6 Last-Minute Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Hey Shelby Township and Utica residents, need some last-minute ideas for that special guy or gal in your life? Check out the list below.

You're a busy person and that perfect Valentine's Day gift is hard to find. But never fear, Patch is here. We've put together a little list of items you can find around Shelby-Utica and either pick up tomorrow, or place on hold for your sweetheart's use at a later date. And if you have any good last-minute ideas, add them in the comments. 1. As the old-saying goes, the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. If you can't afford to fly to Rome, there's always Tivoli's Wood Brick Oven Pizzeria in Utica for authentic Italian thin crust pizza. 2. Planning to cook the Valentine's Day meal at home? Well, there's always dessert. Take him out for a sundae or shake at Maceri's Soup & Scoop. Serving up to 40 flavors of ice cream at a time, just…

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Red Roses, New Traditions: Shelby Flower Shop Owner Shares Valentine's Day Stories

"We wanted to serve a community," says 1-800-Flowers owner and Shelby Township resident Amy Guzzardo.

When it comes to Valentine’s Day flowers, Amy Guzzardo knows what she’s doing. The Shelby Township resident and owner of four 1-800-Flowers shops—including the one in Shelby—has been in the floral business for 20 years. “It has been a wonderful experience,” said Guzzardo. “We wanted to serve a community—not just an internet business. What you see online is what you’re going to get in our stores as well.” And what you’ll get in their stores coming up to Valentine’s Day is a lot of options—from traditional red rose bouquets to unique combinations of flowers, chocolates, stuffed animals and more. “It’s been absolutely crazy,” Guzzardo said of the weeks leading up to Feb. 14. “It’s the busiest holiday of the year.” Some things never change. …

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Classic Books to Share with Your Children for Valentine's Day

From Charlotte's Web to Where the Wild Things Are, share these classic books available at the Utica and Shelby Township libraries with your children and encourage their love for reading.

“Where’s Pa Going with that Axe?” The Enduring Quality of Children’s Classics By Anita Silvey Courtesy of James Patterson's Read Kiddo Read Foundation The opening line of E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web— “Where’s Pa going with that axe?”—has now been read by adults to eager young listeners for more than 60 years. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day have been picked up with enthusiasm for more than 50 years. For 75 years, parents have shared The Hobbit, and this year Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are turns 50. These books and others like them (Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Virginia Lee Burton’s Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, and L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables) bring …

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Tickets Still Available for Valentine's Day Daddy-Daughter Dance in Shelby Township

The 2013 Daddy & Daughter Dance offered through Shelby Township Parks & Recreation will be held Feb. 14 at Cherry Creek Golf and Banquet Center.

Tickets Selling Fast for Valentine's Day Daddy-Daughter Dance in Shelby

The 2013 Daddy & Daughter Dance offered through Shelby Township Parks & Recreation will be held Feb. 14 at Cherry Creek Golf and Banquet Center.

Valentine's Day is for daughters this year, with the 2013 Shelby Township Parks & Recreation Daddy & Daughter Dance scheduled for Feb. 14. Tickets, though still available for the dance, are going fast, according to the parks and recreation department. Cherry Creek Golf and Banquet Center on 24 Mile Road will host this year's festivities, with doors opening at 6 p.m. and a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. Music and dancing starts after dinner and the night wraps up at 8:30 p.m., with every young lady taking home a nosegay, provided by the Shelby Township Gardeners' Club, and a small gift courtesy of the parks and recreation department. Keepsake photos will also be sold throughout the night, payable by cash or check. Tickets are $40 per resident …

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Sterling Heights Voted Among Least Romantic Cities in the U.S.

Sterling Heights received the honor of being fourth least romantic city in the entire U.S., according to Foursquare users. Do you agree?

Cupid appears to have missed the hearts of Macomb County Foursquare users. The social network lists Sterling Heights as the fourth least romantic city in the entire United States of America. Foursquare based its results on more than 1.5 billion check-ins at romantic places such as French restaurants, flower shops and lingerie stores. The title of most romantic city went to Lake Buena Vista, FL—home to Walt Disney World, while Beaverton, OR—home to athletic mega-brand Nike—was named the least romantic. Although Shelby Township and Utica did not make either of the lists, Shelby has bragging rights to the home of the most romantic restaurant in Macomb County. Metropolitan Cafe, which is located at 52969 Van Dyke Ave. in Shelby Township, …

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Contest: Win Your Valentine a Stella & Dot Heart Necklace

Tell Patch why your Valentine is deserving of this beautiful Stella & Dot heart-shaped necklace, and you may just win it!

Patch is paring up with Tara Berner, Stella & Dot Independent Stylist, to give away a beautiful sterling silver heart-shaped necklace to a deserving Valentine. Tell Patch in the comments section of this articly why your sweetie deserves this fabulous necklace in the comments below, and it could be adorning your Valentine’s neck. At the bottom of the 16-inch sterling silver chain sits a dainty silver heart, pierced by the delicate silver chain. Necklace designer, California-based, Maya Brenner, who designed “Ever After Necklace” for Stella & Dot, has quite the celebrity following. Hollywood A-listers such as Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz have rocked her creations on the red carpets of Hollywood. The necklace is sold for $49.99, but it …

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Romantic Recipes: Eat Your Heart out with These Valentine’s Delectables

Try these favorite dishes to make you fall in love all over again.

When my husband and I were dating some 20 years ago, I decided to try to impress him with a home-cooked meal for Valentine’s Day. The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? I knew my man’s stomach was no exception. So off to the market I went for fresh shrimp, wine, flowers and more. I’d seen my mom make a deviled shrimp dish for my dad through the years, and the two always seemed to be happier when tucking forks into this delicious seafood-starring meal. The same was true with my then-boyfriend and me the night I made it for him, and I’ve been creating deviled shrimp for us for Valentine’s Day ever since.  Culinary prowess and affairs of the heart go hand-in-hand for several Metro Detroit and nationally known chefs.  Here are…

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The Heart Beat

How to Choose Flowers That Last for Your Valentine

Giving flowers Feb. 14? With value in mind, we sniff out which last the longest, and get to the heart of the best way to keep them in bloom.

A Valentine’s bouquet of fresh flowers is typically so beautiful you wish they’d last forever. Obviously, cut flowers do have an expiration date, but by choosing specific varieties and performing various maintenance procedures, your bouquets can be your “best buds” for a good while. Carnations, alstromeria and roses top the list of longest-lasting cut flowers, said Jocie Rogers corporate floral coordinator for English Gardens. “Carnations can last up to 15 days in a vase,” explained Rogers. “They come in an array of colors; white, yellow, orange, pink, red, purple, striped and so on.”  They also are two sizes: standard and miniature. “Consumers should look for carnations that are in tight bud form,” Rogers said. Alstromeria, a delicate-…

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