My visit to the New York International Gift Fair

Yesterday I attended the New York International Gift Fair. This is my first year attending the fair so I really didn't know what to expect. I have to say I was blown away by the variety of products. I'm in the midst of planning the launch of an online retail store, so I wanted to get an idea of what's out there to determine what types of items my store will stock. I saw some great products and I'm looking forward to getting my store up and running. One note of advice to first time attendees - wear comfortable shoes. I wore flats which were comfortable for the first 30 minutes, but, by the end of the day my feet were SCREAMING. I also probably shouldn't have tried to see everything in one day. Next year I'll spread my visit over two days. All in all it was a cool experience and I'm excited for next year's gift fair. Here are a few items that stood out to me.

BloemBox

(courtesy of bloembox)

My eyes were immediately drawn to the Bloembox booth. The gorgeous packaging holds a really great gift idea for the flower loving apartment dweller. Each box contains a pot with saucer and a bulb. You can purchase a set of 6 for $222 at www.bloembox.com.

Music Cooks by Menus and Music

(courtesy of Music and Menu)

MusicCooks is the perfect gift for food and music lovers. Each box contains 16 washable recipe cards that feature food photos, cook's tips, and shopping lists. The box also contains a CD compiled with songs that complement the theme of the box. For example, the Pleasures of the Caribbean box contains recipes for Caribbean dishes and cocktails and the enclosed CD contains reggae and calypso songs. Purchase it at Menus and Music for $22.

Transport by Setgogear

(courtesy of trendhunter magazine)

The transport is a really cool gift for the urban guy. This lightweight non bulky alternative to the messenger bag has two front pockets that can be used for a cellphone, ipod, or blackberry. And, there is also a zip pocket that is perfect for storing money. The back has a large zip up that can be used to store magazines. Purchase it at Setgo for $80.00.

Insect Inspired Jewelry

Each season there is an influx of new jewelry designs on the market and it's often difficult to find jewelry with a unique point of view. I'm always excited to learn of new designs that stand out from the pack. Recently, a New York Times' article highlighted new insect inspired jewelry designs. Nature has long been an inspiration for many jewelry designers, but, the article noted that unlike past designs the new insect inspired jewelry are more whimsical. The author also noted that insects provide a never ending source of inspiration because there are so many different types of insects. Like most people, I'm not a fan of insects, but, I really love how insects are being creatively incorporated into jewelry pieces. The designers really work hard to make these pieces accessible and beautiful by using bright vibrant hues and jewels. Their efforts and designs prove that you can find beauty in anything. Below, I've found a few beautiful insect inspired pieces that make great gifts for jewelry lovers or nature lovers.

(images via ShopBop)

Kenneth Jay Lane's Pink Ladybug Watch Necklace, is pretty and functional. The enamel inlaid ladybug pendant opens to reveal a watch. Purchase it at Shop Bop for $95.

(image via eluxury)

Roberto Cavalli's Snake Bracelet is made out of gold metal and multicolored enamel. Purchase it at eluxury for $350.

(image via Amazon)

This Gold Diamond Honey Bee Ring from Gems is Me is made from 14k yellow gold with pave set diamonds. Purchase it from Amazon for $687.

If you like these gift ideas and need help finding additional gift ideas, go to Gift Consulting and submit your Gift Consulting request today. It takes less than 15 minutes! We'll search the web, visit stores, and research products to find unique and creative gift ideas customized specifically for your gift recipient. We do the work so you don't have to!

Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts

As promised here is our Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Guide. I decided to look for last minute Mother's Day Gift Ideas at our favorite department store Target. I found some great gifts - all under $100. We know that some of these gifts may not be in your local target, but we hope that you get some inspiration from the gifts that were chosen. Please listen to the audio of my shopping trip to Target below and check out the gifts I found.

That Perfect Something's Visit to Target

Xhiliration Stretch Bracelets $8.99

Seed Bead Bracelets $13.99 (set of 6)

Organic Totes $9.99

Gryson Woven Tote Bag $49.99

Novelty Photo Albums $13.49

Sonya Kashuk Duffle $39.99

Recycled Cosmetic Bag $22.99

DeChine and Assam Teapots$24.99 & $29.99

Fondue Set $24.99

Guacamole Set $29.99

Margarita Mania $79.99

Wooden Barrel Ice Cream Maker $59.99

Perfect Mother's Day Gift Guide - Part II

I hope everyone enjoyed Part I of our Mother's Day Gift Guide found great gift ideas. Please enjoy Part II of our Gift Guide.

That Perfect Something

"Perfect Mother's Day Gift Guide"

For Any Mother

Unless Someone Like You Infant Portraits

(image courtesy of Unless Someone Like You)

Send a favorite photograph of your Mom and you as an infant and the designer will turn the photo into a Portrait. This is a great gift for a new mom or an older mom.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Take a minute to recall a special memory about your Mom. Handwrite this memory on nice and have it framed. Share this memory to your Mom on Mother's Day when you present her the portrait.

You can purchase your portrait at Unless Someone Like You for $85.

For the Bag Addict

Marc Jacobs Posh Turnlock Super K Handbag

(image courtesy of eluxury)

Help your Mom get ready for summer with this Marc by Marc Jacobs white handbag. It's made out of patent leather, has silver hardware and tons of compartments.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Make this gift extra special by adding a coin purse or the purseket(purse organizer).

You can purchase the handbag at eluxury for $478.

For the Tea Loving Mom

Teaspot Automatic Teapot Tea Party Set

(image courtesy of Teaspot)

The tea party set includes the automatic teapot, two matching black porcelain teacups, and sample tins of Snowflakes & Mango Tango teas. The automatic teapot has an integrated timer that automatically stops when your tea is done brewing. You can set the timer for the type of tea you are brewing. The teapot works with both loose tea and tea bags.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Take your Mom out for afternoon tea and present her with the tea party set.

You can purchase the Tea Party set for $80.95 at Teaspot.

Perfect Mother's Day Gift Guide- Part I

That Perfect Something

Perfect Mother's Day Gift Guide

We are really excited to provide the first of three installments of our Perfect Mother’s Day Gift Guide. The next two installments will be posted during the next two weeks. We will also post a last minute gift ideas during the week before Mother's Day, for those of you who were too busy to buy Mother's Day Gifts. We hope that our guide will help you find the perfect gift for your Mother or at the least we hope that our gift ideas inspires your Mother's Day gift search.

For the Bauble Loving Mother

Spring Cart Designs Fulani Earrings

(image courtesy of Springcart Designs)

This beautiful gold twist design will be a hit with Moms who love handcrafted, one of a kind jewelry pieces. The Fulani earrings are individually crafted by the Fulani people of West Africa. No two pieces are identical.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Make this gift extra perfect by purchasing a 6 or 12 month subscription to Spring Cart Designs' Earring Club. Recipients of the 6 month subscription receive three pairs of earrings and recipients of the 12 month subscription receive 6 pairs of earrings. The six month club membership costs $120.00 and the twelve month membership costs $210.

Purchase the Fulani Earrings for $27 or a six month or 12 month Earring Club membership at Springcart Designs.

For the Foodie and Earthy Mom
Nudo-Italia Adopt an Olive Tree

(image courtesy of Nudo-Italia)

Show your Mom that you appreciate her love of food and the earth by adopting an olive tree in Le Marche, Italy for a year for her. Your Mom will not only receive the produce from the tree (one package of olive oil in the Spring and another package of olive oil in the fall), but your purchase also supports small scale farming. Your Mother will also receive an adoption certificate and a booklet telling her about her tree.

Purchase this gift for £65.00 (approximately $130.00) + delivery and taxes at Nudo-Italia.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Make this gift extra perfect by creating an Italian themed culinary basket for her. Purchase a woven basket from a craft store and fill it with the items below or similar items.

• An Olive Pitter
• An Oil Mister
• An Olive Oil Carafe
• An Italian Cookbook
  

For the Globe-Trotting Mom
Toss Designs Club Tote

(image courtesy of Toss Designs)

Any woman who loves to travel appreciates a good carry on bag. The Club Tote fits the bill. It's stylish, roomy, and versatile. The Club Tote comes in either pink/white or green/white.

Purchase the Club Tote at Toss Designs for $126.00.

Perfect Gifting Tip

Make this gift extra perfect by adding any or all of the following items to the Club Tote.

• Noise Reducing Earphones
• Travel Comfort Set
• Travel Journal

If you like the gift ideas posted in our Mother's Day Gift Guide and need help finding additional gift ideas, go to Gift Consulting and submit your Gift Consulting request today. It takes less than 15 minutes and only costs $19.99 per Gift Consulting request.

Perfect Little Somethings - Gift finds at the Brooklyn Flea Market

Despite the cold weather I dropped by the Brooklyn Flea Market today. There was a huge turnout and it was exciting to see so many vendors showcasing their wares. It will be one of my go to places to find great gifts. Here are some of my favorite finds.

Brooklyn based Greenjeans showcased a number of items including handmade toys made by Frank Ridley. I particularly loved the wonderfully crafted Wooden Helicopter. The helicopter is made out of white pine and doesn't have any artificial finishes. It's a great natural, simple toy that any kid will love. You can purchase Frank Ridley's wooden toys at Greenjeans for $18.

I couldn't pass up Loyalty and Blood's Letter Tote. It's made out of canvas and comes in either small or large. It's perfect to take to the supermarket or to the flea market. You can purchase this tote for $22 at Loyalty and Blood.

Amy Holbrook designs fun needlepoint kits. I picked up her Stitchable Journal in the Rio design. I love that you can personalize the journal with a needlepoint monogram. It's a great gift for a crafty person. You can purchase the stitchable Journal for $22 at Amy Holbrook.

Bonbon Oiseau's keyfobs and necklaces immediately caught my eye. The keyfobs are made out of antique brass with various handstamped motifs. The keyfobs can also be used as pendants on chains. The necklaces are really unique jewelry pieces. To order these pieces email info@bonbonoiseau.com. Prices range from $48 -134.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Gardener's Essential tool kit

One of the things I hate about living in an apartment is that there is no backyard to do any gardening. I'm looking forward to moving to a place where I can plant flowers, herbs, and vegetables. But, I know that when I'm ready to start gardening, I'll need to purchase gardening tools. So, I was happy to come across the Gardener's Essential Tool Kit at Brookstone. Anyone who loves to garden will appreciate this great kit as a gift. This well stocked kit includes a cultivator, narrow weeder, trowel, planter, dibble, and fork, Two rustproof, aluminum/brass spray nozzles: 2-way shower/mister, and 3-way adjustable spray nozzle, 6-piece hose connector set with a Y connector and a 3-piece pruning set. This kit is a great buy for only $100.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Sena iPhone cases

Every day I see more and more people with iPhones. Most owners keep their iPhones protected in a plain rubber case. I'm sure that these rubber cases are just temporary and at some point will be upgraded to nicer cases. An attractive iPhone case would be a great gift for any friend or family member who is planning to upgrade. Sena makes really great cases for telephones, mp3 players, and PDA's. They have not disappointed with their iPhone case line. One case that stands out to me is the Magnet Flipper Case. This case is made out of Napa Leather, has a charging port opening and a multipurpose pocket. The case comes in several colors and is affordably priced at $52.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Jewel Toned Gloves

I can't tell you how many times I buy gloves during the winter. I usually buy inexpensive gloves and unfortunately throughout the winter they become so frayed, I have to throw them out. It's really time for me to buy a pair of sturdy, warm gloves that will last a winter or two. As you can imagine, I was excited to find the perfect pair of gloves in J.Crew's holiday gift catalog. These gloves are cute, colorful, and most importantly warm. So, if you know someone like me who is in need of a great pair of gloves, give them J. Crew's Shearling Gloves for the holidays. The price is right at $88.

Lois Loves - Hayden-Harnett Cuff Bracelets

As I perused the new issue of InStyle magazine, I found another great gift idea. I love cuff bracelets and Hayden-Harnett makes some of the best. My personal favorites are the Mercer and the Celina cuff bracelets.

The Mercer cuff can be worn by both women and men and comes in six great colors. $88.

The Celina cuff will adds edge to any outfit. $78

Lois Loves - Toss Designs Weekender Bag

Well, I've started thinking about trips I want to take during the summer. Since I don't have time to take a long trip right now, I've focused my attention on shorter, weekend trips. Whenever I take weekend trips, I like to keep my luggage to a minimum, i.e. one bag for everything. I've been known to pack everything I need for the weekend in a backpack. But, this year I set a goal to find a trendy, weekender bag. Luckily, I picked up the latest issue of InStyle magazine and saw the perfect weekender bag by Toss Designs. The weekender bag comes in various patterns and colors, but my favorite is the Giraffe weekender bag . This bag is the perfect carry-on, and is a great bag for short trips. $92.

Lois Loves - Omma Yoga and Pilates Mat Bags

I recently began taking Yoga and of course bought a Yoga mat for my classes. A friend recently asked me how I carried my mat to class. I told her that I bought a simple Yoga mat bag. It's cute, but it only holds my mat. After this discussion, I thought it would be great if I could find a bag that holds my mat, workout clothes, and other personal items. Well, I found the perfect Yoga bag at Omma Yoga.

The Omma Yoga and Pilates Mat Bag has a separate zippered mat compartment and a roomy compartment for workout clothes, a towel, a music player and a water bottle. It's the perfect gift for new and old Yoga students. $84.

Lois Loves - Cute Rainy Day Gear

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain pelting my window. I looked out the window and thought that it didn't look as bad as it sounded. So, I decided to stick to my plan and visit the gym today. A little rain wasn't going to keep me from my workout. I put on my workout clothes, stepped outside, and immediately thought to myself, what am I doing? It was raining a lot harder than I originally thought it was. You would think I would turn around and go back upstairs to my apartment. But, of course not. I opened my umbrella and bravely started walking to the gym. Well, five minutes later, I was back in front of apartment building. My coat and hair were drenched, my pants legs were soaking wet, and my feet felt cold and wet. Needless to say, I was pissed. My experience this morning made me realize that I needed to purchase more appropriate rain gear. My little $8.00 umbrella and my gym sneakers just weren't cutting it. So, I started to look for rain gear on the Internet. But of course it couldn't be any old rain gear; it had to be cute. I definitely think you'll like the products that I've found. These products will keep you and any gift recipient dry.

J.Crew's Critter Wellies will light up those dreary, rainy days. $65.

Now who said rain boots couldn't be fashionable. Jeffrey Campbell's Chelsea Rain Boots are perfect for the girl who refuses to let a little rain dampen her fashion sense. $59.95.




Cole Haan's Stadium Jacket keeps you dry and also keeps you looking good. $375.

Marc by Marc Jacob's Miss Marc Umbrella is clearly whimsical. $58.

Lois Loves - Bold, Chunky Rings

A friend recently asked for my opinion about a few rings that she is considering purchasing. I promised her I would look for more rings and share what I found. So K.H., here are some great, bold, chunky rings for Spring. And, for those of you looking for Spring birthday gifts, these rings are just perfect.

I absolutely love John Hardy's Curved Ring. Its unique gold and silver dot design is the perfect conversation piece. $795.

Gorjana's Flutter Ring is the perfect Spring Adornment. $135.

The Oval Rock Crystal Ring by Stephen Dweck can be worn with any outfit. $375.

Azaara's Blue Opal Ring is my absolute favorite. The blue-green opal stone sits beautifully in its ornate gold setting. $245.

Who can resist Kenneth Jay Lane's Flower Ring? This feminine ring is one of my friend's choices and I can certainly see why she was drawn to it. $90.

This ring may not be chunky, but it's certainly bold. The Wide Coral Band by Catherine Weitzman makes a simple statement with its unique design. $105.

If one ring is not enough, why not stack seven? Gorjana's Stackable Rings is the perfect everyday adornment. $145.

You certainly won't be ashamed to adorn your hand with the Proud Plumage Ring. The amethyst, peridot, and ruby stones makes this two finger ring breathtaking. $218.

You'll not only look good, but also smell good with John Hardy's Ayu Scented Jasmine Ring. Made in Bali, this ring has a refillable fragrance pad hidden in the heart of the ring that releases a wonderful blend of fragrances. $795.



Who said you had to wait until May for Spring Flowers? Stephen Dweck's Bronze Flower Ring is both girly and bold. And, the blue lapis center makes it even more special. $395.