The perfect hostess gift?

Today I was posed the question, what is the perfect hostess gift? I think it really depends on the host and their likes and dislikes, but here are a few of my favourites:


1) Attending a summer garden party? Consider this unique gift. Buy three different magazines- magazines that will interest your host or hostess. Buy a basket or container to display each of the magazines. Add some tissue paper and a note card offering a subscription to one of magazines you gifted. Voila! A perfect yet practical gift, that will keep on giving all year.

2) Who doesn't love organic soaps? Check out Homesense for the greatest collection of delicious organic soaps that will make your senses dance and your hostess smile.

3) It isn't the delicious scents that make me love the fragrance lamps by Lampe Berger of Paris, it is their classic bottle designs. They look similar to elegant perfume bottle. Lampe Berger makes it possible to improve air quality and to fragrance it. What hostess wouldn't want one?



4) After falling in love with Paris, I found the nicest kitchen towels with the Eiffel Tower embroidered on them. I also bought a set for my good friend and wrapped them nicely with a ribbon. Although they were only towels, they look classic in my friend's kitchen and she loved them.

5) Stationery - I am obsessed! At my last Friday sushi and wine night with Tara & Amy I brought each of them a box of Kate Spade "circus tent" design stationery. I bought it thinking that the stylish Kate Spade box would look beautiful on their desks. This gift got a lot of smiles.

Be creative, be fun ... make your gift the perfect one!
The Gift Geek
http://thankyouiloveit.blogspot.com/

Thank You to all of my blog visitors!

I have been blogging as part of Thank You! I Love It! for the past month or so. I want to thank everyone for reading and for your comments. You are all blowing me away with your unique gifting ideas. I am learning a lot along the way.

Thank you as well to everyone who has told everyone about the Gift Geek, including the Menu Maniac (check out the small gift I sent her - she blogged about it) and Blanket Statements. I have said it several times on my blog. I love Admiral Road blankets and their blog "Blanket Statements" is fantastic!

I hope you are all enjoying the blog. If you find a unique gift, please tell me about it.

Keep the gifts unique -
The Gift Geek

To wrap or to bag?

I am not big on wrapping gifts. Maybe because I am not good at it. I typically resort to bags (usually cute reusable shopping bags) and tissue paper, but recently I bought The Ultimate Gift Wrap Collection for under $12. The kit comes with 10 complete - 7 piece Coordinating gift wrap set comes in a great reusable box and includes.

Each gift wrap set includes:
-gift wrap (2 sheets - 20 x28 inches)
-tissue paper (2 sheets - 20 x 28 inches)
-satin ribbon (6 1/2 feet
-gift tag
-handcrafted greeting card.

The box the wrapping paper came in (magnetic closure)

An example of one of the 10 wrapping sets

The back of the box shows all 10 wrapping paper sets

This product is available through Readon Products, an Ontario based company. Some of the cards aren't as nice as others, but the wrapping paper and colour combinations are great!

I am making an effort to wrap more gifts, especially when I can find a wrapping paper deal like this, but for the most part I prefer reusable paper gift bags or reusable shopping bags - there are so many cute ones out there.


No matter how you wrap it, remember to think about the environment!
The Gift Geek

I want June Cleaver's wardrobe!

Some may think I am strange for this stationery purchase, but it is one of my favourite finds.

Remember when Ward and June Cleaver would get dressed up for a night on the town? I always loved June's outfits. I think this is why I purchased this last set of cards.

Vintage Delight Note card Set
20 Cards in five designs with coloured envelopes
Made by: Post Mark
Distributed by Masterpiece studios
Purchase Price: $7.99



With funny phrases like "I'll admit it ... I'm really tight with my fridge" and "I'm the one who put the kitsch in kitchen" these vintage greeting cards make me smile.

When is the last time you mailed a card for no reason?
The Gift Geek

Not just greeting cards. Favourite Stationery Find #3

16 Cards
4 each of 4 designs
17 Envelopes
nouvellesimagesusa
Retails For: $45 USD
Purchased For; $4.99 CND at HomeSense

I found these adorable cards at HomeSense. I picked them up thinking they would make fantastic birthday cards for my friends under four feet. At second glance, I also think they would make adorable wall art for a child's room.


I think a lot of stationery now a days can be made into expensive wall art. I once bought a box of vintage Vogue postcards and framed them. They looked great. So great in fact that a visitor to my condo loved the idea and asked if I could spare a few cards for her house.

Before discarding the greeting cards you receive from your friends, ask yourself - what else can I do with this card? You may be surprised - journal covers, wall art, scrap booking and much more!

Be creative,
The Gift Geek

4.49 per card? Outrageous! Favourite Find #2

Over the years I have watched my mom spend up to $5 for a card. I think it is incredibly special and sweet that she still spends time finding the perfect card for each and every person, but it is incredibly expensive in the long run.

My colleague Lara told me that she had once bought a box of Hallmark cards while at Costco. She showed me the cards she purchased and I was amazed and planned a trip to Costco. When I arrived the Hallmark card packs were no longer being sold, but I was able to get an awesome 30 pack of variety cards for $18.99. My favourite part of this purchase is the folio that the cards came in, which organizes the cards by occasion. I will continue to use the folio long after I have used the original 30 cards.

This is the folio that the cards came in.
The magnetic cover ensures it stays closed.

Here you can see the dividers by occasion, including:
Children's Birthday, General Birthday, Sympathy etc.

Here are a few of the handmade cards that were included.

My advice: The next time you are at Costco, pick-up a box of 30 cards. This way you won't have to worry about spending $4.49 for a card for a very long time.

Send a card to a friend for no reason. It will make you both smile.
The Gift Geek

My Favourite Stationery Finds #1

As I mentioned in a previous post, I love stationery. There is nothing better than receiving a card in the mail to lift your spirits or just make you smile. I always make sure I have a box of blank cards in my desk at my office. You never know when you will need a card to thank someone.

Over the next week I will share some of my favourite and inexpensive stationery and wrapping finds.

Today I came upon a great stationery find. I stopped by HomeSense to pick up a couple things and I had to check-out the stationery area - my favourite place to purchase cards and wrapping.

Favourite Find #1
My find: 9 Doodle Correspondence Cards with Yellow-Lined Envelopes - 3 Designs - Better Late Than Never, Wish You Were Here and Morning Sunshine
Designer: Kate Spade
Distributed by: Crane & Co.
Regular Price: $30
Purchase Price: $12.99 at HomeSense



I am going to keep these adorable cards at my desk. I think they will put a smile on the face of those receiving them.

Note: These would also make a great hostess gift. I am kicking myself. I should have picked up more.

Remember- you never need a reason to send a card. A "just because card" is often the nicest card of all.

The Gift Geek

Update: I had to go back to HomeSense to see if they brought in anymore Kate Spade stationery ... I lucked out and bought two boxes of really cute blank note cards which I will use as hostess gifts. I also did a little dance in the store when I found two packs of Kate Spade invite cards ... When is the last time you received a party invite in the mail?