A Gracious Plenty

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

Oh yes, it is almost here! St. Valentine's Day is coming fast so you might want to think about what to get your sweetheart.  Whether you are shopping for someone you are in a new relationship with or a long time spouse, A Gracious Plenty will have the perfect gift.

Give your loved one a gift that shows you planned ahead. They will love the thought you put into it!

Sterling Silver Large Double Links Bracelet

How beautiful is this!  This gorgeous bracelet is available in both 7" and 8" lengths. It has a large 1" charm that can be engraved on one side with a monogram, name or other brief inscription. 

You may personalize this item with:
    - a single-initial monogram,
    - a two-initial monogram,
    - a traditional three-initial monogram, or
    - a name, date, or other brief inscription

 

 

Anniversary Gift Symbols

Celebrating an anniversary milestone is a always special. Do you wonder what to get this year? The traditional gifts of days gone by are just not what you are looking for sometimes. Listed below are the traditional gift ideas along with their more modern counterpart:

1st Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gifts: Paper
Modern Gifts: Clocks 

2nd Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gifts: Cotton
Modern Gifts: China 

3rd Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Leather
Modern Gifts: Crystal 

4th Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Fruit or Flowers
Modern Gifts: Appliances

5th Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gifts: Wood
Modern Gifts: Silverware

6th Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Candy or Iron
Modern Gifts: Wood

7th Wedding Anniversary
Traditional Gifts: Wool or Copper
Modern Gifts: Desk Sets

8th Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Bronze or Pottery
Modern Gifts: Linens or Lace

9th Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Pottery and Willow
Modern Gifts: Leather

10th Wedding Anniversary 
Traditional Gifts: Tin or Aluminum
Modern Gifts: Diamond Jewelry 

I'm not sure if I agree with some of the modern ideas.  An appliance for a wedding gift?  I would prefer something a little more personal. Be sure to celebrate each milestone for they are truly a treasure. For more anniversaries ideas click here.

 

Personalized Baby Gifts

Is there a new baby in 2012 that you want to give a special gift to?  A personalized baby gift is a wonderful way to welcome a new baby or celebrate a baptism! All of our personalized baby gifts come in a gift box shown below, and can be gift wrapped and shipped anywhere in the U.S.

 

Below are just a few samples of the personalized gifts available:

    

  

Our Favorite Links

A Gracious Plenty would like to share a few of our favorite links with our customers:

Little Painted Polka Dots - whimsical, personalized art with you in mind! - Personalized name plaques, picture frames, birth plaques, Little Bella Tutus and more. Custom orders welcome.

CheyenneSilverJewelry.com - Cheyenne Silver Jewelry offers fine sterling silver jewelry, many with genuine gemstones, for men, women, children, babies and pets.

itsurhomenow.com - Itsurhomenow.com offers a large selection of home decor products to bring your personal style to every room in your home. Be sure to check out their one-of-a-kind, artisan-crafted items.

WahmRegistry - The Wahm Registry is a worldwide listing of work at home markets joining together to display their best-selling products, promote home business opportunities, and support the growing network of work at home people.

Work at Home - Bizymoms.com is building a community of Moms, Grandmas & Dads who want to work from home or are already working from home.

 

About silver quality

With the rise in silver prices, many companies have shifted to selling silver-plated jewelry. When shopping for jewelry, you should always be clear on the type of silver jewelry being advertised. If you want sterling silver, be sure item is described as ‘sterling’. If it is described simply as ‘silver’ AND the price is low, the item may just be silver-plated. A Gracious Plenty does not sell silver-plated jewelry, all of our jewelry is .925 sterling silver or purer in the case of our hand-stamped pendants. While silver-plated jewelry has its place in the market, like for trendier items, our jewelry is of a more classic design, that can be worn for years and even be passed along to become family heirlooms.

Hand-Stamped Silver Jewelry

At A Gracious Plenty, all of our hand-stamped pendants and charms, as well as our necklaces, earwires, clasps and other components, are made of .925 sterling or .999 fine silver.   

 

       

Each one-of-a-kind pendant and charm is created completely by hand here in our studio at A Gracious Plenty. We are continually adding new pieces to our hand-stamped silver jewelry collection - so check back often!

 

 

How to care for your silver jewelry.

When left exposed and unused, all sterling will tarnish; this is a natural occurrence caused by oxidation from extended exposure to air. When not wearing your jewelry, we recommend you store it in a jewelry box or drawer, preferably one that has a tarnish resistant cloth lining. Alternatively, you could keep your sterling jewelry wrapped in tarnish resistant cloths or pouches. A Gracious Plenty offers a very nice set of silver cloths that you may purchase to keep that silver looking brilliant!

To remove light tarnish and restore sterling to its original luster, gently wipe or buff it with a silver cloth. Heavier tarnish may require use of a cream or solution specially designed for tarnish removal. Used according to directions, these products will not harm your jewelry.

Silver for medical use?

We usually blog about our elegant Silver jewelry, but did you know that silver has medical uses also? In 1884, Carl Crede, a German obstetrician administered a 1% silver nitrate solution to the eyes of newborns to virtually eliminate a disease that caused blindness in newborns.  Today we use antibiotics for this treatment, but in a world concerned with virus and disease, silver is increasingly tapped for its bactericidal properties and used to treat a range of conditions including severe burns. Silver’s anti-bacterial powers have been tested and proven scientifically. For more information on this subject, go to The Silver Institute website.  We knew there was a reason silver is so "precious"!

 

Another perfect gift!

Here is just one more of our perfect gift ideas!  Our Hand Stamped Silver Name Necklace is unique due to the Rectangle Tags with hand stamped name or grief inscriptions of your choice.

This necklace features two or more fine silver pendants (99.9% pure silver), measuring just over 1 inch in length. A great idea for moms or grandmoms!