Valentine's Day blows.
It's like a mild form of hell for single people. And for the rest of 'em, it's the one day of the year that an abundance of shleps fancy themselves romantics by surprising (read: "surprising") their SO with a bouquet of roses and box of chocolates. *sigh* Nothing quite says 'I'm an unoriginal tool' like snatching up an overpriced bouquet of roses on February 14th.
Personally, I'm a sucker for thoughtful gifts and even moreso - the act of gifting. I've taken the liberty to crown myself the queen of super-thoughtful gifting: I enjoy the process of browsing for "the perfect gift," so Vday is really just another reason for me to work my thing.
So without further ado, here are a few pointers to (hopefully) make the deed go a lot smoother and (hopefully) get you a few brownie points. Wink. {PS - If you're a TLDR kinda person, you can check out the video version here}
#1: Make it CHEAP
Nowhere does it say that a good gift is an expensive gift (though I'm sure the girlie who's constantly reminding the clueless boyfriend how much she loves that Louis Vuitton bag will tell you otherwise... if this pertains to you, this list won't save you - nobody can!)
The best gifts are the ones made by hand - cause you know, they're made with love and stuff. These two were the first gift I ever gave my boyfriend. When we first started dating, we played a lot of Little Big Planet together, so I wanted to immortalize that initial part of our relationship by making 2 sackboy characters that looked like us. I don't know how to knit, so I bought 2 sackboy toys at Toys R' Us for under $20 and customized them with some yarn I had. Are we a cute couple, or what?!
#2: Pick a theme and run with it
A nice gift is a cohesive gift. Personally, I'm not a fan of getting a trio of random: I love gifts with a mutual purpose or idea, as it gives the impression that the gifter thought of focusing on something they know I like or need.
This Christmas, I got an awesome bundle of gifts from my bestie. A few weeks earlier, I was telling her that I really needed to get more organized and tweak my whole method of planning my schedule. She remembered that and curated an awesome set of organizational items with personality: a BEAUTIFUL (and oh-so-functional) weekly planner, a box of cat-shaped paper clips (everyone knows how much I love kitties), a Frida notebook (she is one of my faves) and a set of colored fine-liners. Now that's thoughtfulness at its best!
#3: Make it personal
Nothing says I love you (or I pay attention, whatever...) like a gift that's made just for your SO. Custom gifts show that you didn't just pick something off a rack at some bix box store - not to mention - it lets him or her know that you totally planned ahead in order to get something personalized. How thoughtful!
Wondering where to find people willing to customize items for your SO at an affordable cost? Have you heard of Etsy? Go on, give it a visit... Incase you're not familiar with Etsy, it's a network of makers who each run their own virtual shop. Search anything - really, anything - and there's likely to be something that'll make you say that's perfect. I actually found my boyfriend's Christmas gift on Etsy; he's a huge science geek, so I figured I'd order him this super unique bracelet inspired by those popular saint bracelets. Instead of saints, each tile is adorned with his favorite scientists. How cool is that?!
#4: add to the collection
If you're still stumped for gift ideas, having a collector for an SO could simplify things. A true collector will jump on just about any limited edition / one-of-a-kind / super rare / collector's edition item that fits into their collection. And more often than not, you can find something at just about any price point - you just have to be creative.
My boyfriend is a Batman fanatic and collects EVERYTHING Batman whether it's costumes, statues, comics, tees, etc. Well - my mom got crafty this Christmas and got him a sheet of Batman 75 Year Anniversary USPS stamps. Inexpensive, and he says it was his favorite gift this Christmas (you beat me this year mom!)
#5: Late in the game & clueless
OK, so you left it to the last minute and still aren't too sure what to get your SO - no biggie. My go-to if I'm not on my A-game in the gifting department is coffee table books. You can hit up a bookstore at the last second or order from Amazon and get it the next day. Search for something that you know will interest them - whether it's architechture, furniture, nature, movies, fashion... there will without a doubt be a pretty coffee table book for it. Not only are they informative and beautiful to look at, but they're - in my opinion - an essential part of living room decor. Coffee table books flaunt an aspect or interest of someone, and also make great conversation pieces.
My favorite coffee table book is The Stanley Kubrick Archives - great for the film buff in your life. The first half is filled with behind-the-scenes images from his films while the second half is packed with Kubrick's mind-blowing notes. Another great book - perfect for the comic book fan or superhero-in-training - is DC Comics 75th Anniversary Poster Book. It includes 100 DC comic book covers with their full history printed on the back and the best part - each page can be torn out and framed. Ah-mazing.
#6: Don't forget the card
This is the one aspect of gift-giving that many people miss out on, but that actually means more than a gift itself. A card is your chance to express all the feelings you can't say out loud without feeling like a big cheeseball. And kudos if you can find a card that is just oh-so-fitting to your relationship (Ahem - may I suggest my Etsy shop)
Happy Vday lovers!