Want to go?
WHAT: Heart Mercantile
WHERE: 504 E. Fifth St., Dayton
HOURS: 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday
INFO: Website | Facebook | 937- 938-5828
Pssst – Valentine's Day is right around the corner.
Who better to help us pick out some Valentine's gifts than the owner of Heart Mercantile, Brittany Smith? We asked her to name her top five to get us inspired.
> PHOTOS: Valentine's Day gifts from Heart Mercantile
Cards: Can't beat a classic ($5-6)
"We offer a variety of cards for all occasions," said owner Brittany Smith. "We carry both locally made, and hand-lettered from our favorite artists abroad. We love cards that are honest, hilarious, and sometimes a little vulgar...kind of like us."
419 Trading Company Company candles: Set the mood ($17)
These delightful candles are locally-made with all natural, American-grown soy in a recycled glass jar with a clean burning cotton wick. They are small batch produced and hand-poured locally in Wapakoneta.
Woodward Throwback Signs: When you can't find the right words ($18-25)
"These cute signs are handmade in Detroit, using reclaimed materials found in the city – often after-products of illegal dumping," Smith said. "Detroit is making efforts to clean up the blight and neglect, and this is their effort to help, as they believe not everything needs to go into a landfill. We are obsessed with the cute quotes and words on their pieces, as well as their efforts to help revitalize Detroit!"
Handmade Jewelry – no, it doesn't cost a fortune ($18-40)
Not every Valentine is impressed with name-brand jewelry from pricey jewelry stores. When you need to find a unique piece for your one-of-a-kind Valentine, check out Heart's collection of locally made jewelry. Smith can help lead you to the perfect gift: "We carry a variety of pieces from our favorite makers, both local and abroad," she said. "We especially love Straydear, Doxahology and Grey Goose Gifts!"
Flasks: For the spirited ($32)
"Flasks make the perfect gift for the Valentine on your list who cringes at the thought of carnations, but enjoys whiskey (or anything else flask-worthy!)" Smith said.
Something for the kiddos… ($20-32)
If you need a Valentine gift for your little one, check out Heart's selection of adorable sock animals. Bonus: they're local. "We carry adorable hand-sewn sock animals made by Little Pear, a local Etsy designer," said Smith. "These 'slocks' (sock+sloth) have been a huge hit, featuring little Velcro hands that allow them to hang out wherever you choose!"
…and for the four-legged friends ($20-30)
And if your Valentine happens to have a wet nose, four paws, and a warm heart - how about a dog collar? Heart offers handmade dog collars ranging from traditional to fun collars made out of neckties.
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