– 6 Gifts to steal the show with –
(and such good prices!)
With the summer vacation about to begin, it’s a great moment for reflection. Take a moment and think about all that has happened in the past few months, the happy moments and the not so happy ones. Linda de Mol plays the high moments and low moments game with her children everyday, they tell each other, you guessed it, what made them happy and what didn’t.
I do it twice a year. Around the shortest and the longest day. I reflect on the people who have been good to me. The school teacher, my regular taxi-chauffeur and the friend who did not have the best year ever but still always asked how I was instead of blurting out her own problems. You have people around you that you sometimes want to show just how happy you are to have them around.
Do it! Don’t falter at the plan. These pre-summer holiday gifts will make an impression and make sure they’ll all stick around. Because that was the point in the first place.
Personalized Photo-album
Because of the iPhone-era, we all have countless snaps of house-garden-kitchen moments. That tasty latte, your run through the forest, there is nothing that we don’t capture on film. Create a photo-album for your friend-brother-neighbour that is always there for you. You can order them easily on HEMA.nl. If I can do it…
Looking for an image to emphasize your story? Maybe a photo of a metro sign in Paris, a cocktail on a covered terrace or an amazing photo of the Neverfull bag from Louis Vuitton? Get them off Pinterest.
Personalized, healthy jam
Buy some fun old-fashioned jam pots at the Xenos or other home-store. Then stock up on loads of red fruit. Stew with plenty of sugar and add, for example a red chilli pepper or some chia seeds to make it more of now. At Dille & Kamille they sell those cute vintage labels that you can tie around the lid. Write down the type of jam on the label with a personal message. They’ll be thinking of you with each and every croissant they spread it on this summer.
Limoncello set
Making your own Limoncello is a huge hangover risk (I always suggest buying drink at the off-license), but that homemade feeling is always far nicer, so go out and buy some small bottles with stoppers at a Xenos-type shop. Fill them up with Limoncello, put them in the fridge, write out stickers with a cute summer-saying or quote. You can find the cutest quotes on Pinterest. Write them out in your best handwriting, tie around the bottles and deliver to your loved ones.
Card, Cards, Cards
The WhatsApp-age has made us forget about sending handwritten cards. When I was editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, everybody (photographer to makeup artist) got a little handwritten card from me, thanking them for their contribution to that issue. Little effort for much appreciation. Stop and think about what that person has done for you, capture it in words and write it down.
The best would be to write it on a personalized card. For example, you can order handmade paper cards and envelopes from a printing shop, which are personalized with your name and address. Hugely chic and with a stack of them in your cupboard, you’re way more likely to write a card.
A flower
It can end up being a little expensive to buy flowers for everyone you know. Instead bind three beautiful flowers (for example the Purple Allium, Hortensia or another flower with a strong stem) together, hang a little tag onto it and you’re done.
Have personalized ribbon made. Costs a bit but you’ve got the best wrapping material for years to come.
Customized T-shirt
When a treasured colleague had a baby, we had a cool sweater made with the name of her baby on it. You could not get her out of it. So proud of her baby and her jumper. Have a sweater with personalized text made for your girlfriend. Believethehype.com has the best. Doutzen is a fan too.
