Thoughtful Valentine’s gifts
Truly thoughtful Valentine’s/Galentine’s Day gift ideas.
Galentines and valentines days are fast approaching.
You know you want to do something really special, truly thoughtful and romantic or lovely to make absolutely sure that your special person knows exactly what they mean to you. So what are you gonna do? Here’s a few ideas;
Writing your special person a poem or letter
What a beautifully romantic and personal way to spill your heart. Let them know how special you think they are and if you love a bit of wordplay, have a go at writing a lovely, heartfelt, or even funny, cheesy poem.
Nothing says ‘you mean something to me’, than spending your time laying it all out in words.
Give a truly thoughtful and personal gift
If being flirty and a bit of naughty playfulness is your jam, Take a tip from Oona, who came up with one of the most unblushing personalised text that Dorothy Typewriter has ever been asked to type when they asked me to make a handmade notebook as a gift. On the cover, it reads ;
“After dinner, his library. Something about a book of rare orchids. And she’s to wear only her bonnet, spectacles, and stockings.”
And then inside, is a cheeky bit of additional text on the first page, which reads;
“Wait. I added that last bit. Small fantasy of mine.”
If you’re not wordily inclined, (and aren’t taking your poem too seriously). Use a poem writing website. if only for the laugh :)
I had a go at using Poem Generator The site gives you prompts to feed it some words to use and I Just threw in the first things that came to mind.
The resulting poem was pretty terrible but I might just use the last line which was based on my Husbands tendency to wave his bum at me like a 5 year old sticking their tongue out when he knows I’m exasperated by something he’s done/not done (you’ve all been there, you get the picture)
The last line of the poem was….
Your bum waggle is beautiful and so are you!
Now that’s not literary genius It’s pretty childish but so are we, so I might just type it on a book for him anyway ;)
I totally love that this is completely personal and meaningful wordage.. My absolute favourite personalisations to type are the ones that don’t make any sense to me, but are directed squarely at the special person receiving the book.
When you’ve spilt your heart and got the perfect words to sum up what that precious person means to you.
Where is the best place to put your love note?
So, You’ve spilt your heart and poured your every feeling in to your special letter or poem. How are you going to give it to them? I mean, you can just give it to them like a normal person, but coming up with a surprise or ruse to hand over your labour of love, gives you extra thoughtfulness points. I love to write secret notes and slip them somewhere for the person to find as a surprise. Here’s a few of my favourite suggestions.
Leave ti their bag
Slip it inside their shoes
Hide it under their pillow
Write it in the condensation on their car window (maybe not that… if it’s long or rude )
Go old school and write it in a card.
Scribble it on the inside of their take out box when you fetch them their favourite noodles for lunch.
Stick it to their mirror
Pop it in the coffee jar FYI: if you’re hiding it for me, you’ll need to use the tea caddy ;) just sayin’
Ask me and my vintage typewriter (Dorothy) to type it on to one of my handmade notebooks or wall hangings for them as a gift.
Tape it to the ceiling over their bed
Leave it on their work desk for them to find in the morning
Leave a trail of notes, leading to something else exciting that they’ll love.
You might spend aaaages choosing just the right words for your bestie/big sis/boyf/girlfriend/other half/squeeze/aunty Magda’s dog’s mechanic - whoever that special person is that you want to celebrate this Galentines or Valentines day!!! Nothing says that they really mean something to you, than writing down what’s in your head and heart.and sharing it with them. I truly hope that someone does that for you too this year :)
Michaela
-x -
Eco Conscious + Hand Made
Hi, I'm Michaela - I make Hand Made, Eco Friendly Personalised Notebook, typed on my Vintage Typewriter (her name is Dorothy)
“Give a truly thoughtful and Personalised gift.
”
An invitation to take a moment for your self - to write, draw, paint or sketch. The textured cotton paper makes it so ‘feely’ and will take any medium you throw at it. Choose some really meaningful words for the front cover and I will type them using my vintage typewriter Dorothy. A truly gorgeous treat for your self or the most thoughtful gift for a creative friend. Tied with a recycled silk sari ribbon to make it just that bit more tempting and gorgeous.
Comes in a choice of all handmade cotton paper or a mix of cotton paper and recycled cartridge paper
FAQ’s
Can I use a fountain pen or watercolours in it?
Absolutely - The all cotton paper in these is so strong that it’s totally suitable for watercolour and if you go for a mixed book, the recycled cartridge paper is pretty strong too. l use fountain paper on this paper every day. it doesn’t feather or bleed. you can use a wide range of artist media too, including marker and brush pens, charcoal, pencil and even a light wash of watercolour
How long should the personalised text be?
Your notebook will be typed on a vintage typewriter which means that I can’t change the font size.
These books look best with one or two words and I love to space the letters out for a modern contemporary look - but you can fit a couple of lines on if you wish [spacing between the characters will be standard if you have more than a couple of words. ]
Character limit for spaced out letters is 10 characters for A6 books and 15 characters for A5
If you’re happy to have regular spacing then you can fit up to 56 characters on the A6 and 80 on the A5
Please do message me if you have any questions.
michaelabere@bluestiggy.co.uk
Size?
There is a choice of A6 or A5 for this style of book
All cotton books contain 72 pages of handmade cotton rag paper
Mixed books contain 120 pages and are a mix of handmade cotton rag paper recycled cartridge paper
The Paper
Cotton Paper: 320gsm pre-sized handmade cotton rag paper that has been made from textile industry waste.
Cartridge Paper: 140gsm recycled cartridge paper made from post consumer waste
Sustainability
Materials
Your chunky sketchbook is made from handmade cotton paper [made from t shirt industry waste and is tied with a silk sari ribbon also from textile industry waste
Cartridge paper in the mixed books is made from 100% post consumer paper waste.
Your book will be sewn together with traditional linen thread.
Energy
The power to type your notebook comes only from my nimble fingers. They are fuelled by tea and biscuits and the rest of my studio is powered by the sun
Everything I do at Blue Stiggy HQ is put through the lens of trying to do my best to minimise my impact on the planet. You can find more detailed information about the materials and processes I use and how I try to minimise my impact on the planet here
Packaging
All of my products are beautifully wrapped in eco conscious materials such as recycled wrapping paper and sent in cardboard boxes. I love to and write a little note to each of my customers on recycled paper and I mostly use Royal Mail who will usually deliver your order on foot :)
Delivery + Returns
Personalised Products take 3-5 working days for me to make and press for you.
Standard UK delivery is Second Class Royal Mail and typically takes 2 days to arrive after I dispatch your order. You can upgrade to First Class at the checkout if you wish.
Express Shipping UK is Royal Mail Special Delivery Next Day Guaranteed - Please use this postage upgrade if you are in a hurry. although I may still need 3-5 days to make and press your order I will dispatch it to you as quickly as I can.
Standard Overseas Delivery - Royal Mail International Tracked (transit time depends on the destination country)
Express Overseas Delivery - I will use a courier to send your order to you for speed. transit time depends on the destination country.
Delivery times are estimates but please do message me if you any questions about delivery - michaelabere@bluestiggy.co.uk
Returns - Unfortunately I can’t accept returns for personalised items unless there is a problem with the order. for all other items please contact me within 14 days of delivery to arrange a return - my full Delivery + Returns policy can be found here