Animal-Themed Stocking: Owls!

Themed stockings are always fun, and you can tailor them to the individual, especially if that person is a collector. For instance, I've known a person who collected bees, another who collects cows, one who collects dragonflies, and another who collects frogs. So I thought I'd "virtually" put together a themed stocking for owls, because I've always found them sort of mysterious, and because after the Harry Potter books and movies, I'd love to have one of my own to bring me mail!

Nowadays, the natural place for me to start looking for any given gift item is Etsy. If you go there and search on owls, you get lots of results, including this owl tile pendant from Etsy seller HomeStudio. She actually has ten different owl tile pendants, so clearly I'm not the only one who likes owls! This pendant is $7.95 plus shipping.



Also on Esty is this lovely set of one-inch autumn images that can be made into your choice of magnets, pinback buttons, zipper pulls, or thumbtacks/pushpins. These are from seller ButtonDivas, and are only $6.85 plus shipping for the set.

Moving away from Etsy (although honestly, I could stay there all day!), you'll find that small owl-inspired items are everywhere once you start looking for them. For instance, this wood mama and baby owl set comes from Germany, and can be purchased through the Animal Rescue Site store for $21.95 plus shipping. I love the way they fit together, and I like that the description says that the wood used by the German woodworking company, Finkbeiner, comes from mostly-downed trees. And bonus: with each purchase of this item, the Animal Rescue site will fund 28 bowls of food for animals living in santuaries and shelters.

If you want to go with soft and cuddly, a plush owl would work nicely. This particular Plush Snowy Owl Audubon Bird 6 is available on Amazon, but you can also surely find small plush owls in greeting card stores and such.

Is that enough? If not, Target.com has a set of owl rubber stamps and an Owl and the Pussycat music box -- which of course brings to mind a board book of the same title. I found an owl clip watch on eBay, and also came across an owl brooch with Swarovski crystals and two freshwater pearls that's surprisingly affordable at $9.99. Don't forget that Google is your friend, and you can find all manner of owl items. If you're really ambitious and/or crafty, you could even try to find an owl Christmas stocking. Surely one exists somewhere, right?

Windstone Editions Cat Figurines

This is a post that I've really been looking forward to writing, because I already own two of these sculptures myself, and think the workmanship and quality is outstanding. I first came across the Windstone Editions sculptures in the dealers room at a science fiction convention years ago. (Trust me when I say that the overlap between science fiction & fantasy readers with cat lovers is huge.) Then my brother-in-law and his wife coincidentally gave me a gorgeous sculpture (not pictured here) consisting of seven cats around a votive holder, and I immediately recognized it as the same artist whose work I'd been admiring. They had found it in a gift store in Canada.

And then, it turned out that my husband had already purchased for me the "Cat's Cradle" sculpture pictured above, which features a mama cat with her tiny kitten, but he was holding it until my birthday to give it to me. He'd gotten it at that science fiction convention after watching me drool over it for a few years.

And the good news is that some of these figurines are small enough to fit in a stocking and make it really special. Aside from Cat's Cradle, there are also two special little kittens called Tiger (right) and Puffin (below left). Each of these sculptures is $27 plus shipping, although I note that Cat's Cradle is currently out of stock. If you have your heart set on that one, check back for it and let them know via their contact form on the website. But maybe Tiger or Puffin are just what you're looking for.

The shop has many other categories besides cats and kittens, including gargoyles, dragons and dragon eggs, griffins, and more. Some of the sculptures are by M. Pena and others are by Maya Hill. Some come in various colors/finishes, and there's even a "paint-your-own" category! But my favorites will always be M. Pena's monochrome cat sculptures.

Please note that these images, as well as the sculptures themselves, are copyrighted by Windstone Editions and may not be reproduced without permission.

What: Windstone Editions Cat Figurines
Where: Windstone Editions website
How much (as of today's post): $27.00 (plus shipping)

Coffee Cup Cookie Cutters

At first glance, I would assume that "coffee cup cookie cutters" are cookie cutters in the actual shape of a coffee cup. But it turns out these are actually square cookie cutters, each with a different cut-out shape (flower, heart, star, and tree), that result in cookies you can hang off a coffee or hot chocolate mug to present to your guests (or your kids).

Granted, this is a pretty specialized stocking stuffer, but it is kind of clever. If you know someone who loves to bake and/or entertain, this is an inexpensive and unique little gift item. The regular price listed is $7.95 for the set of four, but as of this writing Solutions is selling the set for $5.99.

Or you can get them for yourself, and use them to make the right cookies for some special occasion. The heart can obviously be used for Valentine's Day, which (unless you live in the warm south) usually has the right weather for hot chocolate. The tree can be used for Christmas, of course, and there are lots of special occasions -- birthday, Mother's Day, etc. -- for the star and the flower.

What: Coffee Cup Cookie Cutters
Where: Solutions website
How much (as of today's post): $5.99 (set of 4; plus shipping)

Alien Ice Cream

When you were a kid, did you ever go on a field trip to a museum where you were able to buy freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, just like the astronauts ate? I remember being so excited about it. Well, it's still around! If you live near Houston or Cape Kennedy, chances are you can pick it up in person in any souvenir shop or maybe even drugstores. But even if you don't live anywhere near a NASA center, you can still get astronaut ice cream -- or the "new" version, Alien Ice Cream -- from lots of places online, including the Perpetual Kid website.

Trust me, kids just entering their Star Wars phase will love this! In addition to a fun stocking stuffer, these would make great party favors (in which case you might want to buy a pack of 10 from Amazon, which will save you a little money per item).

What: Alien Ice Cream
Where: Perpetual Kid website and elsewhere
How much (as of today's post): $2.99 (plus shipping)

Super Kid USB 4-Port Hub

If you've got a computer in the house that has a distinct lack of USB ports, or if the ports are inconveniently located at the hard-to-reach back of the computer, here's a stocking stuffer gadget that you and your family will find useful. It's a "Super Kid USB 4-port hub", otherwise known as a port that lets you hook up to four USB devices to your computer at the same time, via the same port. I found this at the Gadget4all website, and it's currently on sale for $12, down from $14.

Cute, isn't it? ;-)

What: Super Kid USB 4-Port Hub
Where: Gadget4all website
How much (as of today's post): $12.00 (plus shipping)

Digital Message Tape

OK, I think this is really clever. It's "digital message tape" that you place on a box, a school book cover, or anything else you can think of, and then use a black marker to black out the portions you don't need to get the message you want. (I imagine it actually takes a bit of practice to get it right -- I bet I would black out the wrong sections all the time!) See how you get from the "blank canvas" of the tape to the "Mah Stuff" message in the second photo?

I bet teens and college students in particular would go crazy for this. It comes in a small roll measuring .7" by 36 yards for $3.99, or a large roll measuring 2" by 54 yards for $6.99.

What: Digital Message Tape
Where: ThinkGeek website
How much (as of today's post): $3.99/small or $6.99/large (plus shipping)

Recycled Journal/Notebooks from Kids' Books

While browsing through Etsy, I idly did a search on the Flintstones, which I adored watching when I was growing up. That search brought me to the notebook pictured above, in which a clever spiral notebook/journal has been fashioned out of an old Whitman Tell-a-Tale book. The Etsy artist, Sara of Heaven Sent Crafts, even interspersed the book's interior pages with the 60 blank pages, creating a fun nostalgia-filled notebook that is also useful, of course!

In addition to the Flintstones, the notebooks made from children's books include Dennis the Menace, a Sesame Street Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Seuss, Woody Woodpecker, and even a Dolls from Other Lands book (perfect for a doll collector, don't you think?). Prices and sizes vary; most of the notebooks I looked were $8.00, while some of the larger ones were $10 or $12.

The two journals pictured here measure 6.5 x 5" and 6.5 x 5.5" respectively, which could easily fit into a stocking -- but if you want something even smaller, be sure to check her link for mini recycled notebooks, featuring little notebooks made from vintage Old Maid cards, vintage animal rummy cards, or even the more modern Pokemon or Dora the Explorer cards. There are also some larger notebooks made out of board games. I love to see old things getting new life in such clever ways.

What: Recycled Journal/Notebooks from Kids' Books
Where: Heaven Sent Crafts (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $8.00 to $12.00 (plus shipping)

Library Thing Membership with CueCat Scanner

Here is a stocking-stuffer-appropriate gift for the book lover in your life. Are you familiar with Library Thing? It's a social book-cataloging website where people enter the books in their personal collections, usually by the ISBN (a unique number that identifies the book in question). You can catalog with as much or as little detail as you like, and the really fun part is that you can tag books with any word or phrase you can think of, such as "to be read" (which a lot of folks abbreviate as "TBR"), "mystery", "romance", "favorite covers", "storage box 1", or anything else you can think of. You can then click on your tag to find all of your books with that tag assigned.

LT still calls itself a "beta" website, but it's been around since August 2005 and now boasts more than 600,000 members. To date, more than 35 million books have been cataloged. There are also group chat topics where people can discuss books or other areas of interest, and a Common Knowledge wiki feature that allows users to enter character and other information (so you can theoretically find every book that features William Shakespeare as a character, for example). Perhaps more importantly, it's an awful lot of fun. You can even make a photomosaic of your own photos, made up of your book covers! And depending on how into tech you are, you can view your LT book collection over your iPhone or other Internet-ready device. That means if you're in a bookstore and can't remember if you already have a book, all you have to do is check, instantly. Your LT collection can also serve as an insurance inventory, and since the information is stored on the LT server, it will still be there if your house burns down. (You can make your library private instead of public, if you're so inclined.)

How does this all fit into a stocking stuffer blog? Well, there are free Library Thing memberships available that allow the user to catalog up to 200 books. But a lifetime membership -- which you can give as a gift -- is only $25. That lets the user catalog as many books as he/she wants, forever. And here's the icing on the cake: you can buy a CueCat scanner for only $15 plus shipping. This is a little scanner that's actually shaped like a cat, which reads in the books' ISBNs, making cataloging a book collection even quicker and easier. (I still think it's funny that it's shaped like a cat -- and so fitting, since book lovers and cat lovers have so much overlap.) Inexpensive CueCat scanners on ebay.

All in all, I think a CueCat in the stocking, accompanied by a Library Thing membership, is one of the nicest gifts you can give to a book lover.

Novelty Drawer Pulls

I hesitated over how to categorize this stocking stuffer idea. Individually, many drawer pulls cost less than $5. However, for most dressers you would need at least six of these, if not eight or ten, which would rapidly drive up the overall cost. So, I ultimately decided to include this as a "luxury Friday" item, also in part because it's not as if novelty drawer pulls are a necessity in life, or even terribly useful since they're replacing something that's already functional.

However, I do find these cute, and some are even sophisticated. I think they could dress up a bedroom belonging to a child or even a teenager (although I wouldn't necessarily recommend making a decorating decision on behalf of a teenager, who likely will have opinions of his or her own on the matter!). I'm partial to the sea turtle myself.

In any case, there is a huge selection of drawer pulls available. I found these nautical themed ones at a website called Cool Knobs and Pulls, but I'm sure Home Depot and Lowe's carry a decent assortment as well.

What: Novelty Drawer Pulls
Where: CoolKnobsAndPulls.com or any home improvement store
How much (as of today's post): $3.45 for one pictured above (plus shipping)

Tile Chess

Here's a new twist on a very old classic: Tile Chess, or a variation of chess in which the tiles themselves, representing the play pieces, make up the ever-changing dimensions of the "board". In another twist, Tile Chess can be played by up to six players simultaneously, although you can always go the two-player route if you're so inclined.

Although I haven't played this myself, I've seen it in a gamestore and it's definitely small enough to fit in a good-sized stocking. The Amazon page lists the product dimensions as 8 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches. (I'm not good as visualizing sizes without a reference, so I always look at an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper to compare and try to visualize how big the largest dimension is.)

In any case, this would be a great stocking stuffer or gift for older kids, teens, college students, or adults who like chess and games in general.

What: Tile Chess (Steve Jackson Games)
Where: Amazon Marketplace Sellers, Steve Jackson Games website, or local gamestore
How much (as of today's post): $8.06 to $14.95 (plus shipping)

Daily Extra: Free "Animals of the World" Coloring Book Pages

I just came across a link to this artist's page from a craft blog, and had to share! Australian artist Louise Elliott sells washable doll and animal kits, including her "Animals of the World" designs -- and for each one, she has a free downloadable coloring book page! She is also running a contest each month for kids to e-mail in their colored version of that month's animal, to be entered into a drawing to win the kit for that animal. But even if you don't want to enter the contest, kids should enjoy coloring these beautiful, unique pictures. And if you're crafty, you may enjoy making an animal from one of the kits.

Make sure to scroll down to see all of them! My personal favorite is the kangaroo, a portion of which is shown here. (Please remember that this image is copyrighted by the artist.)

I did a test print-out, and found that the following worked to get a nice full-sized coloring page:

• Right-click on the picture
  
• Choose "Save picture as..."
  
• Save the file to your computer as a jpg (and close the web page if you like)
  
• Go under "My computer" and locate the file where you just saved it
  
• Double-click the file name to open it
  
• Click "print". On my computer, this brought up a "Photo Printing Wizard". Click "next" and make sure the correct picture is selected, choose a printer, and choose one of the full-page printing options. Even if your computer doesn't have a "Photo Printing Wizard", you should hopefully still have an option to print the page at full size.

What: Free "Animals of the World" Coloring Book Pages
Where: Louise Elliott Design
How much (as of today's post): $0.00

Confettura Extra di Pomodori Rossi (Extra Red Tomato Preserve)

This item makes me hungry just thinking about it. From A.G. Ferrari Foods, which specializes in Italian delicacies, this is a 120g (4.23 oz.) jar of Confettura Extra di Pomodori Rossi, also known as extra red tomato preserve. The website's serving suggestion says "Drizzle over fresh, creamy pasta filata cheeses such as mozzarella, ricotta and robiola. Also delicious with grilled fish."

I grew up in New Jersey, where there are a lot of Italian restaurants. And any time the weather gets colder, I start to crave anything with tomato sauce -- I think it's the citric acid. So (if my husband is reading this), I'm sure I would just love this gift.

Is it time to eat yet?

What: Extra Red Tomato Preserve
Where: A.G. Ferrari Foods website
How much (as of today's post): $10.99 (plus shipping)

Set of Memo Clips

You may well be more organized than we are, so this may not apply to you, but our kitchen table often gets so cluttered with mail and other papers that a note my husband or I write to each other can easily get lost and go unseen. These memo clips are handy for drawing attention to those notes, plus they're kind of cute and funky. At $7.80 for a set of four, you can split them up among various recipients' stockings for a fairly economical stocking stuffer. Teens and college students might also like them to make a nice little photo display.

What: Set of Memo Clips
Where: Crate & Barrel website
How much (as of today's post): $7.80 for set of 4 (plus shipping)

Optical Illusion Rulers

Here's something a little different for kids or science-minded teens: six-inch optical illusion rulers that give the appearance of motion (click here to see the catalog image showing the actual motion). The choices are blinking eyes, piano hands, crawling ants, and a running horse. They're a little pricier than I would like ($9.99 list price, currently on sale for $8.99), but at least it's actually useful as a ruler too, instead of being just a gimmick. As of this writing only the piano hands ruler is in stock, but if someone you know would like one of the other ones (a horse-loving daughter, perhaps?), you can always check back periodically to see if they're back in stock. (See my January 24 post about delicious.com as a way to bookmark future gift ideas.)

What: Optical Illusion Rulers
Where: ThinkGeek.com website
How much (as of today's post): $8.99 (plus shipping)

Handmade Vinyl Wallets from Kitty Empire

Whew, I must say that it's something of a relief to be done with the Valentine-themed posts! And I'm glad it's an "Etsy Sunday", because I came across these gorgeous handmade wallets from Etsy seller Kitty Empire, and I couldn't wait to post about them. The first one that struck me was the little deer with cherry blossom pictured here. It's just so simple and lovely. The description says it has a main pocket for cash, plus four clear vinyl slots for credit cards, ATM cards, etc. There's a metal snap closure, and it measures 4 by 4.5 inches when closed. It's made of animal-friendly, vegan materials. (And for an added bonus, Kitty Empire's shop states that she will be donating 5% of this month's sales to the Rainbow Connection Animal Foundation!)

Then I looked at the rest of the wallets and saw the kitty with cherry blossom. I'm a softie when it comes to anything cat-related, so that was one of my other favorites. There are also wallets with a bunny, a cherry blossom branch, an owl, a crow, and even a kitty with wings.

I focused this post on the wallets because they are smaller and therefore more appropriate for stockings or small gift baskets. But really, don't miss clicking on her link for purses and especially don't miss the link for messenger bags, because the designs are amazing: Alice and the White Rabbit, Alice and the Chessy Cat in a tree, Little Red Riding Hood with the wolf slinking behind a tree trunk.... Actually, although I love those, my favorite would have to be the cherry blossoms and bird vinyl messenger bag. It's really the an elegantly simple design.

What: Handmade Vinyl Wallets
Where: Kitty Empire (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $22.00 (plus shipping)

Last Minute Valentine's Day Gifts

Happy Valentine's Day!

If you've gotten caught unprepared, believe it or not there is still time to put a little something together for your loved one. Photos celebrating your relationship will always be welcome, and there are several different options for how to go about it. One way is to get a flash drive and load it up with your favorite photos -- and why not a red or pink flash drive while you're at it? This SanDisk Gator flash drive comes in red, pink, and black, and it comes in three sizes: 2GB for $14.99, 4GB for $27.99, and 8GB for $49.99. (As an aside, it astounds me that for $14.99, you can get a device with far more memory than my first Apple McIntosh computer had -- a measly 40M hard drive!)

It's too late to order one of these online, of course, but the SanDisk website helpfully provides a "find a retailer" link that indicates their products are carried by Sears, RadioShack, Best Buy, Office Depot, GameStop, Fry's, and EB Games. (Best of all, those won't be the stores jam-packed on Valentine's Day!) Even if they don't have these exact flash drives, they'll have others to choose from, and if you can't find pink or red, standard silver will work just fine. The nice thing about this gift is that it's both romantic (as long as you load it up with photos) and practical.

Or you can go the old-fashioned route of printed photos, with up-to-date convenience. Most people are using digital cameras these days, and we often don't bother to get prints anymore, which is kind of a shame. So you can either print your own if you have a photo-quality printer and photo paper, or you can upload a bunch of photos to either the Walgreens or CVS websites, pick up the prints in an hour, and buy an inexpensive photo album while you're there. You might get the kind that's small enough to fit in a purse or a laptop case so your partner can carry it around. If you have kids or pets, include some photos of them as well.

If you're crafty, another last-minute idea is a homemade "Valentine's pocket full of vouchers". I came across this idea on the FaveCrafts blog, in a post by guest-blogger Helen Bradley. I've seen the idea of giving homemade coupons before, but Helen has really put them together in an attractive package by utilizing heart-shaped stamps, hole-punches, and ribbons (follow the link for some images).

Even if you aren't crafty, you could take a simple manila envelope, make it up as if it's a love letter by addressing it and tying a red ribbon around it, and tuck some vouchers, a Valentine's Day card, and some photos inside. Vouchers can be for anything your partner will appreciate, such as "Take a night off from the kitchen!"; "You drink, I'll drive...." (another of Helen's ideas); "You choose the movie"; or "I'll take the kids out all day Saturday." Make them unique to fit your loved one's personality.

Swarovski Heart Ware USB Memory Key

This is much more expensive than the type of products I normally feature, but for this last Friday before Valentine's Day, I wanted to feature a "luxury" item that could be purchased in person, as opposed to online. And this USB memory drive has the added bonus of truly being two gifts in one: a Valentine-themed pendant that's pretty in its simplicity and a practical 1GB flash drive. If pink isn't your (or her) thing, it also comes with a silver-shaded clear crystal and a beige silk cord.

Our mall happens to have a Swarovski store, but even if yours doesn't, many of the better department stores carry the Swarovski line. I don't know for sure that they'll have this pendant/USB drive, but you can always call ahead to make sure you don't waste a trip. (Not that I really expect that people reading this blog are really going to spend this much on a Valentine's Day gift!)

Tomorrow's post will feature just the opposite: inexpensive last minute Valentine's Day ideas. But today is Friday, so it's all about the luxury!

What: Swarovski Heart Ware USB Memory Key
Where: Swarovski stores
How much (as of today's post): $180

Personalized Heart-Shaped Compact Mirror

Valentine's Day is Real Close Now, so the time for ordering online is just about past. Fortunately, you can always count on stores like Things Remembered to have something appropriate. I don't like all of their merchandise as some of it seems overly gaudy to me, but this simple heart-shaped compact mirror is just right. It comes in a red pouch suitable for Valentine's Day, and you can have it engraved with initials or a longer message if you like.

This also seems to be a nice Valentine's gift for early in a relationship -- romantic but not pushy, if that makes sense. (And it would also be great for an anniversary gift with the anniversary date engraved into it.)

What: Personalized Heart-Shaped Compact Mirror
Where: Things Remembered
How much (as of today's post): $14.99 (sale price, plus engraving if desired)

Peeps® Sweetheart Lollipop Hearts

I was originally just going to post about Peeps® hearts, and remind people that Peeps aren't necessarily limited to Easter, but on the company's official website, I found this recipe for making Sweetheart Lollipops out of heart-shaped Peeps®. It takes two 9-count packages of Peeps hearts, a bag of chocolate melting chips, a bag of lollipop sticks (found at craft stores), a tube of white decorating icing, and red and white sprinkles. From the picture, it looks like they made some with the tiny candy hearts used for decorating cookies, too.

What I like about this is that it's relatively inexpensive, you can do it yourself, and it's appropriate for sweethearts or children -- in fact, if you have kids, you might enjoy making these together for their friends.

What: Peeps® Sweetheart Lollipop Hearts
Where: Peeps® website
How much (as of today's post): cost of materials divided by 18 lollipops

Instant Fireplace DVD

I love having my birthday on Valentine's Day, with one exception: I never, ever go out to dinner on my birthday. We used to try, but a lot of restaurants started limiting their menus. When I go out to eat, I want all the choices, not a choice between three entrees. And even when restaurants don't limit their menu, we always ended up feeling rushed, and more often than not both the food and the service were not up to the usual standards because the staff were under so much pressure to move people in and out as quickly as possible.

So, we simply do not go out to dinner on Valentine's Day. If you too want to avoid the restaurants, you can opt instead for a romantic evening in, and this little gift might help make it special: an instant fireplace DVD. It sounds silly, but between that on the television and some pretty music and wine, the setting will be at least as romantic as that in a busy, crowded restaurant.

What: Instant Fireplace DVD
Where: Catching Fireflies website, Target, or other stores
How much (as of today's post): $14.95 (plus shipping)

Chinese Love Symbol Necklace

If you like the idea of giving the woman you love jewelry for Valentine's Day, but you aren't (or she isn't) into heart-shaped jewelry, here's a nice alternative: a pendant composed of the ancient Chinese symbol for love. Made of sterling silver, it comes with an 18 inch chain, and is currently on sale for $19.99 from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston online store ($17.99 for museum members).

The product page says "Intricate writing characters such as this were first invented by the Kan tribe which lived in China about four thousand years ago. They symbolize the essence of the words they represent. In the third century, these characters were adopted by Japan where they are referred to as Kanji symbols." A few years ago, I took Japanese lessons for a short while, and it was true -- if I recall correctly, when our teacher showed us the Kanji symbol for vacation, the lines drawn were meant to represent a person resting under a tree. I'd be interested to hear the story of how this symbol came to mean "love".

What: Chinese Love Symbol Necklace
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston store website
How much (as of today's post): $19.99 (sale price plus shipping; regularly $28.00 plus shipping)

Printable Valentines from Delight Designs

Etsy is quickly becoming my go-to place for fun gift ideas. I love that the sellers are from all over the world -- I've successfully made purchases from England and even Australia, at very reasonable shipping costs. And as you saw before with my December 21 post about PDF crochet patterns, Etsy is also the perfect place for last minute gifts that can be sent electronically and printed on your end.

So here is another e-mail-able item: adorable printable valentines from Delight Designs. The valentines shown above come eight to a page, which the seller recommends printing on bright white card stock. The valentines can then easily be cut apart on the red borders. I can see so many uses for these: valentines for your children to take to school for their classmates, or valentines to brighten up your co-workers' day. Or if you pack your children's school lunches, I'm sure they'd love it if you tuck one of these into their lunch bag each day for the week leading up to Valentine's Day.

Delight Designs also offers a nice service in which you get a custom-designed valentine that incorporates a photo of your choice. You'll then get back an electronic file of your wallet-sized Valentine, which you can print yourself, or which you can upload to Walgreens or another photo service for printing on glossy photo paper. I've used Walgreens for photo printing for a few years now and I've been very happy with their service. (Walgreens also frequently e-mails me coupons for a free 8x10, or 25 free photos with a purchase of 25 more, etc.) In any case, I think a custom photo valentine would be perfect for sending to grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles, or cousins.

What: Printable Valentines via PDF file
Where: Delight Designs (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $3.95 (no shipping cost!)

Shakespeare the Romantic on Valentine's Day

One of my all-time favorite movies, and certainly one of the most romantic, is Shakespeare in Love. And the best thing about this movie is that it's not really a "chick flick" the way many others are -- there's enough wit and humor in this movie that many men will like it too (my husband thought it was great). It did win the Oscar for Best Picture, after all! And it's downright laugh-out-loud funny in places.

Then it occurred to me that Shakespeare in Love offers a wonderful opportunity for a themed Valentine's Day gift basket. First, I'd start with a heart-shaped basket, which should be easy enough to find at Target or a Hallmark store, or maybe even a dollar store. I'd layer in some Valentine-colored tissue paper, and then I'd pop in a DVD of Shakespeare in Love (Miramax Collector's Series), which can found on Amazon and elsewhere for under $10.

So what else? How about the music CD for Shakespeare in Love? Stephen Warbeck's score also won one of the many Oscars the film picked up in 1999. (It also won for best screenplay, best costume design, best actress, and best supporting actress, in case you were wondering.) It really is gorgeous music, and I picture the movie any time I listen to it.

And finally, since I'm a book lover, the pièce de résistance: Shakespeare in Love: The Love Poetry of William Shakespeare. Admittedly, this is just a repackaging of Shakespeare's sonnets that was brought out in an attempt to cash in on the movie's success. But I loved the movie so much I just had to have this version, so I could picture Will and Viola as I was reading. Sadly, this edition is technically out of print, but the link above goes to the Amazon page where there are still many new copies available from Amazon Marketplace sellers for under a dollar (and shipping is usually $3.99, making this quite inexpensive). Personally I've had very good experiences using Amazon Marketplace sellers to purchase out-of-print items, but if you're not comfortable with that, there are always editions of Shakespeare's sonnets still in print.

And if you really want to go all out, you could throw in the luxury item I posted about back on December 26, the Shakespeare sonnets silk scarf available from the Museum Store Company.

Now it just may happen that Shakespeare isn't your favorite thing, but don't forget this could also work for other romantic movies -- what about the recent version of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley? There's the DVD, the CD of the score, and the book. Even if there's not specifically a book edition with the movie art on the cover, any nice little copy of Pride and Prejudice would work just as well. You could even throw in the Jane Austen action figure I mentioned in mid-January, or the Jane Austen tarot deck featured back in November 2008.

What other romantic combinations of DVDs, CDs, books, and related items can you think of?

Menu Jewelry Tree

I admit there are many reasons not to list this item, including:

• It's too expensive.
  
• At 11 inches high and 3.5 inches wide, and with that somewhat awkward shape, it would take a very large stocking to hold it.
  
• The company's website that I found it on is so snobby that its button says "acquire" instead of "buy".

However:

• It's stunning.
  
• It would at least fit inside a nice Valentine's Day basket.
  
• This is Luxury Friday, so I don't have to feel guilty about listing it even though it's expensive.

So just what is this thing? The website selling it, Fitzsu, calls it a "Menu Jewelry Tree". I have no idea what the word "Menu" means in that name, but in any case, it's a jewelry tree designed by Louise Christ. Made of mirror-finished aluminum, it holds rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings. I don't wear jewelry often myself, but I think I like this so much because it's so aesthetically pleasing in and of itself. It just looks balanced and beautiful.

What: Menu Jewelry Tree
Where: Fitzsu.com
How much (as of today's post): $75.00 (plus shipping)

Daily Extra / Follow-up: Sweetheart Candy Upcycled Mini Journal

I just glanced again at the ivylanedesigns Etsy shop -- she made the upcycled heart-shaped crayons in the post immediately preceding this one -- and found this adorable upcycled spiral-bound notebook.

Naturally, I couldn't resist posting about it! Not only is it perfect for Valentine's Day, ivylanedesigns combines shipping (as do most Etsy sellers), so you get multiple purchases at a lower per-item shipping cost.

I love discovering new levels of creativity every time I look at Etsy. And I love that there are sellers there so dedicated to recycling and eco-friendly creations.

What: Sweetheart Candy Upcycled Mini Journal
Where: ivylanedesigns (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $5.00 (plus shipping)

Recycled / Upcycled Heart-Shaped Crayons

Here's another clever Etsy item that I couldn't wait until Sunday to post about, because you need time to order in time for Valentine's Day! These are recycled, or "upcycled" (which I take to mean a product better than the original), crayons in cunning little heart shapes, and arranged like candies in a little gift box. The size and chunky shapes make these crayons perfect for little ones' hands, although obviously, as with any crayons, you need to make sure they do end up in those hands instead of in mouths! If you want to go easy on the sweets for your kids, but still want to give them a little something for Valentine's Day, these crayons would be perfect.

What: Recycled/Upcycled Heart-Shaped Crayons
Where: ivylanedesigns (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $5.00 (plus shipping)

Heart-Shaped Pasta

Since everyone will be thinking of heart-shaped chocolates for Valentine's Day, I thought it might be more fun to feature a different kind of food gift here. The Pasta Shoppe, which boasts over 150 different pasta shapes, offers both the 14 oz. "Eat Your Heart Out" bag of red and pasta-colored hearts for $4.95 (regularly $5.50), and the 6 oz. "Love and Kisses" version for $3.49, which appears to be the same mix, just in a smaller bag.

Obviously, the small bag would fit easily in a Valentine's Day basket. The company also offers a "love and kisses" gift set, consisting of the smaller pasta bag, a sweet and sour snack mix bag, and a small bag of heart-shaped cookies.

And of course, since in my opinion restaurants are to be avoided at all costs on February 14, you could just cook your sweetie a heart-shaped pasta dinner! This would also be a fun dinner for kids.

What: Heart-shaped Pasta
Where: The Pasta Shoppe website
How much (as of today's post): $5.50 (plus shipping)

Valentine-Themed Tiny Tot Legs

Have you ever heard of tiny tot legs? I'd only heard of this concept recently, although it may not have been called the exact same thing. In any case, these are essentially leg warmers that are not bunched up around the ankles (as used to be trendy in the late 1980s), but rather serve as actual leg warmers/protectors for little ones. I first came across the concept of these leg warmers for toddlers in a parenting blog, where the mother raved about how much easier they made it to change diapers, and how well they protect the knees of toddlers who are crawling all over the floor. Plus, they really do just help keep legs warm! And they aren't likely to get runs in them the way little girls' tights do.

I usually put all my Etsy posts on Sundays, but I was afraid that waiting until next Sunday might make it difficult for anyone to get these in time for Valentine's Day, which would be a pity because seller Honeybee69 has some that are just too perfect for the occasion. There's even a special "Be Mine" heart design (shown above), but any of her heart designs, or even any that come in Valentine-like colors, would work just fine. (I have to admit, I adore her little pink and purple skull-and-crossbones design!) Remember, if you think outside the box, there are far more options out there for interesting, fun, and unique gifts than you ever could have guessed!

What: Valentine-Themed Tiny Tot Legs
Where: Honeybee's Creations (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $7.00 (plus shipping)

Personalized Valentine's Boxer Shorts

As always, men are the hardest to buy for, but here's a possible Valentine's Day gift for your guy: personalized Valentine's boxer shorts. There are at least three choices, with the first two pictured above: "[your name] was here", "I have a ♥ on for [your name]", and "[your name]'s love machine". The nice thing about this gift is that it's personal and romantic, but it's also casual, practical, and affordable. And boxer shorts can be rolled up small enough to fit inside a stocking or gift basket.

The website says that orders usually ship in 2-3 business days, but I'd give it as much time as possible, just in case.

(Note: I first saw this product in a post at the Fun Times Guide blog.)

What: Personalized Valentine's Boxer Shorts
Where: The PlanetShops website
How much (as of today's post): $15.95 (plus shipping)

Fused Dichroic Glass Heart Pendants

Today kicks off my official "Fourteen Days of Valentines", featuring small-sized gifts that would fit into a Valentine's Day gift basket, gift bag -- or even a Valentine's Day stocking if you're so inclined! Shown here are just three of the lovely fused dichroic glass heart pendants available from Etsy seller ccvalenzo. Heart-shaped jewelry has long been a staple of Valentine's Day gifts, but instead of a generic gold floating heart from some mall jewelry store, why not shake things up a bit with something beautiful and handmade, yet still affordable?

The pendants range from $18-$30, with most falling in the $22-$24 range. Do be aware that the necklaces are not automatically included with the pendants. No worries, though: the artist also sells a variety of necklaces (steel, gold, sterling silver, and rubber) ranging from $5-12. Personally, I think the pendant prices are extremely reasonable for such unique pieces of wearable art.

Be sure and look through all the glorious color combinations under ccvalenzo's "heart pendants" section of the shop. Because they're not limited to "sweetheart" reds and purples, these pendants would also make a lovely birthday gift for any girl or woman (especially for those with February birthdays!).

(P.S. In case you missed my January 18 post, it also features an Etsy item appropriate to Valentine's Day. Enjoy!)

What: Fused Dichroic Glass Heart Pendants
Where: ccvalenzo (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): varies from $18.00-$30.00 (most are $22 or $24) (plus shipping)