I purchased this glass paperweight in Bloomingdale’s at a time when they carried Caithness art glass. I don’t think they carry it anymore. Caithness is a company from Scotland that produces gorgeous handmade glass paperweights. I have a few of them, and I think they are all fascinating in …

The opotimum reward card can be signed up for right online at the optimum website and is given if you subscribe to cable television , telephone and computer. If you have all 3 you are then eleigible to apply for the optimum reward card to which you have …

I found the Fright Fest set at Meijer for less than $20 yet I continued to avoid the set for the longest time because I didn’t know if I would ever actually sit down and watch everything in the set. It includes six discs with two movies on each …

I have been a crystal lover and collector for about twenty years now, and I must own at least sixty pieces. This awesome crystal sun is one of my top five favorite pieces and maybe even my very favorite. I only wish I knew who the maker of it …

Although it is not exactly a modern toy, I find that a surprising number of younger children still hugely enjoy having a piggy bank in which to save their pocket money, so that it can be broken open (sometimes literally!) at a future point in order to give them …

This is a wonderful gift idea, I should know I was gifted this along with another of Plant Theatres kits.
The kit contains 6 packets of different herb seeds (basil, parsley, thyme, chives, coriander, rocket), 6 starter growing pots from peat, 6 peat expandable peat blocks, 6 plant markers and …

The Digital Photo Frame Keychain from Wal-Mart is not only a great gift for family or friends, but also a wonderful way to carry around precious memories throughout each and every day. I purchased one for my boyfriend because he wanted to be able to look at more pictures …

I have a soft spot for all things mid-century, so when I spotted Kitschy Canapés: Finger Foods for the Swinger Set, I just had to have it! When you purchase the Kitschy Canapé’s gift set, you receive a 64 page recipe book, 6 retro inspired plastic fruit …

This is located at the upper ground floor of SM City Fairview. Papemelroti is actually a store of simple items made from different kinds of recyclable materials like newspapers, magazines and glass bottles. Their items here are mostly for souvenirs and simple gifts and are usually …

This figurine is one of my favorite pieces from Crystal World. I have around ten of them. What sets them apart from Swarovski crystal figurines is that many of Swarovski’s pieces are made entirely of clear crystal. Crystal World creates their figurines by combining clear and colored crystal. That …

I think I bought this crystal figurine in a Hallmark shop in Cape May, NJ, several years ago. Unfortunately, I don’t know the name of the company. I know that it is not a Swarovski piece, because I have many of their pieces, and this doesn’t look like their …

I bought a few glass pieces from Marilyn Kimble Holt at an expo several years ago. This piece was one of them, but she told me that her son Zeke made this particular piece. He even signed it underneath. I had never seen any of Marilyn’s work before that, …

Happy Holidays I always say with a gift that is part homemade and partly bought materials. I have found that you can go creative and use Dollar Stores to really make your gift special. Last year I went to the Dollar General and picked up some cute …

This is a very unique piece, because it’s not every day that I see a crystal figurine of a treasure chest. And what’s more, it is petite! It’s only about an inch and a quarter in length and an inch and a half in height. So of course it …

In the wake of the South Africa World Cup, my godmother gave me the Octopus Paul stuffed toy from Nici. She jokingly said that she gave it to me to help me make the right decisions. I fell in love with it at first sight.
The stuffed toy …

Lee Roy the lion is one of Swarovski’s Lovlots. The Lovlots are a collection of loveable crystal animal figurines that Swarovski put out on the market several years ago, and they each have their own amusing “personality,” so to speak. Swarovski keeps adding more Lovlots to the collection, and …

Put simply, this coin is magnificent. I love this coin because of the meaning it holds and how lovely the coin design is. Before I describe the coin, I must say this isn’t just for coin collectors but also for anyone who desires a unique piece of jewelry.
This was a …

Early in the Christmas ‘08 season, a friend surprised me with this item, the Lenox Shimmering Sleigh. First of all, you just can’t go wrong with Lenox. It’s quality, no matter where you purchase it. Secondly, I love reindeer, so this was a winner before I …

Crystal World calls this piece “Whiskers,” but I think that is confusing, because it sounds like they are referring to a cat. Actually, they are referring to a rabbit that has long whiskers. I fell in love with this piece right away, because it is adorable. The cute pieces …

I have known about the M&Ms website for quite some time now and I have always thought that the concept was a great idea…if only the candy makers would make gift giving more affordable.
Well, now they have. When the M&Ms website first went up, you could go online, pick …

This is a piece that got my attention several years ago when it first came out. Unfortunately, it sold out at most of the stores in my area. But I did locate one store that still had it in stock, so I purchased it. Now Swarovski is having an …

I love Creator’s Touch Greeting Cards! The photographer has a special gift for taking macro photos. She captures the most minute hairs on the end of a butterfly snout. Of course her Nikon is a good camera, but she has the eye that a nature photographer needs to capture …

I’m classifying this review in gifts because it occurs to me a lot of us girls shop for gifts at the Dollar Tree or similar stores looking for inexpensive gift ideas. I put a lot of thought into my gifts personally and the presentation of the gift is important …

I bought this candle as a gift for a good friend of mine who loves candles as much as I do. I have to be honest and admit that I also bought one for myself. The smell is long lasting and just amazing. I actually wear this scent of …

I remember buying quite a few of my Crystal World figurines in Cape May, NJ, because there are two or three gift shops in that little town that carry (or at least used to carry) Crystal World products. I believe this butterfly figurine is one of the pieces that …

I bought a couple of Schuster Studios paperweights at an art and jewelry gallery near my home. I have actually purchased a large variety of dazzling glass pieces from that gallery over the years, but this exquisite paperweight is one of my favorites. Schuster Studios became established in 1972, …

If I remember correctly, I bought this little crystal rabbit about seven or eight years ago at the jewelry store Bailey, Banks & Biddle. They were located in the mall near my home. They sold giftware in the back of the store, and they had a nice selection of …

I recently purchased a Frondini Collection boxed gift set for a male friend of mine. Frondini has a great name in gemstone jewellery, watches and trinkets, and this boxed set is a great gift for most men.
This particular boxed gift set contains a mans watch and a liquor flask. …

I purchased the Stainless Steel bifold wallet from Stewart Stand for my boyfriend as a Christmas present. He is very particular about his wallets and always has a problem with them bending or creasing after a short while due to a heavy load of cards and cash. This wallet …

My mother had bought a couple of scented candles for our house as a welcoming and housewarming gift, and she laid them down on a bronze cup for each and they were placed in a table at our foyer.
It had a medium and a large size, they were priced …

My mother in law brought me a gorgeous ceramic figurine with metal swirling wings. The figure is so beautiful that I would like to collect others like it. The angel is ivory colored with a pearlescent finish and has beautifully elegant lines, and is holding a gold olive branch …

Christmas is slowly approaching now and many people, myself included, start thinking about the presents. I like giving people special things that I know they’ll love, but it is sometimes hard to find something new and something that isn’t completely useless. Yesterday I was looking for some cute presents …

I’ve been shopping a lot, lately, for children’s toys and those items that are not exactly toy level, but, more teaching level.
At Target, in Eureka, CA, I came upon a wonderful item that many of my friends have, actually, gone out to buy for their Christmas gifts, as well. …

My birthday last year just came and went. Basically I spent my birthday at work like most of us. But what made it extra special was my then girlfriend’s (now my wife ;)) gift to me… Transformers Masterpiece Skywarp!
Out of the box:
I love how there’s no twist ties at …

I received a box of photo coasters from my mom for Christmas one year. Knowing that my mom bought them, they must be resonably priced. When I opened the coasters I noticed that they are frosted glass with a place to put a picture in the middle …

I started collecting miniature teapots about ten or more years ago. I don’t remember what motivated me to start collecting them. I think it’s because I saw how popular they were in the gift shops in my area and even in Cape May and Atlantic City, NJ, where I …

Birthstone Flower Anklet is a gift I bought for my mother for her birthday. It’s a very pretty anklet that fits nice around her ankle. You can choose which birthstone you want on the jewelry. It’s gold and in each flower on the anklet is a birthstone. In between …

I love eating all types of chocolates but my all time favorite have always been After Eight chocolates. These chocolates are generally thins mints enrobed in dark chocolates and were gifted to me by my parents on my birthday. Mint has always been my preferred flavor and these chocolates …

As sure as fate, we are all repeatedly asking ourselves how to make somebody a present, how to choose the right gift and how to balance our budget with expectations of recipient. For me, desperate attempts to resolve this kind of problems fast and furiously are finally just a …

Within the last few days Starbucks as announced that they will be closing a lot of stores which are close to me and this made me want to shop at the store but since I was low on funds I was not able to go there when I wanted. …

My friend just gave me a Love the Earth 2011 CD Case Desk Calendar. I love nature and the environment so among all the gift calendars I have received throughout the years, this one is one of the few that stand out. Each Christmas and New Year, …

My mother is an avid coffee drinker. It does not matter what time of the day it is, day and night, she is always walking around with her Betty Boop coffee mug sipping a freshly made cup of her favorite drink. Although I know drinking too much …

I remember when we used to have irises growing near the front porch of my house when I was a kid. But those were yellow irises, and this one is a purplish blue color. Crystal World does a nice job of making their flower figurines look realistic. I have …

I was struggling to get something for my friend’s son’s birthday this year. He is a big fan of Thomas the Tank Engine and I eventually found a Thomas and Friends —˜Wheelie’ Bag. I thought it would be appropriate since they were due to go on holiday; I thought …

For many years I’ve done most of my souvenir hunting at the spacious Civil War Wax Museum / Gettysbug Gift Center in Gettysburg, PA. As soon as I begin planning my vacation itinerary, I always make a note to stop at the Gift Center to browse around for unique …

I consider myself practical in the sense that I don’t really buy things if I won’t be able to use them for a long time. The stuff I have, I use until I either consume them or they break down from wear. Not when it comes to wallets, …

My aunt came over a few weeks back and she was showing my family and me on how to make a Baby Diaper Cake. It is so easy that I don’t even realize that all this while. The steps are very easy to do and for a simple …

Ever since the 911 tragedy, it seemks that many Americans fear saying what they think or feel because someone else might find it offensive and seek to hurt or harm them or their families. It is so sad that America has come to this. One of the …

This piece is fifteen years old, and yet Glass Eye Studio is still creating it. It is featured on their website. I think that is amazing, because I have a few other GES pieces that are no longer being created. I guess they were either limited-edition pieces, or they …

I really hate shopping for gifts. Rather than spend hours looking for just the right present, I usually end up grabbing a gift card and letting the recipient get whatever their heart desires. After a few rounds of giving people gift certificates, I finally found a way to liven …