gift ideas  (excerpted from Present Perfect)      

See also: Anniversary presents, valentine's day presents

Be yourself. Be creative. Be irresistible. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

• Be attentive: Give her something you know she wants, but might never buy for herself—something she considers too extravagant, expensive, or excessive.
• Be mysterious: Use a series of clues to lead him to a private rendezvous.
• Be witty: Send him a bottle of steak sauce with a note that says, "Let's sizzle." Plan a scintillating steak dinner for two.
• Be unabashed: Scrawl a glaring declaration of your love across a billboard she passes regularly.
• Be spontaneous: Whisk him away to a private romantic retreat.
• Be nostalgic: Give her a tape recording of the songs you fell in love to. Dance the night away.
• Be clever: Insert your own impassioned predictions and affirmations in fortune cookies.
• Be outrageous: Give skydiving lessons for two with a note inviting him to fall in love again.

Fill an iron-handled copper pot with hand-split cedar and a box of long matches with which to build a romantic fire.

Give a personalized romance novel. Each page of the adventure romance you select features specific information about the couple: names, hometowns, favorite colognes, hair and eye color, best friends' names, pet names for each other, and more. Personalized romance novels are available in "wild" or "mild" versions from Beach House Productions. Phone: 800/444-3356. Internet: www.yournovel.com.

Give a framed dinner menu, theater stagebill, movie poster, admission ticket stub, or another memento from your first date.

Are repetition and predictability producing boredom in your romantic rendezvousing? Want to add a little intrigue and anticipation to your next trip for two? Looking for a tryst with a twist? Tell the folks at Veiled Voyage how much you want to spend, and they will plan a trip that will be a surprise for both of you. Intrigued? Phone: 800/633-9295. Internet: www.vvoyage.com.

Give a personalized custom song. The people at Songs-4-U will write a song from information you supply and put it on a cassette tape for your special someone to play over and over. Phone: 800/447-3708. Internet: www.songs-4-u.com.

Research shows that both men and women think that time spent together is the most romantic gift they can give.

• Escape to a bed-and-breakfast or quaint country inn.
• Arrange with friends for use of their mountain cabin, lakeside condo, or beachfront bungalow. Or exchange residences for the weekend—your city townhouse for their country farmhouse.
• Go to dinner and the theater out of town. Some airlines offer "fun fare" packages with discounts on hotel accommodations, theater tickets, or other entertainment. Check with your travel agent.
• For a quick getaway close to home, check into a nearby hotel or resort. Many offer romantic weekend packages—some include breakfast in bed or dinner for two.
• Surprise him with a return trip to the place where you met, or fell in love, or honeymooned.
• Spend the night or weekend at home—just the two of you. Arrange for the children to be cared for by friends or relatives and take the phone off the hook. Enjoy a quiet dinner, share a warm bath, give each other a massage, and relax in front of a cozy fire.
• Sleep in the guest room. Make the bed with your company-best linens and blankets and put out your most luxurious bath towels and accessories. Fill the room with flowers and candlelight.

Present Perfect: Unforgettable Gifts for Every Occasion is filled with ideas for romantic presents and many other creative gifts. In addition, you get tips on gifting etiquette, shopping, wrapping, special presentations, and much, much more. To order the book, click here.

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Have any romantic gift ideas you'd like to share?