Pretty Personal Gifts

Fine Silver Jewelry

2012-01-25T12:28:00.009-05:00

Fine silver jewelry is really catching on and we have a huge selection at Pretty Personal Gifts.

What is fine silver? It's 99.9% pure silver while sterling silver is 92.5% silver mixed with other metals (usually copper). The result is a bright shinny finish that's more resistant to tarnish since it's pure silver. Here are a few pieces from our collection that are just perfect for Valentines day...each piece is made to order and hand crafted in our design studio.

Outlined heart and xoxo charm ...

Open heart with crystal dangle

xoxo charm

Our cluster necklace featuring a round initial charm, xoxo charm & crystal dangle

check out the rest of our fine silver jewelry collection,
custom made in house at Pretty Personal Gifts

What's New at Pretty Personal Gifts

2011-11-22T19:19:00.008-05:00

In case you missed our "what's new" page, here are a few of the new personalized gifts we've added just in time for the holidays!

Carved personalized soap and carved personalized candles. Both are made in the USA and shipped within 48 hours of ordering. You can't go wrong. The candle burns down only so far allowing you the option of inserting a tea light candle to preserve the monogram. You can use this for years to come. The personalized soap can be ordered in 1,3,6 or 12 bars. It smells amazing and the quality of the carving is like nothing we've seen before. These are two of our favorite new personalized gifts for this holiday.

These amazing personalized "Barrel End" signs are available in 9 different designs and are designed to look like they were cut off the end of an barrel. They measure 23" diameter and are available with or without a spigot. We love this personalized sign so much we have one in our own home. If a round sign isn't on your list this year, check out our selection of vintage look signs and 2 dimensional vintage signs. These signs are a customer favorite year after year.

We added a solid black to our color selection of Party To Go totes (wine carrier).

This is one of our favorite gifts in the "under $20" category. We can embroider it in any color making it the most versatile of all the Party To Go totes that we carry. This bag is most often used as a wine carrier but don't stop there. It makes a wonderful hostess gift and what family wouldn't love it if you bring this to the Bar B Que filled with everything you need to make s'mores. The possibilities are endless.

We have 15 equestrian designs that can be used on our personalized equestrian tote bags and personalized equestrian afghans. Perfect for the horse lover in your life!

We've added a few new designs to our personalized quilted back pack collection. The toddlers just love this personalized back pack and we have 27 designs to choose from (while supplies last!)

As some of you know we've been having fun celebrating our 10th anniversary in business this year. I can't believe we are well on our way to 11 years already. It just keeps getting better year after year! My sweet sister in law reminded me tonight that my husband and I have been together for over 15 years. My question is, where does the time go? If you figure that out, please let me know. We all know that time flies when you're having fun so be sure to kick back and enjoy your holiday. No, we will not be working on Thanksgiving this year no matter what Target and Walmart are doing. We think everyone deserves a day off, and I wouldn't dream of shopping on Turkey day. Well, maybe from my computer ;)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Scarf Season Already?

2011-09-13T19:34:00.014-04:00

It was sunny and 78 degrees here today in upstate NY. How did you spend your day? I spent my day monogramming winter scarves. You wouldn't believe how many monogrammed scarves people have ordered in the last few weeks. How many you ask? Well I don't know exactly, but I can tell you that we completely sold out of our inventory. Good thing a new shipment arrived today! My favorite new color is turquoise. It's gorgeous.

We now offer monogrammed scarves in 18 colors. Some of our customers told us they are ordering now for Christmas! (In September?) Yes, Christmas. We sold out of some colors last year and apparently they want to get while the getting is good. Too early? I guess it's never too early to stash away that perfect gift for someone special. The price is right at only $19.50. Easy on the budget.

It's hard to enjoy these last few days of summer while I'm monogramming scarves but I'm not complaining! It's time to say good bye to the pool and get ready for Fall, but don't worry, we won't be putting up the Christmas tree just yet...some things can wait!

Giveaway! Lupine Dog Collar

2011-08-17T13:23:00.007-04:00

Did you know that we carry Lupine dog collars & leashes? We do!

Lupine has a fantastic guarantee that offers free replacements for collars & leashes damaged due to accidents, even chewing! We just updated our store with the newest patterns grouped by width (1/2", 3/4" or 1").

Our dogs love the 1" dapper dog & 1" puppy love pattern. (Rumor has it that they may have 6 or 7 differernt patterns kicking around the house)

Check out all the available Lupine patterns by following the links below:

1/2" width Lupine Collars & Leads

3/4" width Lupine Collars & Leads

1" width Lupine Collars & Leads

If you "like" our facebook page, then post a comment on our facebook page telling us your favorite Lupine pattern, you'll be entered to win a free lupine collar.

Hurry! We could select a winner at any time!

What's new with you?

2011-06-15T17:05:00.013-04:00

We've been having fun adding new personalized gifts to our lineup.

Here are just a few...

Acrylic Double Wall Tumblers

These acrylic tumblers come with a matching straw, a screw on lid and hold 24 ounces of your favorite drink. That's right, 24 ounces! Available in 6 colors.

Catch All Bag

This huge nylon bag is available in a variety of really fun color combinations. It's great for transporting sleeping bag & pillow, laundry, beach towels, you name it. My daughter tested this one out on her last sleepover. I fit her sleeping bag, pillow, 2 changes of clothing, toiletry bag and flip flops in there. It's HUGE! It's also a great laundry bag for the college bound grad. Best of all we carry the matching pillow cases & some matching bath wraps.

personalized pillow cases

Personalized Bath Wraps

Seersucker Tote

This adorable seersucker tote is fully lined and has a nifty a rope handle. Makes me wish I was on a boat with my acrylic tumbler and bag full of beach towels. We're currently stocked with Aqua and Lime.

Cluster Necklaces

Our personalized cluster necklaces have been flying out the door. Mix and match charms to create a one of a kind necklace that's as unique as you are. Best of all it can be changed as often as you'd like.

As always, you can check our "what's new" page to see what else is new.

We're tapping our toes waiting for school to be over. I know most of you in the warmer climates are done with school. We start late and end late up here in the great Northeast. I may have to drop the "great" from the Northeast after the winter and spring that we just endured. It did nothing but snow and rain here. On the upside, our gardens have never looked better.

So that's what's new with us, what's new with you?

Giveaway Alert!!!

2011-05-16T14:26:00.007-04:00

One of my all time favorite bloggers, Semi-Slacker Mom is hosting a giveaway. Jump on over to her blog to see how you can enter to win a Pretty Personal Gifts personalized cooler bag.

Good luck!

What an honor!

2011-04-21T08:53:00.011-04:00

One of our favorite things to personalize is baby layette. When a customer comes to us for a personalized "take me home" outfit for their baby of course we're excited. When they return a few years later to outfit their next baby, we're not only excited, we're truly honored.

That's the case with Bradan & Shannon shown above. For a few years now we've featured a photo of Bradan's personalized layette on our website because it was just too cute. What an honor to recently have been asked to make a new outfit for his baby sister Shannon. Turns out that we couldn't pass up taking a quick picture of her outfit either. Welcome to the world Shannon and congratulations on being a big brother Bradan! We're truly honored!

Easter 2011

2011-04-05T15:47:00.004-04:00

Can you believe Easter is almost here? This is the perfect personalized bunny is our best selling Easter gift. Available in pink and blue, our personalized bunny stands 16" tall. It's so soft and cuddly that you won't want to put it down. $25 including personalization.

click this link for more details.

Budget Friendly Personalized Gifts

2011-03-07T16:32:00.006-05:00

A great question came in today from a customer... "Do you have a recommendation for an inexpensive gift that doesn't look inexpensive? An acquaintance just had her 3rd child. I would like to send her a small gift but don't want to break the bank. Any ideas?"

This baby sun hat is the perfect gift priced at $15 including personalization.

Another budget friendly idea is a personalized bib ($15) or personalized burp cloth ($12.50). Each can be embellished with a variety of cute designs

Giveaway on facebook

2011-02-28T12:53:00.008-05:00

It's our 10th anniversary, and we're giving away a boat load of gifts throughout the year to our loyal customers and fans to say thank you!

This week we're giving away a personalized sterling silver hand stamped charm ($25 value).

The contest is open to any new or current fans of our facebook page.

Already a fan? Then you are automatically entered!
Not a fan yet? Go to our facebook page , click the "like" button.
Not on facebook? No worries! We'll be giving more gifts away soon on our blog. Rumor has it we might be giving away one of our custom crib sets before the end of the year!

Also, if you leave us a comment on facebook you'll get an extra entry. No purchase necessary. Winner will be posted on facebook on 3/4/2011 and can choose personalization for the charm. Good luck!

New Monogrammed Dress

2011-02-15T17:57:00.010-05:00

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a monogrammed dress that I like more than this one. The sash can be removed (be still my heart) so you can change the color, or even pass it down to another child. I love options.

Here we have the blue gingham dress with a navy sash. This dress can also be accessorized with a white sash.

And just when you think that things can't get any cuter, here we have monogrammed fancy pants that can be made to match any of the dresses. Did I mention I love options? Did I mention there are 8 different color combinations for the dress? It's true. Available in sizes newborn to 6.

Click here to see the entire line of monogrammed dresses and fancy pants.

Baby A's Nursery

2011-02-06T14:02:00.005-05:00

We love making & monogramming our custom crib bedding & accessories. We love it even more when we get to see them all set up in the nursery! Thanks to baby A's parents for giving us these photos of her beautiful nursery. We heard she arrived safe and sound last month. We made the custom monogrammed crib set, custom monogrammed valances & custom lamp shade. Love the pictures! Welcome to the world Baby A!

Click here for more information about custom nursery bedding & accessories from Pretty Personal Gifts. Do you have photos you'd like to share? Email them to us at shop@prettypersonalgifts.com

Charm Cluster Necklaces

2011-01-24T10:20:00.005-05:00

Cluster necklaces are a hot trend. You start with a chain, add various charms and dangles that you like or have special meaning and you have yourself a cluster necklace. The charms and dangles all hang together in a cluster making each necklace look very unique. You can add new charms or change up your "cluster" anytime you want. We've put together a page that takes you though the process of creating a Charm Cluster Necklace

You can go hog wild or start with one or two pieces. The best part is that you can add to this over time. We offer sterling silver charms, hand stamped personalized charms, crystal and gemstone dangles, fine silver charms and more. All of these can be added to your necklace. It makes a great gift for girls of any age. Each necklace is as unique as the girl who wears it!

click here to see more details

Thank you SNOW much

2011-01-16T10:23:00.008-05:00

We're celebrating our 10th year in business this year and it seems like all it's done so far is snow! It's January and we are in upstate NY so I guess this isn't shocking news. Rather than complain we've been busy filling orders for personalized gifts and working on some new products that we'll be releasing soon. I can't wait to show you what we're working on!

In the meantime, grab a monogrammed scarf, stay warm and use code SNOW to save $5 off any order of $40 or more. Don't forget you can take $10 off an order of $100 or more with code "2011".

Just our way of saying thank you "snow" much...ugh.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2011-01-03T21:30:00.019-05:00

Pretty Personal Gifts is celebrating 10 years in business in 2011. Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday we were plotting and planning and anxiously awaiting word that our website had gone live. Are you ready for this...we debuted with just 5 products! It's true. Just 5 personalized gifts got us up and running. I guess you could say we've expanded a little in the last ten years.

Our very first order was for a personalized gift that we still manufacture today. It was for our beaded mother's name bracelet. Since then we've added a few new styles. Baby bracelets, birthstone bracelets, family bracelets, ankle bracelets, well you get the idea.

After ten long years, we're still making lots of bracelets. We receive our personalized bracelets back in the mail on a daily basis. Why? We get requests from our customers to add a new name when a new baby is born in their family. We also make baby bracelets larger so young ladies can keep wearing them as they grow.

Our personalized name bracelets have been in magazines like Martha Stewart, Better Homes & Gardens and OK! magazine. They were once given away as the grand prize in the Martha Stewart sweepstakes.

Check out our entire jewelry collection here

For a limited time you can save $10 off any order of $100 or more by using code "2011" during checkout. This offer is not valid on phone orders or previous orders.

Throughout the year we'll be announcing more specials to thank our customers because without you, we wouldn't be here!

I see a giveaway in the near future...stay tuned!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T20:03:00.005-05:00

At this time we are unable to accept any new orders for Christmas delivery. Orders placed now will ship after the holiday.

Thank you to all of our fabulous customers who kept us very busy this season.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Still Need A Gift for Christmas?

2010-12-16T18:34:00.000-05:00

Still need a Christmas gift? It's not to late! Here are a few things that are still available for delivery before 12/25 with overnight shipping...

Monogrammed Scarves are the perfect Christmas gift!

-16 scarf colors to choose from (*update, some colors have sold out, some are about to sell out)
-includes monogram or personalization in the thread color of your choice
-our monogrammed scarves are $19.50 plus shipping

-overnight shipping for this item starts at $20 and varies depending on the shipping destination and the total number of scarves in the order.

click here for more details on our monogrammed scarves

Hand Stamped Jewelry

-sterling silver hand stamped jewelry, all shapes and sizes
-we have a variety of sterling silver jewelry to choose from click here to see our collection
-overnight shipping rate is $18.50 for jewelry shipping within the USA.

Name Bracelets

Name bracelets for adults and children
-$18.50 for any destination in the USA

-click here to see our collection

Sterling Silver Charms

Sterling Silver Charms & Charm Bracelets
-$18.50 anywhere in the USA

click here to see our charm collection

We have more gifts available on our website http://www.prettypersonalgifts.com/ with overnight shipping.

Merry Christmas!

Peace!

2010-11-20T08:58:00.007-05:00

Have you noticed Peace signs are back? Well they are and all the girls from tweenies to teens want them for Christmas this year. We've found them on everything from bedding to jewelry. Above we have the our new wooden hand painted peace sign wall hanging. Shown in brown and teal zebra, it comes in a variety of colors and designs. Next we have the ceramic personalized peace sign Christmas tree ornament.

We've put together a special page on our website with peace sign gifts. Here's a sneak peek at some of the other things we found this year!

linen peace scarf, makes a great stocking stuffer, comes in 5 colors $9.99

sterling silver peace charms ($10.50) for the girls...and don't forget the pooch, how about a peace sign pet tag with free engraving? Very groovy. Both are under $15.

Personalized peace sign bath towels...everyone needs a shower.

what girl doesn't love a hoodie? Peace, Love and (insert name or word here). We can customize the colors and the personalization on this one.

Stop by our peace sign gift page and take a look...and peace!

New Holiday Gifts for 2010

2010-10-05T09:56:00.010-04:00

I know you might not want to hear it, but the holidays are coming. These are a few of the newest holiday decor gifts from Pretty Personal Gifts...check out our holiday gift page for more great ideas

Personalized Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah Plates starting at $40

New personalized Christmas ornaments $30 - Peace signs are in with girls of all ages. New baby in the family this year? Make a spot for them on the tree with their very own first Christmas ornament.

New personalized Christmas Stockings are available in a variety of designs - $42

Traditional hand painted personalized Christmas ornaments are always a hit. $32

We start decorating for Christmas right after Halloween, starting with outdoor decorations. If we wait, we'll get so busy that we wont have time to do it later. We won't put up the main tree or turn the lights on until after Thanksgiving though. When do you start decorating? We're looking forward to the holidays, are you?

Family Sweatshirts are on sale

2010-10-02T12:24:00.008-04:00

For a limited time save $10 on any custom made family sweatshirts by Pretty Personal Gifts!

These make a great gift for Mom, Dad, Grandma & Grandpa. Our adorable images of kids can be embroidered on a sweatshirt to represent each child, grandchild or great grandchild. Hair color and skin tone can be changed on any image so each child can be customized.

We also have custom family tote bags. We can only fit 4 faces on each side due to space limitations.

Check out the sweatshirts here and the tote bags here

Henry Brown Is Back

2010-08-14T18:18:00.019-04:00

Henry Brown bags are back! We are huge fans of Henry Brown. They recently moved their production from China back to the US and we're happy to announce that their bags are once again available at Pretty Personal Gifts. To celebrate their return we're offering free monogramming ($20 value) on any Henry Brown bag for a limited time.

(this photo is property of Pretty Personal Gifts)

*The dogs are our beloved Goldens Bashia & Beau. They were not invited to this photo shoot and they posed without prompting. It's true. *The bag in the center is a Charlie Bucket Sr. (property of Janine). *The bag on the end is a Logan Jr. Duffle (property of Madison) Every girl in our family has a Henry Brown bag. The bags in the photos are a few years old, yet they look brand new. A true testament to the quality of a Henry Brown bag.

If you've ever seen a Henry Brown bag in person, then you know the quality is beyond compare. Their vintage color canvas, high quality construction and heavy duty hardware give Henry Brown bags a retro look mixed with modern elegance. It's no ordinary canvas bag.

In addition to monogramming, Henry Brown is now offering a "tattoo" for your bag. What's a tattoo? It's a small image of anything from a tennis racket to a dog bone.

Click here to see our entire line of Henry Brown Canvas Bags, Totes & Duffles.

Big Announcement & Our First Born!

2010-08-12T11:17:00.014-04:00

Two of our boutiques (Spoil The Baby & JCJSilver) have offered custom bedding and decor for almost 8 years, specializing in high end designer toile fabrics for the nursery. We've had the pleasure of working with a wonderful woman during that time creating not only nursery bedding but custom made twin, full & queen size bedding as well. Her company has consistently delivered the highest quality product that we could hope for. We learned the ropes from her. Since she's a perfectionist, and we strive to be, it was a marriage made in heaven.

Recently we were given the opportunity to purchase her company (with her blessing) so we did! Not much has changed behind the scenes. Our bedding is still made to our customer's specifications by the same production team. We still offer free design consultations with our bedding specialist and the transition has been very smooth. We sure do miss our friend, but she did a great job teaching us about this industry in the years that we worked with her.

So what has changed?

We now offer the custom bedding at Pretty Personal Gifts
We can now monogram or personalize many of the pieces that we create
We've expanding the fabric selection
We've lowered the price on many pieces

First Born
This pink & black crib set is our first design since the purchase. We are really happy about the way it turned out. We selected a pink and black stripe, a black and white damask and a pink minky dot to create this beautiful crib set. Oh la la!

Notice how the stripe pattern falls evenly on each side of the pleat. Our production team takes great care to make sure that the stripe pattern is evenly balanced wherever it's used in set. Nothing is off center and every thing is perfectly aligned. It's a small detail but it makes a big difference in the overall look of the set.

The solid black trim and ties complete the look.

Our custom made pillows are available in many shapes and sizes. Best of all you can pick the fabrics for all of the custom made bedding and accessories that we create. We offer custom made window treatments, pillows, hampers, diaper stackers, change pad covers, lamp shades, night lights, fitted crib sheets, duvet covers, pillow shams, bed skirts and more.

We hope you like our "first born". We're excited about bringing our custom bedding line to Pretty Personal Gifts and would love to hear your feedback.

Until next time...

What's On Sale!

2010-08-03T09:00:00.003-04:00

August is here! Are you clinging to summer? We are. There's still time to hit the beach or hang out by the pool before September makes an appearance and ruins all the fun.

Sling bags with matching beach towels are on sale $20 (reg. $25) for a limited time! Includes personalization. Supplies are limited.

Monogrammed Totes

2010-06-19T09:58:00.006-04:00

Wedding and Graduation season are here! Year after year our monogrammed totes prove to be a best selling gift for these two events. Brides love to buy each girl in their wedding party a monogrammed tote and what grad doesn't need a stylish bag to head off to college with? This year black and white is back and bigger than ever.

Here's a look at some of our newest personalized totes...

the Merci! collection large tote and weekender bag.
Also available but not shown, train case and make up bags

Hounds tooth never goes out of style.

Our weekender bag is roomy and perfect for the graduate.

black and white, a classic combination. Hot pink, red, teal, lime green and yellow all look wonderful on this circle tote bag.

Click on any link above to view that item, or click on this link to view our collection of monogrammed tote bags

Customer Inspired...

2010-06-04T12:13:00.010-04:00

One of our long time customers has been invited to another baby shower. She's called on us once again to help her create some really special gifts and we couldn't be happier!

We don't want ruin the surprise (can you say lucky baby?) but here's a sneak peak at just one of the many gifts she's giving this weekend. This adorable little layette was custom designed for daddy's little girl. Dad is a BIG football fan and Baby Phillips will be ready to tailgate in style when the season begins. If you have a have a special request, let us know. We love working with our customers to make their personalized gifts even more special.

Happy Birthday Madison!

2010-05-25T08:07:00.007-04:00

My daughter turns 11 today. She's at that age where I am no longer *qualified* to pick out her clothing. Today was apparently an exception. When she woke up today I gave her this shirt that I made for her. She's a HUGE Nancy Drew fan. I was thrilled that she loved it and wore it to school. Today she's glad mom knows how to embroider...Happy Birthday Madison!

Hand Painted Wall Letters

2010-05-20T12:05:00.008-04:00

We've been hand painting wall letters for more than 9 years. This is one of the first products that we offered at Pretty Personal Gifts. One of our very first customers told me the other day that she ordered custom letters from us for her son when he was just 10 years old. That son is now getting ready to head off to college. It's hard to believe! In light of this earth shattering news, I thought it was about time to freshen up our photos. Check them out here...

It just occurred to me that we're heading toward our 10 year anniversary of being in business. There are so many changes going on here at Pretty Personal Gifts. We're expanding, changing some products, updating others, saying goodbye to some old friends and hello to new friends. We'll be telling you all about it soon. In the meantime, we're BUSY behind the scenes making all of these great changes. It's exciting! 10 years...where does the time go?

What are you getting Mom this year?

2010-05-03T17:06:00.000-04:00

Mother's Day is Sunday May 9th. You can still order hand stamped necklaces and bracelets and receive them in time for Mother's day.

Mom Teardrop necklace $40

Circle of Love Necklace $50

Hand Stamped Cluster Necklace $60

Hand Stamped Monogram Necklace $40

Hand Stamped Name Charms - still our best seller! On sale for $35

And don't forget to stop by our Spring Clearance Sale to scoop up some great deals! Over 100 items have been marked down.

Hand Stamped Charm Necklace Sale!

2010-04-18T15:35:00.007-04:00

Take $5 off our hand stamped charm necklace. Just in time for Mother's day! What are you getting for mom this year? Need some ideas? Stop by our Mother's day page for some great personalized gift ideas for mom.

Spring Clearance Sale

2010-03-29T20:38:00.011-04:00

Pretty Personal Gifts spring clearance sale is going on now. Over 100 items have been marked down to make way for our new inventory that's arriving soon. Quantities are limited so if you see something you want, grab it because most of these items will not be restocked. Here's a sneak peak...

Personalized Totes $15 (reg. $27.50)

stacking suitcases $18 (reg. $35)

baby scrap books $18 (reg. $34.95)

hooded cable knit baby sweaters & blankets $15 each (reg. $30)

Good Nite Moon Growth Charts $18 (reg. $40)

set of 3 Central Park Toile Soft Photo Frames $25 (reg. $60)

Kelly Rightsell Bibs $7.50 (reg. $17)
(burps and matching onesies also available)

Click here to view the rest of our sale items. Happy Shopping!

Pre-Mother's Day Sale

2010-03-20T11:44:00.006-04:00

Mother's day is Sunday, May 9th. Beat the rush, order now and save $10 on our hand stamped necklaces.

Pre-Mother's day sale. Take $10 off our 99.9% fine silver monogram necklace shown here. This particular pendant must be ordered by April 22, 2010 to arrive before Mother's day.

Beat the rush and save $10 on select gifts for mom at www.PrettyPersonalGifts.com

Offer applies to new orders for the necklaces shown here. Offer may end at any time without notice.

New Personalized Plush

2010-03-11T12:37:00.005-05:00

New Personalized Plush - just in time for Easter!

Personalized Bunny $25 includes one name

Available in pink and blue

lots of new personalized lovies for baby!
$22.50 including personalization

New Fine Silver Personalized Jewelry

2010-02-16T08:31:00.009-05:00

Fine Silver Personalized Jewelry - part 2
Last week we rolled out our new personalized jewelry line. This custom made jewelry is made of fine silver (99.9% pure) right here in our design studio in upstate NY.

Our new fine silver initial charm is stunning. It's subtantial in size and weight.

Click here for more details.

our new lower case initial tags in fine silver shown here with a fresh water pearl dangle.
click here for more details

we have name tags and dog paw print charms, all in .999 fine silver
click here for more details

You can celebrate the big events of her life with mini silver tag charm. Available in "baby" "wedding" "anniversary" "birthday" and "graduation". Add a dangle to signify a special month or a favorite color. Swarovski crystal dangles are available in all birthstone colors as well as fresh water pearl. Click here to get more details on our fine silver personalized jewelry.

our 3 letter monogram pendant with embossed lettering is already a big hit. This is the perfect Mother's day gift!

Click here to get more details on our new line of fine silver personalized charms. More designs are being photographed now and will be posted soon!

Fine Silver Jewelry New for Spring 2010

2010-02-10T17:59:00.008-05:00

We've been busy here at Pretty Personal Gifts working on our new fine silver jewelry line for spring 2010. What's fine silver? It's 99.9% pure silver (as compared to sterling silver which is 92.5% silver mixed with other metals, usually copper)

Our personalized monogram pendant is .999 fine silver with embossed (raised) lettering. The charm measures 3/4" in diameter and can be made with any 3 initials. It's hand forged and hand polished right here in our design studio. Each charm features a classic 3 letter female monogram.

Click here to learn more about our new fine silver monogram charm. We'll be posting more new fine silver pieces soon!

New for 2010 (part 2)

2010-01-17T14:13:00.019-05:00

Here are a few more personalized gifts that are new for 2010 at Pretty Personal Gifts

We've had the distinct pleasure of carrying these vintage look personalized signs for years. Designs include signs for pub, wine cellar, golf, beach house, lake, hunting cabin, ski, hockey and more. Click here to see our entire selection. We've added some new designs for 2010 and we now offer the option of having your custom sign made of either metal or wood in a variety of sizes.

Prices start at $70

Wine Bar Sign

Personalized Cigar Lounge sign

Welcome to our Beach House Sign

In addition, we have just added a new line of substantial 2 dimensional personalized wooden signs that really pop! These unique personalized signs are designed for indoor use and come in a variety of vintage themes including cafe, bar, game room, ski chalet, surf themes and more.

My personal favorite - French Country Rooster Cafe sign

Irish Pub Sign

Game Room Sign

Surf Shack Sign

Click here to see the entire collection.
Until next time...

New for 2010

2010-01-04T16:53:00.015-05:00

Here's a sneak peak at just a few of our new personalized gifts for 2010...

Available early 2010! Beach towel with matching bag - free personalization!

Early 201o! Chaise Lounge Covers.
We are looking forward to trying these out.
(it's currently 10 below at our office)

Personalized Lap Desks
Come see our new designs.

We're looking forward to 2010...are you?

Happy New Year 2010!

2009-12-31T12:17:00.002-05:00

We wish you and yours a Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-21T16:44:00.002-05:00

Thank you to all of our wonderful customers for a great year.

We truly appreciate your business and hope you have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Red Dingo ID Tags for Dogs & Cats

2009-12-12T08:36:00.008-05:00

Don't forget your precious pets this Christmas. Red Dingo personalized dog & cat tags make a great inexpensive gift. Choose from 3 sizes, 10 colors and 14 designs in the custom line.

Red Dingo has just come out with a new line of pet tags that can be used for cats and dogs. The designer series has everything from shamrocks to soccer balls in pre-determined colors. 3 sizes, 9 designs.

We also have a special page devoted to small cats tags which includes 7 designs in your choice of 10 colors.

We offer free engraving and free shipping on all our Red Dingo tags. Prices start at $11.50. This makes a great gift for the pet lover on your Christmas list, but hurry, time is running out!

Twice As Nice

2009-12-03T08:02:00.005-05:00

Some of you may remember these two beauties, Ava & Olivia. This picture was from a few months ago when they were born. The girls are sporting their "1 of 2" and "2 of 2" custom layette

Well look at what these two are up to now! They're sitting up and wearing our posh dots baby bibs! These girls are just gorgeous. We love these pictures, thanks to their mom for letting us post them.

It doesn't get any cuter!

What's Hot in 2009

2009-12-01T10:06:00.007-05:00

Cyber Monday is behind us and the shoppers were out in full force!

Here are the top 5 best selling Christmas gifts for 2009 (so far)

Monogrammed Damask Totes & Luggage starting at $28

Monogrammed Scarves $17.50

Personalized backpacks for kids $25

Hand Stamped Necklaces (starting at) $40

Personalized lap desks $28.50

We had a fabulous Cyber Monday. Thank you to all our customers!

Personalized Lap Desks

2009-11-21T07:40:00.003-05:00

A personalized lap desk makes a great gift for kids and adults. We carry a variety of designs and each can be personalized with a name or monogram. Click here to view all of the designs we currently have in stock

$28.50 includes personalization.

Monogrammed Scarf Winners

2009-11-20T13:16:00.010-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered here and on facebook for our monogrammed scarf giveaway

and the winners are:
Carol Decker
Solar Powered
A Joyful Chaos
Prep In New England
and we decided to give a 4th monogrammed scarf away because of the great response that we had on facebook, twitter, and here on our blog. Congratulations!

We are going to have one more giveaway before Christmas for a hand stamped necklace. Stay tuned ~

Thank you again!

Pretty Personal Gifts

LAST DAY TO ENTER!

2009-11-20T11:31:00.006-05:00

Last chance to enter!!! Winners are being posted at 5:00PM tonight!

We're kicking off the holiday shopping season by giving away 3 monogrammed scarves.

3 lucky winners will be randomly selected and will be able to choose from any color we offer, winter white, pear green, mocha or charcoal grey. Monogram is included! Keep it for yourself or give it as a gift.

You'll get an entry for each of the following:

Comment on this post (1 entry)
sign up to follow our blog (1 entry - 2 if you already follow)
become a fan on facebook (1 entry)
follow us on twitter (1 entry)
visit our website and let us know what gift you'd like to get this year (1 entry)
post about this contest on your blog (2 entries)

Leave us a comment here letting us know how many entries you've racked up.

3 winners will be randomly chosen and posted on November 20Th, 5PM EST. We will ship to any of the 50 United States. No international addresses please. Remember, if you don't have a blog, be sure to give us your email so we can contact you if you win.

Good luck!
Pretty Personal Gifts

LAST DAY TO ENTER!

2009-11-08T13:59:00.026-05:00

Last chance to enter!!! Winners are being posted at 5:00PM tonight!

We're kicking off the holiday shopping season by giving away 3 monogrammed scarves. 3 lucky winners will be randomly selected and will be able to choose from any color we offer, winter white, pear green, mocha or charcoal grey. Monogram is included! Keep it for yourself or give it as a gift.

You'll get an entry for each of the following:

Comment on this post
(1 entry)

become a fan on facebook
(1 entry)

visit our website and let us know what gift you'd like to get this year
(1 entry)

post about this contest on your blog
(2 entries)

Leave us a comment here letting us know how many entries you've racked up.

3 winners will be randomly chosen and posted on November 20Th, 5PM EST. We will ship to any of the 50 United States. No international addresses please.

Remember, if you don't have a blog, be sure to give us your email so we can contact you if you win.

Good luck!
Pretty Personal Gifts

Monogrammed Scarves

2009-11-01T03:00:00.002-05:00

Our monogrammed scarves offer the look and feel of Cashmere without the price. These are great for people who are allergic to wool, and allergic to paying for Cashmere!

$17.50 includes the monogram ~
available in brown, winter white, charcoal grey & pear green.

New! Personalized Christmas & Hanukkah Plates

2009-10-15T10:32:00.016-04:00

We've posted a few new Ceramic plate designs just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah as well as our new Christmas ornaments for 2009.

This new Cookies for Santa Christmas plate is already getting a lot of attention. Order by December 4, 2009 for pre-Christmas delivery.

8.5 inch plate is $40
10.5 inch plate is $44

Personalized Christmas Ornament $30 each.
Click here to see all of our ornament designs

Giveaway - Last day to enter!

2009-10-04T10:55:00.002-04:00

Stop over to Confessions of a Semi-Slacker Mom to enter to win our Circle of Love necklace. Contest ends 10/5/09 so hurry!

Circle of Love Necklace

2009-09-17T15:27:00.007-04:00

New for Fall 2009 - Our Circle of Love necklace.

We hand forge and hand stamp our sterling silver charms with the names of your loved ones. The charms are then and adorned with your choice of Swarovski crystals and fresh water pearls.

Pricing starts at $50 and includes one dangle. Additional dangles are $5 each.

Click here for more information

New Hand Stamped Swarovski Crystal Charms

2009-09-01T14:32:00.014-04:00

We're sending the kiddies back to school tomorrow. In addition to school shopping and getting ready for the big day, we've been busy designing new products for our Fall 2009 jewelry line. This week we're featuring our Swarovski Crystal Charm.

Each Swarovski fine crystal is topped with a sterling silver hand stamped personalized bead. Cluster necklaces are all the rage, so you can put as many charms on one necklace as you would like, or they can be separated when hung from this silver rolo bracelet. The Swarovski crystal can represent someones birthstone or just their favorite color. We made a bracelet for a customer last week with all clear diamond crystals. Stunning!

We'll be featuring more new pieces from our Fall 2009 jewelry line in the days to come.

Hope you had a relaxing Labor day!

New Personalized Burp Cloth

2009-08-07T11:12:00.006-04:00

These new burp cloths make a great baby gift. $12.50 each, available in any color combo.

Giveaway

2009-08-04T07:11:00.004-04:00

Final day for the chalkboard giveaway at Spoil The Baby - ends on 8/5/09

Party To Go Giveaway

2009-07-27T21:02:00.003-04:00

My BBF Semi-Slacker Mom is giving away one of our party to go totes. Head on over to her blog and enter to win. You will love her blog, I do!

I hope you are having a great summer!

Most Fabulous Wedding Processional Ever...

2009-07-24T17:32:00.007-04:00

I just saw the best video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

over on The Perfect Palette... It's fun, you must watch!

Attention all brides, you must check out The Perfect Palette blog. I'm married and I'm not planning a wedding, but I can't stand to miss even one of her posts. If you need ideas for wedding colors, check her blog out.

I have no idea how to post the actual video here, but just click on the link above and watch. This is fun.

Sailboat Baby

2009-07-18T17:35:00.004-04:00

I sent this personalized layette order out the other day but not before taking a quick picture of it. I love the sailboat. Bradan's going to be one well dressed baby!

As seen on...

2009-07-08T20:46:00.012-04:00

I was excited to see a sign that we sell on HGTV this weekend. I don't recall the exact name of the show, but it was a beach house makeover. I did see this sign hanging on the newly remodeled patio during the reveal! I love these signs. You can change the text as needed. I call them clever retro. We've been selling them for years and our customers love them. They are great for camps, bars, beach house, wine cellar, pool house, you name it.

This one is perfect...Five reasons to drink wine...the arrival of a friend, one's state of thirst, to evoke cleverness, excellence of the wine, or any other reason.

This one has special meaning to me. I spent many a summer in the Adirondacks with my trusty green canoe. There's no place like it!

My Monogram Swap Gifts

2009-07-06T20:58:00.009-04:00

Look what I received from my monogram swap partner,
Ashley at Ashley's Antics

She sent me some really adorable personalized gifts...A book mark, mirror, magnets in a very handy tin container and a note pad. I love all of the gifts, thank you Ashley!

Now, you might think that I don't enjoy getting personalized gifts since I make them all day but you would be wrong. I love getting things I didn't make myself. Ashley picked my favorite colors and I will use each and every one of these gifts. Many thanks!

This swap was hosted by hosted by Life with Lulu & Pete . Check out both of their blogs!

Ceramic Wall Plaques for Kids

2009-06-30T07:57:00.001-04:00

We just added these ceramic wall plaques for kids to our store. I don't know about you, but I am in love with the madras plaid. Choose from 22 adorable designs. Super cute! $36 each

Look at this adorable birth tile, perfect for the new baby! Each comes with the ribbon attached ready to hang.

Graduation Invitation!

2009-06-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

Yes! We are starting a whole new phase of life over here at Pretty Personal Gifts. We received a graduation party invitation for the daughter of a friend. This is the first of my friends to have a child old enough to graduate from high school. I'm really excited!

I enjoy each new phase that I go through with my friends. First we attended each other's high school graduation parties, then came our weddings, then our baby showers, next came our kid's birthday parties and now we are starting with their graduation parties. I can't wait to get to the wedding phase. I'm sure her parent's are in no rush on that one.

What to give her?

Monogrammed luggage perhaps?

A laundry bag no doubt

some monogrammed towels?

Maybe all of the above. My wheels are spinning!

Tote Crazy

2009-06-24T07:40:00.009-04:00

Monogrammed canvas totes are always in style. Available in 4 fabulous colors. Out totes feature a large main compartment with key fob and Velcro closure. Monogram will be on front pocket. Tote stands 21" high. This is a popular teacher gift and wedding party gift. I'm tote crazy so I can never have enough of them!

$22.50 including personalization.

Monogramming Mistakes

2009-06-16T18:40:00.016-04:00

A customer called me today ask if I would replace a gift that she purchased a week ago. She bought a piece of personalized luggage for her granddaughter who will be heading off to college this fall. She requested that we personalize the luggage with the following sentiment: "Love, Grandma ". I tried to steer her away from this by suggesting the idea of using the girl's monogram, to no avail.

Turns out the granddaughter's disappointment with the personalization choice was very obvious when she openend it. This time around we are going with the her monogram. Grandma is laughing about her original idea now and there are no hurt feelings. She took it very well.

This type of request is something that I do see from time to time. Well meaning customers giving gifts from the heart may not know exactly how to personalize that special gift they selected. When I run into a request like this, I delicately ask if the customer has considered any other personalization options and I offer some popular alternatives. I don't like to be pushy. After all the customer has the final say and what they want is what they get. There are situations where a gag gift or inside joke makes perfect sense to the recipient and that's understandable.

When you are picking out a personalized gift here are a few things to keep in mind.

1-Make it about them and not about you. Use the gift card rather than the gift to express a sentiment like "Love, Grandma"

2-Sentiments (if they are to be included on the item) should most likely be on the back of the item (engraving, ceramic plates etc.) but they normally would not be placed on the front. The front is usually reserved for the recipients monogram or name.

3-For personalized wedding gifts, check to make sure the bride is taking her husband's last name before using her "new" monogram.

4- Sometimes less is more. If you are unsure of the spelling of the new baby's middle name, stick with the first name that you are sure of.

Some sentiments, no matter how heartfelt, are better off in a card and not on the gift. When in doubt, leave it out, or ask the sales person for assistance. Bottom line is that we all want our gifts to be well received and keeping these simple rules in mind will make that happen.

Do you have any funny "personalized gift gone bad" stories you want to share? If so, let us know!

Personalized cooler bag, great gift for Dad

2009-06-12T11:10:00.010-04:00

This black nylon insulated cooler bag is perfect for Father's day. It also makes a great wedding party gift. The monogram will be positioned on the outer pocket. $26.50 including personalization. Perfect for a day by the pool, beach or on the boat. Holds 12 cans and is also a great gift for the ladies! (click on the photo to view monograms) I like to take one with me to the grocery store to keep frozen food cold on the trip home.

Personalized Damask Luggage

2009-06-09T15:47:00.012-04:00

Large Damask Duffle Bag - $30 including personalization

I love this line of damask print luggage. It's super cute and surprisingly affordable. Perfect for a graduation gift. I use it myself and find it's works for girls of any age. I like all the colors, but green is my personal favorite. Here are just a few photos, to see the entire line, click here
Of course all pieces can be personalized with a name or monogram.

3 pc. Diaper Bag-Tote $30 / Garment Bag $28 / Cosmetic cases $38

Party To Go

2009-06-01T06:32:00.004-04:00

Party season is upon us! Whether it's a wedding, backyard BBQ, pool party, graduation party, anniversary or birthday this is the time to celebrate. Our party to go bag is the perfect accessory. Available in green or brown with one initial for just $18.50 + shipping. The bag is designed with 4 corner pockets to hold up to 4 bottles of wine (or drink of choice!) with a center pocket that you use for bread, cheese and whatever else you need to carry. This makes a great hostess gift. Recently we've been seeing these used for wedding party gifts.
Here's to summer celebrations!

How could I forget that?

2009-05-26T13:23:00.008-04:00

My daughter turned 10 yesterday. It occurred to me today that I forgot to serve her cake to her on special birthday plate...that I sell...and had made for her...with her name on it...how could I forget that?

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2009-05-24T09:53:00.010-04:00

Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Here's a recipe for an easy buffalo chicken dip that we are having today...

In a crock pot combine:

4 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
2 bricks of cream cheese
1 bottle of your favorite blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup of your favorite buffalo sauce or hot sauce (add more or less to taste)
3-4 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (grilled, sauteed, whatever)

Turn on the crock pot, mix all the ingredients after they soften up and let cook on low until it's all melted together.

Serve with small 3-4 inch pieces of celery.

This recipe is neither heart healthy or low fat. Sorry!

Cynthia Defelice -vs- Hannah Montana

2009-05-21T08:34:00.001-04:00

My daughter met author Cynthia Defelice yesterday at her school. She was thrilled to no end. Madison loves a good mystery and has read all of her books. She especially loves the novels about the character Allie Nichols.

Her novels are probably geared for ages 9-12 (don't hold me to that) but she also has picture books for little ones.

Madison says that this is her favorite living author. Who says that at the age of 10? Apparently Madison does. You'd have thought Hannah Montana was visiting the school the way Madison reacted. I love that she is this excited about meeting an author.

And the winner is...Cynthia Defelice! Sorry Hannah!

I won an award!

2009-05-18T15:35:00.023-04:00

Beth at Social Climbers gave me an award for my blog. Thanks Beth! I'm looking forward to reading her book.

I'm told the rules are as follows:

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award. OK, newly discovered...I'm not sure that my list is what you would consider newly discovered, but I'm doing my best here!

Here's my list- new or not...

All Things Southern & Preppy

Confessions of a Semi-Slacker Mom

Preppy 50 and Loving Lilly

Sweet Sassy and Always Classy

Babbling Abby

A Southern Accent

Bates Blessings
Getting Here From There
The Kentucky Rumery's

The Company She Keeps

Life at the Whitehouse

Garden Princess

2009-05-16T10:00:00.001-04:00

These pique dresses are handmade and perfect for summer. Monogrammed, of course! Available in 9 different color combinations. We also have a corduroy version for winter.

Suri Cruise has been spotted around town wearing one. Lucky girl!

John Johns & Shortalls

2009-05-13T18:01:00.006-04:00

I love John Johns and shortalls on little boys. If I had a boy, he'd be wearing them.

These can be personalized with a monogram of a full name. It doesn't get any cuter. You know summer is here when you see the shortalls come out!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T13:39:00.010-04:00

This is what I asked for ...

along with some of this...

We have some hungry birds flying around our backyard that will love this gift!
My favorite is a Blue Jay that's made himself right at home here. We call him Jay. Very original, I know. He's fun to watch and I'm glad to see that he came back to our yard this spring.

What did you get? Hope it was something special! Happy Mother's Day!

Half of Grandma's Gang

2009-05-02T19:51:00.011-04:00

We've been making and selling these personalized Grandma sweatshirts and Grandma totes for over eight years and they continue to be a favorite Mother's day gift. We have 19 different images of children to choose from with various hair styles. You can even pick the hair color and skin tone that best represents the child. No stick images here! We also make quite a few sweatshirts for Grandpas and Dads, but Mom and Grandma are the two most popular recipients. We let the customer make up their own title so they can personalize this to suit their needs. Some of my personal favorites are "Team Gramma" "This Daddy Belongs To..." "Mommy's Shopping Buddies" and "Grandpa's Pit Crew".

There is one order that stands out in my mind. I don't' think I will ever forget this one. The customer requested the title "Half of Grandma's Gang" and went on to explain that her sister refused split the cost of the gift for their mother, so she put just her kids on the shirt and not her sisters kids. I always wondered if the Grandma ever actually wore that sweatshirt and if so, how many people asked her where the other half of her gang was.

Our sweatshirts are over sized. They run big because I have never met anyone who enjoys wearing a tight sweatshirt. We hope customers take us seriously when we say not to order a larger size than they usually wear, maybe even go a size smaller.

These personalized sweatshirts tend to be very time consuming and there are days when I am trying to keep straight all the names, images, skin tones and hair colors for 15 different kids. It's times like this when I say to myself "what in the world were you thinking!" but the reaction from the people who receive them definitely makes it worth my time.

April Showers Bring May Flowers

2009-04-22T08:00:00.007-04:00

They say April showers bring May flowers. If that's true, we should have a lot of flowers here because it's been raining for days. We've got just the thing to hold those May flowers.

Introducing our new Monogrammed French Flower Vase ($24.50)

Choose from antique brown or ivory. Each comes with a lightweight plastic liner. Choose from a variety of colors and monogram styles ranging from sophisticated to whimsical. Happy spring!

Multiple Multiples

2009-04-21T07:37:00.000-04:00

We received two different orders on the same day from different customers who both bought 3 personalized baby sun hats for two different sets of triplets. Great minds really do think alike. I bet these well dressed multiples will be stopping traffic in these cute hats, on different sides of the country of course!

First Communion

2009-04-20T09:45:00.004-04:00

The "official portrait" has been taken and here she is...we're only days away! She's not wearing her new crystal and pearl necklace in this picture. Her older sister started a tradition of wearing Nana's pearls for her Communion portrait. Little sister carried on the tradition. Nana would be proud.

Sneak Peek at our new Personalized Tubs

2009-04-14T07:08:00.009-04:00

Here's a sneak peek at what we've been working on. It a personalized galvanized tub featuring a dog breed silhouette. We have several different breeds to choose from as well as monograms and other non-canine designs. This was designed to be used as a dog toy bin or a catch all for dog leashes, toys, brushes etc. It could also be used as a planter (comes with a plastic liner), towel holder for the pool. I'm sure we'll come up with more uses for this personalized tub. We'll be adding it to our store soon along with some other new items that we working on.

Personalized Travel Tumblers

2009-04-09T20:08:00.008-04:00

I haven't been this excited about adding a new product in quite some time...OK that's a lie. I'm always excited when we add a new things to our store. But I will tell you that I'm in love these new travel tumblers. They hold 16 ounces of the beverage of your choice. We have 15 fresh designs and oodles of monogramming choices. It was no easy task narrowing it down to JUST 15 designs. We photographed 5 shown here. I love them all. But most of all the two on the right...and the stripe....and the one on the left, and also the one in the middle, and the 10 that we didn't photograph.

First Communion Jewelry

2009-04-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

First Communion is quickly approaching and the girls are all a buzz with talk of dresses, tiaras and jewelry. Here is a photo of one of our best selling Swarovski crystal and fresh water pearl ensembles. That's our own daughter's invitation in the background. She can't wait for her big day to get here. She's been trying on her dress and making favors for her pink and brown themed party. I'm looking forward her big day too...I'm also looking forward to the Creme Brulee French Toast being served at her brunch!

Spring Swap!

2009-04-06T10:19:00.012-04:00

My spring swap partner Confessions of a Semi Slacker Mom (who also hosted this Spring Swap) sent me a fantastic box full of adorable spring gifts. The box just arrived and included a pink and green tote, a monogrammed towel (in my favorite colors!), a platter perfect for Easter, some flower seeds (which will be put to good use!), stationary, ribbon, Lindt truffles and Lindt extra dark chocolate. The chocolate will come in VERY handy for our next fondue. We are addicted to fondue over here! This swap was so much fun. Semi Slacker also included some peach jam from her family farm.

I can't wait to try it...literally, so I'm off to do that now. Lucky me, this was really fun! Check out her blog, it's a great read!

1 of 2 and 2 of 2 ... Cute Layette for Adorable Twins

2009-03-24T20:50:00.012-04:00

Now here's an adorable duo, newborn twins Olivia and Ava. The girls are sporting custom layette made right here at Pretty Personal Gifts. We designed this set for one of our loyal customers. She gave this set to the Mom to be at her baby shower a few months ago. Our customer didn't know what the twins would be named at the time of the shower, so this is what we came up with for her. We also tried A and B, but it just wasn't as cute as 1 of 2 and 2 of 2. Catchy! I guess the parents (or at least the mom) liked the layette well enough to have the adorable duo wear them in their official hospital photo. We are honored!

Good news, bad news and reality TV

2009-03-23T11:49:00.024-04:00

First the bad news. We were contacted a few weeks ago by Martha's people with word that we were being considered to take part in an upcoming Martha Stewart show about people who own websites. The show was to air in late April and all the audience members would be website owners. Nothing was set in stone, details were sketchy at best . Well, we found out today that the website owner show has been postponed until next season. I think that means "cancelled until further notice due to lack of interest".

So as a consolation prize of sorts we were offered tickets to attend a show who's theme is yet to be determined. I'm not sure about that. What if it turns out to be something embarrassing...like people who could stand to loose a few pounds or people who are clearly unaware that they need a makeover? I'm not saying I don't belong on those shows...I'm just saying I may not want to be on those shows. Considering that we are already seeing Mother's day orders come in and the fact that I'm not much of a risk taker, I'm not sure about taking a day or two off to go to NYC to go to see Martha. I never thought I would hear myself saying that. The website owner show was something I couldn't say no to, but I'm not sure about this one. If only I knew what the show was going to be about. I'm sure I will live to regret it if I don't go.

O.K., so here's the good news. Confessions of a semi-slacker Mom, awarded me with the Kreative Blogger Award. I have to tell you, I'm honored. It's my first award for blogging. So thank you. This was turning out to be not such a good day until now! I truly enjoy reading her blog.

The rules are that you need to post 7 things you love and then award this to 7 other people. I will do that soon in another post.

On a side note - a friend of mine, who owns a Paul Mitchell hair salon called Spa Li Ve , is currently in the running to be on season 5 of Split Ends - a reality show on the style network about hair stylists who swap shops for a week. Good luck Liberty - we hope you make the "cut"... OK, that was a bad pun. Just the same I do hope to see you on TV soon!

Monogrammed Bucket

2009-03-09T12:05:00.005-04:00

We just added these personalized buckets to our store. They come two sizes and a variety of designs. Each can be personalized with a name or monogram. I love this pink and green argyle design and I think it will be the perfect Easter basket for my girls this year.

$26 for the 2.5 quart bucket
$30 for the 5 quart bucket

includes personalization. Shipping is additional. Allow 4-5 business days for production plus shipping time.

boys will love this camo bucket!

Alphabet Photography

2009-03-05T09:30:00.011-05:00

Every once in a while I feel the need to talk about a business that I don't own. I stumbled across this web site recently and fell in love with their product. Alphabet photography is based in Niagara Falls, Ontario and features the work of Jennifer Blakeley.

Jennifer spent a large part of 2006/2007 travelling Canada with only one goal in mind; to collect a complete gallery of photographs that look like letters of the English Alphabet. All of her photographs are of objects found in their natural surroundings that are un-staged and not found in any pre-existing signage.

I loved visiting this site. It has an interactive feature that allows you to create your own words selecting from the different photographs/letters that are available. I could have spent all day doing this. Keep in mind I'm a personalization freak. The nice thing is that the final product isn't just a word or name, it's also a piece of art. You can play around with each letter to get a different look and feel. While the word certainly stands out on the finished product, it's also a beautiful photo collage of interesting objects found in their natural state. I love it. The fact that you can change around the photos is great for a control freak such as myself. (Please, if we go out for pizza, never pick my piece for me!)

The photos are not framed, they come to you in 4x6 sepia tone only. You can frame them yourself or use them however you please. The cost per photo is $5 Canadian which translates to slightly less in US dollars, depending on the current exchange rate. Shipping runs about $5 as well, again, slightly less depending on the exchange rate.

Here's a link to my very own personal work of art. Stop by this site and have fun making your own!

Enjoy!
Janine

Wet Bathing Suit? Here's a great Wedding Gift Idea

2009-03-02T09:18:00.005-05:00

A wet bathing suit + your beach bag = a mess. Our lined wet bathing suit bags make a unique wedding gift that the happy couple can use on the honeymoon. They are also a very popular attendant gift for the bridesmaids. We have several versions shown here. Prices start at $35 and some are available with a matching flip flop bag. All bags include personalization. This is a great gift for pool parties too...kids love them, adults love them. They work for just about any age.

Gift for Grandma!

2009-02-23T19:18:00.004-05:00

This is a cute gift for the "soon to be" or "new" Grandma. This adorable suitcase comes in pink or blue complete with a matching blanket (personalized of course!). The outside of the suitcase says "Ready or not Grandma, here I come!" Retails for $30 including personalization on the baby blanket. Big hit with Grandma! Click here to view this at our store

Bring your dog to work day

2009-02-20T18:35:00.003-05:00

Around here, everyday is bring your dog to work day. If I spin my chair around when I'm sitting at my desk, this is what I see, or what I trip over. I wouldn't have it any other way. These two goldens are my BFF's (best furry friends) Now, if only they could learn to answer the phones...

Win a free necklace at Busy Moms

2009-02-18T13:42:00.004-05:00

Enter to win one of our hand stamped coin necklaces with 2 charms ($55 value) at Busy Mom .

This contest runs until 3/6/09. Don't forget to check out the website for a special Pretty Personal Gifts coupon code! We'll also be the featured guest in the next few weeks.

Personalized Baby

2009-02-04T16:43:00.006-05:00

Our personalized baby layette is super soft 100% combed cotton and can be embellished with a variety of adorable designs shown here. Makes a wonderful shower gift or "take me home" outfit. Package it in our baby bucket for $5 more and it's the big ooohhh ahhhh gift at the baby shower

Christening & First Communion Bracelet

2009-01-31T15:46:00.011-05:00

Our crystal & pearl bracelet ($45) is a popular choice for Christenings and First Communions. The clear diamond Swarovski crystals and white fresh water pearls make this name bracelet an obvious choice. Add any charm for just $6.50. Shown here with the plain flat cross, we have over 70 other charms to choose from. We can continue to make this bracelet larger as the child grows which allows her to wear it through adulthood. Who knows, maybe even on her wedding day? Some customers prefer to have this made without the name which is no problem.

We custom make each bracelet in our design studio and they ship very quickly, but order early because First Communion is right around the corner. Our name bracelets also make a great Easter gift. We have adult sizes for the big girls and so many styles to choose from, all are my original designs. We'll be having our very own First Communion celebration in April and we can't wait! The photo above is of my oldest daughter in 2007 wearing great grandma's pearls and a custom bracelet designed by her mom and made by her grandma who heads up our bracelet production here at Pretty Personal Gifts.

We currently have a $5 discount code available for any bracelet order. Enter code "BRACELET" in the voucher code during check out to receive the discount.

Click here to view our bracelets

XOXO Hugs and Kisses Necklace

2009-01-20T16:40:00.004-05:00

Our hugs & kisses XOXO "LOVE" necklace is already making a big splash for Valentine's day 2009. This has been the favorite so far followed closely by the "MOM" version. Order by 2/5 for ground shipping and 2/10 with overnight shipping for delivery by 2/14/09. This hand stamped sterling silver necklace retails for $45 and includes your choice of 14 decorative dangles.

We're Thinking Summer Fun!

2009-01-14T21:48:00.008-05:00

With below freezing, bone chilling, record low temperatures here in the Great Northeast, we thought it was time to turn our thoughts towards some summer fun. We've just added some fabulous new summer beach items. Click here to view the new monogrammed beach bags with matching beach towel, wet bathing suit bags and fun beach totes. Think spring, think summer, think of a vacation spot somewhere south of here...think anything but snow!

Think Spring with Preppy Plaid

2009-01-10T16:24:00.003-05:00

Now that the holidays are over, my fascination with winter is over as well. Think spring with our new line of preppy plaid travel accessories. We have just added an overnight duffel, double zip cosmetic case, lunch tote, large tote and messenger bag. All can be personalized at no additional charge while supplies last.

Camo anyone?

2009-01-09T12:57:00.003-05:00

I'm told camo is all the rage with the tweenies (skulls and crossbones are too, but we aren't going there). We finally found a little something that the birthday girl approved of to put in the goody bags at her upcoming birthday party. It was particularly tough to find something appropriate considering that she invited 28 boys and girls! I've been informed that the boys certainly would NOT want a their shirts personalized so we are going sans monogram for this party. Maybe that's a blessing since I'm short on time and my machines are busy working on retail orders for my customers. Not so personal, but it's better than a bag full of sugar in my opinion and what kid couldn't use an trendy t-shirt?

Mikayla, party of 28

2009-01-06T19:17:00.004-05:00

My youngest daughter turns 8 this week and her birthday party is this weekend. Every year I try to come up with a unique goody bag to send home with the the kids that has something other than candy in it. One year it was silver & crystal bracelets packed in pink Chinese to go containers. Another year for her swim party we gave out beach towels inside of a matching monogrammed beach bag. The bags were a big hit with the girls so I was disappointed that the manufacturer discontinued them. I was glad to see that the same company just came out with a new version shown here. We'll be ordering these soon. They make a great bridal party gift. They retail for $24 monogrammed.

Now the question is what are we giving the kids year? The party is this Sunday and I'm still hunting. We have actual boys attending this year and my little Rock Star wants to something monogrammed...for each of the 28 kids she invited. Probably not going to happen, but it might. Happy birthday Mikayla!

Nancy Drew takes 1st place

2009-01-04T17:58:00.003-05:00

Don't you love it when you find THE perfect gift for someone you love. This year Nancy Drew took 1st place in my house. My oldest daughter is a big fan of Nancy Drew. She is currently working her way through an entire collection of books that she received this summer from our friend Linda. Because she has shown such interest in all things Nancy Drew, I found myself searching for some sort of Nancy Drew type gift for her for Christmas. I found a book called "Clues for Real Life, The Classic Wit & Wisdom of Nancy Drew" on this website .(click on the link to go there) I bought one for my daughter and another for my friend Jen. The book is very funny, well written and the author was kind enough to sign both copies for me. My daughter said it was one of her favorite gifts this year. She has already read the book 3 or 4 times since Christmas. I highly recommend it to any super sleuth and ND fan. I also bought a pocketbook made from the cover of an old ND book on the same site. My daughter loved that too. She proudly totes her book du jour around in it. I thought it would be nice to give this website a plug here since the gifts were such a hit. The items arrived very quickly and the author was very pleasant to work with. Long live Nancy Drew!

Christmas & New Years

2008-12-28T12:56:00.003-05:00

One of the highlights of my Christmas (and there were so many) was taking my two girls and niece sleigh ridding before dinner. They wanted to try out their new "snowmobiles". You couldn't hear anything but the three of them screaming with delight as my brother Todd pushed them down our snow covered front yard. It was quite a sight. After several trips down the hill with lots of giggles and screaming I heard my niece say "this is the best day of my life!". Mission accomplished! We hope you had a Merry Christmas and that you have a happy and safe New Year.

No More Gifts From Martha

2008-12-21T09:32:00.006-05:00

I recently overheard my daughter telling a friend the following. "Martha Stewart used to send my mom a Christmas present every year until she went to jail.". OK, so my heart stopped right then and there. I can just imagine the conversation in this child's house...it probably went something like this. "Did you know Madison's mom went to jail!" Here's the real story. A few years ago I had the great fortune of doing business with Martha Stewart Living Omni Media. It was quite a boost for my business. During the course of all this we business I was invited to her office in NYC for lunch and I still have the guest badge that says "here to visit : MARTHA STEWART. " That's a keeper!

My company appeared in Martha's kids magazine a few times. Every year I would get the standard corporate gift from MSLO. One year it was a jade milk glass cake stand. The next year it was the jade milk glass compote bowl. Another year it was her cook book. I also received cookie cutters, hand made fridge magnets and a few other interesting and crafty type gifts. I always looked forward to receiving that package. Madison would say, "Mom, your gift from Martha is here!!" It's true that the gifts stopped coming shortly after Martha went to you know where. I adore Martha. I had nothing but positive experiences dealing with her company. They are wonderful to work with. Technically, my daughter is correct, I did receive gifts from "MARTHA STEWART" (the company) until she went to you know where... Here's a photo of one of my favorites. Now that the kids magazine is history, we haven't had much contact with MS but it sure was fun while it lasted!

Beautiful Bride!

2008-12-11T17:33:00.003-05:00

This is a photo of my cousin's daughter Tara and her new husband Jason. They were married the day after Thanksgiving. Tara is still in college and since her parents are funding that venture, she and her beau funded the wedding. I'm sure that's wasn't easy for two young adults just starting out. When I heard this I decided that in addition to a ho hum practical wedding gift of towels (which are no fun, but do come in handy when you need to dry off) that Tara might enjoy a bridal necklace and earrings to wear on her wedding day. Her mom (my favorite cousin-in-law) put me in touch with a photo of the bride's dress and here she is wearing the finished product. I'm sure she would have looked gorgeous with or without the jewels, but I'm thrilled that she opted to wear the bling that I designed for her! Congratulations Tara & Jason!

Cherished Gifts & Memories

2008-12-10T23:01:00.007-05:00

What is the most cherished gift you have ever received? Why is it so special to you? One of my favorites is an engraved gold cross I received at my baptism from my Godmother, Aunt Peggy. It was the first personalized gift I ever received which makes it very special to me. She was definitely one of the inspirations for my business. She started my fascination with all things personalized. I still have a heart charm that she gave me with a very unique monogram. I've never seen anything like it. She gave me my first charm bracelet, adding a charm to symbolize every big event in my life. There were countless other gifts over the years. Many personalized. She certainly was generous and thoughtful. She never forgot any of my special days no matter how old I was. She went above and beyond and was always fun to be around. She came to visit me at college, took one look at the tattered shoes I was wearing, and immediately took me shopping. That's just how she was. It's not only what she gave me, but the feeling that went along with the gift. It made me feel very special to know that she took the time to pick out something just for me and the monogram proved that it really was just for me. You can't put a price on that feeling. I guess that's what draws me to personalized gifts. She has also inspired me to give more and that's a great feeling too. This has been a tough year for our family. We've lost so many loved ones, including Aunt Peggy. She may be gone, but my memories of her are truly the gift that I will always cherish.

Overnight Shipping for necklaces

2008-12-08T19:37:00.003-05:00

We have seen such high demand for our handstamped necklaces that we've had to move to overnight shipping only to guarantee Christmas delivery. Soon we will have to cut off all shipping modes for necklaces and that particular product will begin shipping again in January. Many thanks to all of our fabulous and loyal customers who have already made this Christmas a huge success. I'm speechless, which is very rare, just ask my husband... and my friend Jen...now back to making necklaces...

Many thanks!