I won't stress you out over listing the dwindling days till Christmas, but we all know it's coming down to the wire -- ARE ALL YOUR GIFTS BOUGHT AND READY TO RUMBLE???  I know, that was mean. The Magpie just got bumped to the Naughty List, to be sure. But I'll make up for it -- forget wrestling with mall traffic or contemplating Chia Pets for yet another year, use the magic of subscription services to make your gifts feel unique and ones that will last well into the new year! 

Valentine's Day is upon us! This Bird isn't much of a stickler for the hearts n' flowers stuff -- truthfully, I have a hard time taking a greeting card-invented holiday all that seriously, but I do appreciate the sentiment. It's a good idea to recognize a special someone in our life. But what's with the red rose fever?? It's the one day of the year that the price of roses triples, and as beautiful as they are, there are so many other gorgeous flowers out there that still say "I love and appreciate you," all the same. 

I had to show off one of my favorite photos I took on a recent visit to Maui. Orchids are incredible flowers, no? Difficult to grow in colder climates, true, but what a showstopper. I haven't had the best of luck keeping these delicate beauties alive, but I do love them for their color, exotic and fluttery shape, and frankly, they give any ol' rose a run for its money! So as you're considering heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and wondering if that bouquet of roses is worth the holiday upcharge, take a stroll outside the Valentine's Day box and consider a living plant, something a recipient can enjoy and care for, much like a beloved relationship. 

The Birdy wishes you all a very happy Valentine's Day -- you don't need a sweetheart to feel loved and appreciated, and don't be shy about letting someone else know they are loved and appreciated.    


Jaunty Fine Print: Photo by Denise Sakaki

I know what you're thinking: It's not Halloween, Birdy -- get over it! The kitty Trick-or-Treat pendant so cleverly made on a Scrabble letter piece was a gift from a friend around All Hallow's Eve this year. It wasn't because we celebrate Halloween in any big fashion, it was one of those just-because gifts from a friend that just happened around the holidays. I feel very fortunate to have sweet friends who bestow such thoughtful things like that, no holiday required, like the gold leather-bound notebook from a friend's trip to London, and a copy of Bubbly On Your Budget, from another friend's trip to the new local bookshop in Ballard, Book Larder. I can't express enough how grateful I am for such things, not because they are so lovely and enriching, but because you know there was a lot of heart put into their selection. It could have been a shiny rock someone picked up on the ground and given to me, because, "ooh shiny!" That's me! But I'd place it on the mantle like it was a king's crown.

We're getting into the fever pitch of the holiday season, where advertising and media inundate us with the pressure to get bigger, better, over-the-top gifts for our loved ones. Take a moment, take two moments -- deep breath. Your loved ones appreciate your presence more than presents, as the saying goes. And if you feel the desire to give them a token of your love during the holidays, there's no need to "wow" them, they love you for exactly who you are. You'll see something passing by a store, a small and thoughtful bauble you know they would appreciate, and no matter how humble it may seem to others, it will likely mean the world to its recipient. Consider a journal with a heartfelt note on the first page. Or bake a batch of their favorite cookies. It's the un-holiday gifts from sweet friends that are a reminder that it is indeed the thought that counts.


Jaunty Fine Print:  photos by Denise Sakaki, lovely gifts from lovely friends - merci!

This Bird was blessed by a most jaunty and thoughtful gift recently, from friend and fellow stylish blogger, Radish and Rose, who is quite a fabulous bird herself. I make no secret that my heart's aflutter for the little big shop called Anthropologie. The retail darling of thoughtful gift-givers everywhere, it always manages to charm us into perusing their website and stores to share in the discovery of each vintage-inspired treasure. It's noteworthy how canny Anthropologie is about the attention to detail they place on presenting an item that leaves their store. The simple kraft paper boxes have their logo stamped on the inside, their tissue paper has a custom pattern that goes with their elegantly simple bags, and their gift cards come with a little patchwork bag and the company statement, extolling the virtues of how truly special this store is. Not to forget the beribboned bonbon that was enveloped in all this lovely ephemera -- it's a goldenrod fabric flower necklace, adorned with small gems in the center of each bloom. It's a bit like wearing a modern lei, and I feel as though I have plenty of Aloha spirit when I wear it, thinking of the kindly gift-giver. I will wear this long into the chilly months when it will be the only cheery colored bloom amidst a winter wonderland.