The love corner in San Mateo

“One and a half months, right after Christmas, I can’t sleep,” Sasounian said. “It’s way too much business for eight hours today.”

Sasounian, along with his team of florists and family — including his son, Benjamin, who came from Southern California to help with the Valentine’s Day rush — are well-occupied the day before, preparing a vast array of bouquets that include roses, gardenias, tulips, orchids and even more exotic flowers. 

The shop expects to sell around 1,200 flower bouquets on Valentine’s Day, Sausonian said. Flowers typically come from Ecuador, flown to the United States fresh for the holiday. 

“Flowers are the best thing to express love. Everybody loves flowers, they’re green, they’re beautiful — and they don’t last, so you’ll have to come on by again,” he said. 

Now, customers of the shop can come in person, call by phone or preorder at edmondsfloral.com to purchase a Valentine’s Day bouquet for their loved one. Prices vary, but a classic dozen roses and greenery is $175 and a bunch of higher-end roses, along with hydrangeas and orchids, is $275, Sausonian said. 

Across the street at Y Salon & Spa, another Valentine’s Day special is taking place. Customers can purchase a blowout, manicure-pedicure and either a head spa, facial or massage for $175, a discount from its typical $200 price, Assistant Manager Hania Iqbal said. 

The salon also offers Japanese head spa services, a treatment offering detoxifying shampoo and pressure point massage that takes place under a waterfall of warm running water. 

“[The] head spa is really hot right now, and they’ve been going like crazy,” owner Yvonne Chau said. “Head spa, facial [and] massage ... [are] common for Valentine’s. And a mani-pedi.” 

The salon can host friends or couples receiving a head spa treatment in the same room — and “no one says no, no one’s like ‘ah, I don’t like it’” to the scalp treatment, Chau said, noting it’s become particularly popular as of late. 

Y Spa & Salon stands out because of its full-service care, Chau said, offering everything from cryotherapy, hair treatments and even nonsurgical cosmetic procedures like microneedling and skin tightening. 

“They come in here, they can get everything done,” Chau said. “Not [just] because of all the services we offer, it’s convenient, busy mom, busy worker, whatever it is, and also they can come in and have the vibe, relax.” 

Aside from the services offered, the oasis of relaxation and community of welcoming and talented estheticians made Iqbal turn from customer to full-time employee — and she welcomes customers to come and experience the environment. 

“We like to pamper our clients,” she said. 

And for Valentine’s Day shoppers looking for a sweet treat to round off the holiday, SimplyCake — a bakery with Chinese-style confections — is only a few stores down. 

The owner trained in China, learning the cake-making style after a career switch from a corporate job, employee Katherine Li said. Now, the bakery offers a wide variety of different cake slices, cream puffs, egg tarts, barbecue pork buns and Chinese pastries. 

Pastries are also made with a technique called tangzhong, which creates “really fluffy, soft bread,” Li said. 

Li recommended the hokkaido sponge cake as a Valentine’s Day purchase and overall fan favorite — and the store may sell heart-shaped cakes as well on Feb. 14. 

“I always have people getting them for their loved ones, coming in and saying ‘my wife loves these, I get them every day,” she said. 

And whoever you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day with, Li recommends coming in to enjoy the array of desserts and other baked goods. 

“The store is a good place to stop after you have a nice dinner with your loved ones,” she said. 

And for those looking for even more gifts, Steiners Jewelry is just a few doors north on San Mateo Drive, Christensen and Rafferty is about a block away on South Ellsworth Avenue, and Appelblom Jewelry is just up East Third Avenue. And for Dinner and a movie, there is the Century Theatre on B Street and just about any kind of restaurant you can imagine downtown — but Vespucci Ristorante Italiano is just three doors down from Y Salon on Third Avenue. … That’s Amore!