via striking truths
be all that you promised to be
gifting a little love
with valentine’s day right around the corner, it’s time to wrap up a little dose of love for that someone special. i wanted to give you all a few ideas, some inexpensive and some a total splurge, to gift to the man in your life before the holiday goes into full swing – and before i get covered in pink and red glitter and icing bringing you lovelies some valentine’s day ideas (more to come).
so here we go:
if you are early on in a relationship or you agree to not spend much, making his favorite dish and a book of love coupons can be great. think of this as the year one option. if you want to make a small gesture, i love the mini NFL helmets and a book (about the same team, or league). this is a great two year option (as in, you’ve been dating for two years)
going a little further is a humidor – great on its own and i’ve had a positive experience gifting one to my boyfriend. if you want to spend a little extra, include a cigar sampler. ask one of his friends what he likes or go to the cigar shop and ask for a suggestion. i would recommend something in the middle range – not too heavy, not too light and not too long – my boyfriend likes nicaraguan blends. this is again a great two year option, but also, three, or four, or five, and so on. if he likes cigars he will love this.
finally, the splurge. someday, i will splurge. today, not so much. but if you want to splurge, an extra special watch will do it. i know my boyfriend prefers the breitlings, and i love the ones with the blue face. these watches all have sapphire crystal, so it has a nice blue glaze in the glass on top of the blue face. it’s also a timeless, classic purchase that will last forever. plus all your love. because, i mean really – what more could you give beyond a watch like that?! this for me would be like a year 10 gift. as in 10 years of marriage, not even 10 years of dating 😉
there’s also the classics, like a tie, a bottle of scotch, sporting event tickets, concert tickets, etc. An experience or consumable is always a nice gift, too – never forget that!
well i hope this little guide helps you or at least sparks an idea for you. i would love to hear your ideas, too!
something to try
no really. this is like a I HAVE TO DO THIS IMMEDIATELY thing to do.
milk cartons + water + food coloring + 32 degrees or below = igloo.
http://likeafieldmouse.tumblr.com/post/40001801353/daniel-gray-and-kathleen-starrie-an-igloo
career inspiration: tory burch
i was reading an article on business insider the other day about tory burch and how in less than a decade she built a multi billion dollar business. yes – with a b. not an m.
here are a few things you may not know about ms. burch:
1. she grew up in philly and went to UPENN
2. she has worked for vera wang, ralph lauren and harper’s bazaar
3. she was credited with making t-shirts trendy again in 2005
4. her business took off once oprah endorsed her, saying that tory burch was “the next big thing in fashion”
the take away here? be bold. believe in yourself. take risks. the rest will fall into place.
happy twenty-thirteen
twenty-thirteen is upon us. here’s to a happy, healthy and resolution-sticking new year to you and yours! xoxo
etsy find: 2013 calendars
now that we’ve survived the end of the world and christmas has passed (i do hope you received everything you dreamed of!) it’s on to the next celebration – 2013!
a new year brings lots of new things: resolutions, writing a new year on your checks, resurgence of honey boo boo and calendars. growing up, i swear i had either a paris calendar or an audrey hepburn calendar every. single. year. and they were definitely the same 12 pictures. this year i’m thinking i want something a little different, maybe something a little special? enter etsy – one of the few places that could fulfill such a request.
the question is – do you go for one big calendar? a perpetual calendar? a desktop calendar? a tear away regular size calendar? the possibilities could, in theory and in practice, be endless. nonetheless, here are my top 5 etsy calendar picks:
merry christmas!
happy weekend!
cheers to the weekend!
living in: christmas vacation
in my family, we have a tradition of watching national lampoon’s christmas vacation every weekend from thanksgiving until christmas. then it goes away for the next year, only to resurface at the following thanksgiving. most of us can quote the majority of the movie. it might be a sickness.
anyway, want to live in christmas vacation like the rest of my family? here’s how:
1. a christmas tree. a full one that is far too big for the room. (full of sap, of course!)
2. a hat with ear warmers when you have to leave your trailer to go to the bathroom ’cause the shitter’s full.
3. jelly of the month club (no pool for you!)
4. a santa hat. essential when the squirrel jumps out of the tree at your face, runs through the house, prompting your brother’s (or your brother-in-law’s) dog to run through the house and destroy everything.
5. lights. to cover your whole house. oh, and be sure to knock out the neighborhood electricity while you’re at it AND steal the electricity from your next door neighbor.
6. a moose mug. for egg nog. duh.
7. a tree scented candle. just in case the sap from your over full tree (see #1) isn’t filling your home with christmasy goodness.
8. oh and some rope for when your brother kidnaps your boss (because he gave you the jelly of the month club and not cash for a pool)
holiday gift guide series: the hostess
a hostess gift is one of those classic gestures – you can never go wrong bringing something along with you and the effort is always appreciated. it’s one of those things your mother probably always told you to do, or even one of those things you’ve read about in emily post. it is timeless, and you should do it regardless, but especially when visiting someone’s home for the holidays. here are a few of my favorites to make this holiday season a little extra special.
do you always bring a little something for a hostess?
1. wine bottle holder (to catch the drips and make a bottle look fancy) – gift it with a nice bottle of wine
2. white truffle oil goes lovely with a homemade loaf of bread or a cutting board (or wine!)
3. bottle opener
4. bourbon maple syrup is great for holiday brunches
5. homemade spreads with fresh loaves of bread and a dish towel (edible AND they get to keep something)
6. an ornament – swarovski has a new design each season, but it could be out of your price range so really any ornament would do (check out west elm, crate and barrel and anthropologie)