Bloggers buzz on holiday gifts part II

Hi there! Hope you are doing well. Are you like me and getting really busy with the holiday frenzy?  Ready for another collection of fabulous holiday gift ideas from my super chic blogging friends? Well here's another superb roundup of awesome gift ideas. I have to say I have gotten so many wonderful ideas. For the first time in years, I am feeling my stress 0' meter go down.....not up! 

Let's face it...the holidays are plenty stressful enough without the added pressure of gift giving pressure. I love all these ideas, so many unique ones, and something for everyone. Thank you ladies for your fabulous ideas! So let's get started, ladies take it away...........

 

Vicki from French Essence says.....

 Holiday Gift Ideas from French Essence…

Choosing gifts is such a pleasure… thinking of ideas, sourcing them and then
finding that perfect match. That is the best part… knowing that your gift is going
to please your special person. I love watching the un-wrapping… the guessing as
the parcel is prodded and poked… It’s all part of the art of giving…

I don’t believe that some are ‘impossible’ to buy for or that others ‘have
everything’… the art of giving means not being defeated, sometimes thinking
outside of the box or oftentimes just keeping it simple.

When I think of a special gift, I think about what I would love to receive, an
indulgence that I might not buy for myself… something that would make me
smile and make me feel spoilt… a Cire Trudon candle is perfect. My preferred
scent is Odalisque… a blend of orange blossom, lemon and vanilla. I like a gift to
be long lasting and to evoke memories… this is a scent that does just that.
My other most loved gifts are books… nothing makes me happier… and I always
want to give as I would like to receive…

To purchase click here

              ‘The Best of Flair’ is an exquisite piece and one that is the perfect addition to
              any library… it is beautifully illustrated and has many of the features that made
              the 1950’s magazines of the same name so popular. This is a collector’s item, an
              intriguing and fascinating book that enchants on every page.

To purchase click here

Vicki Archer
French Essence
http://pinterest.com/frenchessence
http://vickiarcher.com
October 2012

 

  
Carolyn  and Cynthia of the Buzz Blog says....

Here are our two favorite gift items this holiday season from our e-commerce site www.DianeJamesHome.com.

  Our mother raised us with a tradition of never arriving empty-handed to holiday parties and that’s one of the reasons why we added a range of beautiful botanically inspired gifts to our collection of faux florals on Diane James Home.  It was hard to pick two of our favorite holiday hostess gifts but given that we’ve just introduced our new Winter scent candle made by Seda France, we had to include it!  And why not pair it with a lovely set of French-milled soaps, presented in a festive red box ready for gift giving (or re-gifting, if need be.)  Both gifts are sure to please!

Our Winter Candle (brand new for this holiday season and made by Seda France) - 

http://www.dianejameshome.com/products/Winter-Candle

Momento Soap Set - http://www.dianejameshome.com/products/Memento-Soap-Set

                                

      

Mary Ann of Classic Casual Home says......

Hi Tina, Here are a couple of gift ideas that I will be giving this Christmas...

Personalized Note Cards

 These are only $18.95 for two pads of 100 sheets.  So thoughtful with the name or monogram personalization...and you can  create the look from lots of images. Here are some logos that I have used for friends (and even for myself).

 This Heart Key Chain would be perfect to give my girlfriends so they will know I care about them every time they use it.

 Thanks, Tina!

classic • casual • home

Desiree of Chic Coastal Living says......

My first gift choice this holiday season is this navy pom pom throw from Serena and Lily. I recently partnered with Serena and Lily and received this gorgeous substantial throw from them and all I can say is everyone needs one! I am looking forward to sitting by a  fireplace wrapped up in this ultra cozy high designer throw while sipping a delicious latte. Serena and Lily states on their website...that this throw is an understated design element. I totally agree!

My second gift choice this holiday season is that adorable iPad Mini. This great little device is every inch the iPad has everything that you love about it! Including a beautiful screen, fast fluid performance, and thousands of amazing apps to enjoy. You can choose to have cellular service on it and different capacities. The best part is that it can fit in one hand!

 

  

Kathysue from Good life of Design says.....

I love to give themed gifts. For some reason it helps me narrow down my choices. In the past I have chosen a monogrammed theme for gifts.

I try to get the beautiful towels that are on Neiman Marcus’s pink sale every year….

Source: neimanmarcus.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

You will get two sets of three pieces for $58, this is a real bargain. Plus, you can have them monogrammed. 

I have personally purchased these towels as gifts, and for my own personal use. Many of my friends have done the same!

Source: neimanmarcus.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

If you like the option of a colored towel, and a colored monogram these are the towels for you. Only $12 for a bath towel.

 I usually purchase the white with a sand monogram for myself, but have purchased other colors for gifts.

Gift #2

The next theme gift I love to give is dinner related! I love to purchase nice plain white serving pieces from Crate and Barrel just go HERE!…….

Source: goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

Source: goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

I add this fun gift to the serving pieces. It is called Destination Dinners. You can go to their website by clicking on their name below the image…..

Source: destinationdinners.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

You can choose a dinner kit from any of the following destinations for $30:

• America
• Korea
• Jamaica
• Lebanon
• New Orleans
• Bangladesh
• Thailand
• Japan
• Yucatan Peninsula
• Israel
• Turkey

I round it all out with monogrammed napkins from Pottery barn…..

Source: potterybarn.com via Kathy Sue on Pinterest

These are just a couple of themed gifts you can give. I bet if you think about it from this point of view you will come up with your own ideas!! 

Happy Gift Giving,

Kathysue

Michele of Hello Lovely Inc. says.....

Thanks for including me, Tina!
* * *
My favorite gifts to give and receive are
handmade or vintage in nature because
they are usually one of a kind and extra special.




original abstracts on canvas


Naturally, two choices from my hello lovely etsy shop
include affordable original paintings by me
(a perfect size for a gallery wall)
and assorted vintage European bottles
which are fabulous on their own,
as a styling prop, or vase.
(They may even work for holiday decorating!)

vintage embossed bottles


hello lovely inc.

 





Luciane of Home Bunch says.....

Happy Holiday shopping, everyone!

Pick #1:

I have three small children and I'm always trying to make our home feels like a home for every and each member of our family. I like my kids to feel welcomed in every room, but I like to dedicate certain places exclusively to them. I think it's really important for our kids to have a place where they feel completely free to create, play and learn.

When I saw these children plates I immediately thought how neat would be to have them hung in a playroom. These alphabet plates are adorable and I'm sure any kid would enjoy seeing them!

Aren't they cute? The set for a mug and plate costs $26.00 and you can find them here.

 

Pick #2:

Maybe this Christmas we should do more than opening our wallets, maybe instead, we should open our eyes to see what the person next to one need.

We all get incredibly busy at this time of the year, we all try to send cards to all of friends and family and we're running from store to store with a huge list on hands, but is it all we can do? Is it all we can give? Perhaps, we can do more, perhaps we should do better.

What about actually being the gift for someone this Christmas? Look around, you can help in so many ways and that's a gift! Visit a neighbor you know could use of some help with the kids, or an elder person who needs help. You can do simple things, such as wrapping gifts or cooking some meals for the Holidays.

Offer help, be there and put a smile on someone's face.

The best gifts in life are usually priceless and comes from the heart, instead of a shelf.

 

Happy Holidays!

Luciane

 

 

Elizabeth of Pretty Pink Tulips says.....

I am always on the look out, year round, for special items that would make a fabulous gift, so I was thrilled that Tina invited me to share a couple of picks with her lovely readers. I love to give things that will be savored, enjoyed and used. Personalized items are always a favorite of mine, but that doesn't necessarily mean a monogram. My first holiday gift pick is the exquisite new book, Flowers, by Carolyne Roehm. 

The book was a true labor of love, as Carolyne created all of the floral arrangements and photographed them herself. If you know someone how lives for their garden, a gorgeous flower arrangement or just loves a fabulous coffee table book...this is the one for the season! The most cost effective way to purchase her book is via amazon.com, but you can also visit her website, www.carolyneroehm.com to have her personalize the book for your recipient.

My next gift pick is something I have and use on a daily basis. The Russell + Hazel Tassel Key Chain is just a fun thing to give and receive. The personalization comes in choosing the perfect color. Mine is white and is easy to find in the bottom of my handbags.  Available at zhush.com

Whatever you choose to give, remember the presentation is part of the gift!

xoxo Elizabeth






Thanks ladies! This is like the gift giving jackpot. So  many unique ideas, this is the beauty of having such talented blogging friends......wonderful ideas are always being generated and  of course the perk is getting to share them with you all. I am for once excited about my gift giving...how about you? Thanks again ladies and thank you everyone for stopping in....ho ho ho!

Guest posting at Home Bunch and a Which would you choose!

Hi and happy Monday to you! Today, you can find me over at my buddy, Lucianes blog...the gorgeous "always full of house eye candy" blog, Home Bunch. I know many of you know of it.....there are few blogs that can boast featuring so many amazing homes as Luciane has done and continues to do. I know I am in for a serious dose of beauty every time I click on over. Not to mention she might take top prize for the sweetest blogger out there! So today I am there and its a take on my "Which would you choose" so please visit us. Promise it will be worth your while....click here to visit.Heres a sneak peek! 

Have a fabulous day and see you back here tomorrow. Thanks for stopping over!

One word with Luciane of Home Bunch!

Good morning and welcome to my "One word" series, today I have the good fortune of having one of the sweetest, kindest persons in all of blogland with me.  For those of you that know Luciane, you know just what I am talking about. A real gem. Luciane is the maestro behind the wonderful blog, Homebunch. Suffice to say if you are not already a regular, you are missing out big time! She posts the most spectacular homes, from all over the globe, things you have never seen that are to be believed. She also has a really fun series "cool or fool" which asks the readers to tell how they feel about something that is unusual or out of the ordinary. Once you visit, I promise you too will become a regular reader, its kind of addicting!Lucianne is a busy mother who lives in Canada and just had a baby a few short months ago. Quite the accomplished multi tasker she is! She keeps readers engaged, always has a great message and always and I do mean always provides lots of eye candy. I know Homebunch for me is a regular stop every morning as I make my rounds in blogland. I was so happy that she came on board for this post...love her even more after reading all of her wonderful endearing answers! So without further adieu..here's Lucianne. Click here to visit her fabulous blog, Home Bunch!
Lucianne of Home Bunch

One quality I love in people is: Kindness. Can you picture how pleasant life would be if people chose to be a little more kind to one another?

If my house could only be furnished in one color it would definitely have to be: White. You can't go wrong with that one.

One luxury I cannot live without: Interesting question... I'm stuck with this one. I can't imagine having anything so necessary that I can't live without. I'm trying to analyze this because "luxury" is so relative. It's inappropriate for me to say "I can't live without my Chanel bag" when many people in other countries consider luxury having electricity and water.

If I had to have one designer decorate my entire house with 0 input from me it would have to be... You!  I would love to have you to do what you're doing in your home. Your taste is a gift!

If I had to choose coffee or tea it would be... Coffee! Strong, please.

One place I have been that I would love to go back to... Florianopolis, Brazil.

One place I am longing to visit is....Italy.

One talent I wish I had was.. play piano.

I think most people would agree I am very.. social. 

If I could change one quality about myself it would be... I'd like to be more patient. I wasn't patient at all before, but then you start to mature and notice that the world doesn't work at the same paste all the time and there's things you can't control. So you do you part and wait for the rest.

One career I could see myself having would be... an entertainer. I love people. 

If food is therapy, when stressed I indulge in... Oh, God! Dark chocolate and fresh bread. I'm crazy about both!

One of my favorite brands for clothing is... Ralph Lauren.

If my life were a book, the title would be: "You envision, you have." For me, everything starts to happen when you start believing. 

My favorite flower is: tulips.

I would love to have coffee and a chat session with this famous person: Meryl Streep. She's sweet, smart and funny.

A favorite TV show I can't miss: "Revenge" and "Dexter".

Hollywood is: unreal.

Tuscany or Provence? Tuscany.

The next presidential election will be: interesting but tiring, like they usually are.

The one best thing about blogging is: the genuine love and support you receive.

A guilty pleasure for me is: it goes back to dark chocolate and bread!

A clothing designer I think that has great style: the timeless, Valentino.

My strongest quality would have to be: a good listener.

The best restaurant I have ever been to was: Five Sails, Vancouver.

Most overrated actor/actress is: Alive: Kim Kardashian. Not a "real" actress, but I'm sure she's acting more than living, so... Not alive: Marilyn Monroe. Gorgeous woman, had a very interesting life, but I'm sure people wouldn't be as fascinated as they are if she was still alive.

If my life were a documentary, I could see this actress playing me: Wow! Interesting question! Natalie Portman. She's much prettier, don't even waste your time comparing us! :-) But I'd choose her because she's super talented, smart, funny and deep.

One thing I like about my appearance is: my hair.

One thing I can honestly say I love about myself is: how much I enjoy being a mother.

Town or country: country.

One person I admire... It's easy to admire people you don't know profoundly. Hard to admire people you truly know, because the more you get to know someone, the more you'll notice that no one is perfectly admirable. The great thing is when you actually truly know a person and still admire him or her. This person for me would be my husband, because even though he's not perfect, he has some impressive qualities and I keep learning to be a better person with him. He is even better than he knows and I admire him even more for that.

Pick a decade to live in, any decade..

My favorite room of my house is: my bedroom.

If I were an animal I would be a: Have anyone chosen "snail" or "hippo"? Guess not, right? I could say I'd like to be a lion but I actually I would like to be "Teddy" (your dog), so I could live in your house. :-)

                                                 A book I would recommend to everyone would be: "By the River Piedra I sat Down and Wept", by Paulo Coelho.

If I were planning a huge family reunion, this is where I would want to have it: in a spacious villa in Italy with vineyard views.

One thing I wish everyone could be more of: relaxed. People are rushing all the time, including myself (oh, well... I have three kids!), but I think we all should stop for at least few minutes every day and take a look at where we are if that makes us happy. If not, close your eyes and picture a better place. You can achieve more than you can comprehend.

                                                           In one word life is: the warmth I feel when I'm hugging my kids. Simple and irreplaceable.

So wonderful Luciane! May I please crash your family reunion at the villa in Italy overlooking the vineyards? And you so had me with the fresh bread and chocolate indulgences, its mine too! I can feel your love of being a mother through this post and every time you write about your kids and family...that's a beautiful thing! I would love to join you and "Meryl' for that sit down....I feel like she is someone we would all love and warm up to instantly, like an old friend.  And I am soooo with you on Kim....remind me what she does again?

Such fun getting a peek into how you think and you better believe I would be honored to decorate your house...thanks for the vote of confidence!! Do be sure to stop over at Homebunch and tell Lucianne yourself how much you enjoyed this....click here to visit. Wishing everyone a fabulous day!
One last request to my readers......
Yesterday I was made me aware of my name being in the hat for "best home design blog nominations".....I am soo excited and honored! If you care to vote, it would be amazing to get your vote!! Click here. Thanks everyone......you can sign in with Facebook if you have it or just answer 3 short questions to register and eligible to vote. Thanks in advance and to all of you who have voted!