the ball and chain, he had girls at his desk all day stealing chocolate covered strawberries.

I’m always for giving clever t-shirts as gifts, especially tongue-in-cheek ones that will boost a guy’s confidence. This one by John Varvatos is subtle but suitable for cupid’s day.

Bake him cookies. If he is taking you out to dinner, offer up a fresh-baked dessert and wine at your place for afterwards. You get one day a year to be corny without too much eye-rolling so bake him some sugary-sweet messages — he’ll appreciate the effort no matter how they turn out.

I’ve just picked up my first pair of Chloe sunglasses. I’ve been eyeing this line for several seasons but haven’t found the perfect shade & color worth investing $300 in. That’s what I love about Gilt — it makes it so easy to try out a new brand or style without committing to full retail prices if you decide it’s not for you!

I love Chloe’s relaxed, slightly-seventies vibe. These shades offer up a sophisticated update to the oversized sunglass trend of a few years ago. Dainty enough to be worn countryside yet plenty of coverage for a sleek look on city streets. The only thing I’m worried about is the color — I love grey but the wrong tone can prove disasterous with my new hair color. I’m crossing my fingers that this will soften up my ashy brown color and not contrast too much against it, making my hair look more orange than it is. (Which my black Chanel sunglasses already do) Can’t wait for them to come in!

On another note, I was reading a piece in W Magazine about sunglasses titled Fit or Miss: An Asian Writer Gets Over Sunglass Envy and it kind of irked me. First of all I’m Asian, and probably an average Asian at that. The bridge of my nose isn’t particularly flat or pointy in comparison to other Asians, nor my cheekbone height. But I don’t contend that I’ve had more sunglass problems than the average girl as I feel there are many more factors to finding the right pair of shades than the bridge of the nose or the height of the cheekbones. I have many more problems finding the right aesthetic shape for my proportions or the right tilt for my face. I don’t hate on a certain designers for designing to Caucasian proportions — most designers offer up a wide range of shades to fit an even wider range of facial features. I’m not discrediting the many celebrity anecdotes quoted in the article, I’m merely pointing out that many non-Asian women find the same frustration finding the perfect pair of sunglasses for a myriad of other reasons.

Isn’t that what makes hunting down the perfect fair that much more rewarding?

Click here to join Gilt if you’re not already addicted.

I’ve done my complete pigging out for the day, and it’s barely 10am. Wednesday mornings means @ButtermilkTruck day in El Segundo, the only morning I don’t mind waking up early if it means a sweet & yummy breakfast before work. By the way, this is the only truck I frequent now that I’m boycotting the @fishlips_sushi truck (last Tuesday they ran out of rice by 12:30, I snagged the last order but it took them 43 minutes to prepare!).

My (new) favorite dish from the Buttermilk Truck is the homemade cake donuts. Served piping hot they are toasty on the outside and super soft on the inside, literally like eating a deep-fried soft, warm cake. There is slight glazing on the outside and just enough powdered sugar to keep it from being sickeningly sweet.

Today I also tried the breakfast sliders for the first time: Hawaiian bread filled with Portuguese sausage, sauteed onions and shoyu scrambled eggs. They were the perfect blend of salty & sweet. I make sausage and scrambled eggs like this at home but never thought of combining the two with caramelized onions for a breakfast treat.

3 homemade cake donuts + 3 hawaiian bread french toast sticks + 1 slider = no lunch for me.

Ready for another giveaway? Here it is! Tell me about your favorite tea moment in a comment below. It can be a specific time you had tea, or your favorite moment for tea. The top 3 comments (my choice) will win a Libre glass n’ poly tea glass.

I’ll start:

My favorite tea moment is a late night dessert run at Sweet Lady Jane with my boyfriend. We get the cheesecake and a pot of chamomile tea. He taught me his childhood secret: take a big bite of cheesecake and sip some tea before you swallow, letting the flavors swirl together in your mouth. It sounds gross but it tastes heavenly and it’s a lot of fun. Just don’t burst into laughter while you’re doing it…

For more loose leaf tea moments, check out Libre’s tea moments page.
Libre Tea’s loose leaf tea glass is the perfect gift for tea drinkers. Whether you want to enjoy loose leaf tea on the go or keep a glass ready to drink at your desk, this tumbler will hold your tea until you’re ready to brew and sip.

Contest Rules:

• U.S. entrants only.
• Only one entry per person. Duplicate entries will be disqualified.
• Winner must post a valid e-mail address with their comment. (Hidden)
• Contest ends on Monday, Feb 1 at midnight.
• 3 winners will be announced after 2/1.

Good luck!

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