Good luck charms can't always be there in times of need, especially if they are animate objects. Hailing from the UK, MsSpanner transforms the animate into the inanimate, whether they're friends, significant others or furry friends. Design your own manfriend or pet for $22 so luck will always be in your pocket or your friend's during those sweaty-hand moments.
Gifting unique items is my thing. Etsy is always a go-to destination, but, let's be honest, sometimes it's hard to search and find items, and, sometimes, you just don't have time to sift through 63 pages of search results.
So, when I stumbled upon e-commerce site Of a Kind, I was thrilled. Of a Kind does the searching for you. Think of it as a marriage between Gilt and Etsy. It specializes in offering limited edition pieces from new designers
who share their inspiration and stories behind the pieces for sale on the site.
Those gorgeous tortoise shell tumblers? Their inspiration was conceived during a walk in Brooklyn. The oh-so-contrasty lapis necklace? Its designers aim to bring back the work and centuries-old traditions that have otherwise lost market value.
Thanks to Of a Kind, gifting a present and its story just got easier.
When it comes to the debate on Kindle vs. physical book, physical book always wins in my book (bad pun, sorry). Clicks will never replace page turning, plastic will never replace leather covers and electronic ink screens will never replace crisp paper. Even if you don't agree with anything I just said, it's hard to argue that something will replace the scent of books. Well, except for Frostbeard's "old books" scented candle. Gift this jar of magic to the book lover in your life.
For the healthy DIY-er, consider gifting a home brewing kit for kombucha. Haven't frequented Whole Foods recently? Kombucha is a drink produced by fermenting black tea using a symbiotic colony of bacterial and yeast (known as SCOBY). The fermentation process gives the drink a natural fizz and probiotics, and offers health benefits including detoxification, joint care and an immune boost. Kombucha originated in Northeast China and later spread to Russia and has been enjoyed for over 2,000 years. Since it's naturally fermented, kombucha contains a small amount of alcohol. For those who want to gift a little more of those benefits, how about a home brewing kit for gin?
Traveling is important to me and, perhaps, even more important, are the memories. Since I was little, my Mom trained me to keep travel diaries. At the time, it seemed tedious and almost like homework, but her insistence paid off. I now find joy in assembling scrapbooks, and collaging my photos, postcards and museum entrance tickets from around the globe. While I have many "volumes" of travels, I found this scratch map a great addition to preserving travel memories. It's interactive and an immediate conversation piece, all the while reminding you of new places to discover. Gift this to your friend who can't stop exploring.
Wherever you are in a relationship today, there's a card that's appropriate, so there's no excuse, just embrace it! Happy Valentine's Day! xx
Valentine's day is this Friday, and I couldn't resist writing a post to help the boys who are lost in the stereotypes of chocolates and roses. I'm typically not into idioms, but I couldn't resist the idea of a boy gifting these native earrings from TheTwentyFingers, with a sweet note, "birds of a feather flock together." Happy gifting non-chocolates and non-roses!
