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The 12 Apostles Violin Cases by W.E. Hill and Sons

Posted on September 2, 2019November 15, 2019 by kentang123

offer music lessons

They don’t make the music but ensure the instrument gets to its audiences. This London violinmaker created some of the most beautiful cases ever made.

When is a package or container almost as valued as its contents? One imagines the Fabergé eggs as an incomparable embodiment and celebration of the exterior. On a much grander scale, some of the great concert halls of the world – the Culture and Congress Centre Concert Hall in Lucerne, the Boston Symphony Hall, Grosser Musikvereinssaal in Vienna, Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, and the Christchurch Town Hall Auditorium (New Zealand) come to mind – are a type of packaging for the impressive music created within their walls.

There are violin cases that are or were made to approximate the beauty and craftsmanship of the fine violins held inside. Before the advent of scientifically driven case details (humidity gauges and the like), there were the 12 Apostles Violin Cases made by the W.E. Hill & Sons shop in London. As the name implies, there were only a dozen made (on New Bond Street, noticeably in the neighborhood of the Fabergé shop), perhaps because few could afford the opulence and fine workmanship that went into building these cases.

Lest anyone question the value of a case, which produces no music at all, consider the fact that one of the 12 Apostles sold at auction in 2016 for $17,220.

The Hill family violin shop, led by founder Willam Ebsworth Hill (1817-1895) existed for 105 years (1887-1992), but actually drew from a history of luthiers stretching back to Hill’s great grandfather. The firm made both violins and cellos, but was respected for its work in repairs, bows, fittings, identification and authentication, and ultimately, for fine case making.

The prized 12 Apostles were limited because of the extravagant time required to make them. The violin shop’s own brochure floridly described them: “In our opinion, the case containing so fine a work of art as a good violin should be pleasing and indeed beautiful… we endeavor, by the use of choice wood, and ornamental inlaid bordering, and the highest quality workmanship throughout, to make them as beautiful as possible, and receptacles worthy of fine violins.”

That workmanship included handmade locks and flush-bolts, a lined button (with cork) made to hold the bow, and intricate patterns of inlaid wood in musical motifs. All 12 are different – at least one case has its own covering of leather, a case over a case – and several have held violins by the fabled violinmaker, Antonio Stradivarius.

Such rich detailing on a case is not out of place, considering the time and place of the most accomplished violin, viola, and cello players of the day. Great concerts were attended by the higher echelons of society of the 16th, 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Higher still were the courts and palaces where the most sought after musicians of the Victorian era – can you say Paganini? – would be hired to entertain private audiences. The etiquette of that time was excruciatingly precise; the arrival of the musician must clearly have been an observed and choreographed moment. To be dressed in the finest of clothes might also require an exquisite violin case.

Fine instrument cases, clearly the work of artists, do not have a catalogue raisonné as with the work of acclaimed visual artists. So the precise whereabouts of all of Hill’s 12 Apostles is not clear (based on an Internet search). The 2016 auction price might have raised the profile of this rarefied group, sufficiently so such that any that are lost in an attic or orchestra hall storage room might turn up in the future.

Posted in Gift

Best Websites for Personalized Gift Ideas

Posted on January 3, 2019January 9, 2019 by kentang123

There are many occasions for giving gifts. One of the ways to make a gift a little more special that is personalized it. Personalized gifts are a great way to make your gifts more quirky as time goes on. With the mass market economy we live in, there are a variety of locations where you can find a personalized gift that is unique and unusual. Nowadays enormous online gift retailers are also available, you can shop right from your own home. The best websites for personalized gifts should offer a wide range of unique gift ideas, helping you give a little something special to everyone on your list. Some sites you should check out:

Personal Creations
Many gifts can be personalized with a name or other messages are largely available in this site. In the home page, there is a list on left to make it easy to search for the gift of your choice. Seasonal Celebrations have items suitable for a lot of different holidays; Special Occasions includes anniversary gifts and wedding and also has categories such as parents, teens, grandparents and families. In the section Specialty Shops there are wide range of personalized gifts including jewelry, stationary and photo gifts. The site is a good place to check out.

The Best Gifts
You should search with a little effort in this site because large amount of the gifts contained. These items separated by the categories: Gifts for Him, Gifts for Her, Gifts for Kids as well as gifts for a number of occasions. You can also narrow down the search in terms of the price. Most of the items are available to personalize if you find something specific items.

Snapfish
Snapfish is a special place to go for personalized photo gifts. Photo mugs, photo calendars, photo books all can be personalized in any way you want. And even personalized office supplies can be found in this site. You will appreciate it also because the offering of lower price regularly.

Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn is an upscale home store, you can almost specialize everything in home from furniture to kitchen gadgets. Pillows, vases, sheets and luggage provided in Pottery Barn all can be personalized. And can be gifted in different ages. It’s also a famous store for the decorative wooden or wire letters used to decorate furniture. This website provides you an outstanding upscale choice for a gift, or just adds to your own home.

Red Envelope
This amazing site has many gifts just for every occasion. From the baby prints keepsake frame to the boxes of bride and groom’s vows, you can find all the interesting gifts which can also personalized to your receivers. For example, baby prints keepsake frame can be engraved with the child’s name and the box which keep the couple’s vows can be engraved with the their names and wedding date. From this site, whatever you buy, you can get gift wrapped beautifully in a red box with white bow, which makes your gifts out from all the gifts.

Things Remembered
Things Remembered stands out in these gift websites because of what they specialize in. almost everything at Things Remembered can be personalized in some way, it can be gifted from wedding and anniversary gifts to business use. This website full of sweet and elegant gifts for the people you love. This perfect keepsakes place for also provide very reasonable prices. Many products are available for $20 or less.

Lillian Vernon
Lillian Vernon is a popular catalog company, you can order from both mail and online. The large gift list in this one of the best gift websites all can be personalized because of their wide range of items. There are gifts so many gifts for every season and every person. What the special point is there are lots of gifts you may never think to personalize for example cookie jars or remote control holders. You can also find personalized decoration for your own home from welcome mats to house marker.

While all of these personalized gift websites will provide you with great gift ideas, what really makes a gift special is putting a little more thought, time and effort into it. Now all you have to do is choose between all the wonderful gift ideas as easy as clicking your computer mouse.

Safe Online Shopping

Posted in Gift

10 Gift Ideas For Her

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

Shopping for gifts for women is an experience almost everyone has. It is no simple task, especially for men. They have to look for gifts for mom, wife, girlfriend, sister, or female business associates. This article provides 10 helpful gift ideas for her.

The best way to select gifts for her is to see what kind of treats she likes and what she does to relax. Once you have decided what she likes, it will be easy to select a gift for her, Some popular gifts for women are listed below:

1. Red Roses:
The most favorite gift for women is red roses. Since fragrant red roses are stunning and romantic, they are
especially popular as gifts for girlfriend or wife. Red roses will certainly delight their recipients.

2. Gold Rose:
Fresh roses can only bloom for a few days, gold plated rose can last forever. Gold roses are real fresh cut roses coated in a clear lacquer to enhance the natural color and beauty of the rose buds. The leaves, stems, and prongs are then finished in 24 karat gold. These romantic gifts can last for a lifetime, and are especially suitable for anniversary, birthday. or any memorable events.

3. Chocolate Gift:
Most women love sweets, especially chocolates. Hence chocolate gift is a popular food gift for women. There are many different choices to choose from. You can send her a box of chocolate truffles, box chocolate with an array of all natural Belgian chocolates, chocolate gift basket, or a chocolate lover’s care package. The chocolate basket and care package include not only chocolates truffles, but also chocolate chewey brownies, almond Rocca, chocolate covered almonds, and chocolate cover popcorn with nuts. You can make your selection based on your budget, and stop her craving for sweets with a chocolate gift.

4. Chocolate Rose:
If you want your gift to have the appeal of both chocolates and roses, overwhelm the woman in your life with chocolate rose. This gift consists of a bouquet of one dozen perfect long-stemmed roses with chocolate treats wrapped in each bud, and is presented in a classic long-stem rose box. This is a very beautiful gift.

5. Spa Gift Basket:
Spa gift baskets usually contain spa products, candles, and chocolates to help women to relax and rejunvenate. For example, one of our popular spa gift basket consists of a beautiful butterfly adorned hamper filled with luxury spa enhancements, floral stationary, decadent chocolates, as well as a 350 page book entitled “The Promise of Wisdom”, with inspiring stories and sentiments to make her smile. Pamper someone special with a spa gift basket.

6. Yoga Gift Basket:
Yoga is a popular relaxation exercise of the body and mind. If the woman in your life loves yoga, send her a yoga gift basket. This gift includes a fully illustrated Yoga book as well as an instructional DVD; soothing green tea bath and body enhancements, including bath mitt, bath pillow, fingernail bristle brush, back scrubber, green tea foaming bath fizzies; aromatherapy candles and chocolate truffles. This is a great gift for beginners or advanced Yoga enthusiasts.

7. Bath and Body Gift:
Women like to take care of themselves. These gifts consist of bath and body products filled in an attractive bag, and ready to be carried around. She can bathe in luxury scent of pomegranate or vanilla. The pomegranate gift set contains shower gel, body lotion, bubble bath, bath salts, body bar, in a lovely coppery brown colored grass bag with faux leather handles.

8. Gardening Gift:
Gardening is one of the favorite activity for women. You can send the gardener in your life with a gardening gift. One of our popular gift is a tote gift basket. It consists of assorted sunflower packs and an inspirational book entitled, “Wisdom from the Garden”. She can take time out from her gardening to enjoy the treats inside this tote, including lemon shortbread cookies, creamy dill cheese spread, Parmesan sticks, barbeque sliced almonds, lemon tea, and mint tea. She will also find gardening notepad with pen, gardening gloves with rawhide palms, pruning sheers, digging spades with wooden handles, branch snippers, and Spritzer bottle. Your weekend gardener will love this gift.

9. Women’s Golf Gifts:
If the woman in your life loves golf, you can send her a women’s golf gift. She will enjoy a fantastic array of practical golf gifts and delicious gourmet snacks. Includes a pack of assorted color golf tees, golf balls, a
putting cup, and a book of pro golfers anecdotes. She will also find gourmet snacks, including a bag of crunchy yogurt pretzels, cookies, Bellagio coffees, and gourmet trail mix. This gift will help her thrive on the green.

10 Book Lovers Gift:
If the woman in your life loves book, send her a book lovers gift basket. This gift comes in a book end chest filled with almond toffee malt balls bag, chewy gourmet fudge brownies, California vanilla caramels, and gourmet coffee to enjoy during reading time. Barnes and Noble gift cards can be added. This is a perfect gift for your favorite book worm.

In summary, shopping for gifts for women can be made easy if you consider their favorite treats and activities. Pamper the woman in your life with red roses, chocolates, gold roses, chocolate rose, spa gift basket, yoga gift basket, bath and body gift, gardening gift, golf gifts or book lovers gift. She will be thrilled with your thoughfulness.


Posted in Gift

The Gift of Giving Is a Gift in Itself

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

The act of giving a gift can elicit a multitude of positive emotions to the giver, that indeed it is quite possible that they experience more pleasure than the recipient of the gift. It has been found that giving gifts is an important interaction that strengthens bonds between family and friends. Giving to others strengthens one’s feelings for these people, and also makes one feel more loving and caring.

Pursuing the ideal gift can be a taxing experience. Once upon a time, one would have to literally travel from store to store searching for the perfect gift. Apart from the time and effort consumed by the travelling, it was never quite easy to compare and contrast the possibilities in one’s mind, as one was relying on memory of the entire details of each potential gift. Now, with the advent and advantage of online shopping, this one daunting part of gift giving is no longer necessary. The requirement of physical travelling has been eliminated as one merely sits in front of a computer or other Internet browsing device and searches for the perfect gift. Alas, the choices are endless, and not always as organized as one would wish. However, once one has narrowed down the choices, one can actually revisit each choice and compare the images of the potential gifts, and eventually make a selection.

Giving comes from within, and no matter who the recipient of the gift is, the actual selection of the gift should be a heartwarming process. Knowing the person’s likes and dislikes, wants and needs, circumstances, and events in their life deepens the emotion behind the gift selection process. Giving a gift however, should not be a process that comes with a hardship to the giver. An aura of competitiveness and the need to impress has overshadowed the gentle and caring act of gift giving. For instance, if one is searching for a gift for their brother in law who is an avid golf player, the normal search would begin in the world of golf in the universe of the Internet. However, remembering that your brother in law was recently promoted, and his peers all carry classic name brand fountain pens encased in handsome leather cases, would certainly have some influence on your gift selection thought process. Between the golf equipment and the fountain pen and it’s accessories, an instant “astronomical price” headache begins to form.

A mistake often made by many is that they set a price tag on the gift they are going to purchase before they actually make the purchase. In the name of budgeting that is actually a great idea, but unfortunately, we are in the times of “competitive” gift giving, and some people feel the need to outdo others in the extravagance of the gift purchased. It is absurd that many people actually spend money they cannot afford to spend on gifts simply because they are trying to create an impression. The heartwarming experience of the giving of the gift has not been experienced, and instead has been replaced by a aggressive and competitive approach. After the gift has been given, there will certainly be an uncomfortable feeling for as long as that charge remains on the credit card.

Very few people remain unscathed by these recent changes in the economical status worldwide. To increase one’s debt in order to compete with others, or create an extravagant impression is not only ridiculous, but also makes the giving of the gift actually an unpleasant experience from start to finish and beyond. Returning to the example of one’s brother-in law, let it be assumed that a new set of golf clubs and an expensive fountain pen with a leather case is entirely out of one’s budget. A less expensive and more personal gift would surely make the selection process a much more personal and enjoyable one. There is no rule that dictates we must cater to the indulgent tastes or more affluent means of others. The art of gift giving must come with the desire to please the recipient with the gift, to take pleasure in the selection of the gift, to keep the cost within one’s budget and means, and to select a gift that will be admired and used.

Unique gifts for the home or for personal wear are always a warm and sincere gift. Many handmade gifts are available for purchase at reasonable prices via the Internet. They range from hand crocheted tablecloths, to custom made jewelry, to silk floral arrangements, and many home décor items. All of these items are ones that will actually be used instead of being a “showpiece” such as a fountain pen that never actually makes it out of the beautiful leather case. As much pleasure as the gift recipient will receive from their gift, the giver will also be pleased whenever they see the gift being worn or used. A set of throw cushions that was given as a gift will always please the giver every time he or she visits the home of the recipient and sees the throw cushions in use. Truly, these types of gifts are those that are described as “The Gift That Keeps On Giving”.

Gift choice and gift giving are acts of love and caring that should bring joy and pleasure to both the giver and the receiver. Close relationships will not thrive based on the dollar value of gifts given; but will indeed be nurtured by the caring and thought put into the gift selection process.


Posted in Gift

10 Essential Tips to Find That Perfect Corporate Gift

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

Your esteemed clients, loyal customers and amazing employees are your most valuable asset. The right gift chosen with care and attention will strengthen relationships, whether to reward achievement or celebrate success. Why settle for an ordinary gift when you can impress with the extraordinary?

I have put together the essential tips to find that corporate gift.

Just read on

1) Must Always Select A Quality Gift

First and foremost, you should select a gift that you would be proud to put your company name on. Your customer and clients are most likely to take your gift as a reflection of how you view and value relationship with them.

If your first impression looking at the gift, is drifting towards it being inexpensive or commonly available stuff, chances are that they will see the exact same way.

2) Always & Always Check Corporate Policies

Believe it or not, many organizations and government offices have a gift policy either prohibiting a gift altogether or a limit around the value of the gift. Be sure to check for it before hand, and to plan accordingly.

This check will not only help your company in avoiding unnecessary expense toward these gifts, but to make alternate arrangement as per allowed policies.

3) Must Consider Cultural Differences

You may replicate professional practices and work culture irrespective of geographical boundaries, but a culture is inherited locally and you should always double consider cultural differences when selecting a gift.

For instance, a wine hamper may be accepted without doubt and classified as a great gift in western parts of the world, it may raise some eyebrows in India. Unless you are absolutely sure, avoid picking something just because it works someplace else.

4) Should Select Gift For Celebrations Locally

Year end holiday & festivals are surely the favorite times to send that gift acknowledging & rewarding your relationships with your clients, customers and employees.

But one should remember that people have celebrations at different times of the year and you should plan & budget accordingly. For instance thanksgiving may be one of the biggest festivals celebrated in United States, but Diwali is undoubtedly a star festival as far as gifting is concerned in India.

5) Avoid Gifts That Are Too Specific

While selecting a gift, stay away from something that may be too specific to one’s personal taste and habits. For instance you can easily calculate the odds of someone liking your cigarette box or bar set. In the end, It wont even matter how expensive or great quality it was.

If possible, try picking something that is gender neutral. Theoretically, selecting a gift each for him and her is equivalent of selecting two perfect gifts within the same price range.

6) Get A Unique Gift

It can be safely assumed that you are not the only one giving a gift to the person on your list. Giving something unique will surely help your gift have more impact.

If you really come to think of it, how many desk kits or clocks can a person use? Pick something as unique as your brand. Nowadays most of the clients prefer to go for customized corporate gift hampers. There can’t be a better and safer option to pick that perfect unique gift.

7) Personalized Gift

It is perfectly human to feel special after receiving a gift that was customized for you. Putting down a mark of the recipient, may be via their initials or something is sure cheer them up.

Additionally, it is going show them how much thought you had put in selecting that gift specially for them. For instance, just think of a simple scenario wherein, if you were given 10 diaries on the new years’, with just one having your name neatly printed in the front. Which of those 10 will be the first one you would use?

8) Classic Gift Does Wonders In Creating That Instant Connection!

There are a few things which works pretty much all the time! A classic dry fruits assortment box or a Sweets or Chocolate box is must have on all of your lists for Diwali corporate gifts and New Year corporate gifts. A quality edible assortment combined with other products beautifully presented as a gift hamper, is sure to do wonders for you.

9) Spend On Packaging And Presentation

A gift is as good as it looks. Remember the packaging of the gift is as important as choosing the perfect corporate gift. It is definitely worth spending time on the presentation and packaging of the gift.

10) Work With An Expert To Get That Perfect Gift

Unless you are absolutely sure about what to choose, you should work with an expert and professional at a company specializing in corporate gifts. They will not only help you in selection but also assist you with every step of your order.


Posted in Gift

Finding the Perfect Gift for an Individual

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

Everyone has given a gift to another person at some point in their lives. I have done it the wrong way until I discovered the right way. Now people around me always say, “Wow, you always seem to know how to give the perfect gift!” This statement is always followed by, “How do you do that?” So now, I will share my secret with anyone who is truly interested in learning how to give the perfect gift.

First I will tell you what NOT TO DO. DO NOT make the mistake of getting just any old gift card or giving cash. Giving a generic department store gift card or cash just says, “I really didn’t want to give you anything but I felt like I had to”. It would be better just not to give anything at all.

If you are serious about learning the art of giving the perfect gift consider first your motivation. Are you looking for a gift for someone because you want to or because you feel you have to? Everyone has experienced the have to situation in which you are expected to give a gift but you really don’t know the person the gift is for and you have no idea what to give them. Usually people tend to just throw money at a situation such as this and trust me, the person who receives this kind of gift knows it. That results in a no win situation for everyone involved. My opinion is that this situation should be avoided no matter what and the only way to avoid it is to change your motivation. Most of us don’t like being told what to do. Once we want to do something we usually can’t be stopped. So, next time you have to give a gift, just decide you want to give the gift. Mentally flip that little switch in your brain and choose to give instead of being forced to give and everything will become much easier.

Once you are sufficiently motivated you must consider the occasion. Weddings, Wedding Showers, Anniversaries and Baby Showers require more specific gifts. Usually, the recipient will have registered with one or more department stores or gift shops. The gifts they would like to receive are on a list so all you need to do is contact the person giving the shower and they can direct you in purchasing the perfect gift for this person for this occasion. Other occasions such as Christmas, Birthdays, Valentines Day, “I love you” and “I’m sorry” gifts require a little more thought.

The next step to consider is the relationship between you and the “giftee”. If you are an acquaintance then you would give a less personal gift then you would give a lover. Perhaps you are in a budding relationship and this gift would determine your attitude about the relationship. A not well considered gift would say, “I’m not really that interested” versus a thoughtful gift saying, “I really believe you are special and important to me and I want to be with you.” There are quite a few people I have experienced that need to learn this simple rule. Many relationships end just because of a misunderstanding of this principle so please, carefully consider what feeling you are trying to express with this gift and act accordingly.

Now since you are motivated, you know the occasion and have an idea of what feeling you want to express you must consider the person or persons the gift is to being bestowed upon. Some people don’t care how much the gift costs, monetarily speaking, so the more thoughtfulness you put into the gift the more it will be appreciated. The other type of person measures your love and sincerity with $$. If you are not sure which type of person you are dealing with then do a little research and ask your friends and family members their opinion of what gift would be appropriate for this particular person.

Based on the type of person or persons your gift is for, do you express your thoughtfulness in time or dollars? If the giftee is not motivated by $$ perhaps a gift you make yourself or just the gift of time is the most appropriate. Many moons ago, one of my friends from high school was getting married and I didn’t have much money so I gave her my time. I took time off from my life (husband and 3 kids) to spend the entire wedding day with her helping her however I could. I was available to run errands, put out fires or just give words of encouragement.

If the recipient is someone you care about but don’t get to spend much time with then just take a few minutes to think about the time you have spent with them. What did they talk about? If you visited their home, did you notice how they decorated or if they collected anything in particular? Where do they like to shop for clothes? Is there any specific food they like to eat? Do they have a specific hobby or interest? What do they talk about or vote for on Facebook or Twitter? When you find answers to these questions you will almost always discover your options for buying them something they will love and they will know you really thought about them and will always remember your thoughtfulness. An example I love to remember is this past Christmas when my daughter was shopping for gifts she called me to ask what my husband, her stepfather, might like as a gift. I told her he shopped regularly at a local department store and loved their selection of chocolate candy. So she went to that store and spent about $15 and bought him a variety of chocolates. My husband was so excited and happy when he opened his gift. This gift made him feel like she really cared about him. It wasn’t an expensive gift but she achieved an optimal result in demonstrating her thoughtfulness and affection.

However, we all know that there are people in our lives that evaluate our love for them with $$. You could give them an entire month of human servitude and they still wouldn’t appreciate it. This type of giftee requires dedication on the part of the giver but remember they will never know if you bought their present at full price or at 75% off. A little planning will result in spending your time instead of your money. Consider how they spend their time and money and use online research, holiday specials, closeout sales, store liquidations or Craig’s List to find these items they desire. Planning ahead can give you the optimal result without a huge monetary sacrifice.

If, after you carefully apply these principles I have described, you still can not decide on a gift then a gift card may be your best bet. When determining what gift card to give consider whether the object of your gift giving collects certain items, such as fairies for example. Since they collect fairies do some research and give them a gift card from a shop that specializes in fairies. Other gift card considerations would be their favorite restaurant or their favorite store where they buy their clothes. Just a little bit of thought and planning can go a long way in giving the perfect gift every time.


Posted in Gift

A Guide to Choosing the Right Gift

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

We’ve all been told that it’s “more blessed to give than to receive”, but is it? Well, if you get the gift right it can be! The experience of watching someone open a gift you’ve chosen and seeing the joy and excitement spread across their face is one that most certainly awards the giver a sense of happiness and satisfaction. All too often, however, the expression on the face of the receiver is at best one of mild disinterest, and at worst one of disappointment. Choosing the right gift can be a little like walking a tightrope, but why is it so difficult? This article explores some of the reasons why choosing the right gift can be a real challenge, and offers some hints and tips to help you get it right.

Narrow it down

Gifts fall broadly into two categories; practical and pamper. Practical gifts might include things like a new toaster or a zebra print steering wheel cover, while pamper gifts might include a day at a health spa or a bottle of wine. Knowing the personality type of the person you’re buying for is crucial in determining which type of gift would be most appropriate. Some people may see pamper gifts as being frivolous and perhaps even wasteful and as a result these gifts may see little use; they may even be discarded completely. On the other hand, some people may be disappointed by a practical gift feeling that they want to enjoy their special occasion with no thought for practicality. Having a clear idea of the category into which your gift will fall, therefore, is the first step in choosing the right gift for your intended recipient.

What’s the occasion?

In many parts of the world, gift-giving is firmly rooted in tradition. In middle eastern countries, for example, gifts should be offered and received using either the right hand or both hands. In Hong Kong and Japan, both hands should be used. In western culture, where the list of occasions calling for a gift seems ever-expanding, the acceptable behaviours surrounding gift giving are perhaps less formalised, however the pressure to select the ideal gift for every occasion has never been greater. In days gone by, gifts would traditionally have been given for birthdays, weddings, Christmas and perhaps the birth of a new baby. In modern culture, it is the norm to give gifts for engagements, graduations, moving into a new home, Valentine’s day, anniversaries, new jobs Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day, a new pet….and the list goes on! The occasion for which you plan to buy a gift (in addition to the identity of the intended recipient) can inform both your gift type and your gift budget. It would be expected, for example, that more money would be spent on a wedding gift for your sister, than for a new home gift for a work colleague. Over spending on a gift can be just as uncomfortable for the gift recipient as under spending. Bear in mind that giving an ostentatious gift can put unnecessary pressure on the receiver to respond in kind when it’s your turn to receive!

In-store or Online

The days of pounding the streets in search of the perfect gift, while not at an end, have perhaps been rendered unnecessary. The advent of online shopping heralds a new era of shopping from home where you can access thousands upon thousands of stores at the click of your mouse. If you do choose to shop online for your gift, there are 2 things you should check for at the outset. While it’s true that delivery charges can often be offset against petrol and parking expenses, it’s important to check that what you’re being charged for postage and packing is not going to make you regret your decision to shop online. The good news is that many internet retailers offer very reasonable postage charges, some even offer free postage and packaging; shop around and make sure you find yourself a good deal.

The other thing to look out for as you browse each website is a testimonial or reviews page. While legislation does offer a certain amount of protection for online shoppers, it cannot compensate for the inconvenience and disappointment of waiting for your package to arrive only to discover that it is of poor quality or unsuitable for your purpose. Take the time to read the comments of previous shoppers and save yourself the bother of having to return items at a later date.

The Gift Hamper

More and more people are discovering the gift hamper. While the idea has been around for a while, the gift hamper has been enjoying something of a revival in recent years as people shopping for the perfect gift realise that its versatility is its strength. A gift hamper is suitable for any occasion, from birthdays to anniversaries, weddings and new babies; there’s a gift hamper to suit each one. There are many advantages to choosing to give a hamper as a gift. Here are just a few of them:

A gift hamper can be suitable for any age of recipient, both male and female

There are gift hampers available to suit all budgets

A gift hamper is a unique gift so you’ll have no need to worry about anyone else giving the same gift as you!

The hamper can be personalised to suit the recipient, perhaps themed around a particular hobby or interest

Giving a gift that has been uniquely tailored to the recipient can make quite an impact

There’s no need to worry about gift-wrapping; gift hampers come beautifully wrapped

A good gift hamper company will offer you help and advice about what to include in your hamper according to your chosen theme

There are some excellent online gift hamper companies that offer very reasonable (and in some cases free) postage costs

Gift Box Galore supply unique gift hampers for all occasions.


Posted in Gift

Step-By-Step Guide to Make the Perfect Gift Basket for Easter

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

Easter is a time of fun and celebration in many places all over the world. It is also a time for giving the perfect gift baskets to special people in your life.

There is great fun in receiving such Easter gift baskets. But, who’s saying there can’t be fun in preparing these Easter gifts? This brief guide will walk you through five fun steps for assembling the best gift basket to give away this Easter.

Before buying your materials, you need to find out whom to give these baskets to. That way, you can estimate how many items or how much material to buy. You can also innovate and be creative. Doing so will not only make the steps fun for you but will also help you save on expenses.

As a bonus suggestion, why not involve your kids and other family members in making these Easter baskets? After all, the common custom all over the world is for families to give such gifts to other families. Although, in many other places, it is also acceptable for individuals to give Easter gift baskets to other individuals.

Read through the following steps first before buying your materials. This tutorial is not meant to be an absolute instruction manual. Instead, treat it as a guide to get you started.

Step 1 – Finding a Suitable Basket to Hold Your Easter Gifts

Your first destination is the basket to hold your gifts. Depending on the weight of the gift items you’ll be putting into it, the gift basket must be of adequate size and depth. It must be able to hold the weight of the gift items. The color is up to you. You can go for one-color baskets, or you can go for the fancier, multicolored ones. One-color baskets, however, tend to make your colorful gift items stand out. That’s why I prefer to use them instead of the multicolored ones.

Giving Easter gift baskets goes a long way back to ancient times, and the tradition wasn’t always about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead, the tradition centered on spring.

The earliest record of such gift offerings are etched in stone–literally–on the walls of the ancient Persian city of Persepolis (ca. 550-330 BCE). Ancient Persians brought gifts to their king as offerings for the coming of spring, which also marks their New Year. Although the ancient Persians also offered colored eggs, they didn’t limit their gifts to eggs.

Several centuries later, Germanic peoples began the custom of offering gift baskets to one another in honor of the spring and dawn goddess known as Eostre or Ostara, from whose name we get our modern-day Easter. The practice of hunting for eggs and the myth of the Easter Hare (or Easter Rabbit), both of which were symbols of fertility and new life, also began during this time.

As the original ancient spring rituals began to spread, different people also adapted their own ways of celebrating spring. For instance, apart from painted eggs, people gave such Easter gifts as seedlings and live animals. In fact, in Christian history, several early churches started the tradition of bringing food (including eggs, of course), livestock, and seedlings to church on Easter day so that the priest could bless them. The belief was an ancient one: they needed the blessing for a bountiful harvest.

Thus, today, Easter gifts are usually placed in Easter gift baskets. The size of the basket doesn’t matter. The material doesn’t matter much either. The basket is just the container. But, if you prefer to give an Easter gift whose container can be used long after Easter, try to find a durable and multipurpose basket.

Step 2 – Stuffing the Easter Basket with Real or Artificial Grass

The idea here is to make your Easter gifts look as if they are sitting on a nest–particularly a hare’s nest (technically called a form). This notion comes from the old tradition of hunting for Easter eggs, the real purpose of which was to find the Easter Hare or Rabbit. According to tales and myths, the Easter Hare is the spring goddess’ precious animal and is supposed to lay colored eggs.

In reality, hares or rabbits don’t lay eggs at all. But, through some historical twist, the myth of the Easter Rabbit gives the animal egg-laying abilities–and colorful eggs at that!

If you want your Easter gift basket to be in keeping with the ancient traditions, stuff it with grass, preferably freshly cut crass. Although that might be a little bit messy, don’t you think so? And, real grass dries up quickly. So, the next best thing would be to use material that resembles grass. I’ve tried using shredded paper, which I colored with green dye. You can even go beyond green by using multicolored grass equivalents. Make sure you arrange the grass into some kind of nest or hare’s form.

Step 3 – Filling the Easter Gift Basket with Gift Items

The traditional items for an Easter basket are Easter bunnies and Easter eggs. You can go for the real thing, if you like–but you can’t expect the bunny to sit still until the basket is delivered to the recipient. There are many bunny- and egg-themed gift items that you can fill your basket with.

One really amusing thing that I’ve seen many of my friends do is to buy plastic Easter eggs, the kind that comes in assorted colors. Each plastic egg is hollow inside and can be opened at the middle. My friends would place small gift items–usually sweets or candy (especially chocolate, jelly beans, gummy bears, and gummy worms), food (e.g., biscuits, snack bars, and the like), small toys, and trinkets–inside the plastic eggs. They’d usually include a dozen eggs (in different colors) per basket and add a bunny to the mix. The bunny would look like it’s protecting the eggs inside the basket. (Although, if you are familiar with the custom’s roots, you’d know that the hare lays those eggs.) Most of my friends use stuffed bunnies, especially for Easter gift baskets for kids.

Or, you can go the unconventional route by filling the basket with other non-bunny, non-egg gifts. If you follow this route, you have two options: whether to stick to the traditional themes of Easter (i.e., spring time, abundance, and new life) or to give gift items that you believe might be meaningful and significant to the recipient. I have a handful of friends who fill their Easter gift baskets with fruits and food instead of inedible items. Another group of my friends fill their gift baskets with clothes–especially shirts, one for each member of the recipient family. My whole point in mentioning this is that you don’t need to restrict your Easter gifts to what is traditional or customary.

Step 4 – Wrapping the Basket in Transparent Plastic and/or Tying a Colored Ribbon

This is completely optional. The transparent plastic will protect your gift items from dust and dirt. The colored ribbon is just an additional decorative piece. Avoid overly flashy ribbons that will steal the scene; the gifts inside the basket are the focus, not the ribbon.

Step 5 – Attaching a Gift Tag or Greeting Card

Again, this step is completely optional, although I strongly recommend it. The gift tag will identify whom the Easter gift basket is for. Usually, writing the recipient’s name on the tag, along with a short greeting, will work just fine. Or, you could include a greeting card instead of a simple gift tag. You can use the greeting card to pour out all your Easter-related sentiments for the recipient.

Finally, if you really are at a loss for ideas, or if you are unsure about what gift to give to your loved ones this Easter, you can always resort to Easter gift cards. These are handy and practical gifts. You can give Easter gift cards with denominations as low as 15 cents to as high as $5,000. You can then email them, send them via Facebook, print them at home, or send them by postal mail to your recipients. Quite a time-saver, huh? If you prefer to give your gift recipients the flexibility and freedom to choose their own gifts, then gift cards may be the perfect gift for them this Easter.


Posted in Gift

How Women Hunt for the Perfect Gift

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

In late 2010, eBay released the results of a national study identifying different kinds of gift givers according to their holiday shopping styles. In the eBay-commissioned survey called “The Psychology of Gifting” conducted by Kelton Research, adult American women were asked to identify their holiday gift shopping behaviors. The study resulted in four types of holiday shoppers, each type corresponding to a distinct gift giving style.

eBay’s Survey of Gift Giver Types

According to the eBay-sponsored survey, American women can be grouped into four types of gift givers. Which group do you belong to?

  • Emotional Givers. About 4 out of 10 American women are Emotional Givers. They usually seek out unique gifts after giving much thought to the gifts and the recipients on their gift lists. Emotional Givers want to show how much they know the gift recipients, so they tend to plan their gifts, usually wrap the gifts themselves, and deliver the gifts usually with a handwritten note or card.
  • Practical Givers. About 1 out of 5 American women fall into this category of givers. When they give, the best gift items are either cold cash or gift cards (gift certificates or gift cheques). The rule of practicality dominates their gift giving, thus they give recipients the freedom to choose what item the receiver thinks is best. And, the perfect instrument for that sort of freedom is either cash or a gift card.
  • Convenience Givers. About 16 percent of the survey’s participants identified themselves under this type. Convenience Givers are efficient shoppers. They often prefer to buy gift items from only one store or source. For these women, looking for great gift ideas is a chore that they eventually have to (often grudgingly) accomplish. Most often, Convenience Givers hardly feel any excitement or joy in looking for the perfect gift to give.
  • Last-Minute Givers. These are the women who shop for gifts at the eleventh hour. They seem to enjoy the mad rush of last-minute buying. About 13% of America’s women fall under this category. These gift shoppers usually do not plan their gifts way ahead of the holidays.

It seems possible to exhibit several of the characteristics of the different types of givers. For most people, however, one characteristic dominates, while one or two usually are just secondary behavioral traits.

One blogger, for instance, wrote that he actually became a cross between Emotional Giver and Convenience Giver. Proof of that, he said, was that he shopped for Christmas gifts-all of which he had carefully thought out and planned for specific recipients-from only one online store. Before his transmogrification to the Emotional-Convenience hybrid, he claimed he was definitely of the Last-Minute breed.

Skepticism of Such Surveys

eBay’s survey appears to be well-designed and has been reported to have a 95% confidence level with a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points. When I first heard of this survey, my first impulse was to self-check and determine what kind of gift giver I am. Then, I slowly realized that I should take such surveys with a grain of salt.

First of all, this kind of survey, like many other similar surveys, emphasizes the material and financial/economic aspect of giving gifts-as if generosity can be objectively measured or quantified. By categorizing gift givers according to their shopping styles, the unspoken advocacy seems to be that “The perfect gift to give to anyone during the holidays is something that can be shopped from a store,” which is certainly not absolutely true in all cases. There are, in fact, limitless opportunities for anyone to give non-material, non-store-bought, non-monetarily-quantifiable gifts.

Yet, majority of people today feel compelled to give gifts to one another simply because of fear of social sanction. This brings me to my second reason for being skeptical: true giving-just like true love-conquers all fear, including the fear of social sanction and the fear of jumping off the bandwagon.

Seeming Lack of Spiritual Footing

There’s a spiritual dimension to the human tradition of gift giving, yet so many today have forgotten the true spirit of self-sacrificial generosity. Instead, we allow our capitalistic economy to encourage sentimentality in gift giving, as in the case of the Emotional Givers, who have to deal with the temptation of giving for the sake of giving-quite a big jump from the more noble and more thoughtful purpose of giving for the sake of assisting someone in need.

Or, take the case of the Convenience Givers and the Practical Givers who favor gift cards or cash. I can think of two possible motivations for this crowd to favor convenience when they set out to find the perfect gift.

One possible reason is that they haven’t really warmed up to the idea of holiday giving yet, or they just may be too lazy to sort out hundreds of gift ideas and find the perfect gift. They may possibly be generous in one way or another, although shopping for gifts for the holidays just might not be their idea of enjoying the holidays.

Another possible reason is that they feel obliged to engage in the social practice of looking for the best gifts to give during the holidays or on special occasions. They give gifts to avoid the societal frown that they would get if they don’t. This avoidance could be the reason for their preference to find the perfect gift from convenient, quick, hassle-free, and usually one-stop sources.

So, they seek the least troublesome road, especially the one with the sign that says “This way to the perfect gift idea that will take up just an iota of your thought, time, or effort.”

As for Last-Minute Givers, I believe they either just lack the time or shop at the last minute purely for the adrenaline rush. Nothing bad about the latter, but the former has question marks sprayed all over it. Truly loving persons are generous not only with their gifts but also with the time they use to find the perfect gift. If your gift is supposed to be a material representation of your love and concern for the welfare of another, then spend time to find the best gift. The time you sacrifice for finding the perfect gift is part of the gift itself.

Giving, in the true spirit of generosity and charity, always demands some form of sacrifice from the giver. It is a sacrifice that the giver willingly makes for the sake of the receiver. Generosity and giving are always other-centered. After reflecting on eBay’s survey, I am wont to say that unless you are inebriated by that self-sacrificing spirit, you will never be able to find the perfect gift at all.


Posted in Gift

Your Quest for the Perfect Gift: Avoiding the Top 3 Trouble Zones

Posted on January 3, 2019 by kentang123

Why is it so hard to find the perfect gift to give to that special person in your life? Whether you are looking for anniversary gift ideas, Christmas present ideas, or just that special gift for dad, looking for creative gift ideas seems to be an elusive task. What makes that special gift so hard to find?

This is a difficulty that everyone experiences. Finding gifts is already a chore in itself, but some people just make the chore more difficult and more complicated. Here are the top three reasons that make finding the perfect gift difficult, as well as some suggestions on how you can avoid them.

The Trap of Stereotypes

Reason 1: You are under the spell of the illusion of perfection. There is no such thing as a perfect gift for anyone. Each gift is unique to each recipient’s specific personality and life condition. If you still believe in the idea of a perfect gift for a particular type of person or stereotype, that same idea can be a limiting factor. It can effectively pigeonhole your hunt for a laser-targeted gift for your recipient. An illustration is appropriate at this point.

Say, you are searching for a gift for your friend, who, incidentally, is also a fitness buff. So, your most likely starting point for your online gift hunt would be the idea of gifts for gym rats. At this point, you are already probably madly searching on Google for gift ideas for gym lovers. Google doesn’t fail you, of course. In fact, it will over deliver and give you hundreds, maybe thousands, of web pages that claim to sell you the right gift to give to your gym-loving buddy. You spend hours examining page after page of gift suggestions, and your head starts to whirl. “Which one is perfect for my friend?” you ask exasperatedly.

What is wrong with that scenario? Nothing seriously evil about it, actually. But, you have successfully closed your eyes to other possible gift ideas. Your friend may be a gym lover, but she or he could also be a single parent, or a writer, or a struggling musician. These are aspects of your friend’s life that may be simply incidental, and to pigeonhole through incidentals could be folly in your gift giving.

The gift that you find for your friend’s gym-loving side may be of lesser value to his or her life at this point because your friend’s immediate need may not be related to his or her weight training activities. In fact, your friend’s more immediate need could be in his or her home improvement project. And, you missed out big time on that one simply because you got so engrossed with the idea of your friend’s being a workout freak.

Amazingly and paradoxically, the moment you let go of the idea of the “perfect gift,” you open yourself up to actually finding it.

Wants Versus Needs

Reason 2: You are focused on giving in to a person’s wants, rather than to his or her needs. Again, nothing wrong about that. Your gift will still be appreciated by the recipient. But, why stick to being a wish-granter for wants when you can be a wish-granter for needs? People can live without getting their wants, yet people can’t go on living with their needs unfulfilled. In fact, your recipient’s life will become easier and less burdensome if you do something to help fulfill her or his needs.

If you’d rather be more purposeful and helpful in your giving, take the more noble route: be a wish-granter for needs.

Why is wants-based gift giving more difficult than needs-based giving? Simple fact: human wants are absurdly infinite, but each human being actually only has few needs. Between infinite wants and definite needs, which road is less arduous and simpler for the gift giver? That’s a no-brainer question, huh? Yet, the major folly of most people is in satisfying wants first instead of needs. Our needs are often eclipsed by our wants, and we sometimes tend to confuse one for the other-even in our gift giving.

Take the case of my student friend. Last Christmas, I wanted to give him a special gift, something that he could use. Should I give a notebook? A new school bag? He wanted a new tight-fitting shirt, to add to his closet-full collection. He wanted new running shoes, too, one that he could wear “on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays” (his actual words). I ended up giving him an alarm clock. It wasn’t on his wish list at all. I gave it anyway. Why? Because he was having trouble waking up early-either for school, for an appointment, or for a cramming session at dawn. Apparently, he needed the alarm clock but just didn’t see it as something he needed. Was it hard to find an alarm clock? Definitely not. Did my friend appreciate the gift? You bet he was elated, especially with the note that I sent the gift with: “Time is precious. Time wasted is opportunity wasted. You are a gifted person. Use your time well to make this world a better place.”

Person Fitting Versus Gift Fitting

Reason 3: You are making the person fit the gift, rather than finding a gift that suits the person’s needs. Consequence: you end up shopping for excuses to give this or that gift to the person you have in mind. This is what will most likely happen if you begin your search through gift registry sites. You get a long list of themed gift ideas (e.g., gifts for boyfriends, gifts for weddings, gifts for husbands, and so on), and for each gift that catches your attention, your mind instantly tries to come up with an excuse to give such gift. Once you find the perfect excuse, you start believing you’ve found the perfect gift-but have you really? This is what I call hit-or-miss gift shopping and it is an excuse-driven gift giving approach.

Contrast the hit-or-miss method with the needs-based approach. This latter approach requires you to think hard about the recipient’s needs, find one specific need that you’d like to help out in, find a gift item that will fill that specific need, and go shopping for brands or models of that specific gift item (that is, if you are giving a tangible gift). With this approach, right from the start, you already know what gift to give and you perfectly know why. Your remaining task would be to find a brand, model, or provider that matches various other criteria such as budget, durability, convenience, customer support, etc.

Finding the right gift for your loved one always requires painstaking effort, especially if you are beholden to the idea of perfection, if you give gifts to grant want-wishes (instead of need-wishes), or if you fit a person into a gift idea (rather than the other way around). Yet, you can make the quest less difficult and less time-consuming for you by avoiding the top three causes of difficulty in finding the perfect gift for any recipient.


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