Presents of Greatness for Christmas 2012

I love the holidays because it’s such a great time of year to spoil the ones you love with creative gifts that they wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves. The intent of your gift is just as important as what lies within the wrapping paper and ribbons. That’s when the sentiment really shines.

I remember the gift I gave to my mother-in-law one Christmas. A certifiable shoe addict, she was fascinated by the uniqueness of stylish shoes through the history of fashion. It all started with a miniature carnival glass slipper that I found on ebay, like the one above, that I just had to get her.

As I shopped year-round, I would see unusual shoe paraphernalia here and there. Wherever I went if I found something special in a shoe theme, I would buy it for her. By the time Christmas rolled around I had a nice little collection of really sweet presents, which I wrapped and layered inside a giant gift bag that was printed with a whimsical shoe design—a hint of the surprises to come.

Inside there were shoe boxes by famous upscale shoe brands, filled with creative gifts: a shoe calendar, like the one pictured here; stationery embellished with a glittery little shoe and customized with her name; a silver charm bracelet with all kinds of shoes as the charms; delicate rose-scented decorative soaps cast as Victorian shoes; and so on. Every gift was custom-picked for her, completely unique, and in its own way, a tiny work of art.

It was a gift given with a lot of love, and I was happy to see her delight at unwrapping one shoe after another when it dawned on her that it was a Shoe Christmas.

It’s not too late to surprise your friends and family with clever gifts. Themed presents really show people how much you care. The thought and effort can eclipse the gift itself because your recipient is left with a feeling, not just an item.

When buying your presents, get creative and use online sources, such as ebay or etsy, for ferreting out the most unique. And now we launch our 2012 series titled Presents of Greatness. Join me as we count down to Christmas with gifts that will leave someone with more than a beautiful gift, but also, a beautiful memory. Cheers.