DIY Inspiration: Recycled Book & Print Projets

Help us decide what to do with books we are looking to upcycle! We will post a DIY depending on what DIY you want to see on the blog! 

 

As literature-loving, generally bookish folk we frown upon ruining a perfectly good book. We hoard books in our home libraries like the Kardashian sisters hoard Louboutins. It’s  a wonderful obsession to have (both books and shoes, really). When we did our book clutch tutorial we saved the inside pages of the books we re-purposed and popped them on our bookshelves for later enjoyment. We put pretty paper over the books we re-purposed then but you may not even have to go to that extreme! Luckily for us, exposed spines are super chic right now à la Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware:

Books with Exposed Spines For Sale on Etsy

Do you remember the Lauren Conrad/Lemony Snicket fiasco? She “re-purposed” his books into a storage container which she coined the “Bookshelf Box” and he was not pleased. Snicket, in typical Snicket fashion, commented: "it has always been my belief that people who spend too much time with my work end up as lost souls, drained of reason, who lead lives of raving emptiness and occasional lunatic violence. What a relief it is to see this documented" (Oh No They Didnt). The video tutorial was deleted by Conrad without comment. It's unfortunate because Conrad is actually a literature lover herself who runs an online book club, has written her own fiction and posts other fun bookshelf DIYs like this one: "Operation Organize: Get Colour Coded".

Photo from Gawker

Mandatory Book Loving Disclaimer: I would never destroy a book that could still be read. Books are my most cherished possessions. I respect the written word and I respect the process that goes into writing a book. Destroying any book is not something to take lightly. However, if a book is falling apart, un-readable or headed for the trash I think it then becomes okay to use the pages for DIY purposes. Instead of being thrown out, shredded or recycled the book continues to live on and remind us of it's former glory. Here at WTD were recently given a set of books that were destined for the recycling bin. The subject matter is now obsolete and they can’t really be donated anywhere because of it. In this case, we feel that it’s okay to re-use the books for a DIY project. 

 

What books should you use for your upcoming DIY project? Text books are a great example; in any field where information is constantly changing and quickly becomes outdated a 500 page textbook (that cost you hundreds at the campus bookstore) quickly become worthless and inaccurate and therefore no longer valid. One of my friends once moved into a house at University that had a closet FULL of outdated text books from previous tenants that the used book store had no interest in purchasing. The cycle is shamefully wasteful and creates a heck of a lot of book garbage. So why not re-purpose them into something for the home? As literature lovers what is better than being surrounded by books? Another great source of print for DIYs is magazines and newspapers which are truly only meant to be read once and get recycled every day. The pages can LOOK like book pages without forcing you to ruin a book.

Here are JEM's favourite book DIYS from Pinterest. Help us decide which one to try by telling us your favourite in the comments below!

Mason Jar 

JEM's Pinterest

 The mason jar heart book candle has been floating around Pinterest since I first started pinning. The project does raise some questions though: how to get the page to reach around the jar horizontally...how not to light the page on fire... details I'm sure we could figure out if you chose this DIY as "THE ONE".

The Book Monograph

JEM's Pinterest

So this DIY makes it pretty obvious that you destoyed a book but it also looks pretty awesome! You might spend a lot of time with your scissors on this DIY project... that's a lot of pages to cut through!

The Book Planter

 

Source: http://petiteplanet.blogspot.ca/2011/02/book-planters.html

JEM's Pinterest

I like books & I like plants so why not combine the two? The logistics of this one seem like they could get tricky... questions arise like how to conquer drainage and avoid mustiness? If you check out the second picture on our Pinterest (click-through link) there is a HGTV how-to which we would consult.

The Other Book Planter

JEM's Pinterest

This one is my favourite so far. I love the different coloured pages. You could recycle a book AND an ugly plastic planter... upcyling rocks!

The Book Headboard

JEM'S Pinterrst

DIY headboards are all the rage on Pinterest right now and I especially like this bookish one. If you can't sleep the book is already open for you ;)

Painted Books

JEM's Pinterest

Who knew painted books could be so chic? I love that they preserve the book but hide ugly or tattered covers.

Framed Books

JEM's Pinterest

 If you're like us you're proud of your books! Why not show them off in style? Create a book gallery wall OR simply incorporate a few of your favourite titles into your already existing picture gallery.

So what do you think? What DIY would you like us to do? Comment or tweet us @jemcolborne.

A Kate Middleton Easter DIY

Dear friends,
sorry it's been so long. Chalk it up to winter, unemployment, laziness, lack of laziness, whatever you will. It's hard to get on and blog! Props to the many fantastic blogs out there who never let us down.
Anyway, perhaps it was a reunion of the JEM girls or the extra hour of sunshine in the afternoons, but I was just ITCHING for a DIY. Turns out, I had the perfect excuse to crack out the glue gun AND to purchase tacky, dusty silk flowers. Ladies and gentleman, I give you: The Easter Hat.
When my boyfriend's grandmother saw our Ugly Xmas sweaters on December 24th, she flipped. She couldn't get over the creativity, the hilarity of it all (clearly, she's not online). Only two of us had made ugly sweaters for the occasion, opting to surprise my in-laws rather than get them in on the fun, but everyone was eyeing our warm, cozy sweaters with eggnog-fueled jealousy. And then, Mrs. P came up with a brilliant idea: Easter hats.
The Easter hat is the ugly Christmas sweater of spring. Go for bows, bunny ears, grass/moss, flowers, flowers and MORE FLOWERS. You cannot lose.

from roaylwedding.hellomagazine.com

My original sketch was for a very dramatic bonnet inspired by Kate Middleton and the royal family's elaborate fascinators, but considering I got the flowers for $2 and the hat for free, I couldn't justify spending $4 on the tulle or lace for the veil I envisioned. Yes, I am poor. And YES, I am cheap. (Since being unemployed, I've even taken to cutting my own hair. And it doesn't even look bad!)

from lifeloveandlouis.blogspot.com

So if you want to surprise (or full-on stun) your relatives this re-birthday (death-day?) of Mr. (?) Christ, follow this step-by-step guide to a DIY Easter bonnet.
1. Assemble cheap materials. Get a free sunhat, strawhat, bowler hat or whatever you can scrounge up for free. I got extra lucky in that my free hat is light green, perfect for my springtime theme. You'll also need fake flowers (see Value Village), bunny ears, yellow chicks, plaster eggs and whatever other dollar store crap you want to throw on there. Also, hot glue. Loads and loads of hot glue.

 2. If necessary, cut back the flowers so that they are a workable size. Whatever you do, don't get cocky with the scissors and slice your left index as I did. I almost not blood on my hat!
3. Play around with the design; place things randomly until they look good. I tried my hat on once or twice during the process to see where I needed to add stuff.

4. Mostly, just cover up unsightly stems and go for fullness and depth. A lot of the leaves came in convenient branches of three, but I cut some of these into individual pieces to get a more unique, garden-like look.

5. Use every bit. I had some smaller buds leftover which I glue to bobby pins. Now when I'm feeling spring-ish I can wear those!

6. Go hog wild. Like Ugly Christmas Sweaters, I imagine Easter hats should be vivacious and loud, not subdued or stylish. I was going for a girly, garden theme, but I encourage you to make, salvage or up-cycle bunny ears, faux-chocolate rabbits, birds' nests, robins' eggs, straw, butterflies, book pages, bows, ribbons, burlap... the sky's the limit. I feel like my hat could use something more, but for now, this is my finished product:

All in all, it took about 20 minutes and half a pint of blood (haha). Definitely will add some fun to our holiday weekend. And now, I'm back to my mug of mint tea and Brian Jacques' Redwall. 

Gotta book it!

xoxo

JEM

Hollywood: The Good, The Bad & Why Celebrities Feel the Need to "Leave" It

Why do celebrities constantly need to “leave” Hollywood? What's so bad about being famous and adored by an international audience? The millions of dollars in the bank? The McMansions? Beverly Hills? The Starbucks and the Chanel? Something, apparently, because a lot of celebrities want to distance themselves from their fame.

Whether it’s Justin Bieber's recent move away from LA to the Atlanta spaceship house or Miley Cyrus telling W magazine that she rarely leaves the confines of her Hollywood Hills mansion, there seems to be a recent trend of celebrities publicly retreating from the Hollywood spotlight. The push-pull relationship between celebrities and their stomping ground can be hard to understand or feel sympathy for. These people are famous, rich and living some of the most privileged lives in the entire world. You'd think they could show a little appreciation. But no, most famous people struggle with fame at some point in their career and can be found complaining to magazines about the lack of privacy, the gruelling work schedule and the unwanted attention. But without Hollywood and all it stands for (fame, fortune and fans) where would these celebrities be? It seems to be a black and white dichotomy: celebrities either gripe about wanting to be able to sing or act without having their every move publicly documented or they're the ones tipping off the paparazzi to let them know they're at The Grove fully made up with a Starbucks in hand. There is no question: without fans famous people wouldn’t be able to do what they do. If no one watched the movies, TV shows and listened to pop music there would be no Hollywood. If we, the public, lost interest in celebrity culture the famous people would stop making millions and wouldn't have the "problem" of being famous anymore. The thing is, fans want paparazzi photos, the celebrity instagram and twitter accounts, TMZ and reality TV shows. We love having a window into the lives of the rich and famous because we love to imagine ourselves being the ones riding through the Hills in a Range Rover.

The Infamous Britney Spears & K-Fed in their Range Rover
Source: Photo Shelter/Google Images

Most recently, Alec Baldwin has decided to step out of the public eye. How did he go about doing this? By looking dashing on the cover of New York Magazine and writing a 5,300 word essay, of course. Alec Baldwin is a fan favourite; I loved him in 30 Rock and It’s Complicated and recently saw him in To Rome with Love. There is no question; he is a well-known and respected actor. But, we also remember the horrible voice mail that went public in which the world heard him berating his daughter and calling her a pig. I know I for one won’t forget that or forgive him for it. Can we separate a potentially awful human being from an amazing, natural acting talent? Can the two exist simultaneously or should he be shunned for his behaviour? Does he get to choose to leave the lime light and stop talking to the media? Will the paparazzi say "hey, jeeze, this guy wants to be left alone" or will they start targeting him ever more now because the photos will be harder to get (and hence more valuable to tabloids)? As they pointed out on Monday’s episode of the Canadian talk show The Social Baldwin’s wife was a media correspondent before they were married and she regularly instagrams photos of herself doing yoga poses around New York City. Will she end this attention seeking behaviour and retreat from the public eye too or is this just Alec Baldwin's thing?

Source: Vulture/NY Mag

Interestingly, Baldwin stepping out of the lime light comes right on the heels of his “nemesis” Shia Labeouf’s equally public regression from fame. Baldwin and Labeouf were set to appear together on the Broadway show Orphans but “Labeouf abruptly quit … due to “creative differences” (that is, he couldn’t get along with Alec Baldwin, according to reports)” (TIME). Labeouf then tweeted a photo of his e-mail apology to the cast and crew. And so, the first online documentation of Labeouf's rampant plgarism was born: the e-mail was copied directly from Esquire’s article “What is a Man” (Eqsuire). 

After the Esquire article, the public realized that Lebeouf is a bit of a plagiarism expert. Fans pointed out that he plagiarised his directorial debut HarryCantour.com, which was screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, as it is an almost direct representation of a graphic novel by Daniel Clowes. Unfortunately, embarassingly, he then also plagiarised his apology about the Clowes plagiarism from Yahoo answers tweeting: “copying isn't particularly creative work. Being inspired by someone else's idea to produce something new and different IS creative work“ which can be compared to the yahoo answer “merely copying isn’t particularly creative work, though it’s useful as training and practise. Being inspired by someone else’s idea to produce something new and different IS creative work“. He then tweeted more apologies derived from apologies of other famous people including Tiger Woods, Kanye West and Mark Zuckerburg (see the full list and a comprehensive breakdown of Labeouf’s plagiarism on TIME website). Labeouf then wore a bag over his head on the red carpet that said “I Am Not Famous” (reminding people of Sia’s Billboard cover also pointed out in the TIME article). At this time he also started walking out of press conferences.

Source: NY Daily News

Labeouf started tweeting “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE” every day for a month in conjunction with a performance art/apology session called #iamsorry in LA where “people are told to choose an object from a selection that includes a whip, Transformers toys, Hershey's Kisses, a pair of pliers and a bowl of notes containing Twitter comments about LaBeouf” (NY Daily News) before sitting directly across from him where he is apparently seen crying and wearing the bag over his head. This of course is reminiscent of Marina Abramovic's famous performance piece The Artist is Present. All of this behaviour also reminds us of Joaquin Pheonix’s erratic public behaviour and performance art for the film I’m Still Here. I Am Still Here commented on some of the complexities and negativities of fame. It’s still up in the air as to whether Labeouf is having a very public breakdown or is doing all of this as performance art. James Franco thinks it's a little bit of both and wrote about it very eloquently in an essay for The New York Times (The New York Times). 

No matter what side you find yourself on, it’s a fact that Labeouf has spent most of his life in the spotlight and may be a product of "child star syndrome". This doesn't excuse his behaviour or plagiarism, but it does explain why he may not be that different from other struggling child stars like Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan or Macaulay Culkin. Labeouf has made a successful transition from child star to adult actor, something many young stars struggle to do, and up until this point has seemed to be fairly well acclimatized to fame. Labeouf had a very rough family life growing up (his deeply troubled father reportedly once put a gun to his son's head) and he has overcome his past to accomplish a lot for himself. Does this information make us feel sympathy for him or do we simply expect more from him as a functioning adult? Do we accept his apologies? Would we allow him to retreat from fame like Baldwin wants to do? What if he wasn't a actor but an author or painter... how would the conversation change?

Personally, I’m torn. I respect art for art’s sake and understand where James Franco is coming from in his essay. I studied performance art and appropriation in Art History. I respect that people like Jay Z don’t want paparazzi photographing their daughters. I also respect celebrities like the Kardashains who not only handle fame but love it and use it to their advantage. Maybe Hollywood is corrupt and awful to live with, but certain celebrities seem to live out of the spotlight more successfully than others. Where you live, where you go, what you do and who you hang out with, just like our very normal lives, will directly impact your notoriety as a person. The levels of fame and paparazzi shots that celebrities deal with on the day to day is a direct representation of the lives they live. Maybe Baldwin and Labeouf should retreat from the public eye but if they do I hope they're willing to give up fame altogether and pass the torch on to the next young aspiring actor.

Book lovers VS English majors: the Ultimate Faceoff

So maybe I'm hoping this post will light a few fires, piss a couple readers off. Maybe it's February and I'm bored and lookin' to pick a fight. I'm hopped up on a dinner of PB and ice cream and I DGAF.
I'll just up and say it: I'm an English major, not a "book lover". To me, there's a palpable, distinct difference. Both are OK, I guess. There are worse things you could be than a book lover. But I know what side of the line I'm on.
Let's see how book lovers and English majors duke it out.

Breaking the spine:

If you're a book lover, you cringe. You won't like the lines it makes on the outside of the spine, because it "wrecks" the cover picture or obscures the title. Maybe it makes the book feel floppy in your hands, and you fear that pages will fall out quicker because the spine has been cracked.
If you're an English major, you crack your spines the second you get the books in the door. You've got shit to do, woman! You're used to reading intense amounts on tight deadlines, and you don't have time to pry open tight, inflexible books. You needy our books to lie open on the desk in front of your laptop among your research materials, highlighters, and pencils so that you can get the right quotation for your paper.

Writing, highlighting and underlining on the pages:

Again, book lovers FREAK OUT over this. They like pristine, brand new pages without "ugly" marks on it.
English majors? Appalled at "blank" pages. I kid you not, I was kicked out of class when my book we were reading for post-colonial wasn't marked up. Why? Because the prof could tell that I either hadn't read it, or I hadn't read it closely enough. I don't care that I've graduated; I don't care that the prof isn't inspecting my pages. There's always a pen or pencil on my ear while I read-- even if just to underline a pretty passage.

Dog-eared pages:

I've actually had a friend lend me a book and specify "please don't dog-ear the pages." Of course, I respected her wishes, but Christ. An English major practically has a dog earring system! I know I do: I dog ear the nearest corner (top or bottom) closest to the quotation I want to be able to find again on the fly. It's not always convenient to have a bookmark: they fall out, they get lost, sometimes they're bulky. Dog earring is a surefire way to remember what page you've left off.

Hardcovers VS paperback:

Now, I don't mind a good hardcover when one falls in my lap, but as a rule, English major don't covet them. They're bulky and heavier to carry around. For English majors, books are trophies no matter what shape or size they are; being a fancy hardcover doesn't make that book any more "read" or any more of an achievement. People who obsess over hardcovers are just itching to put the book on display on their shelf and show it off.

New VS used:

Again, book lovers are all about the aesthetics of the book: is it shiny and pretty? Does it have a dust-jacket? Avoid all unsightly rips and bends! English majors, used to buying dozens of books per term, are all about the used books. Hell, I practically keep my local used bookstore in business all on my own. At the end of the day, a book lover is concerned about how the book will appear when it becomes a part of the decor; an English major is just in for the read.

Lending VS Hoarding:

This one's a toughie. I can see some book lovers being too prissy to lend their books out. But I'm sure there are tons of generous ones too. Personally, I enjoy spreading the love-- but don't forget to return them! A colleague once asked why I cared so much about getting my book back; if I'd already read it, why did I "need" it returned? At the time I was perplexed an gave no answer. But now I know why: I like to re-read shit. And I like the re-read stuff with my notes in it. That battered $2 paperback of A Tale of Two Cities? The only copy in the entire world with MY notes in it!

Now, we can't all go to university and study literature; we kind of need engineers and math teachers and all that jazz. But I don't think a diploma is necessarily what makes you an English major. It's about knowing that "beat up" really means "well loved" and "falling apart" really means "has had a good, long life." I treat my books like I treat all my material possession; even how I treat my body. These things are meant to be used, stretched, challenged, bent, broken, scarred, tested. Nobody ever created anything to be under a cloche or hidden away. "Special occasion" gear? Every day is a special occasion! Right now, I'd like to quote from G. K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy about every day miracles and appreciating life; but I can't because my broken-down, dog-eared book with the highlighted, flagged, and underlined quotes is back at the other house!

My single girl's Valentine's Day

It's every romantic's favourite time of year, when chocolate prices sky rocket, overpriced flowers sell like hotcakes and Tiffany's sales reps make enough commission to buy a small country, or at least an island. Unlike my two lovely counterparts, I have yet to find a man smart enough to realize the complete radiance of my awesomeness. But that's their (the entire male species') loss really. So this Valentine's Day, do I find myself watching The Notebook beside a nearly-empty tissue box crying "Why God why?!" Surprisingly, no.

When I was in high school, this was the most dreaded of all days by single girls like myself. Walking down the hallway and seeing at least three to four couples every five minutes exchanging gifts and whispers in the not-so-secret locker corners was enough to make one want to run to the nearest bathroom and vomit, and then proceed to cry a pool of why-doesn't-anyone-love-me-like-that tears. A girl without a flower in hand was very noticeable, and easy game for that "oh you must be so lonely" pity stare, a look that was enough to make you think you should be feeling lonely, even if you didn't.

Because Father Time is a good man, I am no longer in high school which means two things: one, I no longer have battle the daily teenage torture that dictates girls who don't have boyfriends should just kill themselves, especially on Valentine's Day; and two, I have matured enough to realize that being single is far from the end of the world: yes, even on this, the day meant for love.

But what constitutes love is more widespread than our friends in the media care to promote around this time of year. Today, my mom bought me flowers. Not because she feels bad that I don't have a man to get me roses, but because (shocker!) she loves me. She used to get me and all of my siblings chocolate or plush flowers, despite the fact that one of my sisters has been with her now husband for over a decade. And even though my first words to her were a mocking "wow I feel pathetic", I was actually really touched that she thought to do that. My mom and I have been through a lot over the years, but she's still one of my favourite people and I tell her I love her everyday, not just on February 14. That, to me, is Valentine love, too.

And here's the point where I include single girl cliche: today, I am my own Valentine, because I do love myself. And cliche though this might seem, for me (and probably so many other women) it's a huge accomplishment. I was never a girl that fit the mould of what society dictates is picture perfect, mostly because I've always had a weight problem. I was never bullied or mocked in high school, but I have always been my biggest critic in regards to my academics, my appearance, and pretty much everything else. Everyone who has been through it knows in hindsight that insecurity only gets magnified in the high school atmosphere, and I was no exception. It took me a long time to find my own value, my own beauty (internally and externally), my own voice. Going away for school played a large part in helping me discover a love for myself, and since I've found it, I don't plan on going back.

Maybe I'm bordering on vanity here, but I really like who I am. I'm no longer afraid to share my opinions (please see this post). I actually, finally, know and believe that being single is not my "fault"; it's not something that constitutes "fault" at all, nor is it something of which I should be ashamed. Would I like to have someone, someday to share this day with? Yes. Do I feel like I've failed because I don't have someone now? No. And I don't sit in my dark corner casting spells and curses at people in love. One of my closest friends recently got engaged, and I couldn't be happier for her. I'm not angry or bitter or any other of those cynical things single girls are supposed to be when their friends find happiness in love largely because I know that I am not even close to being ready for marriage. I may not be for another decade or so. And that's ok.

So tonight, I'm not going for dinner with a significant other; I'm ordering in dinner with significant others (my mom, sister and brother-in-law--who are choosing to celebrate tomorrow). And instead of The Notebook, I might bond with my mom over an episode of Gilmore Girls (though I wish we were that cool) or watch an episode of Suits (because whether or not he knows it, Mike Ross is my second Valentine). This Valentine's Day, whether you're in a relationship or not, remember to take some time to love yourself. Because you're wonderful and unique, and you deserve it. I sure do.

Gotta book it lovers,

JEM

The Least Lame List of Affordable Valentines Day Ideas Ever Written

You can tell how romantic I am based on the title of this blog. I’m sick of all the articles about “rekindling the romance” and the ideas are like rent a tandem bicycle or eat strawberries dipped in chocolate. No one does that shit. Plus, it's like -40 in Canada so no one really wants to do anything let alone fall off a two person bicycle into a snowbank. Like many recently graduated twenty-somethings we're on a bit of a budget this valentines day but refuse to miss out on any of the spontaneity or romance of the day.

If you can afford this you're in the wrong place
Source: We Heart It

Although we don't stand for this bullshit either
Source: We Heart It

Here at WTD we've decided to find the perfect combination of thoughtful and affordable, cute and creative: we decided to have a date night on a dime brainstorming session for our own benefit as much as yours this Valentines Day. I’m sure some of these ideas will be lame but in my opinion it’s almost impossible to write about Valentine’s Day without being lame. The consensus here at WTD is that Valentine’s Day isn’t about buying marked up chocolate and Hallmark cards however if you have someone you love you should probably do something this v-day because NOT making an effort says a lot more than making one does… if you catch my drift. Ladies and gents take note: we all agree  a simple love letter would have us swooning this Friday. So remember, cute trumps corny and a little gesture can go a long way. Feel free to weigh in on our free and low budget V-Day ideas in the comments or on twitter @jemcolborne.

Sentimental Gifts 

• a framed photo of the two of you
• print the photos from a trip - no one makes photo albums anymore
• a scrapbook
• a love letter
• a poem/song/short story
• a copy of their favourite book with an inscription from you inside

DIY & Crafty Gifts 

•  make a set of homemade mugs with quotes from his/her favourite book/movie/song 
•  make a cookbook (paper in a simple binder works) with all of your fave recipes
• a jar full of pieces of paper, each with a reason why you love them or a memory and they can pick one out of the jar every day or whenever they need it
• a jar full of popsicle sticks, each one with a different date idea on them for future dates:
  i. white popsicle sticks = inexpensive date nights (i.e. rom-com night, hot chocolate date night, dance to our fave album in the kitchen date night)
  ii. pink popsicle sticks = moderately expensive date nights (go out for dessert, go to a local hockey game etc)
  iii. red sticks = expensive dates (go to fancy restaurant, river cruise, museum etc) 
• buy that movie they've been dying to see that isn't on netflix yet and watch it at home!     

Food Gifts

• a jar of his/her favourite candy corn or homemade chex mex
• can you say Valentines Day baking: cookies, cupcakes, cake, squares…. mmmm
• a "spluge" food item from a gourmet shop
• despite the fact that I made a dig at it, you can never go wrong with chocolate (good chocolate, that is) try to pick out your s/o's favourite kind

 Out & About Gifts

• if you can't afford to go out for dinner this year go out for a drink before heading home for dinner; you'll get the enjoyment of going "out" without the bill at the end of the night
•  go for a nighttime walk (if you can - I know, the snowbanks are high) there's nothing more romantic than unfiltered conversation under a starry winter sky
• find a public skating rink. I realize this verges into "tandem bike" territory but skating is fun and wintry and oftentimes free!
• go into a store of your choice together and set a price limit. Buy each other the best gift you can "under pressure": it might end up perfectly or hilariously but either way no one overspends.
• go for coffee at a nice coffee shop (skip Timmies on v-day)

Oh and if you don't get what you want, or you're single? We have absolutely nothing against:

Source: We Heart It