for my GALentines.

Hey darlings,

most weeks I can say that not much is going on (besides work) in the delta, but last week was WILD with birthday celebrations and social events. it was pretty fun to have a full dance card...and see so many people who aren't teachers and don't need/want/have to have my advice but just want to chat about life, books, the news, and upcoming events.

we did take time out of our busy schedules to watch 30 rock and parks and rec thursday night, and they were totally worth the time. PLUS, leslie knope inspired me to re-think valentine's day as GAL-entines day. ;) great, right?

i'm THE world's WORST at mailing things on time, plus we live an 1.8 hours away from any decent shopping spot, but if i could overcome these obstacles, these are the things i'd want to give my best gals.
gifties found here:pillow so they know how much they mean,  cool umbrella pushpins, a pretty notebook to help us remember (we're getting old)   elise mahan "together in the sky" print , or maybe some fun stripey straws

gift guide: the woman who who taught me about champagne tastes (and how to manage them on a beer budget)

 I know it may seem a little early for gift guides, but honestly, my life is so crazy I've GOT to plan these important things really far in advance. if you're with me, say amen. :) anyway, here are my thoughts for what i'd like to get my beautiful, special, so important mama this year...

the perfect wallet in the perfect color... because she's warm, firey, and crazy organized. 

and a lifetime supply of her favorite lipstick color to match (even though I've been anti-orange flip a LONG time) :)

a heavenly feeling (and looking) cotton nightgown and cotton robe since they are SO hard to find. I mean, who wants fleece in a warm Mississippi winter? no one.

and maybe a snuggly and chic pair of slipper socks from jcrew to go with that nightgown

and a cotton license plate so she can show her Mississippi pride... (plus she keeps saying she wants one)

a subscription to a super useful, super delicious recipe magazine, because she and my dad love to cook together, but she's the comfort-food kind of mom.

or maybe some quirky but functional things to jazz up her workspace (since now she's a famous calligrapher)

or a surprise trip to her favorite restaurant (Galatoire's in New Orleans) for lunch...or dinner...or both. it makes her remember her dad, and is the penultimate spot for a celebration with sizzle.

gift guide.... the man who takes care of me, protects me,

a harmonica and some lessons with a pro...because we live in the land of the blues, and he regrets quitting piano...

 

 A pair of snazzy shades... because he can't wear his glasses ALL the time..

a new notebook for his ideas, since his moleskins all look the same and don't really fit into his back pocket very well..

 new sneakers from JCrew and New Balance...because his are FALLING APART and he started drooling when he saw these...

 

a moustache and beard comb...so his facial hair can look as spiffy as the rest of him..

 

a portable basketball hoop...because we may not stay here forever, but he needs some b-ball in his life. 

a canoe, so we can navigate the Mississippi together, and a fab, manly book about the great river's history (boone LOVES history)

gift guide: my four lovely nieces who love drawing mermaids, wearing pretty shoes, and live on the other side of the world.

not many more gift guides to go, friends, but here's one more for you in case you're looking for something for little, adorable, precious gals in your life..

here we go...a fun girlie-fied fort. because boys shouldn't have all the fun hiding out.

an easy-peasy introduction to sewing...even i couldn't mess that up.

or maybe a giant doughnut pillow...it's snuggly AND delicious!

a way to make even the white-est, plainest sneakers look awesome.

a way to jumpstart their imaginations and get their writing career started by publishing their own stories.. 

a make their own puppet set!

something pretty to decorate their shared room...

or a set of the most adorable girlie picture books on the market to indulge and encourage dressing up and playing pretend...

 

or, the mermaid shadow puppet...seriously, what little girl wouldn't LOVE this at bedtime?

 

and a new pair of sparkly shoes...because dressing up is the MOST FUN kind of play that their is (for little girls and big ones)

gift guide: my mama, whose creativity flows from her pores and who is my very best friend...

my mama is my best friend, but she's also super hard to shop for because she's as particular as i am about stuff that goes in her house or on her body. plus, she keeps freaking out that boone and i are starving (which, clearly by looking at us you can tell we are NOT) so she gets mad when i try to buy her things. throwing caution to the wind, here are my ideas for the most creative, most beautiful, most loving mama in the world.

it's warm in the 'sip pretty much all  winter. this seems like the perfect little thing to dress up her herbs.

my mama works hard, so maybe a massage and a manicure would be a fun way for her to get relaxed and feel loved!

 

my mom is as particular about her stationary as i am..and her favorite is moonstone grey stationary by crane. can you blame her?

 

she may already have this but if not,  then she DEFINITELY needs a copy of my cousin's new cookbook...so do you, come to think of it.

this weekend i walked around cheap joe's...an INCREDIBLE NC art supply store. i'd be stupid if i didn't set my mama up with some new supplies...

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and if i had big money, then she would have this in a heartbeat (it'd be PERFECT in her studio for all of her supplies)

it never gets cold enough in the 'sip for a pair of chalet socks, but boy would she like them for those few nights it does get chilly...

or maybe i'll make her a set of these terra cotta pot chimes...i bet they'd sound so pretty when the breeze blows.

gift guide: for the little boy cousin who could use a little low-tech in his life

so i have this adorable (but pretty wild) little cousin who was the ring bearer in our wedding...his parents have given him EVERY single toy in the world...swords, video games, legos, so i'm thinking a healthy dose of imagination might be just the trick!

here are my thoughts...

so if a child doesn't have a tree swing, they're missing out. seriously.  

a fun coloring book that actually encourages creativity and doodling!

 

a hat for warmth AND pretending!

because every little boy (and little girl) dreams of being a hardy boy or nancy drew...

because every little boy loves ninjas, which means he'll be excited to learn to bake with these...

a light that hangs on the wall and goes through the stages of the moon 

 

some astronaut ice cream so he can stare at his moonlamp and pretend he's in space...

and a paper airplane set so he can test out hypotheses about which plane body flies farther (yeah, scientific method!)