One of the best small-school programs in the state, the Panthers have appeared in the discount tiffany Section championship game every year since 2003 and over the last five seasons they have piled up an astounding record of 173-16.

And while the players have come and gone, Lay — once again — has more than enough talent to bring home title No. 5 after dropping the previous two championship games to rival Fall River.

“We’re not as deep as we’ve been in the past, but we’ve got some versatile guys and our starters I’ll take over anyone,” said Lay, who has guided the Panthers to a 19-2 record, while outscoring the opposition 210-45 this season. “It’s been surprising. We have 15 home runs already, which is the most of any team I’ve had.”

Offensively, the Panthers are putting up numbers that one would normally see on a video game — and the bulk of the load has been carried by juniors.

James Bowen is batting a ridiculous .661 with four home runs and 32 RBIs, Steven Perry is hitting .532 with five homers and 30 RBIs and Tyler Wells is batting .463 with two homers and leads the team with 39 runs driven in.

Add to that junior Dylan deWit’s .349 average and 24 RBIs, and it’s no surprise Maxwell has Tiffany Necklaces an even 10 runs per game this season.

“We’ve had a couple of kids surprise us, too,” Lay said. “(Lane) Pearson has some pop and runs well out of the eight spot and (Nathan) Acevedo is third on our team in runs out of the nine hole.”

The offensive production has been more then enough for a pitching staff that has surrendered a little more than a run per game.

Wells has allowed one earned run in 27 innings pitched and has a team-high 57 strikeouts to just six walks on the year and is the team’s ace. Perry has a 1.24 ERA over 34 innings and Bowen has a 1.75 ERA in his 28 innings pitched, giving Maxwell a dominant trio of pitchers at the top of the rotation.

“Our pitching has been up there with any team I’ve had and our top three I feel we can throw against anyone,” Lay said. “And when our No. 4 (Kent Leber) pitches, we have some good defense to back him up.”

While the North Valley League powerhouse is once again one of the favorites to win the Division V title, Lay said they will have some competition in Fall River, Chester and Tulelake.

“We’ve got our work cut out for us. The top four is as good as any four I’ve seen,” Lay Tiffany Rings. “After that first round, you better be ready to go this year.”

While the boys have been nothing less than dominant, the Maxwell softball team has been just as good by jumping out to a 13-5 start while batting an unheard of .440 as a team.

Junior Laura Wells is batting .525 with three doubles and four triples and senior Nicole Burg is hitting .508 with a home run to lead the Panthers, who have scored just under 10 runs per game.

All together, Maxwell has 12 players hitting .333 or better.

And while Panthers’ offensive output is pretty much the same as last year, it’s been in the pitching circle where the team has improved the most.

Freshman Allison Costa is 6-3 with a 0.66 ERA and fellow freshman Jani Brown is 5-2 Tiffany Key Rings a 1.96 ERA to lead a staff that brings in a 1.17 ERA into today.

GCC designers set their creativity free to produce some of the most awe-inspiring diamond valentine’s day jewelry gifts pieces and sets ever seen in the region, valued at over $ 2,000,000. The glittering gala celebration featured eight finalists’ pieces and sets of imaginative and innovative jewellery designs all inspired by one of nature’s most precious creations the diamond.

The event, designed within a luxury venue at a prestigious Dubai hotel, took VVIP guests, hailing from the international and local jewellery industry, through a series of rooms themed around the piece of jewellery on display. From a waltzing bride and groom in one setting, to luxuriously clad models viewing ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’ on a cinema-style big screen in another – each intricate design was displayed to highlight it’s individual symbolism.

Anan Fakhreddin, Regional Director of the Diamond Promotion Service (DPS) at De Beers Group Marketing, the largest producer of rough diamonds in the world says, “From its birth billions of years ago to the journey it endured to the surface of the earth, to the legends and myths surrounding it, to its elusiveness and rarity each piece of jewellery captures the diamonds true magic and mystique.

“Diamond jewellery has the ability to capture the heart. It symbolizes love, eternity and glamour, and our Diamond Jewellery Design Competition, as well as our themed gala event was aimed at allowing designers to put their diamond jewellery dreams into reality, thereby highlighting the emerging talent in the GCC jewellery industry.

“Both novice designers and experienced industry professionals were invited to participate in the competition to demonstrate their ability to craft designs specifically for the region.”

To enter, participants were required to draft a design for a new piece or set of diamond jewellery, inspired by Arab culture, under one of five categories listed on the entry form; A new piece of Diamond Jewellery, The Rayana Diamond Jewellery Set, The Whisper Three-Stone Ring, The Bridal Diamond Jewellery Set, Melange and the Black Attraction categories.

The eight diamond jewellery designs chosen to go into the final stage of the competition were silver key rings into actual pieces which went on to be judged by a panel of expert judges including Mr. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman DMCC, International fashion designer Walid Atallah and Anan Fakhreddin, Diamond Promotion Service (DPS) Director of the De Beers Group Marketing.

The final pieces and sets were modeled at the event alongside Walid Atallah latest designer dresses collection.

Winners who received De Beers Group Marketing trophies include:

Damas with “A Melange and black attraction piece” consists of a choker identical in style to the traditional Agal the black band used in Arabic headdress. The piece makes use of 3635 diamonds and is worth $117 463.50.

Rafi Sarki with “A Melange and black attraction piece” consists of a ‘new generation’ bangle incorporating 7 diamonds set in white gold and fixed at different angles to create an atom-like figure representing energy. The piece is worth $76 905.75 and make use of 2 387 brilliant round diamonds.

Rosy Blue Trading with “A new piece of Diamond Jewellery”, inspired by water droplets shimmering on a sunlit lotus leaf, this necklace incorporates 2501 diamonds set in white gold and is valued at $7 120.

Scintilla Monaco with “The Rayana Diamond Jewellery set” including necklace, earrings and ring valued at $1.5 million. This piece makes incorporates pear, oval and marques diamonds set in 18 karat white gold.

Al Moallim Jewellery with “The Whisper three-stone ring” made up of round, heart-shaped and oval diamonds.

Hajar Bashir Almas Faraj from High College of Technology with “A Bridal Diamond Jewellery set” manufactured and sponsored by Damas, including necklace, bracelet, earrings and ring. This set makes use of 1249 diamonds set in white 18 karat gold, valued at $2.708 million.

About De Beers Group Marketing

The Diamond Trading Company (DTC), part of the De Beers Group was reorganised during the summer of 2007. The reorganisation means that the former DTC marketing department is now a separately managed independent division called De Beers Group Marketing. All other activities previously conducted by the DTC continue to be conducted by the DTC.

De Beers Group Marketing focuses on three core activities:

- the development and marketing of “big ideas” like Trilogy and Journey which have proved so silver necklaces at driving demand

- the continuing exploration and development of the FOREVERMARK programme

- maintaining consumer confidence in diamonds

“There is huge growth potential in this [fashion] category,” says Bridget Cosgrave, buying and fashion director at London boutique Matches, who is aiming her fashion house jewellery ranges at both regular clothes-buying customers and a new fashion jewellery collector who will pay thousands for the newest costume pieces. These include Lanvin’s “Pom Pom” necklace, made with ragged coral grosgrain ribbon and artificial pearls and coming in at a not insignificant pound(s)545. According to Cosgrave, sales of jewellery at Matches have grown 50 per cent in the past two years, and jewellery now accounts for 20 per cent of the company’s total sales. Investment potential and sales could, she says, rise to the same level as bags and shoes in coming months.

Fashion jewellery is one of online retailer Net-a-Porter’s fastest-growing categories; new ranges from Donna Karan, Versace and Isabel Marant are launching this month and will sit alongside pieces from Marni, Oscar de la Renta and Stella McCartney. Browns boutique now differentiates its fine and fashion jewellery offering on its retail website, with Alexander Wang, and two of London’s rising design stars, Holly Fulton and Mary Katrantzou, recently launching statement jewellery collections.

Francois Curiel, Christies’ international head of jewellery, says: “Whereas 15 or 20 years ago silver earrings the fashion houses were doing fashion, now they’re doing jewellery too”.

“The jewellery business is worth something like $10bn a year – before you factor in diamonds – so I guess, yes, they’d like a little bit of that. But also, a fan of Dior feels more comfortable buying a Dior necklace than going through the door of a jewellery house where she doesn’t know anyone and doesn’t feel comfortable.”

Traditional jewellers are surprised at the level of growth of what Charlotte Collard, a Zurich-based model-turned-gemologist, calls the “casual jewellery” or “chic accessories” market. “Diamonds and precious stones have lost a lot of value since the start of the crisis,” she admits. But “to me [chic accessories] are not part of the jewellery world because they usually have no precious materials or stones, and are worn like sunglasses, bags and shoes – they’re made from the same materials. As such they’re never going to appreciate in value, and there is little exclusivity to them.”

This doesn’t seem to deter consumers. As being on trend becomes more important than wearing precious jewels – silver key rings particularly in an era where conspicuous consumption is frowned upon – advances in quick and cheap jewellery production have allowed fashion houses to supply exciting new collections each season. And some do use semi-precious stones. According to Matthew Girling, Bonhams’ chief executive, this leap has been facilitated by production switching from tiny workshops in Europe, where individuals would set stones by hand, to workshops around the world where machines can help to “make jewellery with gems and gold or metals in much larger quantities. Which means you don’t have to wait so long for them, and so you can change to keep up with fashion.”

As a result, the most successful jewellers are those with a foot in both camps. Jeweller Pippa Small opened a store in Los Angeles in the thick of the recession last November and reports demand from actresses and creatives for her fashionable approach to gemstones. Rather than witnessing smaller spends, she is selling “a lot more statement pieces”. “There’s a psychological attitude of getting something beautiful and bold that will make you smile and make you happy,” she says.

And, according to auction houses, these fashion-led pieces may in time prove investment buys as much as silver necklaces traditional fine jewellery pieces are. “There are several things that make something a worthwhile investment,” says Girling, “and with something new it’s often hard to gauge. But if historians look back and there were some good designs that stood out and were deemed to be collectable, some will be worth considerably more in 40 or 50 years. If something is significant or new, people will latch on to it.”

“Marlene Dietrich. She wore a top hat and a tux and made it look like women’s wear. Fantastic.” Robin Maillett, Niantic, Connecticut | “Katharine Hepburn personified that wonderful tailored look of the 1940s.” Sandi LoConti, Mahwah, New Jersey | “The crazy color compositions of Andy Warhol inspire me most.” Sarah Sudar, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Growing up watching movies like Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Sabrina, I found my role model in Audrey Hepburn. Her clean, classic style reminded me to keep it simple. What could be more perfect than the little black dress?

ASHLEY ATKISSON

Vista, California

My mom and my grandma taught me that fashion is 50 percent what you wear and 50 percent how you wear it. You can make a potato sack look good if you combine it with confidence, a smile, and a really cute pair of shoes.

STEPHANIE GALLAGHER

Salem, Massachusetts

I try to follow Coco Chanel’s motto: “Before you walk out the door, take one thing off.”

LESLEY MINTON

Willoughby, Ohio

Carrie Bradshaw, baby!

CHARLENE AVALOS

Littleton, Massachusetts

My toddler. The fearlessness with which she combines colors and patterns, never worrying about what’s in or what others might think, inspires me to do my own thing as well. We only live once. Why not shake things up a little?

RACHEL LORBER

Brooklyn, New York

I look up to Lauren Hutton for being true to herself. When she started modeling, she was told to get the gap between her two front teeth fixed, but she refused. That gap, along with her beauty and grace, made her the fashion icon she is today.

DEDE GERBER

El Segundo, California

Parisian women. I lived in France for two years, and they had a major impact on how I dress. Their simple sense of style and use of accessories, like beautiful scarves, still influence me today.

NADINE LOMAKIN

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Katharine Ross as Elaine Robinson in The Graduate. Her skirts, boots, sweaters, and hairstyles were very basic but incredibly chic and timeless.

CHRISTINA CARR

Syracuse, New York

My unborn baby. Never in my life have I wanted to show off any rotund features, but the joy and excitement of carrying my first child makes me proud to have a giant watermelon belly. I care less about wearing designer pieces and more about embracing what this new roundness represents.

JENNIFER TOYOHARA

New York, New York

Edie Sedgwick, with her cropped hair and dramatic eye makeup, could turn the simplest dress into a fabulous, head-turning ensemble. And that, to me, is the definition of a true fashionista.

NATALIE REID

Simpsonville, South Carolina

My love for fashion was definitely influenced by my dad’s style. He wore gorgeous suits and was never afraid of color–think a gray flannel pin-striped suit with a lavender French-cuffed shirt and a deep purple paisley tie. He had the ability to be conservative, classic, and trendy all in one outfit, without ever being over-the-top.

LORELEI A. VARGAS

Yonkers, New York

Franco, an elderly gentleman from a small hilltop town in southern Italy. Every day, he wore the same beautifully tailored, classic wool-tweed sport coat. He always looked attractive and appropriately dressed.

CATHERINE TIEMEYER

Venice, Florida

My grandmother Joyce. She loved mixing chunky cocktail rings with bohemian head scarves and flouncy dresses. She was beautiful because she didn’t care what others considered “fashionable.” She wore what made her feel good.

JESSIE COUBERLY

Santa Cruz, California

[BOX]

“Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. She proved that a woman could be feminine without frills, plunging necklines, or punishing shoes.”

JENNY VIGGIANO

Deltona, Florida

[BOX]

“Pippi Longstocking–pigtails, brightly colored tights, and big, comfy shoes.”

WENDY PINIZZOTTO

North Attleboro, Massachusetts

Specialty: Soft-edged, sculptural shapes made of natural materials. The bean, teardrop and Diamonds by the Yard necklaces are still Tiffany & Co. best sellers.

Inspiration: “Life, people and nature. My ideas begin with a simple element like a stone or a piece of driftwood.”

Favorite piece: “My first silver bottle.”

Definition of pure and simple design: “My jewelry.”

Artist she most admires: “Antonio Gaudi, the genius architect of Barcelona.”

Best-kept secret: “The one I’m not going to tell you!”

Interesting tidbit: Tiffany & Co. sold more than two miles’ worth of Diamonds by the Yard necklaces in the year they were introduced.

Price range: $110 to $100,000.

Available at: Tiffany & Co., 800-526-0649.

TED MUEHLING Ted Muehling does not have clients so much as he has devoted followers-women who are part of a fan club that prizes understated elegance. In 1975 Muehling graduated from the Pratt Institute’s industrialdesign program and began working with metal out of his apartment. He also started collecting small objects found in nature, such as leaves, birds’ nests, butterflies and stones. Inspired by the shapes of these ordinary items (a visit to his workshop is like a trip to a naturalhistory museum), Muehling’s designs are not literal translations but, rather, enhanced, more artistic versions.

Established: 1976.

Based in: New York City.

Specialty: Metalwork.

Inspiration: “Organic forms like an egg, a shell or a smooth pebble picked up on the beaches of Sag Harbor.”

His jewelry is: “Discreet. The woman who wears my jewelry is not interested in following fashion. She has the confidence to have her own sense of style, which translates to a true, intriguing beauty.”

Favorite piece: “The Queen Anne’s lace earrings that are sprinkled with tiny seed pearls and diamonds.”

Definition of pure and simple design: “Working directly with raw material and allowing it to be utilized the way it was intended.”

Artist he most admires: “Elsa Peretti, for her innovative and inspiring sense of form. Her work is consistently elegant and uniquely hers: unpretentious and the opposite of ‘status jewelry.’”

Interesting tidbit: Muehling’s Rice earrings-small, colorful jewels inspired by the sexy movement of 18thcentury chandeliers-are one of his earliest designs yet still among his most popular.

Price range: $100 to $15,000.

Available at: Ted Muehling, NYC, 212-431-3825.

ROBERT LEE MORRIS A metalsmith by trade, Robert Lee Morris spurred the designer-jewelry trend in the seventies with his innovative gallery, Artwear, which presented the works of various craftsmen (including himself) in an artistic setting. His twenty-plus-year collaboration with Donna Karan, as well as his work with other notable fashion designers, earned him multiple awards and bridged the gap between the fashion and fine-jewelry industries. Each piece he creates is essentially wearable sculpture-art for the body.

Established: 1970.

Based in: New York City.

Specialty: Strikingly original, bold silver and gold jewelry that reflects the sensual fluidity of the body.

Inspiration: “The beauty found in natural forms like bone structure, plants, living creatures and the forces of weather. Also, archetypal symbols and artifacts from natural-history museums.”

Definition of pure and simple design: “When form is described by the most minimal line, one has captured its essence and raised it to the highest level of beauty.”

Artists he most admires: “The American sculptor Alexander Calder, for his playful yet simple spirit; the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brancusi, for reducing everything to its purest essence; Donna Karan, for being an artist in an industry of commerce.”

Interesting tidbit: His stunning new book, Robert Lee Morris: The Power of Jewelry (Abrams; $60), provides an insider’s guide to the designer’s life and work.

Price range: $95 to $15,000.

Available at: Robert Lee Morris, NYC, 212-431-9405.

FARAONE MENNELLA BY RFMAS When childhood friends Roberto Faraone Mennella (right) and Amedeo Scognamiglio grew up in the small seaside town of Torre del Greco, Italy, they never dreamed that they would one day be working together as jewelers whose pieces would be worn by actresses like Kim Cattrall and Scarlett Johansson. After they graduated from law school in Naples in the 1990s, Amedeo moved to Manhattan to run a branch of his family’s business (he is the sixth generation in the oldest Italian company that designs and manufactures cameos). Roberto, meanwhile, received a degree from Parsons School of Design and later joined Amedeo to start their own firm. Together they produce handcrafted gold jewelry noted for its smooth lines and uniquely balanced proportions.

Established: 2001.

Based in: New York City and Italy.

Specialty. Highly polished hand-twisted link earrings, oversized hoops and 18k-gold necklaces accented with diamonds or cabochon stones.

Inspiration: “Italian movies by Luchino Visconti from the 1960s; the glamour of überchic actresses like Romy Schneider and Virna Lisi; the ride from Capri to Positano on Roberto’s boat; and our grandmothers Augusta and Stella.”

Their jewelry is: “Fashion created with precious stones and metal rather than fabric.”

Favorite pieces: “The Grandmama necklace from the couture collection,” says Roberto, “for its chic combination of stones. It is like watercolors in a cascade of luxury.” Amedeo’s choice: “Our signature diamond-pave hoops, because every woman looks sexy wearing them.”

Definition of pure and simple design: “Timeless and discreet, always balanced and proportioned.”

Best-kept secret: Roberto’s mother, Hannelore, has final approval of every new piece.

Price range: $750 to $35,000.

Available at: Faraone Mennella, NYC, 212-752-5990.

She was referring to a 21.8 carat “fancy yellow” diamond ring.

That big guy can be yours for a little more than $1 million. Wait a while, and you’ll be able to spend a lot more on rings and other things.

The retailer whose parent company made the phrase “A diamond is forever” famous plans to offer pieces costing more than $20 million.

In town about a month, De Beers Diamond Jewellers chose Houston as its fourth location in North America, joining such high-profile luxury jewelry chains as Cartier and Tiffany & Co. in the city.

Other De Beers are in New York City, Beverly Hills and Las Vegas.

“Houston was a natural choice because it’s the fourth-largest city in the U.S., and the Galleria is the fourth-largest mall in America,” said Hamida Belkadi, chief operating officer of De Beers Diamond Jewellers.

The jeweler is scheduled to open stores in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco before the year ends. Altogether, De Beers has 23 stores worldwide.

Newcomer to retailingThough De Beers has been mining and selecting diamonds since 1888, it’s only been in the retail business for six years.

And according to one analyst, it is getting in at the right time.

“With the explosion of the luxury retail sector, jewelers at the top end are reporting tremendous numbers,” said Howard Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a national retail consulting and investing banking firm in New York City.

He noted that retailers in the upscale market like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Ave. are also selling more and more very high-end jewelry.

The luxury market is “far from peaking,” Bear Stearns analyst Taposh Bari, who follows publicly traded Tiffany & Co., said in a report.

De Beers also was wise to open its Houston store in the fall, giving itself time to prepare for the Christmas season, Davidowitz said.

While most retailers do 20 to 22 percent of their annual business in November and December, jewelers take in 30 to 35 percent of their revenue in those months, he said.

Building a brandFor its retail stores, De Beers Diamond Jewellers, which is jointly owned by De Beers SA and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is pushing the notions of quality, credibility and security.

An in-store “Beauty Scan” machine provides customers with magnified views of each facet of a stone. And each jewelry item sold comes with a passport and a hidden mark identifying the gem.

“When people spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on diamonds, the level of perfection of the stone is of tremendous importance, and De Beers’ reputation for quality is a big advantage,” Davidowitz said.

One of De Beers’ more popular lines, Talisman, features a mosaic of polished and unpolished diamonds in different shapes and colors. The least expensive item in the store earlier this week was a $550 Talisman pendant.

Since opening, the Houston De Beers store has displayed a $3.7 million necklace from the Marie Antoinette line.

The ‘forever’ sloganThe marketing campaigns of its parent company, De Beers SA, are legendary.

In 1947, a copywriter working on the De Beers account at the agency NW Ayer coined the slogan: “A diamond is forever.”

NW Ayer also was able to hire Picasso and Dali to produce art as part of a De Beers advertising campaign, and got Hollywood directors and screenwriters to include scenes that captured the allure of diamonds.

It might not be too late to snare a table at your favorite restaurant. Rather than spending an afternoon on the tiffany phone, turn to opentable.com, the handy website that manages reservations for 168 Twin Cities restaurants. Who knows? The answer you’re looking for might be a few short clicks away.

Think a day in advance.

Several restaurants are previewing their V-day specials on Friday the 13th, including chef Victor Ruiz, who is offering three courses for $40 at his charming Cafe Ena (4601 Grand Av. S., Minneapolis, cafeena.net); at his El Meson (3450 Lyndale Av. S., Minneapolis, elmesonbistro.net), Ruiz is preparing a special a la carte menu and tossing in live flamenco music. At his cozy and romantic Heartland (1806 St. Clair Av., St. Paul, Heartlandrestaurant. com), chef Lenny Russo is offering a trio of four-course meals (meat, fish or vegetarian, $75 per person) on both Friday and Saturday evenings. Fugaise (308 E. Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, fugaise.com) chef Don Saunders is cooking six courses for $75, but going a step further by spreading the festivities across the 12th, 13th and 14th.

Think about brunch.

Who decreed Valentine’s Day as a dinner-only event? Enjoy a midday meal and then spend the afternoon and evening with a movie, a long walk and/or other up-close-and-personal pursuits. Share a lovely duck confit salad, smoked salmon-filled crepes or a hearty black bean-sweet potato omelet at chic Spoonriver (750 S. 2nd valentines key rings St., Minneapolis, spoonriver.com). Sunny Nick and Eddie (1612 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, nickandeddie.com) keeps things blessedly simple: bialys topped with gravlax and roasted tomatoes, eggs baked in brioche, eggs Benedict and a truly remarkable Gruyere-topped burger, all $10.50 or less. Or head to the Strip Club (378 Maria Av., St. Paul, domeats.com) for the zesty shrimp scampi scramble, hearty wild rice sausage-mushroom frittata and something refreshing from the bar, perhaps a blood orange caipirinha. Cheers.

Go the takeout route.

Stay out of the kitchen and pass off someone else’s cooking as your own. Two tips: Maintaining the charade is easier if you thoroughly ditch the packaging and drag out that wedding Wedgwood (the pattern you swore you couldn’t live without yet let years pass between uses) and rely upon some top-quality takeout. Lucia’s to Go (1432 W. 31st St., Minneapolis, lucias.com) is the place for soups, sandwiches and prepared salads, as well as a few daily entrees — love those fish cakes — and better-than-grandma’s desserts. A quick drive-by at United Noodles (2015 E. 24th St., Minneapolis, unitednoodles.com) will fill the car with fresh-roasted pork and duck, fabulous dumplings, savory soups and more. Yum! Kitchen and Bakery (4000 Minnetonka Blvd., St. Louis Park, yumkitchen.com) is banking on chicken pot pies topped with heart-shaped puff pastry — and luscious red velvet cupcakes — as a conduit to someone’s heart. Surdyk’s Cheese Shop (303 E. Hennepin Av., surdyks.com) is featuring a three-course Valentine’s Day spread, with three options in each course, for $39 per person. You could also go the ribs route with a full rack, a side of slaw and a pair of twice-baked potatoes at the always swell Scott Ja-Mama’s (3 W. Diamond Lake Road, Mpls., scottjamamas.com). Personally, I’d be happy with a sack of the fabulous roast beef sandwiches from Maverick’s (1746 N. Lexington Av., Roseville, 651-488-1788), a couple of 16-ounce cans of Surly Furious ale and a roaring fire; no bear-skin rug required.

Chocolate never hurts.

With so many divine locally produced chocolate products, it’s not difficult to spend a little to make a huge — and hugely memorable — romantic gesture. Track down a carton of Potion No. 9 from Legacy Chocolates (2042 Marshall Av., St. Paul, legacychocolates.com) and watch it turn a few scoops of Blue Bunny vanilla into valentines necklaces second honeymoon material. B.T. McElrath chocolatier Brian McElrath (btmcelrath.com) is cranking out a pucker-up goodie he calls “Love Notes,” round truffles of dark chocolate ganache finished with timely messages along the lines of “Kiss Me.” Or you can always whisper sweet nothings over a steaming cup of the extraordinary hot chocolate at Kopplin’s Coffee (490 Hamline Av. S., St. Paul, kopplinscoffee.com), prepared with the good stuff from Minneapolis-made Rogue Chocolatier (roguechocolatier.com).

Get your friends together.

Single? Rather than allowing the armies of lovey-dovey couples to keep you from a fun night out, corral a group of pals and make a night of it. Drop in on Brasa Rotisserie (600 E. Hennepin Av., Minneapolis, brasa.us) and pig out on a family-style meal; don’t skip the amazing slow-roasted pork, the creamy cheese grits or the excellent corn bread. Steer the gang into a row of seats at the lively tapas bar at Solera (900 Hennepin Av. S., Minneapolis, solera-restaurant.com) and graze your way through the menu’s 50-plus options (if you see the word “croquetas,” order it). Or hunt down a spot at the bar at Bar Lurcat (1624 Harmon Place, Minneapolis, cafelurcat.com) and dig into pork belly sliders, miso-marinated sea bass, warm mini-doughnuts and the darned best little burgers in the city. With snacks this tasty (not to mention those countless wines by the glass), who needs a date?

In addition to placing gift cards in over 7,000 grocery stores and markets throughout the U.S., Overstock.com has teamed with Coinstar to provide free coin counting at select Coinstar Center locations when users opt to exchange their coins for an Overstock.com eCertificate.

“In today’s economy people appreciate the value of change more than ever and with the Coinstar option, it’s easy to turn your loose change into something meaningful at Overstock.com,” Byrne added.

Valentine’s Day shoppers will find over 600,000 products available through Overstock.com priced up to 57 percent tiffany key ring off retail value; including a wide range of high-end, name-brand apparel, shoes and designer handbags, as well as consumer electronics, jewelry, books, music, movies and games – with a shipping rate of only $2.95. Shoppers are able to purchase Overstock.com gifts cards both in stores and online any time of the year.

Keywords: Overstock.com, Inc.

Someone found a folding chair, and the groom slipped the garter from under his bride’s knee-length white dress. They sliced a buttercream cake with strawberry filling and gently fed each other with a plastic fork.

The couple, of Roosevelt, are planning to have a big wedding when they can afford it in a cheap valentines day jewelry few years. In the meantime, a Town Hall wedding on Valentine’s Day was a lovely alternative, said Tanai Burke, 22.

“It’s special and it’s easy to remember for him,” she said of her husband, 24.

They were among 40 couples marrying or renewing their vows yesterday — part of Hempstead’s four-year tradition of upping the romance ante on Valentine’s Day.

“Today is really all about a little bit of fantasy,” said Town Supervisor Kate Murray, who officiated several ceremonies.

After the “I do’s,” couples toasted with nonalcoholic champagne. Brides received red roses and boxes of Godiva chocolates. Pieces of pepperoni spelled “Happy Valentine” on a heart-shaped pizza.

“I always wanted to get married on Valentine’s Day,” said Evie Caldero, 51, of Baldwin, who silver key rings beamed as she wedded the man she’s been with for more than 20 years.

“I thought I’d make her happy,” said Frank Caldero, 57. “It’s Valentine’s Day and I have such a beautiful bride.”

Several longtime loves renewed their vows, including six couples in a single afternoon ceremony.

Earlier, James and Angelina Carbone, both 84, of East Meadow, renewed their union for the second time in their 61-year marriage. Instead of saying “I do” at the end of the ceremony, James Carbone said, “Now and forever.”

Afterward, he said, “You hear those words and you remember what it’s about.”

John and Letha Costello of East Meadow, married 65 years, each clutched a cane as they walked down the aisle after their vow renewal. With their free hands, they held on to each other.

“She gave me three wonderful children,” said John Costello, 87, of his wife, 86.

Jack Costello, 61, of Fort Salonga, stood in the front row as his parents exchanged vows. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment,” he said. “We hope they get another 65 years.”

And in Manhattan yesterday, Yanan Guan, 31, and Michael Zhang, 35, of Selden, were among silver necklaces 13 couples from across the country married on the 61st floor of the Empire State Building. Immigrants from Shenyang in northeast China, the couple was engaged during a carriage ride in Central Park.

Through a contest, they won the chance to match their classic New York engagement with an iconic New York wedding. “It’s a dream come true,” Zhang said. “It’s such a perfect thing.”

Staff writer Sophia Chang contributed to this story.