Gift Ideas for your Valentine

B and I don't really do Valentine's Day.

It sounds bad, but he isn't anti-romance, just not into being romantic on demand. I get that and I'm fine with it. We make a point to celebrate a bit later when the roses and chocolates and dinner reservation frenzy has died down.

But that doesn't mean I don't think about what I'd like to give him to show him he's my favorite. So I thought I'd share some ideas for those who may have an impending holiday to celebrate with their guys. No judgement here. I'm pro-love!

"I love you more than all the stars."

 I think lots of guys (and gals) like maps, but there's something a little sweeter about this map of constellations. I recently bought one like this showing the specific constellations that are visible in October, when our anniversary is. That's romantic, right? And if the Ebay sellers are to be believed, these things are from the 19th century which feels extra fancy.

"You make my heart soar."

If your guy is a kid at heart, he will enjoy this.

"You've captured my heart." 

For an budding photographer (who doesn't want to bring his real camera everywhere), this little accessory would allow him to take some cool shots on the fly.

“Our lives were just beginning, our favorite moment was right now, our favorite songs were unwritten.” (from Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield, which is full of other great lines.)
Sure, cassettes are impractical these days, but the experience of picking out a collection of songs for someone never goes out of style. This ingeniously packaged USB drive would be just the way to do it.

"I adore your creative spirit." 

B essentially picked this out. It essentially lets you turn anything into a game controller. Pretty much the coolest thing ever if your guy likes to tinker. I kinda want it too.

"You rock."

This book of beautifully designed concert posters may appeal to your guy's eye for design as well as his inner music geek. We have two of the posters in our house and I adore them.

"Love is friendship set on fire."

Guys like to receive chocolate too! These delicious chocolates come with built-in sweet sayings so you don't even have to pick up a card.

"You are the gin to my tonic."

For B, it's all about the gin and tonic. Why not pick out a top shelf version of your guy's go to drink? I love the way this trio of gins looks, but if your man isn't much of a drinker, you could do the same with whatever he digs. Hot sauce, for example?

"I mustache you to be my valentine."

With mustache paraphernalia and old-timey shave kits being all the rage right now, I think treating your dude to a proper trim and shave would be a nice surprise. I think it would be like a manly spa day. But maybe don't say it that way when you tell him what it is. (If you're in Oakland, try this place.) photo from here

"If music be the food of love, play on."

This good looking Ipod dock amplifies using only physics. Perfect for a minimalist. Or a camper. Or a music lover. Pretty much anyone. (A similar one can be seen here or you can even try your hand at DIYing a speaker with this tutorial.)

Bedroom revamp saga - Part One-ish

I know I mentioned last week that I'm planning to repaint the bedroom. I'm still planning to, but I cannot seem to stay focused on what I want to do with it.

Obviously, it needs some life. Artwork. More substantial curtains. Lamps with some form.

The West Elm duvet (in Slate) that I had once loved has faded to a dramatically different color than the matching pillow cases. We don't actually sleep on the pillow cases, so I wash them much less often. Is that a common problem? Should I be washing them anyway to be consistent?

And then there's the headboard.

Ugh.

It was a nice DIY project B and I did a couple years ago using the remains of an old Ikea headboard. We used a natural hemp fabric that lasted about a day before our cats started using it as a scaling wall/scratching post. Not to say the cats won't do it again, but it wasn't an appropriate fabric choice for upholstery anyway. B and I still like the general color of it, so it won't look that different when we redo it. Anyway, it should be a quick fix.

Of course, Julius feels differently about it.

Thanks for your design perspective, dude.

On the floor is a rug that I still like, but is clearly a bit small, even for a room that is obviously quite small. If I find something amazing to replace it, it might find a new home. But for now, it stays.

What I failed to capture in these photos, but I'm sure you're familiar with, is the boob light on the ceiling.

The replacement I want for it is one of the only choices for the room I made right away.

It is the Dustin Dodecahedron Pendant by Ralph Lauren. And it's wayyy out of my price range. So, of course I thought oh, we could totally make that!

 B and I picked up a bunch of 3/4" square dowels at Home Depot for next to nothing.

 

I was congratulating us for recreating the light before we'd even considered how it was going to fit together. 

I mean, in my mind, I thought you'd cut each end at 108° to make a bunch of pentagons and then you'd stick them all together. Easy peasy. (sidenote: I totally had to google "how to make a degree symbol" just now.)

And maybe that would have possibly worked. But we'll never know because as I was checking to see if anyone else had attempted to make one, I found this. Aaaand, once I visited View Along the Way to read the tutorial, I knew I was in way over my head. 

The silver lining? Kelly and her math-tastic husband are selling their homemade versions of this very light for a fraction of the price!

If I had not already placed my own order, I would not be sharing this awesomeness with you now. 

What do you think? Are you going to get one too? Are you completely stunned by the geometric complexity involved?