By now all our European and other non-US readers are wondering what the big hullabaloo is about conversation hearts. If you didn’t grow up in the US getting at least one Valentine with one of them stuck to a tear-out Mickey Mouse card every year, well, you would understandably be a bit lost. Lucky for all of you, I discovered a pretty good European equivalent!
At a local candy emporium I found a roll of “Giant” Love Hearts, made in the UK by Swizzles-Matlow. Upon untwisting the cellophane tube I found myself wondering if they were as good (as bad?) as Necco’s version. Appearance wise they are different – a round disk about 3/4 of an inch across, it’s got a heart relief-stamped into it. The hearts all have the appropriate messages, “True Love” “Be Mine” and so forth. There are a few modern ones, too, with “Email Me” and “Fax Me” – not to mention some seriously odd ones like “Be My Icon” (and lay on my desktop?!)
