A musical box of Valentine's Day treats

With Valentine's Day on tomorrow's horizon,many folks are doing their best to show their loved ones how much they truly feel about them with some last minute gift shopping.

 You really shouldn't take a hasty present for granted,considering that even remembering this special day so close to the wire is a sign of affection(although a rather slow one at that).

For some of us,gift giving on this day is hard to bear since we may not have sweethearts of the romantic sort to shower with purchased pink and red products.

 As for me,I am offering readers a sweet deal on my Chronicles of Copper Boom e-book series. Starting yesterday,a coupon for a free download of the first book,Party Overkill,is now available. Just use the code YH89E at Smashwords to get your copy gratis by February 16. Part of the reason for this coupon caper is to celebrate the recent publication of Part Two in the Chronicles of Copper Boom saga,A Chilling Warmth.

Hopefully,some interest will be peaked and momentum for the rest of this super sized tale of potential heroes and villains that will slowly but surely come. In the meantime,here are a few music videos that highlight a traditional trinket handed out for Valentine's Day:

DIAMOND JUBILEE: Jewelry is a highly anticipated gift on this day and the number one gem on the holiday hit list is diamonds. Sparkly is as sparkly does in my book but the glow of those ice stones turns quite a few heads. The best known musical tribute to these gems is Marilyn Monroe's "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend" that has been lip synced and sung in plenty of pop culture venues,including the guilty pleasure flick Burlesque:

A ROSE IS A ROSE: Flowers are another standard of Valentine's Day,with just about any combination of posies making the cut. However,roses are held up as the ultimate floral token of true love.

 One of the best songs,in my opinion,that uses the flower metaphor so aptly is Seal's "Kiss From A Rose",originally a key tune in the Batman Forever soundtrack. Not one of the better Batmans,I grant you ,but this sensuous ode to heartfelt passion plays well in any forum:

CANDY CRAVING: Numerous connections to love and sugar have been made over the centuries,with phrases such as "sweets to the sweet" and "he/she is sweet on you" only being the tip of the iceberg.

Chocolates are a steady safe bet when it comes to a last minute Valentine's gift but other confections such as candy hearts and red hots are deemed acceptable in a pinch.

So,if your sweetheart happens to be humming Bow Wow Wow's "I Want Candy",your sugar options are rather open there:

HEART OF THE MATTER: That pictographic symbol of love(although not at all automatically correct) is seen everywhere on Valentine's Day and can be given out in various forms. Candy boxes,flower arraignments, a repeating pattern on specially selected clothes and even a simple trace and cut out form on drawing paper manage to make the grade(the last one being more suited to grade school).

 What kind of heart you offer up is often telling about your true feelings,according to most,so if someone accuses you of having a "Heart of Glass",it's not a shout out to the Blondie song,trust me on this one:

Regardless of your relationship status,I wish you all a Happy Valentine's Day and hope that some small item of affection makes it's way to you on time tomorrow.

 As for you last minute shoppers,don't get too wound up over what to get your someone special. Having the perfect present would be nice but even a little gesture like their favorite snack or giving that most precious commodity of all, your time and attention,can be just as good and perhaps so much better.

 Of course,if you need to buy something,a card always goes over well. Even if the recipient acts like it's not good enough at first,it can win them over in the end: