'Tis Better to Give: My Top Gift Ideas for 2010

This Christmas I did a lot of shopping online. I wanted to give truly thoughtful gifts to people so I actually started my shopping early, and am pretty pleased with the results. My goals for holiday shopping this year were:

1. Stay cost-conscious, and;
2. Surprise the person receiving the gift with something they weren't expecting.

Here are my favorites from this year:

This is my 21st century version of putting a great picture in a frame as a gift (and who doesn't love that?). If you're a Mac user, you can do this from your own computer; if not, you can still use great services like Shutterfly to do something very similar.

I did a lot of creating via iPhoto. I am "that girl" with a camera and as a result have over 8,000 photos in my library. I have so many great shots that there's too many to frame, so I decided to do the next best thing. Books can be made hardcover, softcover, or bound. I chose hardcover, with 25 pages, which totaled about $30 with shipping. I create it, then click "buy," and just wait for my new publication in the mail!

I made a book, like this, for my boyfriend. It chronicles our relationship and includes inside jokes at the bottom-- a little high-school yearbook, I know, but the template is so classy it helps out a bit. (And, um, no. He doesn't visit my blog. Ever.)

And a calendar for my Dad. It had a "pets" theme because our  elderly corgi passed away this year and I wanted to memorialize him and all our other critters in a way that would make my dad smile. Every month has a quote at the bottom related to dogs. This was about $25 to create and purchase.

Ah, Etsy. How do I love thee? This is where the real shopping occurred. And I have been so happy with what I found. The sellers have all been amazing, everything arrived just days after purchasing and many of the sellers contacted me directly to customize my order to just my specifications.

One good way to start is with the  "Pounce" feature:

 

You can find vintage items-- like these antique cardinal bookends I found from a little store in Oregon for my aunt, for $20. This seller is BDVintage, and their shop had all kinds of great, eclectic finds. 

And of course, there's always great handmade jewelry. As featured in my previous post, this talented girl just opened her store and I've ordered from her twice! She even included cute little gift tags for me as a thank you, which I thought was a great touch. Thank you to seller studioro!

Speaking of jewelry, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my dog's new bling. Yes... dog. Bling.

Here's a modeling shot courtesy of my pup, Presley

My friends have gone crazy over his new "Call My People" Pet ID tag (he got to open it before Christmas). How can you not love that?! I just placed another order from this seller for gifts. Customized, beautiful, and under $20!  The Happy Chihuahua

 

There was literally something for everyone at Savor's shop. For $15, I got my mom and aunts some absolutely scrumptious handmade soap gift sets. They came packaged with a handmade soap holder and tied with a chic black bow:

This shop's owner is a total sweetheart who even refunds shipping if you pay more than the actual cost. Besides the great gift sets, Savor also offers whipped soaps (one is called Joie de Vivre!), creme scrubs in scents like Red Velvet Cake and Winter Grapefruit, and even has an unscented line for babies/sensitive skin. The hardest part about ordering here was choosing scents. (I should add here that, as a former Laura Mercier employee who was addicted to Creme Brulee products, these are better... and a fraction of the price.) 

At around $5 a bar, it's a great deal-- the soaps are lovely to look at, generous in size, and total indulgences!

Happy Shopping... and Merry Christmas!

The Many Faces of the Chandelier

Photo Credit: Antiquesblog.net

Looking through design blogs, interior design magazines-- even when deciding on stationary patterns-- I realized recently that the chandelier is a slight obsession of mine. My eye is drawn to them whatever the capacity; in fact, one thing I love about chandeliers is how varied they can be from one to the next. The fact that there are two that "came with" the house I eventually purchased definitely had influence on my final decision, and I'll admit those light fixtures-- not anything practical, like the new HE washer/dryer-- came to mind as I was writing the down payment check. The idea of a little cottage house with two chandeliers was what helped me make my final decision.  

As a side note, my house has a 1:2 chandelier ratio now.

Nurseries, kitchens, bathrooms, porches, palaces, earrings, outside, inside...
chandeliers aren't a Marie Antoinette exclusive anymore.

But let's start with Versailles anyway.

Palace of Versailles

Dale Chihuly Designs

Glamorous Baby Nursery

Tea Time Chandelier- $1,800 on Anthropologie

 

Adena Chandeliers

 

House Beautiful Photo Simon Watson

Design*Sponge's Chandelier Guide

Eric Ginder Mansion Chandelier

Kelly Wearstler, HUE

Collage Chandelier, David Wiseman

 The infamous chandelier, Palais Opera, Paris

Aqua Chandelier Stationary- Notecard Set, $24.99

A new spin on the chandelier

Oh, and... This.

Gun chandelier 

{ Shopping With a Story to Tell }

“People respond much more to authentic, human-centric design now,” said Chee Pearlman, a design consultant. “As opposed to the extruded-plastic sort from China. It’s clearly a time for genuine connection to the objects in our lives.”
New York Times article, 11/25/09

One of my favorite things while procrastinating as of late has been to peruse Etsy, an online marketplace full of beautiful antiques, vintage pieces, custom-made clothing, and other hand-made things.

I love the layout of the site (you can shop via "color"-- click fuschia on the color wheel and it will pull up all things hot pink, regardless of item type).

I also find it charming that each and every piece has some element of a human touch. The site is eclectic, whimsical, and lovely.

It's like eBay in the fact that you start looking and realize there are things you need now that you never considered buying before; but without the cluttered garage-sale atmosphere. And a lot of things on Etsy are super-affordable.

Take, for example, this silver double chain necklace I purchased from a precious girl who lives in Singapore and Sidney:

It was called "Believe in the Crown of Glory," and was $28. And if the look and price wasn't enough, I was sold by the item description:

"Crown of glory and a simple reminder to Believe. Double chain necklace, you can adjust the crown to be above the silver "Believe" charm or vice versa!

When the necklace arrived, it was packaged in a charming box, with a hand-written note from the sweet seller. Her creations are beautiful and unique, and I will be back for more from her store, Shupglite

Here are some more of the lovelies I have seen on Etsy...

How fabulous is this? A jewelry holder (or serving piece for petits fours) made from antique plates and tea cups.
$85.50, WhoMadeIt

These two gorgeous prints are only a sample of what this seller has to offer. Appropriately, this store's motto is "Poetry for the Eyes," and most prints run around $20. ISPhotography

And here is the shop of one of my favorite bloggers, Eddie Ross.

His shop's description says it best: "Eddie Ross at Etsy, a unique collection of hand-picked, vintage tabletop and giftware. Every piece in the collection I selected and refurbished myself. Every piece carries with it detailed descriptions full of ideas. Every piece I would most certainly use in my own home. And every piece is $100 and under."

Eddie Ross Vintage

This barely touches on the fabulous finds on Etsy.com, but gives a little preview of why I love shopping there so much. I would love to hear about your favorite Etsy shops, so please feel free to share!