Two best friends tell us how to celebrate the perfect Valentine’s Day

This isn’t the real-life story of “When Harry Met Sally.”

Two years ago, best friends Jessica Walsh and Timothy Goodman decided to embark on a little experiment: After years of frustrating dates and being single in New York City, the pair wondered what would happen if they dated each other for 40 days. The result was the popular blog (and now book) “40 Days of Dating: An Experiment.”

While Walsh and Goodman didn’t make it as a couple, they assure us that they are still closer than ever, despite the fact that Walsh got married to someone else a few months ago. “We’re best friends and we’re creative partners,” Goodman says.

“We really hadn’t anticipated all the press and Hollywood attention,” says Goodman, “We really just wanted to wrap ourselves in the context of today’s dating culture.”

One of the many things that the now former couple has in common is an artistic sensibility. Both Walsh and Goodman are graphic designers and incorporated their photos and texts into the book. We asked them how they would spend the perfect Valentine’s Day.

Have a theme:“Sometimes it’s fun to keep it themed, and I like to hop around because it’s fun and makes the night a little more memorable,” says Goodman. “You have to allow for the unexpected and you have to allow for serendipity in the city because it’s kind of at your disposal if you open your eyes.”

Get creative:You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to find the perfect gift. Goodman says men in particular are often hesitant to get in touch with their crafty side — which he says is a mistake. “Anything you make by hand, and anything that comes from the heart, I think is so special…I think it’s a real tragedy that too many men don’t know how to tap into their imagination a little bit and create something, because it doesn’t take much,” Goodman points out. “Even just writing a little note and taking a photo of it and texting it to someone makes them feel like you spent a little time on it.”

Go for a ride:Since Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a mini day trip. Why not get out of the city for a few hours and enjoy nature or explore somewhere new? Walsh says the more unexpected the destination, the more memorable the weekend will be.