Literary Baby Shower Gift

One of my sister's and my favorite gifts to give to babies and young children is books. At baby showers, especially, people seem to receive lots of clothes and toys - both of which are important, but the first won't last long because babies grow so fast and we prefer books to toys because we're both bookworms :). Recently, I visited my sister a few days before she was to attend a baby shower for a woman at her church and we put together the shower gift together.

First we went to the store and bought some classic baby books. Goodnight Moon and The Very Hungry Caterpillar were two of our personal favorites growing up.

Then we went to Marshall's and tried to find a basket that would look cute with all the books in it. We failed. But then we were walking down the aisles and I had the brilliant idea to buy this metal "S", which happens to be the baby's last initial, and stick it on top of the books, all tied up with a bow. Ashton loved it so we bought the letter. It was only $6, totally gorgeous, and about as decor-neutral as you can get with it's lovely dark silver finish.

Ashton had some ribbon at home that we used to tie the books and letter together and I think it turned out really cute!

I talked to my sister after the shower and she said her gift was a total hit. Success!!!

"Keep Calm" Posters

I've never been a fan of the "Keep Calm and Carry On" poster trend, but ever since I saw one of my best friend's versions of the poster that reads "Lose Hope and Despair," I've been a huge fan of the parody versions! There are a lot of them for sale on Etsy, like this "Freak Out and Throw Stuff" one, for instance.

Anyways, this past weekend has been a rather lazy one for me since I've been recovering from a cold and this afternoon, while I was messing around on my computer, I came across this site that lets you create your own version of the poster. I had so much fun playing around with different versions! Here are a few of the ones I made (feel free to download and print for your personal use):

This translates to "Deeds not words," and is the motto of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

This is, of course, a paraphrase of Lizzy's acceptance of Mr. Darcy's second proposal in the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice.

"Love Conquers All" 

"God and Glory"

A key phrase from Captain Wentworth's letter to Anne in Persuasion.

This is a paraphrase of the motto of the Air Force ROTC's Arnold Air Society motto: "The warrior who cultivates his mind, polishes his arms."

This is for my brothers Nano and Jon who are headed to cycling nationals this week. I hope they do well but most importantly, stay safe!

An epic line from the epic movie, Ben-Hur.

I thought it could be cute for someone to use this poster trend to propose.

In Persuasion, there are a couple quotes that talk about Anne having to choose between duty & prudence and romance & risk in breaking off her engagement with Captain Wentworth and in refusing the proposal of Mr. Elliot. I think this is a dichotomy that many people can relate to.

North and South is easily one of my favorite British novels and BBC adaptations. This is a line from Mr. Thornton's ill-fated proposal.

Favorite Wines

Now that spring is in full force, I'm getting excited about sharing wines with friends. Don't get me wrong, I love a glass of good wine year-round, but there's something extra special about enjoying a glass on a friend's porch while we bask in this wonderful California weather. Here are a few of my favorite wines, in no particular order:

I really like Merlot wine - but I'm very picky about it. Which is to say, I really like the Merlot wines that I actually like. I found this one by Bogle to be very enjoyable. My very favorite Merlot that I've had to date is by Lange Twins Winery in Lodi, but I don't know where they sell it so I've only ever had it in a restaurant.

This could very well be my favorite wine, ever. 6th Sense Syrah by Michael David Winery from Lodi, CA is delightful. It's full and velvety and everything good.

I'm not big on white wines, but Seven Heavenly Chards (by Michael David Winery) is great! This chardonnay has a smooth, full, slightly buttery flavor. One of my favorite treats is sitting down with a glass of this wine and a bowl full of fresh popcorn.

This Pinot Noir by Clos du Bois is excellent. Although I definitely prefer the 2008, the 2009 is also quite good and easier to find in stores. The flavor, again, is full (no watery wine for me, thank you very much!) and smooth.

(And yes, I do realize that it's painfully obvious just how inexperienced I am at tasting & describing wines. I know nothing of tannins and I'm scared of saying that wines are "fruity" or "nutty" or "oaky" because, honestly, I'm not 100% sure what those things taste like.)

Gift Guide: For Your Awesome Parents

I don't know about you, but I always find it a challenge to buy gifts for my parents. They are well established and so usually have most of what they want or need (or at least those items that are in my budget ;). So I tried to come up with a list of things I know you can always use more of. My Mom loves to have guests over and entertain, and she likes to have nice accessories and dishware to serve her company on. For this particular gift guide I'm focusing on that aspect of gift giving.

1. A Beautiful Seasonal Table Runner

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I think this is so pretty! And not too red-green Christmasy, but gives a subtle nod to the holiday instead :)

2. Nice Napkin Rings

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My Mom like to use cloth napkins when we have company, but as far as I know, she doesn't have enough nice matching napkin rings to go around if there's a crowd. I think this would be a neat and unique gift.

3. Sturdy Glass Coffee Mugs

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Aren't these nice? I love the clean simplicity of clear glass mugs.

For my Dad, I am afraid I will most likely be going back to the old fall-backs that I know he likes.

1. A Historical Book

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I recently read this particular book, and I couldn't put it down. It is such a heart wrenching part of medical history and will definitely make you rethink many things about medical research. I know my Dad would enjoy this, but I might change it up with another historical book :)

2. Fancy Tea

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My Dad drinks a lot of tea. But he doesn't have fancy tea very often. A couple years ago I drank some blueberry tea from Teavana, and it was amazing! I still think about it after all this time, and so I think that some delicious gourmet tea would be a nice gift :)

What about you? Do you have any gift ideas for parents?

Gift Ideas: For Your 14 Year Old Comedic, Goofy, Cyclist Brother

Today is the eighth installment of gift guides!! Click here to find previous ones for babies, toddlers, spouses, and siblings :)

My little brother Jon survived being the youngest of 6 bossy and opinionated siblings by developing a sense of humor which he used to diffuse situations involving his bigger siblings. This skill has served him well. He now uses his humor in writing hilarious and ridiculous stories. He is also extremely driven and dedicated to his sport of cycling. He is tough to buy for because (like his older brother Nano) he always wants super expensive things - like an itouch or bicycle gear in the high several hundred dollar range.

So here are my ideas which hopefully will still leave him happy on Christmas day :)

1. Candy Card

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This would be such a fun "stocking stuffer" type present. I would use at least 25 candies so it was extra big, and would put it on a giant stocking-shaped poster board - perhaps even hung above the fireplace so it would instantly catch his eye Christmas morning :)

2. Inspirational Racing Poster

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Working through pain is what it's all about - and now that he has his own room, it would be neat for him to receive some large posters for the walls to tie in with the tour de france theme (his room is painted in the tour's colors). And along those lines....

3. Official Tour Posters

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How cool is this tour poster?! I would love to get him a series of 3-5 of these (preferably from years with especially intense races) for him to put on one wall of his room. I think these are classic enough that he would keep them for a long time!

4. Book

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Jon also loves to read. A book of any sort would be a gift he would enjoy. I chose one about cycling to use as an example, but anything with an exciting plot would work just as well.

5. Touchscreen MP3

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What he really wants, though, is a touchscreen mp3 player. I found this one for $50, and it's actually quite affordable for all the options it comes with. Although not an itouch, I still think this would be a gift he would be thrilled about :)

Gift Ideas: For Your Practical, Thoughtful, Logical, Hard-Working Husband

I'm back with the latest installment of gift guides (Previous ones are here, here, here, here, here and here).

My husband is the hardest person I know to buy for. Not because he doesn't have any interests but because his favorite gifts are practical ones. This frustrates me because in my opinion, practical gifts aren't super fun to give. I love to spend time finding that unique gift that the person will be thrilled to open. The one that shows that you know them well. And although the hubs is content to open a present and find a blue polo shirt, I'm less excited with the process of procuring and wrapping said shirt. As odd as it seems to say this since we are married, he is the one I need a gift guide for most of all.

1. The latest CD from his favorite band

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His favorite band emery released a new CD in March. He has looked high and low for a store that is carrying it but without success. He would be thrilled to see this under the tree!

2. Glass Bottle Pepsi

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My man has a track record of falling hard for products that are notoriously difficult to find. Last year it was Crest Sensitivity: Original Formula...right after they discontinued it. Fortunately our dentist's assistant was able to call in a favor with one of their suppliers who had 24 sample sizes left on his back shelf...and they gave them all to the hubs as a gift. It was one of the sweetest most thoughtful things they could have done. He's been in seventh heaven ever since.

This year he discovered Pepsi in a glass bottle. The main difference? It's made with real sugar. For awhile they were selling it in cans and calling it Throwback, but they've since...yup! Discontinued it. Fortunately I've found this online supplier that delivers it straight to your door. This would make his year!

3. Golfing Certificate

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This would be something he would have to use completely on himself - it would be a great gift because it would be giving him some time to do something he loves.

4. Tickets To a Hockey Game

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This gift has the added bonus of me getting to tag along - just kidding!! I would tell him to go with one of his guy friends :)

Another gift he would never get for himself...and it would be something he would love.

5. 100% Kona Coffee - Lyons Brand

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We are huge coffee people - and this is the. best. coffee. ever! Seriously, we've tried lots of coffee and this beats them all by a mile. It's expensive, but worth every cent!

6. Button Down Short Sleeve Shirt

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Sigh. Okay. I had to include this because it's something he really wants to get this year. But personally (because apparently gift-giving is really just about me anyway ;) I like the previous gift ideas best of all.

What about you? What do you get the man in your life who is hard to shop for? Or if you are a man who is hard to shop for, what do you really want that no one ever gets you?

For Your Cutie Patootie Baby Niece and Nephew

We were lucky enough to have a niece and nephew born just weeks apart this September and October. So there will be two first Christmases this year :) Here are my ideas for both little ones.

1. Baby's First Christmas Ornament

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This is always a classic gift. I like this wooden snowflake better than any other first ornament I've seen. I feel like this is one that would stand the test of time and show up on the tree 25 years later.

2. Organic Teether

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Isn't this adorable? I think this would be a great gift that the baby could use as a toy or a teether depending on the circumstances :)

3. Art

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I love this idea for my niece! With her name of course :) Wouldn't this be adorable in her nursery?

4. A Classic Book

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We always give our nieces and nephews this book for their first Christmas. But there are so many classic Christmas tales that should be a part of any holiday collection, you could make this a gift for several years in a row :)

Gift Ideas: For Your Two Year Old Nephew Who is All Boy

Our 2 year old nephew loves cars. And since he's the first grandchild on either side of the family he basically has at least one of almost everything. This makes him somewhat challenging to buy for. Here are a few things I noticed he doesn't have :)

1. Remote control car

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This remote control Ford Mustang is sure to be a hit, especially since the nephew's Dad is a Ford man :) The easy controls will be something he can maneuver even at his young age.

2. Bowling Game

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This bowling set would combine the lad's love of throwing things with his love of knocking things down. All in a safe game he could play inside and out.

3. Knight's Shield

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The Hubs wanted to buy him a shield for his birthday, but we weren't able to find one in stock in any stores in our area. I found this one online, and I think it would be perfect :)

4. Car Carrier

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I love this classic wood toy! And what boy couldn't use a carrier for his cars?

I'll be back later this afternoon with some more ideas for our baby nephew :)

For Your Articulate, Social and Pretty Grad Student Sister

My 23 year old sister (and co-author of this blog) Adri is always a lot of fun for me to buy for :) She has so many interests, it's easy to come up with things she will like. Plus she likes girly things like accessories and home accents which are things I like, so I usually know that if I like it she will too!

1. Feminine bangles

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Adri is great at accessorizing her outfits, so I think some pretty bangles would be a gift she would really like. I think these are so gorgeous, especially for the price ($28)!

2. A lightweight scarf

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It's a rare day that I see Adri scarf-less...regardless of the season :) So another one in a gorgeous print would be a fun gift!

3. A Funny or Typographical Print

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Adri is a total font and typography geek. She thought this poster was hilarious, and it would be cool to either find this one or perhaps a typographic-themed poster and frame it for her to put in her apartment.

4. Knee-High Cashmere Socks

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What could be more decadent than a pair of cashmere socks? Especially striped ones? Even though $19 for one pair of socks is kind of steep, this would be a nice splurge gift :)

5. A Wooden Ampersand

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Adri also likes ampersands of all kinds...so a wooden one for the shelf (or to hang on a wall) would be a nice addition to her current collection :)

Gift Ideas: For Your Uber Cute, Smart and Funny 17 Year Old Sister

I can't believe my youngest sister is going to be 17 when this Christmas rolls around! She loves horses, is great with all kinds of animals (she even taught her dog how to push the button on a tennis ball thrower so he could play catch with himself! It's hilarious to watch), and on top of that she is super smart. I'm excited to see where she ends up going to college - I'm sure there will be quite a few scholarships waiting for her :)

Here is a round up of gifts I think she would like. I pulled her name this year, so it's possible some of this may be under the tree ;)

1. Jewelry

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My sister likes unique jewelry - something she won't see anyone else wearing - and this seems to fit her personality. Not too girly, but edgy in a cute way. Plus she is a farm girl, so there's that :)

2. Art

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I think it would be a nice addition to her room to have a large statement piece. And if it's horse themed, so much the better!

3. Nail polish

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Because you can never have too many fun shades! Plus since nail polish is relatively inexpensive it's a nice stocking stuffer.

4. A fun game

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My sister likes having her friends come over to spend the night, so a unique game (that doesn't take too long to play) would be something I could see her enjoying frequently.

5. Cute clothes

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What teen doesn't like getting clothes for Christmas? A hoodie, jeans, name brand t-shirt or accessory will always be a hit!