The Perfect Unique Gift…Whether You Know The Recipient Well Or Not
Sunday, December 20, 2009
I love finding the perfect, unique gift for someone. It’s like a sport for me. Is it a skill or a genetic talent? I don’t know. I just know I’ve got it. Actually, I enjoy giving the perfect gift more than I enjoy receiving gifts. Mainly, because no one else seems to be as good at it as I am… or they’re just lazy. (Laugh Mom. It’s a joke. Sort of.) However, it is very difficult to find the perfect gift for someone that you really just don’t know that well… a.k.a. your sister-in-law’s family. I’ll explain.
My brother and his wife, Lesley , have been married for a year-and-a-half, and this was to be her first Christmas away from her family. I’m sure most married people reading this are familiar with the swapping of major family holidays each year. Unlike our family Christmas celebrations that include grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, many children and more, Lesley’s holiday gatherings for the past several years have consisted of her mother, sister, brother-in-law and niece. Since they live several states away, Lesley’s arrival was always a defining part of Christmas for them. So, a couple of ideas and discussions later, her family will be celebrating Christmas at my parent’s house this year; hence the dilemma of finding great gifts for people that I don’t know that well.
To be fair, the kid is easy. She’s adorable, precocious and not quite three years old. It’s just not that hard. While the husband is more difficult, let’s face it, it just doesn’t seem as important to pick the perfect gift for him. I doubt he’s expecting much, so just throw a tool or gadget his way and he should be happy. But women are different. They’re a little more particular. They usually expect more and they’re certainly more judgmental about gifts. And there is definitely a little competition between the other sister and me… a competition for what, I don’t know, but a little competition nonetheless.
Serendipitously, I am helping a client find space for a new retail business. Her concept is to sell hand-made gifts by local artisans from around the Southeast and offer instruction to non-artisans like myself on how to create our own little artistic treasures. Perfect! What better place to find something “small and pretty”. (Seriously, that’s the direction Lesley offered when I inquired as to what to get her mother and sister. Small and pretty? - My first thought was to pick up one of Brangelina’s kids. Too expensive though. On to Plan B.) Sadly, my client’s shop won’t open until spring.
However, in doing research to assist her in her quest for the perfect retail space, I came across a couple of other shops in town that have similar concepts. I checked out The Collective in Inman Park (http://www.atthecollective.com) and Youngblood in Poncey-Highland (http://www.youngbloodgallery.com). They both had such cool items that I almost forgot that I was there to shop for others, but Beehive Co-op on Peachtree (http://www.beehiveco-op.com) is where I struck “gift gold”.
There were so many great items, it was hard to choose. Finally, I decided on a hand-molded angel that had been glazed in a rust finish with hints of gold, and an elegant zippered cosmetic bag in a salmon colored fabric with coordinating brown trim. Perfect “small and pretty” gifts for almost any woman. I also picked up a couple of gifts for my mother and my sister-in-law while I was there, but I’ll leave the details out since they both may be checking back into this blog before Christmas morning. They’re fabulous though, if I do say so myself.
So, if you haven’t finished your Christmas shopping for those you know well and not so well, you might want to stop in one of the three shops mentioned earlier for a unique gift from a local artisan. With the hardships retailers across the country are facing this holiday season, I feel confident they will be thrilled to help you find the perfect gift! Best wishes for a wonderful holiday! - Ashlee Heath
Posted in: Intown Atlanta Real Estate News