Whether your budget to send love to a sweetheart is small or "the sky’s the limit," businesses in Austin can accommodate your needs.

Monday, February 12, 2001

Whether your budget to send love to a sweetheart is small or "the sky’s the limit," businesses in Austin can accommodate your needs.

Sweethearts who are seeking the traditional Valentine’s Day gift can find a vase of roses for around $50. But be sure to shop around – each store offers a different price and look, and as Elana Adams of Johnson Floral said, "roses are worth their weight in gold" around Valentine’s Day.

In addition, some florists will sell wrapped roses, which are priced lower than a dozen roses in a vase. Jamey Anderson, owner of Emotions Floral and Gift, plans to sell a dozen wrapped roses for $24.99. A cash and carry bouquet can be purchased for $9.99 from Flowers by Curt Inc., said Todd Schoonover.

"You can spend less than $20 and get lots of neat stuff at our store," Schoonover added, stressing it is the thought and not the amount spent that counts.

Unique bouquets are just as readily available as traditional ones in Austin. Vicki Trimble of The Hardy Geranium is offering a special item – a ceramic vase shaped like an envelope, filled with sweetheart roses. Rhonda Montavon at A Tisket, A Tasket is offering candy roses in a vase, which average $11.99 per bouquet.

Mylar balloons, ranging in price from $2.99 to $4.50 can be combined with other helium-filled balloons into a bouquet of a different color at A Tisket, A Tasket. As always, Montavon continues to wrap mix and match baskets filled with a variety of goodies from her store.

Floral designer Abrams said Johnson Floral can create a $20 to $50 Teleflora or a $30 to $70 FTD bouquet. In addition, she said, "we can fill any order for less than that."

The YMCA will be selling roses for a dollar a piece on Feb. 13 and 14 from opening to closing at the facility. Trimble of The Hardy Geranium said picture frame bud vases at her store can be filled with a flower of the customer’s choice, for a fairly inexpensive sweet nothings option. Montavon of A Tisket, A Tasket said she is currently selling heart-shaped picture frames in her store.

Love-themed Precious Moments and Snowbabies figurines are for sale at Bonnie’s Hallmark, said salesperson Veva Tigner, as well as a wide variety of cards to express your innermost thoughts. Stuffed animals and balloons can be purchased at Emotions Floral and Gifts as well.

Candles create a romantic mood, and are for sale at most department stores and gift stores such as Bonnie’s Hallmark and A Tisket, A Tasket.

Chocolates are traditional Valentine’s Day favorites and are available in a variety of shapes. Bonnie’s Hallmark sells the Abdallah brand from Minnesota while Montavon at A Tisket, A Tasket offers chocolates from Seattle.

If a special night away from the normal routine is what you are seeking, local motels are offering some special deals for couples.

A Valentine’s stay in a suite at the Holiday Inn and a dinner for two at Torge’s Bar and Grill is only $99.99, said Manager Andy Thilges. For the same price, couples can enjoy a month-long special, which includes a stay in a suite and a basket from Bath and Body Works. Both specials include champagne.

Front desk employee Michelle Sharnecky at Americinn said the hotel expects to offer a 15 percent discount on all suites.

The Blue Bell Inn in St. Ansgar is bringing in special entertainment to play at the nighttime meal during the later part of next week, said cook and waitress Becky Fister.

Jarrod and Shanna Dawson from Emmons, a romantic vocal and instrumental group, will play on Wednesday. Jazz pianist Sam Crosser from Osage will play on Feb. 16 and Feldspar Jazz from Mason City will play on Feb. 17. The cost of a stay at the bed and breakfast depends on the room and ranges from $65 to $140.

If a do-it-yourself attitude rules your romantic side, Hy-Vee and Cash Wise Foods offer a variety of meats and fixings for a candlelight dinner.

Seafood and meat manager Lowell Skjaveland of Cash Wise said customers can buy prime rib already sliced and ready to heat in a microwave for $8.99 per pound. Meat department manager Scott Diser said two prime ribs are priced at approximately $10 for an eight-ounce steak.

Ribeye steaks sell for $7.99 per pound and New York steaks sell for $7.29 per pound at Cash Wise. Both ribeye and New York sell for $7.99 at Hy-Vee Foods. Diser said a "serving size for an average eater will cost between $3.50 and $4."

Lobster tails sell for $20 a pound, or approximately $6.50 a five-ounce piece at Cash Wise. Diser at Hy-Vee said the average cost for a serving of lobster will cost around $10.

Baked potatoes, salad and fresh fruit can round out a romantic meal perfectly. Melon now sells for $0.79 per pound, while strawberries and blueberries sell for $3.99 per pound, said Cash Wise Assistant Produce Manager Scott Kaasa.

Members of the Riverland Community College Briars and College Choir will serenade your sweetie with one of three selections: a medley of 1970s love songs, a Gershwin medley or "Valentine" by Jim Brickman. Each song will be accompanied with a greeting and a flower, said music instructor Scott Blankenbaker

Internet sites offer many options for Valentine’s Day, from ordering flowers online to sending a picture of a bouquet. At the Web site www.roses.com, customers in one locale can order roses to be delivered somewhere else. By using one of the many search engines available on the Net, Austin residents can find a multitude of floral delivery sites willing to take your order and deliver at the click of a mouse.

Other sites online, such as www.virtualbouquet.com, send pictures of bouquets or an announcement of where a picture can be retrieved to a loved one for free.

No matter how you choose to spend the day – celebrating quietly or listening as your love is sung by a choir – the answer is only a phone call away and right here in Austin.