Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp

I realize it's certainly possible to find less expensive personalized stamps, but since this is a Friday (= luxury stocking stuffer day!) and I think this personalized hibiscus stamp from FineStationery.com is especially elegant, I'm going with it! The stamper stands 4 1/2 inches tall, and contains a black semi-permanent ink cartridge that is good for approximately 800 impressions (refills are available including several other colors). The stamp itself has the hibiscus in the center, surrounded by personalization of up to 60 characters (including spaces) around the outside.

As you can see in the example, there are lots of potential uses for this! One is as a family stamp with everyone's name, while another is a more traditional return address stamp with the actual address. Yet another use would be a stamp to personalize greeting cards you've made yourself, with text such as "For You, lovingly handmade by Jane Doe", for example.

If you don't care for the hibiscus (I admit I'm biased -- I have a tattoo of a hibiscus), there are plenty of other designs, including holiday themes such as a Christmas tree or a Christmas train. Have fun browsing the site!

What: Personalized Hibiscus Ink Stamp
Where: FineStationery.com
How much (as of today's post): $40.00 (plus shipping)

Personalized Alphabet Flashcards

(My husband valiantly spent many hours yesterday and today trying to clean up the virus that had infected my computer, and we think it's mostly gone -- please excuse the lateness of this posting!)

JHill from the Mad in Crafts blog posted one of the best do it yourself stocking stuffers I've ever seen: personalized alphabet flashcards, using digital photos you've taken yourself. Apart from being warm, fun, and personal, these have the advantage of being able to featuring photos of people and pets your child already knows, giving them something familiar to attach to those mysterious letters! JHill gives detailed instructions here using picnik.com, a free photo editing software. I was able to whip up the above cat flashcard in about two minutes using Publisher and then SnagIt to grab the image and change it to a jpg, although I haven't tested it for printing yet.

So, putting together a whole set would take a little time, but if you can steal a few minutes here and there over the next two days and get them printed at Walgreens on the 24th, you could a very impressive last minute stocking stuffer! My only concern is that photo paper is a bit flimsy, so you might want to mount them on something a little sturdier, and of course that would take more time and more supplies. (JHill also points out that you could have fun putting together something for a bachelorette party or some other event.)

What: Personalized Alphabet Flashcards
Where: Mad in Crafts blog
How much (as of today's post): maximum $5.20 for photo printing at a drugstore, plus supplies for mounting if desired

Personalized Rocket Woman Note Cards

Although I love the internet and spend a good portion of every day on it, I miss the days when snail mail was a normal thing, and we actually got letters once in a while rather than just bills and advertisements. Nowadays, presonal correspondence seems relegated to just the holidays, which is a shame because it's such a pleasure to get an actual letter. If you miss that too, then do something about it by sending your friends and family the occasional letter or card "just because."

You can also give note cards as a gift, and it's even better yet if they're personalized, like these rocket woman note cards from Esty seller Farouche. I spend a lot of time at science fiction and writing conferences and conventions, and I know at least a dozen women off the top of my head who would love these note cards. They're also perfect for that teen girl who's starting to read science fiction and fantasy, and who may just be a future astronaut! Don't you just love the "Saving one galaxy at a time" tagline?

The Farouche shop also has other personalized note cards, such as this vintage typewriter, which is perfect for the writer in your life. To sort for personalized items, simply enter the word "personalized" in the search box at the top of the shop. But do remember to look at the rest of the shop too -- there are also beautiful gift tags, prints suitable for framing and hanging, and more.

What: Personalized Rocket Woman Note cards
Where: Farouche (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $25.00 (plus shipping)

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)

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)

Personalized "Marble" Magnets

It's Etsy Sunday again, and I'm pleased to show you these adorable personalized marble magnets from Catherine, whose Etsy shop is called "The Purple Pear". I purchased a set of these a few weeks ago to go in my husband's advent calendar drawers. (My husband isn't allowed to read this blog, by the way!) I was thrilled when I came across these, because there are 9 magnets in a set, and my husband and I have (dare I say it?) seven cats. Yes, I'm the crazy cat lady, although that was never my intention! But once you've taken in a stray or two, you become known in the neighborhood as "those cat people" and your neighbors start to bring the strays they find to you too....

But I digress.

In any case, these magnets were actually a large part of why I started this blog. I realized that there are more fun ideas out there for stocking stuffers than I'd previously realized. Plus, the artist was such a pleasure to deal with. She sent me an image of the magnets before shipping to make sure they were to my satisfaction. Her communication skills were great! I also bought an adorable set of baby animal magnets from her, and I loved both purchases. Even if you don't want personalized magnets just now, there are some lovely pre-made sets with images ranging from $4.75 to $7.00. You can also order an inexpensive coordinating tin to go with them.

As for the customized magnets... be creative and have fun!

What: Personalized "Marble" Magnets
Where: The Purple Pear (an Etsy shop)
How much (as of today's post): $10.00 (plus shipping)

Silver Jeweled Fortune Cookie

I wasn't kidding when I said I was a sucker for small, pretty things. This is a silver, jeweled fortune cookie that opens on hinges and has a small metal plate inside that can be engraved. It's really too small to hold much, although I suppose one could put a pair of very small earrings or a tiny love note inside. Ah well, that's why we have the "luxury items" category.

In any case, this item (also available in gold) can be purchased at Things Remembered. Oddly, their website says it's $25.00 in one place, but has listed it on sale at $19.99 on another page, so I would be sure to ask. It might be easier to get in person at a Things Remembered store anyway, because then you can check the engraving and make sure it's done right before you accept the item.

What: Silver Jeweled Fortune Cookie
Where: Things Remembered
How much (as of today's post): $25.00