Alright, here's a girly tip for all of you guys out there...
... it's all in the details.
For instance, if you're planning on giving your significant other a bouquet of flowers I'd recommend you find out what her favorite type of flower is.
If you're planning on going to the traditional route for that next birthday with a present of jewelry consider engraving it with a special message, adding a birthstone or even picking up the gem from your significant others favorite jewelry store.
For a less expensive option consider the good ol' mixed tape/cd. With iTunes' help you can create a perfectly unique CD. Perhaps fill it with songs that make you think of them, or even just create a mix of songs you feel they'd love. As a bonus, create a CD cover with pictures you feel your significant other would enjoy.
Now, don't get me wrong, your favorite person would be perfectly happy to receive any ol' flowers, their eyes will still light up at jewelry and as a music lover myself, I can assure you if they dig discovering new music you could make a mix of any songs and they'd still find delight in the time you put into creating it.
You definitely don't have to go that extra mile for every occasion, but if this gift is meant for something extra-special then I hope these tips help you find a way to add that extra bit of unique.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Color Me Mine: DIY Pottery Options
If you're one of the many of us out there that like to make DIY gift creations, but just aren't sure where to start I've got an excellent gift-creating location for you!Head to your local Color Me Mine location. They're conveniently located all over the world, so there's a good possibility you'll have one within driving distance from where you live.
The Color Me Mine studio allows you to pick out a piece of blank pottery, choose your own colors and begin creating your own masterpiece. You then leave your chosen piece of artwork at the studio and in about a weeks time you head back to pick up your now kiln fired piece and pay. (What's excellent is that there's something there for pretty much every budget since your total price is reflected by the price of the pottery you originally picked.)
Why paint alone? At the Color Me Mine studios you can arrange to hold parties. They're perfect for kids parties, a night out with the ladies, or even a family gathering (that's what I did :).
As a bride to be I'd love to share with you that Color Me Mine also has bridal registry items, a great space for your shower and reception. You can even go in there and create a few beautiful and unique gifts for your bridal party. Perfection!
Above is the serving tray I painted during my last minute. I hope you have as much fun as I did should you choose to visit.
Enjoy!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Tote Bag Pictures!
As a follow-up post to the "Green and Glamorous" post below, I have pictures!
Liv generously went home and sent me a few pictures of the mentioned bags below so that you can get an idea of what they looked like. I always find huge inspiration from the visual, so I hope this helps you get the ideas flowing.
Enjoy!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
"Green" and Glamorous Tote Bags
I’d love to share with you a gift-giving idea that I received from my dear friend Liv. A year or so ago Liv decided that for Christmas she was going to make everyone’s gift. While I’m sure it helped her save money in the long run, I think for her it was more about giving her friends something that she put a lot of time into that was unique and showed both her and their personality.
In any case, she decided to create these fabulous tote bags!
She went to her local craft store (think A.C. Moore or Michaels) and grabbed up a bunch of basic canvas tote bags, as well as a variety of fabric paints, glitters and other applicable details.
According to Liv she spent about 3 days straight during a weekend break painting these bags, turning them into what I consider awesome works of art. Not only were they really cool looking and got tons of compliments on campus, but they were also very fashionable in that they were reusable “green” totes that could be used in various ways.
If you’re interested in making your own tote bags as future gifts but don’t have 3 days to spend on the project, rest easy. In the case of projects like this, the amount of work you want to put into each bag is truly up to you and the design you have in mind. Liv’s bags were incredibly detailed and required many coats of paint. This will not always be the case.
Also, as a bonus idea, consider filling the bags with a few goodies. They could be a new attempt at the old gift baskets. Think DVDs, CDs, candy, or even a few more crafty trinkets (like painted picture frames).
It doesn’t really matter what colors you use or whether or not you decide to fill the bag. What will matter most to the lucky receiver is that the gift was truly a gift from the heart.
In any case, she decided to create these fabulous tote bags!
She went to her local craft store (think A.C. Moore or Michaels) and grabbed up a bunch of basic canvas tote bags, as well as a variety of fabric paints, glitters and other applicable details.
According to Liv she spent about 3 days straight during a weekend break painting these bags, turning them into what I consider awesome works of art. Not only were they really cool looking and got tons of compliments on campus, but they were also very fashionable in that they were reusable “green” totes that could be used in various ways.
If you’re interested in making your own tote bags as future gifts but don’t have 3 days to spend on the project, rest easy. In the case of projects like this, the amount of work you want to put into each bag is truly up to you and the design you have in mind. Liv’s bags were incredibly detailed and required many coats of paint. This will not always be the case.
Also, as a bonus idea, consider filling the bags with a few goodies. They could be a new attempt at the old gift baskets. Think DVDs, CDs, candy, or even a few more crafty trinkets (like painted picture frames).
It doesn’t really matter what colors you use or whether or not you decide to fill the bag. What will matter most to the lucky receiver is that the gift was truly a gift from the heart.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Gift Giving Inspiration
I think I just stumbled upon greatness. You know how you’re randomly surfing the web and then BAM a site grabs your attention that meets needs you didn’t even realize you had until just then…. Well, I just found that site.
What’s even better is that I can’t wait to share it with you.
Every once in a while there’s that one person or event that’s just impossible to buy for. You search the web, you rack your brain, you visit this site ;) and you even beg for hints on what to give them, but, alas, the search still continues on.
Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be that difficult. The FindGift.com site has a “wizard” tool that lets you pick who the gift is for, what their age is, and even what the occasion is and then magically displays a page full of options… which you can of course then buy on their site.
No, I didn’t exactly love the options. They were a bit over-priced and at times cheesy; however, as a source of creative inspiration, they were perfect! Yes, the site is jam-packed with various “gift features,” which I’m going to reserve from bragging about here since they didn’t sweep me off my feet, however, I do recommend you check out that Wizard tool.
It may just be the perfect jump-start that your gift-giving brain has been searching for.
Enjoy!
What’s even better is that I can’t wait to share it with you.
Every once in a while there’s that one person or event that’s just impossible to buy for. You search the web, you rack your brain, you visit this site ;) and you even beg for hints on what to give them, but, alas, the search still continues on.
Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be that difficult. The FindGift.com site has a “wizard” tool that lets you pick who the gift is for, what their age is, and even what the occasion is and then magically displays a page full of options… which you can of course then buy on their site.
No, I didn’t exactly love the options. They were a bit over-priced and at times cheesy; however, as a source of creative inspiration, they were perfect! Yes, the site is jam-packed with various “gift features,” which I’m going to reserve from bragging about here since they didn’t sweep me off my feet, however, I do recommend you check out that Wizard tool.
It may just be the perfect jump-start that your gift-giving brain has been searching for.
Enjoy!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Charitable Donations on Your Wedding Day
The deeper I get into wedding planning the more research I do. I'm constantly on the search for unique ideas that will give my fiance and I's big day some personality and style.
Among the many details, little to big, I've come to realize that the registry is one big deal. Where to register? What to put on the list? How close to the wedding should we begin?
However, my fiance and I have a two and a half year wait till the big day. By then we'll have been living together for a while and just may have almost everything we need to set up house. I doubt we're the only one's that may find themselves in this situation come the big day.
My suggestion? Break from tradition!
Sure you could instead ask politely ask guests to put their gift money towards parts of your honeymoon. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's a perfectly practical idea.
However, why not consider donating your wedding "gifts" to someone else instead? Web sites like I Do Foundation can make this easy to do. Not only can you set up a registry where the money will be donated to a charity of you and your beloveds choosing, but you can also make your guests and part of the giving by leaving them a kind note that a donation has been made in their names as a wedding favor. Sure, a champagne glass or bag of candy is nice, but I can almost guarantee that your guests will feel just as happy, if not more satisfied, to have made a difference for a charity of your choice.
I'm always open to sharing other ways to give forward. So if you have any wedding-themed ideas in mind, definitely let us know!
Among the many details, little to big, I've come to realize that the registry is one big deal. Where to register? What to put on the list? How close to the wedding should we begin?
However, my fiance and I have a two and a half year wait till the big day. By then we'll have been living together for a while and just may have almost everything we need to set up house. I doubt we're the only one's that may find themselves in this situation come the big day.
My suggestion? Break from tradition!
Sure you could instead ask politely ask guests to put their gift money towards parts of your honeymoon. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's a perfectly practical idea.
However, why not consider donating your wedding "gifts" to someone else instead? Web sites like I Do Foundation can make this easy to do. Not only can you set up a registry where the money will be donated to a charity of you and your beloveds choosing, but you can also make your guests and part of the giving by leaving them a kind note that a donation has been made in their names as a wedding favor. Sure, a champagne glass or bag of candy is nice, but I can almost guarantee that your guests will feel just as happy, if not more satisfied, to have made a difference for a charity of your choice.
I'm always open to sharing other ways to give forward. So if you have any wedding-themed ideas in mind, definitely let us know!
Friday, August 1, 2008
Support Your Local Artisan
After a truly long break where the existence of this blog hung in the thresholds of indecision, I've decided that it's high time "A Gift from the Heart" return with some fresh content and awesome new gift-giving ideas. So here goes...While recently plurking, I found an excellent recommendation via a thread started by the fabulously crafty Chellez. It led me to check out the awesome art-filled Etsy. As the tag line reads, it's "Your place to buy & sell all things homemade."
What could be more perfect? Not only are you able to shop for cute handmade trinkets for yourself and others, but you can also sell your own handmade craft gems. While the site primarily features jewelry, definitely don't feel limited by just that category. There are also clothes, decorative pieces of art, etc. I even found a very cute children's finger puppet kit!
I encourage any and all that have a "crafty" side to them.... or just plain treasure handmade items... to stop on by.
* As a bonus, if you're looking for something specific but hard to find, they have a Alchemy section where you can "turn your ideas into reality" by helping both an artisan and yourself out.
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