A Gracious Plenty

Fancy Girls Love Pearls!

One of my daughter's favorite books is Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Conner. If you have never read a Fancy Nancy book, they are about a little girl who delights in everything fancy:  clothes, words, events...the fancier, the better.  My daughter just loves these books and I admit it, I indulge her fanciness. And what could be fancier than a formal tea party?  Little girls can dress up in their finest frocks to celebrate and enjoy their tea and sandwiches.  And what ensemble would be complete without a little bijoux?  (Oh dear!  I'm starting to sound like Fancy Nancy!)  Worn beautifully here by our sweet little friend is our freshwater pearl bracelet with a monogrammed sterling silver charm.  (My thanks to Mia of JTM Photography for the wonderful photo.)

Now, as you may imagine, A Gracious Plenty has a great selection of personalized items to help your precious little one in her quest to be fancy!  In addition to our monogrammed sterling silver bracelets and necklaces, one of my favorite items is a monogrammed sterling silver barrette.  You know how beautiful those big grosgrain bows are in little girls' hair?  Well, wait till you see those darling curls pulled back with a classic sterling barrette with her monogram on it!  We offer several styles and sizes for you to choose from!

Feature Friday: Personalized Baby Bank

For this week's Feature Friday Item, I picked one of my favorite first birthday gifts, our stainless steel engraved baby bank adorned with raised lettering. This is a great gift to commemorate the first birthday of a special child in your life.

It's a cute and practical gift for a child's birthday, and will become a keepsake for many years to come. It's a great way to teach a young child how to save.

The bank can be personalized with two engraved lines of up to 15 characters per line and comes in a gift box. Size: 2.5" x 2.5". Gift wrap (in pastel baby-themed paper with a coordinating bow) is available.  

 

Birthday Gift Ideas for Baby

In writing about the products we offer at A Gracious Plenty, I try to include useful gift ideas for various occasions. So if you're ever stuck for ideas on what to give for an event or occasion I invite you to visit us here at our blog for a few suggestions, and I hope you find these helpful!

Today I'd like to mention some birthday gift suggestions for babies. I know that no matter what the age of the recipient, gifts that can be remembered for years are the best. When children are under 3 years old, especially, I think it's a great time to give them keepsake gifts.  Why?  Often, they don't really need yet another toy (that will hold their attention for all of 3 minutes!), and they'll grow out of that adorable-but-expensive outfit you're thinking of getting them in a matter of milliseconds (okay, months, maybe...but trust me, as a mom, I know!). 

For the same amount of money that you would spend on a fancy outfit baby will outgrow quickly, why not give a keepsake he or she will have for a lifetime?  When baby gets older and she's looking at her baby book, or she is getting ready to pass down that keepsake to her children is when she will remember you and think of the thoughtfulness of your gift.

If it is important to you to give a gift that is both practical today and keepsake-worthy in the future, I recommend something from our collection of monogrammed baby bibs, burp cloths and baby blankets.  We carry personalized baby blankets in two sizes.  The smaller one, which we call a blankie, typically is used as a "softie" or a "lovie" by baby.  These are great as travel blankets; parents love them because their smaller size is convenient to carry around with baby's gear.  We also carry larger baby baby blankets that are great to use in the crib or stroller. Both blanket sizes can be personalized with an embroidered monogram or name in a variety of fonts and thread colors!

If you're looking for an extra-special keepsake that will be treasured and passed down for generations, consider selecting a gift from our collection of sterling silver personalized baby jewelry.  A Gracious Plenty has monogrammed baby bracelets, monogrammed necklaces and baby lockets, and monogrammed silver pacifier clips.  We engrave all of our sterling silver baby keepsakes right here in our Atlanta studio, offer a selection of fonts, and even offer additional engraving (of a date or brief inscription) on many items.

Thanksgiving Giveaway!

Well, here at A Gracious Plenty our Halloween was a 'hoot,' and we hope yours was, too!  With Halloween now officially behind us, though, we turn our thoughts ahead to Thanksgiving.  And I have a confession to make:  Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of them all!  I love the focus on family, friends, and yes, since I'm in a confessional mood, food!  But I especially love reflecting on all of the 'things' in my life (most of which aren't 'things', so to speak) for which I am thankful.

In truth, 2009 has been a challenging year for many of us.  Despite the ups and downs, as the year is winding down I realize I have more blessings than I can count.  First and foremost, I am thankful for good health - mine, my family's, and my friends'.  I am grateful also for the love and support of family and friends.  And most certainly, this gratitude extends to the wonderful customers we have the pleasure of serving through A Gracious Plenty. 

As an expression of my gratitude to all of you, I've planned another giveaway!  To enter this giveaway, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post sharing what you are most thankful for this year. One lucky person who shares their blessings with us will receive the beautiful monogrammed crystal serving platter pictured above!  (And we'll even ship it for free, just in time for your holiday entertaining!)

Don't delay - comments will be closed this Friday November 6th at midnight, Eastern Time.  A winning comment will be selected at random, and the author of the comment will be notified over the weekend. (If the winner does not reply via e-mail within 72 hours, a new winner will be selected at random.) Please, leave only one comment with a valid e-mail address where we can contact you if you are selected as the winner.  (Duplicate comments, including multiple comments coming from the same IP address, will be eliminated.)

Our goal is to monogram and deliver a personalized platter to our winner in time to use for Thanksgiving entertaining. So please, without further adieu, share with us your attitude of gratitude!  We look forward to reading your comments and learning what is important and meaningful to you, and we thank you for sharing!

Happy Halloween!!!

 

Wishing you all

a

 Happy Halloween!

Hope it's SPOOKTACULAR!!!

 

Hostess Gifts for Holiday Parties

I know it's hard to believe, but Halloween is at the end of the week, and it's time to start thinking about the winter holiday season - if you haven't already!  You may have received an invitation to a holiday party or two, and perhaps you have started to think about some options for gifts you can give your hosts and hostesses this year.

When you receive an invitation to a holiday dinner or party, you might find yourself wondering what gift to give the host or hostess. Often, party-goers just don't know what to bring.  Wine is nice and it is the most common gift to bring, but frankly, some generous hosts and lavish events merit a more distinctive gift.  (One giant no-no is fruitcake, unless you know for sure that your host or hostess is a big fan!)  So in today's post I'd like to suggest some terrific, sure-to-be-welcomed gift ideas for that special host/hostess.

A common theme at holiday parties is great food, beautifully served.  Everyone has their own favorite holiday recipes and treats, and my favorites are decadent desserts!  So give your host/hostess an attractive desert platter – we suggest one of our monogrammed crystal platters, which we offer in several shapes and sizes.   You could even bring it with a sampling of chocolate-covered strawberries or some other bite-sized treat for your host/hostess to enjoy later...because you certainly don't want to compete with your host's/hostess' holiday cakes or pies at the event!

Another gift that is sure to please and make a lasting impression is a beautiful monogrammed crystal bowl.  For a festive gift presentation, you could fill the bowl with a creative compilation of colorful holiday ornaments or miniature decorations.

A "Breakfast for Two" gift bag is another personalized idea to give your host/hostess with an assortment of treats they can enjoy in the morning, after a late night of entertaining.  Place all the goodies in a monogrammed tote bag that the host/hostess can use again and again!

Gifts with a personal touch are always appreciated, so you pretty much can't go wrong with anything monogrammed or personalized.  At A Gracious Plenty, we offer over a thousand classic, practical items that can be personalized in a variety of fonts, thread colors, ink colors...so the possibilities truly are endless!  We'd love to help you find a gift that is meaningful and memorable...after all, you do want to be invited back next year, don't you?

 

Personalized Holiday Stamps

 
 

 Now is the time to order your personalized holiday stamps!  A Gracious Plentyhas dozens of holiday stamp designsto choose from, and each of these designs can be customized by you with your own address or phrasing.  You can make a fabulous 'impression' this holiday season by giving gifts bearing your custom stamped message. We carry stamp designs by several  of today's most popular manufacturers, including Three Designing Women, Noteworthy Collections, and PSA Essentials.  We also offer colored ink for our stamps in holiday colors like red and green and many other colors as well.

There are so many ways to use these high-quality, self-inking stamps.  Of course, may folks order them as return address stamps for their Christmas and Hanukkah cards.  But they also are great for creating your own personalized holiday a gift tags and labels!  One of my favorite activities is to decorate plain wrapping paper to create our family's personalized gift paper.  If you have kids, this is a wonderful activity to do with them in preparation for the holidays.  This simple craft will entertain your children and add your family's own special flair to upcoming gift exchanges - and you can do it all with a single personalized stamp.

Don't delay on ordering your personalized holiday stamps, especially if you want to use yours on your holiday cards!   In order to receive them (with Standard Shipping) by the first week of December,  we recommend you place your order no later than November 15^th.  

 

Setting the table with personality and style!

You've planned the food, invited the guests, selected the music, and bought the spirits for your dinner party or soiree...but did you remember one of the most important parts of your special evening?  Dressing the table, of course! The way you dress your table can actually influence your guest's appetites and set the tone for the evening.  And best of all, dressing the table can be simple and doesn't need to cost you a lot of money!  Here are a few quick, easy and cost-effective suggestions:

No need to load your dining or serving table with different vases. It's called a centerpiece or a focal point for a reason, so add a vase or even a crystal pitcher filled with fresh flowers in the center of the table.

Instead of using candle holders, considering using votives that you can set in crystal bowls of water. Floating scented candles are another way to add grace and elegance to your table.

Find unusual cloth napkins with great colors and textures. Think about using tea towels for extra messy menus.

Use crystal platters to place seasonal items that go with your theme (for the holidays, perhaps pine cones and Christmas balls).

Search your house for items that can be reused and re-purposed to fit your table theme. The key is to find items items that are unique to you - and monogrammed pieces are just that!  These will add an easy yet sophisticated style to your party in a snap!

   

  

Feature This Friday- Julia Monogrammed Crystal Pitcher

Since I wrote about anniversary gifts earlier this week I thought it was appropriate to pick one of my favorite gifts for an anniversary couple: our personalized crystal pitcher.  One of the reasons I love to give this gift is that unlike other formal gifts, it will be used all the time.  If entertaining house guests or hosting a holiday brunch, the crystal pitcher can be used to serve juice, lemonade, tea or water.  It is appropriate for formal affairs, but will also fit nicely into a more casual repast.  (Just between us gals, this pitcher also comes in quite handy for a 'girl's night in' pitcher of your favorite refreshing concoction, like sangria or margaritas!)  Using a crystal pitcher is a great way to dress up any drink you're serving, even your morning orange juice, if you like!  I can tell you through personal experience:  you can open a carton of orange juice and pour it right in - no muss, no fuss - and you and your guests will feel truly special!

The Julia Monogrammed crystal pitcher has graceful lines which accentuate a classic shape that will never go out of style.  The pitcher is engraved with an elegant script monogram and holds 64 ounces.  Its radiant sparkle will long reflect your good taste and thoughtfulness, making it an ideal anniversary, wedding or housewarming gift.  

   

  

Anniversary Gifts with a Modern Touch

Last week I wrote about how couples can take 'time out' together to reconnect.  This week I'd like to follow up with a few suggestions for anniversary gifts to help celebrate your years together.

Wedding anniversaries symbolize a married couple's renewing of vows, each and every year, commemorating the depth of their commitment to each other. Historians have traced the origins of silver and golden anniversaries to medieval Germanic Europe, where silver and gold garlands were presented by the husband to the wife to celebrate the 25th and 50th years of marriage.

In 1937 the American National Retail Jewelry Association issued a list of gifts for all the traditional wedding anniversaries for each year up to the 15th Anniversary and then every fifth year after that up to the 60th.  The traditional list which includes things like paper, aluminum and wood may not meet with your partner's enthusiastic response.  Consider putting a twist on tradition to come up with the perfect anniversary gift that is sure to charm your loved one. Below I have listed the "rule" for a few anniversaries and then our suggestions on how to jazz things up while still following tradition.

1st Anniversary:  Paper

A gift made of paper is the traditional gift for the first anniversary.  To represent the interlocking bond you share, we suggest personalized stationery.

   

5th Anniversary:  Personalized platter

A personalized platter or other serving item is a lovely and practical gift, especially if you both enjoy entertaining.  

 
10th Anniversary:  Aluminum

This is an example of where we suggest thinking outside the box!  Instead of aluminum, we recommend sterling silver!  For him, perhaps a striking pair of monogrammed cuff links; for her, a monogrammed necklace.

   

   

15th Anniversary:  Crystal

Personalized crystal flutes add a nice flair the traditional crystal gift or even a crystal wine bucket for entertaining.

   

All of these items - and over a thousand more! - can be found at A Gracious Plenty!