Hi Moms,
My DD's 18th Bday is just around the corner, and I'm trying to come up with a unique idea for a gift that she'll think of as special. I'm going for inexpensive here (under $50), since we just got her a new laptop for graduation and a printer will follow shortly. She's quite a fashionista, but never likes the clothes I buy for her (for good reason! ;-) ). She loves shoes, but again, we disagree on styles. Jewelry is a definite possibility, and she actually expressed a desire for a Cleopatra-type snake armlet. Anyone know where I can get one for a reasonable price? I've done some internet hunting, but for the most part have found only items that are either really cheap or really expensive. I live in the San Fernando Valley, but work near El Segundo, so any suggestions for places to look in between are fine.
Other things about her: she's a top student and her passions lie in mathematics, economics, and microfinance for social service. She loves to dance. If anyone has any suggestions for a "magical" type gift, I'm all ears!
Thanks to everyone who responded -- all of the suggestions were terrific! What we ultimately did was contract with Andi Hammer (a contributing mamapedia mom), who makes and sells jewelry through etsy.com (http://www.etsy.com/shop/andidanie?ref=top_trail). She made a simply exquisite piece for Laura of a sterling silver tree with tourmaline chip leaves and backed it with a resin-coated decorative paper on vintage bronze that contained a special message we wrote for our daughter; "Laura,
on your chai birthday,
You are an Etz Chaim.
Spread your roots deep,
Your branches far,
And blossom forever.
Love,
Mom and Dad
Chai (which was written in Hebrew letters) means "life", but the characters also stand for the number 18. Etz Chaim is the tree of life, which refers to the Torah (Hebrew bible, also known as the 5 books of Moses). In Jewish tradition, every child is considered to be a Torah, that is, every life is made in the image of G-d, thus is innately good and holy, and has the capacity to hold all the wisdom of the Torah and use it for good.
Laura absolutely LOVES the piece, especially since it was made specifically for her and (because of the backing and the message) is one-of-a-kind. It will be a keepsake she can treasure forever.
Andi, you've gotten my thanks in email, but I'm adding one more great big THANK YOU! to you here!
Oh, and I also ended up getting her a snake armlet too, which I found very inexpensively at a vintage shop. We gave it to her for graduation. She was really touched and amazed, because she couldn't believe I had remembered that she wanted one, since she had only mentioned it once. She told me it meant a lot to her to realize that I really DO listen to her, which meant much more to her than the actual cost value of the armlet. (It's so nice when they grow up, isn't it?!)
What about, from Etsy (great place for unique gifts)- my idea would be....
get a "personalized jewelry" pendant.... and have inscribed on it something like "love you always..." ?
It can be a dog-tag style or they have other very hip styles of pendants.
Here is a link from Etsy, on 'personalized jewelry':
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=personalized+jewelry
all the best,
Susan
my niece just bought a necklace for her Momma for Mother's Day. She bought it thru http://www.dogeared.com
They have beautiful jewelry! Many of the items are inspirational....my sis received the "Mother" necklace in sterling silver. Great choices....& it's on my BD list.
How about a scrapbook of her 18 years? I did a board for my sons 16th, and he LOVED it. You could add special pictures she may have made, or awards etc.
for my children's 18th birthday, i bought them 18 gifts and wrapped them all separately. obviously, this can get expensive, but its the fun of opening the 18, not the $ amount, so i bought things like lipgloss, wallet with small amount of money in it, one cd, a book,........ kind of like stocking stuffers. dont know how special any of the actual gifts were, but i think they really enjoyed the idea of it.
Is she going to college next year? Maybe get a necklace with a locket... or with a charm of something to inspire her. I WANT this necklace that has your fingerprint on it (it's gold or sterling silver)... you could do hers and your prints on either side, and she could wear it close to her heart :)
I was going to suggest a scrapbook as some of the others have, but another idea is a keepsake quilt. You can buy special fabric (at jo-anns) that you can print pictures on (using your regular printer), and put them on the quilt. I made one of these for my grandmother and my sister when my dad passed away. I used his t-shirts, jeans and bandanas for the other material. It also had patches of his accomplishments and hobbies (he was a medic and active member of a motorcycle club). The pictures were all of his siblings and kids, when we were small and special moments like walking his daughters down the aisle and meeting his grandkids.
You could use her old baby blankets or her baby clothes, or just find a material with a special print that means something to her. It's something that I'm sure she would love, and could pass on to her daughter one day.
(if you're not a sewer, I'm sure you could find someone to help you with it!)
I totally second Etsy.com...you will be able to find something cool and unique within your range.
Pyramid catalog may have an armlet. I find their prices reasonable, but they have some things in the catalog that I would keep from my children. ;)
My best advice is to check etsy.com If you find an armband you like elsewhere, you might be able to get an artist to recreate it for less using a less expensive material.
Good luck!
When my daughter went off to college this past fall, I put together a couple of collages for her. One was of her and her friends and school-related events; a second was family members. She loved them both and they've hung on her dorm room wall all year. Another option might be a photo album beginning with either her baby picture or you pregnant with her and then progressing over the years, ending with a brief note from you telling her how much you've loved being her mom and how excited you are for her next 18 years.
Good luck finding a gift that expresses what's in your heart. Getting through the first 18 years can certainly be a challenge!
For the armlet, check Claire's. I'm not sure if they would have one, but that's the only place I could think of that might.
You may also consider a locket with something special engraved on the back and a picture of you and hubby, or the three of you inside.
Hi R.,
This is something different altogether, but you might consider putting together a scrapbook for her. Ask friends and family to contribute a special memory or wish they have for your DD and arrange it in a scrapbook for her to have. It can be as fancy or not as you wish. If you are into scrapbooking, you can embellish as you wish. If you are not, you'd just need to pick up one of those photo albums that are able to slide the well wishes into plastic sleeves.
It does not really tap into the fashionista part of her personality, but it will probably last longer and hold more meaning to her the longer she has it.
Happy birthday to your DD, and I send you all my best.
L.
If she's going away to college, how about a digital picture frame loaded with pics of friends and family?
My mom hired a limo (not as exspensive as you might think) and took myself and 5 friends to Hollywood and Beverly Hills for....something. Probably dinner. I honestly can't remember. I just remember how fun it was and she was there taking pictures the entire time. My friends loved it and so did I. It was a glam night.
For me, it's all about experiences, not stuff.
There is a clothing designer on Kauai: www.islandhempclothing.com. Its expensive (meaning you'd only be able to get one item for $50), but its also unique, so I bet no one else at school would have that. They have cool flirty skirts and yoga pants with flair legs--not sure what type of dance she likes, but if it's salsa or jazz, these would be fun.
Good luck!
What about a sterling silver charm bracelet, where you can buy her more charms in the future. They are not that expensive......I think.
If you go to Ultra Diamonds, they have lots of jewelry that is reasonably priced. They also are willing to negotiate price with you and if you sign up your e-mail address at the website, will give you $50 off so you can get something for free or a $100 item for $50. I've shopped there several times. The quality is ok, but the price is definitely right. You can shop online or look up a location near you. They are usually in Burlington Coat Factory or at an Outlet Mall.
Compile a bunch of pictures from her wonderful 18 years. Then go to shutterfly.com and create a keepsake book!
Maybe take her shopping for a pair of shoes under $50 that you buy- whether you like them or not! She's going to college (I assume) in the fall, so in the very near future what she wears and does will not be up to you!
I would suggest showing her that you do trust her judgment and her ability to make good choices by going on a "bite my tongue" shopping trip!
As for the armlet, I would look at gift shops or antique/ second hand stores for really unique jewelry pieces. My mother bought me a beautiful beaded necklace at a little gift shop for $20. I get so many compliments on it and it was very inexpensive!
