Work and play hard

There are many options out there to jazz-up and cute-ify your phones, but I thought this was particularly cute and practical. If your girlfriend lives by the motto, "work hard, play hard," this is the perfect gift. Kate Spade's colorblocked case has a built-in pocket for the active networker to store her business cards. And when the sun goes down, the business cards can be replaced with credit cards for a night out on the town!   

                   

Poser

It's not a flattering term when it comes to describing people. But when it comes to gifts, I find it magical. Check out this clutch from Kate Spade. It looks like a book, but it's a purse! You can look studious and stylish at the same time (and have a permanent conversation starter). Kate Spade offers a "library" of different styles, but my favorite is The Great Gatsby, for it's design and colors and for the mere fact that I like the book. What better way to say "I remember your favorite book" in a stylish way? If Kate made a Marcel Proust one, I'd personally gift myself this $325 item, but for now, that will be my excuse. 

Going back to my (college) roots

I saw this WeWOOD watch advertised in a yoga magazine and was struck by how simply beautiful it was. It has the look of a metal watch, but it's made of wood! WeWOOD follows a similar philosophy to TOMS, in that it plants a tree for every timepiece sold. It's a nice concept, but I'm not completely sure I buy into the product description: "As alive as nature, your timepiece records your sensations and shares your experiences and may awaken memories from another time and place." It's a watch. It tells time. Let's just leave it at that. But, I do think it's perfect for the friend who lives in San Francisco who often sports North Face and only eats organic food. Or maybe just someone who appreciates design, like your architect friend.  

Mark it with a moon

I've always been a fan of dainty jewelry, and I'm a yogi. So when I stumbled upon gemagenta's moon necklace, I fell in love. I'll explain, because I know that my train of thought is not logical. I've been practicing yoga for several years, and one of my teachers likes to relate the phases of the moon to the intentions we set at the beginning of yoga practice. According to Ashtanga yoga, yogis should avoid practicing on moon days (full or new) since the moon affects our "prana," or balance. If you're interested in why, click here to learn more. Not sure if it's in my head, but I do feel the effects of the moon's pull during these particular days, and I've become more interested in the link between nature and feelings. 

The moon necklace captures all of this, and in a cute, dainty and personalized way. Lorena, the jewelry maker, custom makes each piece to commemorate special dates, engraving the lunar phase that corresponds to that memorable date, whether it's a birth, the-day-you-fell-in-love, engagement, new job or wedding date. The necklace is personalized on so many levels that it's hard to find a more unique piece (and at $33, it's a steal!).  

Maybe I should buy one to mark my first yoga session. What date would you choose? 

Gift pairing

I was inspired. So, I thought I’d spotlight this gift idea from my boyfriend’s mom, Karen. She bought a pair of sandals, but not just any pair. I have to say that I never thought shoe innovation would come in this form. No, it’s not new vegan shoe material; no, it’s not shock absorption technology from Nike; and, no, it’s not enhanced light technology from LA Gear (ps. I was obsessed with those shoes when I was little, and my Mom refused to buy me a pair—probably to protect her sanity). Instead, it’s innovation in a pretty basic form. Sandals are casual, and are often associated with nice weather and summer. So, why not add a bottle opener to the sole? It makes perfect sense…

Let’s be real, not really. But looking past this, I admire the novelty of the gift, and, more importantly, I’m inspired by the way Karen presented the pair of flip flops. With beer, naturally! I like when presents go hand-in-hand, when a gift giver shows the recipient how to enjoy a present. I think that shows thoughtfulness.  

I hope to feature more gift ideas from others who inspire me. So, share and send your ideas my way!

Cheaper than wine

A few months ago, I went on a tangent and started contemplating potential gifts for that friend who's celebrating the completion of his wine cellar. That probably won't happen (if it does, I'm jealous); but, what's more likely is that one of your friends is a wine aficionado. Instead of guessing his favorite wine or basing your purchase entirely on the correlation between price and quality (I think marketers have caught on), how about purchasing a wine journal that lets your friend record notes on various wines? It's a directory of wine thoughts, perhaps. Or maybe a wine accessory, like this wine tote. Super practical, "green" and cute, the tote comes in many designs and colors, plenty for the picking.

Black's in.

And I'm not talking about clothing. I'm talking about the kitchen. There are a couple of cooks in my life. The closest one is my Dad. He's always trying something new and succeeding. I know I'm overly spoiled. He often packs his gourmet meals in Tupperware containers, which have been coined "Daddy meals" by a couple of girlfriends. The point I'm trying to make is, it's hard to impress Dad when he's "in the know" with the culinary world. However, I have managed to surprise him with a few food trinkets. I picked up a bag of black garlic from Berkeley Bowl during my last trip up to Northern California. Looks good, taste great (almost sweet). You gotta trust me on this one. It adds kick to whatever dish you're making. And look at this great item (that I have yet to gift)--black sea salt. I thought sea salt was pretty wonderful already. I love it much more than regular salt since it's more substantial and really offers a salty bit of heaven. And now it's black! I think I have a fascination with both of these black foods because they are so basic and essential to the kitchen but there's a twist.

Help bring the cook in your life back to basics with black (say that quickly 5 times)!

Keep calm and...

The "keep calm and carry on" saying is really carrying on...to the point where the phrase is really overused. I can't walk into a gift shop without seeing the phrase plastered on posters and coffee mugs. I like it, don't get me wrong. I just like it modified, in some sort of creative way. I created a yoga bag for a girlfriend, screen printing "keep calm and carry om." I thought it was pretty clever. Anyway, I stumbled upon NuevoWoodcrafts and found the perfect gift for that musician in your life. My philosophy for gift giving is if you don't understand the hobby but want to get your recipient something hobby-related,  you have to be creative. That's your only saving grace. So, if you don't know the difference between an eighth and quarter note, purchase this little trinket. It will be thoughtful, creative, relatively cheap and oh-so-one-of-a-kind. Carry on, my gift givers!

Cute on cute = too cute!

I'm getting to that point in my life where I'm receiving invitations--but not the birthday kind. It's increasingly to events centered around weddings and babies. I haven't perfected wedding gift giving yet, mostly because I feel compelled to be "normal" and follow gift registry guidance. But, when it comes to babies, I think there's a bit more freedom to be creative and thoughtful. Although, I'm sure some of us feel like we're confined to only purchasing blue and pink gifts. I'm here to say that baby gifts that are gender-neutral are often the best. I'm a big fan of humor because what's better than a cute, funny baby who doesn't know he or she is funny? Case in point, the mustachifier and the iPood onesie. I'm also a huge fan of turning babies into animals. How can you go wrong with a baby owl?

Warming a house

I'm not a huge fan of showing up to a house warming party with a bottle of wine or flowers. I feel like those two gifts scream, "I do not know you at all." I mean, come on, it's not Valentine's Day. I suppose a bottle of wine might be appropriate if your neighbor just built a wine cellar. But, actually, not really, because then your gift screams, "I'm really not creative." I have some ideas, which I'll share in another blog post, perhaps. Let's be real, how many times do you find yourself in that situation. Anyway, I digress. 

A great alternative to flowers that will wither away in 4 days is a air plant pod from Sea & Asters. Write a personalized message on the chalk pot, which can serve as both your gift and card. 

And for the more practical gift giver, how about a custom address stamp? I love the wide and artsy selection from foryoo. 

Have fun warming the hearts and homes of your family and friends!  

Tiny treasures

For anyone who knows me (and it doesn't have to be particularly well), they know I'm a stationary enthusiast. Call me old-fashioned, but I hope the tradition of writing and mailing handwritten letters to loved ones never dies. I hope it's never replaced by email, or worse, a text. In my ideal world, Lucida handwriting  will never compete with real handwriting (but nice try, Microsoft); and          "Inbox (1)" will never compete with the excitement of feeling and seeing an envelope (addressed by hand, of course) in your mailbox. Handwritten letters show thoughtfulness -- everything was selected for a reason. From the card to the font (cursive or print?) to the stamp (Liberty Bell or one of my favorites, King & Queen?).

So, a few years ago, I was ecstatic when I discovered Lea Redmond's world's smallest post service. A couple months ago, I used Lea's service to send my boyfriend a tiny tiny letter, which arrived in a tiny envelope, and was decorated with a tiny stamp and wax seal. The package also included a magnifying glass (for those who need a little help reading the tiny treasure). While the tiny letter has a not-so-tiny-price tag ($9), I think the price is justified. The letter itself could be considered a gift. I can confidently say that your recipient won't be throwing away this birthday card!

Boyfriend + San Francisco = idea!

While driving up to San Francisco, this blog idea was born. I have to give credit to my boyfriend Daniel for the neat idea and for the inspiration (and also for the compliment that I have authority in this arena and that people would be interested in what I write). I've always liked the act and art of gift giving. It's a chance to not only be thoughtful but also creative. I'd like to think that the creative touches make a gift even more thoughtful. I hope this blog will serve as a destination for those who need a little help or inspiration in finding that perfect gift for that someone, whatever the occasion.