Archive for the ‘Women’ Category

Grace: Like many women, I’m such a sucker for shiny things, especially shiny bracelets.  Maybe it’s just because I have the world’s shortest attention span, but I just love wearing sterling silver bracelets.  I don’t wear them that often, but when I do, I feel so put-together.  Buying a bracelet as a gift can be very difficult since I find most bracelets to look the same, so this year I’ve been looking mostly at handcrafted sterling silver jewelry. They are not only elegant and beautiful, but they’re also unique.

One handmade sterling silver bracelet that I really enjoy is this Silver Ribbon Bracelet.  I love the shiny silver and the modern design.  I’ve also never seen a bracelet like this before; I’ve only ever really seen cuffs or charm bracelets.  This is a great multi-purpose gift too, since I can see it being worn everyday or for a special evening.  If you’re looking to give a unique, special gift this holiday season, I would definitely recommend this bracelet!

Dan: This is a really unique gift idea Grace!  I have seen lots of different jewelry items as gift ideas, but this one is different because it was handcrafted by Peruvian artisans.  I look at this peice more as a work of art than a, “every kiss begins with Kay” ordeal.  It is really catching to the eye and a great peice!

Grace: The only thing better than finding a unique gift that no one else has is giving one that is literally made for the recipient.  However, it’s very difficult to find a custom-made gift (and probably very expensive) unless you are super talented yourself.  The next best thing, though, is a gift that is made to order, so you don’t have to go through the trouble of designing the gift, but you get all the benefits of something that is custom-made.

The same website that sells beautiful sterling silver jewelry gifts has just created a line of made to order necklaces.  These made to order necklaces are not only unique, but they have the feel of custom jewelry.  With handmade jewelry you’re almost guaranteed to have a piece that no one else has.  I particularly love the Turquoise Bead Necklace because the color is absolutely beautiful.  Each turquoise bead is hand selected for the perfect color and quality.  Each necklace takes about three weeks to deliver, so make sure you order it well ahead of time!

Dan: I am no jewelry conosseiur but this is a really beautiful peice of art.  The turquoise really has a natural undescribable beauty that cannot be replicated.  It is so well handmade and put together it really does not detract from its natural beauty.  This is a wonderful gift, and one to get any special women in your life!

Grace: I love wearing earrings that have a lot of movement to them because they’re just so much fun!  Maybe its because I can’t focus in class and like to play with my earrings, but there’s something really fun about dangly earrings.  The same site that sells beautiful handcrafted sterling silver jewelry also sells a wide array of handmade silver earrings.

Although I likes a lot of the earrings they sell, one of my favorite pairs is called the Huayruro Dangle Earrings.  I love the bright red Huayruro seeds; they’re a very unique material to work with.  The contrast of organic materials and inorganic materials makes these earrings special.  If you’re looking for a fun, playful gift, these earrings are the perfect candidate.

Dan: Those huayruro seeds really add a bold brightness to the jewelry that is stunning.  However, it is not “in your face” and harsh to the eyes.  The red, with the occassional black spot, seem welcoming and not harsh.  I think what contributes to that is that it is natural and organic, it is not a bright artificial paint that is being used, and that in Peru the seed stands for good luck (which is always a good thing to have around).

Dan: When most people think of giving gifts they think of a materialistic item.  Something that they can hold and use form time to time.  Many people seem to overlook trips or special outings that can act as really memorable gifts that can be savored that moment and in the future.

If you are on a tight budget, there are many cost effective places that you can bring someone to for a gift.  An example would be an art museum, zoo, or aquarium.  Many of these institutions can be highly priced, but usually, if you go at the right time tickets/entry can be really cheap.  If allowed, take photos while you are there.  Hopefully you will have a great time, and to cherish those memories you can give another gift, a photo album or video.  Cough cough, I know I want to go to the National Aquarium in Baltimore sometime, but when/if I go, I would love to have video or pictures of my experience.

Grace: It’s kind of funny that Dan should mention this gift now because for my friend’s birthday yesterday, he was given a book filled with pictures from the past year.  Although the book wasn’t filled with pictures from just one monumental trip or event, it was still a great gift.  My sister also receieved a gift like that and she absolutely LOVES it!  There are picture sites, such as Kodak, that provide the option of making a professional-looking photobook filled with pictures and text of your choice.  This is a very personal and loving gift!

Grace: I realized we haven’t really offered many gift ideas for special occasions, particularly jewelry.  I wear some form of jewelry on an everyday basis and I don’t really have any opportunity to dress up very often, so I tend to overlook elegant, evening jewelry.  If you are looking to buy a gift of this nature, I would recommend handcrafted necklaces just because they are so versatile and in the end, simplicity is always best.

I know most people don’t always associate handcrafted with elegant evening wear, but there is some very beautiful handcrafted jewelry out there, and the best part is, the jewelry is almost always unique!  You don’t have to worry about someone giving the same gift as you, and the gift is sure to be special because the recipient will probably never find anything like it.  This beautiful sterling silver filigree necklace is a perfect gift if you’re looking to an elegant piece of jewelry.  What’s amazing is that it’s completely handmade!  Filigree work transcends the conventional boundaries of jewelry and is more like a work of art.  Also, this week the site is offering 20% off all its sterling silver jewelry, which is an even greater incentive to check out this gift!

Dan: You make a really great point there Grace, that handcrafted jewelry is always unique and can never be fully replicated.  I mean, how many of those sterling silver Tiffany’s hearts can you really see?  The discout is an extra added bonus and the filigree is just astonishing.  I am not a jewelry expert, but I have never seen any peice of jewelry as beautiful as that.

Grace: Some of my friends are really into being eco-friendly, and although I applaud their efforts, shopping for them is so difficult.  Everything is either really expensive, or it’s just not their taste.  However, I found this great website that sells eco-friendly jewelry and it’s not only cute, but it’s also affordable.

All their jewelry is made from a minimum of 50% recycled/reclaimed gold and silver, and they also use bio-degradable products to make their jewelry.  Their jewelry is very unique and alludes to nature; I especially like their jewelry with the little birds on them.  The necklaces with the mother bird and baby bird(s) on them are great for mothers since you can include up to 4 baby birds.  If you’re looking for an eco-friendly gift, I would definitely recommend this site!

Dan: I think it is so great that society is becoming more eco-friendly now.  Everything from electronics, transportation, grocery shopping, and accessories are becoming green and eco-friendly.  I think that the necklace is not only eco-friendly but really beautiful as well.  It would make an excellent gift!

Grace: I’m not very adventurous when it comes to jewelry and I’ve always wished I were.  If you know someone who wants to try something a little more modern and quirky, this Earthtone Spondylus Shell Necklace is the perfect gift.  The design is very simple, yet the geometric shapes makes it modern and unique.  The clean silver and modern shapes contrasted with the organic spondylus shell make it a statement piece.  I also love the orange because it’s such an unusual color, especially in jewelry, and it gives the necklace a fun, youthful edge.

This artisan necklace is handcrafted in Peru, so you know you’re getting a unique and special gift.  It would be extremely difficult to find something this original and this well crafted in the United States.  I really love all the artisan jewelry from this site, and I think it’s a great place to look for distinctive jewelry.

Dan: This is not only flawless jewelry but a great piece of art.  Not all jewelry has to be shiny, gold, diamond, and silver to be beautiful.  Spondylus shell is a great organic material that is beautiful in so many ways.  This necklace looks like a great gift for my sister this coming holiday season!

Dan: What is it that you are looking for this coming holiday season?  If you want beautiful handcrafted silver jewelry then you need to look in the right places.  Most silver jewelry is mass produced in factories at cost (cough Tiffany’s).  If you want something that will not be marked up 10 times and ruin your bank account, then you must go to the right place.  This website features all sorts of jewelry, especially Peruvian handcrafted silver necklaces.

One necklace in particular, called the swinging sodalite sterling silver necklace, features a hardened leather cord, sterling silver and deep blue semi-precious sodalite.  Mined in South America, sodalite is an impressivenative blue stone that is commonly used in jewelry.  The mix of the silver and blue sodalite is truly breathtaking!

Grace: If you’re looking for a gift that is truly unique, this is definitely the way to go; I’ve never seen a necklace like this at any department or fine jewelry store I’ve ever been to.  What I love about this necklace (and pretty much all the jewelry on this site) is that it can be worn for any occasion.  Obviously, it would look stunning paired with a simple black dress, but it can also been worn on a daily basis with just a simple shirt or sweater.  It’s unique yet wearable; what more could anyone want?

Grace: I am the first to admit that I am totally overwhelmed by shopping, especially for the holidays.  I don’t want to give anyone something similar to what I gave them last year, but it’s so easy to pigeon-hole people and fall into a pattern!  Jewelry is always my go-to gift, but it’s so difficult to find a unique jewelry gift!  Not only do I feel like I give the same style of jewelry over and over, but I also always give people earrings and I become so flustered when they can’t wear earrings.

However, in order to break this earring addiction, I’ve recently discovered the joys of bracelets.  I always feel very elegant when wearing one (even though I’m actually not), but there’s not a lot of variety, I feel.  This website, though, sells handcrafted bracelets that are trendy but also unique.  One of my favorites on this site is the Stone and Shell Silver Bracelet.  It’s very simple, but the contrast of the bright blue Peruvian turquoise and the vibrant orange spondylus shell give it that unique twist.  Also, there are only 5 left, so you know that you’re giving a gift that no one else has.

Dan: I am not an expert, but to my eyes that is a very beautiful bracelet and it is no surprise to me that there are only 5 left.  It seems so elegant and would look really great on anyone who chooses to have it despite what they are wearing.  It also seems very flexible, it would more than acceptable to wear at a informal event or one where all eyes will be on you.

Dan: This holiday season is forecasted to set a record for the lowest amount of retail sales in U.S. history.  Even though, due to a global decrease of demand resulting in lower prices across a wide range of products, people will still be stringent this season.  Therefore, how are you going to balance your wallet and accomplish the same type of holiday season for your family and friends?

Try to seek out quality cost effective gifts.  Also, sometimes the best gifts don’t have to come with a high price tag.  If you know someone who is going to experience these types of anxieties in the coming months, give them a gift that will save them in the long run.  There are three main warehouse retailers whose annual memberships cost around $45 – $80.  Buy someone you know a membership, so that they can go out and take advantage of their two-step revene cost system.  Warehouse retailers obtain a majority of their profit from costless acceptance fees, and then sell their product slightly above marginal cost.  If you can get the membership for free, this is the best place to cost effectively shop for items when you need them.

Grace: A few years ago, my friend got her mom a membership to Costco as a Christmas gift, and her mother was absolutely thrilled.  It has really made shopping much easier for her mother, and she always wanted to become a member but never actually had the time to do it.  It’s always great to think of someone’s future well being when buying a gift, and the gift recepient is sure to feel the same.