District Devin: Second Edition

Hey all! Devin from OooohShiny here again. I hope everyone enjoyed their Turkey Day (or, for those of you not in the US - Thursday).

I’ve never ever ever gone out at the crack of dawn for Black Friday sales. I’d much rather do my shopping on my couch in my pajamas where I don’t have to worry about getting trampled. And oh boy - did I do some shopping. I think I heard my PayPal balance sobbing earlier.
I’ve been trying to do as much shopping as possible on Etsy. Today I’m going to share with you some of the fantastic presents I’ve gotten for others as well as some of the gifts I’m hoping to receive myself.

1 - A Little Bird Told Me Bird Mobile from Jahje at BabyJivesCo: For the baby niece.
My niece’s room is an animal-jungle type theme and I’m so excited to see this bird hanging from the ceiling. It’s obvious how much work Jahje puts into these. I kind of want to keep it for myself.


2 - Skeletor: Cuddly Plush Toy from Jennifer at HandmadeStuffs: For the geeky boyfriend.
We met Jennifer at a comic convention earlier this year and Nick stopped at her booth approximately 18 times to look at her plush dolls. They’re large and in charge and I’m not quite sure where Skeletor is going to live in our apartment, but he’s pretty awesome nonetheless.


3 - Zodiac Embroidery Kit from Jessica at MiniatureRhino: For the best friend.
I showed this to my best friend right after I started embroidering and she loved the idea. So I’m making her one. And then I’ll probably get another to make one for myself. I love the idea of kits - all you need in one package.


4 - Whoville Red Dot Christmas Dog Collar from r.e. at restowe: For the puppy.
I don’t (and won’t) have a child, but my pets are close enough. This collar is awesome. There’s magnets involved so you don’t have to worry about that flap of extra collar that sticks out. Plus, they’re super cute.

All for me.
1 - 2012 Desk Calendar from Jessica at JessicaDoyle
I bought one of Jessica’s desk calendars last year and it greets me every day at the office. It’s so bright and cheery! All of Jessica’s artwork is amazing, so the calendar is like getting 12 mini prints for a great price.


2 - Heather Eco Resin Transparent Ring from Jessica & Gwynne at RosellaResin
Yes, I make jewelry, but I don’t work with resin, and this ring is something that I could only dream of making myself. I love how delicate the heather is inside the chunky ring. I pretty much want everything in this shop.


3 - Pisces Rising Jersey Scarf from Jody & Karl at blackbirdtees
For some reason, I’ve become obsessed with wearing scarves. And while I don’t actually believe in astrology, I’ve always identified closely with my sign. And I think constellations are very cool.


4 - Pisces Brass Constellation Cuff Bracelet from Julie at JulieNolan
Regarding the fact that it’s a piece of jewelry: see #2. But sub “resin” for “metal” and “ring” for “bracelet.”
Regarding the constellation: see #3.
And I really love big chunky bracelets.


I hope these gave you some ideas for the loved ones on your list (or yourself, if you subscribe to the “one for you, one for me” gift-buying thought). You can go back to your leftover pumpkin pie now!

xo
Devin

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Thanks for the great ideas, Devin! I'm certainly more excited about Christmas shopping now :)

Gift Ideas for Mom, Dad, and Friends

I've been the worst blogger this week! I was kind of on a roll for a while, but I guess things have slowed down...I haven't done anything exciting lately. Since I don't have any tidbits of my life to share, I thought I would give you guys some great gift ideas since the holidays are fast approaching (2 months as of yesterday!)

Mom:

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My mom isn't much of a decorator...bless her heart, she tries though. She has some really pretty pottery, antiques, etc., she just doesn't really know where to start in arranging them. Anyway, if your mom is anything like mine, a great gift would be to help her decorate! I'm planning to help my mom with the wall above the couch. My plan is to do some shelving and framing in a cluster like the one pictured. Her living room is more dark and cozy, but I think the concept will still work.

Dad:

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My dad loves a good steak! Men, especially my dad, are so difficult to buy for, but I've found that they're almost always happy with food. Omaha Steaks has some wonderful options, and are always running specials. One warning though is that once you buy from them they will BLOW UP YOUR PHONE. They were still calling me a year after I ordered from them. My advice, add their number to your phone so you can just ignore it.

Close Friends:

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I've discovered that throw pillows make a HUGE difference in a room. They are a cheap-ish way to completely change the look of a room if you get bored with your decor. My friends are at the age now that they are decorating their apartments or houses, so throw pillows are a great gift for them! Of course you have to be pretty close friends with someone to know what they would like. There are TONS of great places to buy throw pillows, but I highly recommend buying handmade from Etsy. One shop I've bought from is pillowhappy...and she offers tons of options! Just be aware that these are covers only, so you'll have to get your own inserts.

I'm not even going to attempt boyfriend...in fact, if any of you have ideas for a boyfriend gift, help a girl out! My honey is so hard to buy for. Unless he tells me EXACTLY what he wants, I'm clueless. Embarrassing fact: For the first (or maybe second) birthday he had after we started dating, I got him a Wal-Mart card. My logic was that he could use it to get gas for his massive truck. Of course looking back, I realize that was a terrible gift, and he will never let me live it down.