Completely disregarding your sense of morality, imagine finding--and keeping--an average person's lost wallet or pocketbook. Now imagine the contents of said wallet or pocketbook and what types of things might reside inside, things that would be fun to use. Gather all this information and turn it into the coolest gift ever!
Purchase a cheap wallet or pocketbook. Fill it with all kinds of gift cards and cash, maybe a receipt for a lovely Gap sweater that's hiding in the closet, anything papery and worth a little something. Done. While seemingly expensive, this gift doesn't have to be. Goodwill works well to locate the container of choice. And as for the gift cards, think about the aforementioned average person who has like $4.58 left on his Starbucks card. Or what about a restaurant.com certificate...$25 for only $2 on 80% off days! Perhaps your local city has cheap, or even pay-what-you-want shows. Here in Milwaukee, we have a couple venues that offer $10 tickets for up-and-coming bands and artists. (Be the coolest person on your block and Facebook about seeing the latest rad indie band that came into town.) You could throw in a check that hasn't been cashed that just so happens to be written out to the giftee from the gifter. Maybe toss in a couple sticks of gum.
This type of gift spans all kinds of relationships too. You could do something like this with a purse for a bachelorette gift (omg just think of the naughty possibilities), or even a baby shower gift (throw in a pacifier and some Ibuprofen). You could place the wallet on a park bench real quick before your husband passes by. If your wife gets off on shoplifting, perhaps you should place this the purse amongst the other purses at a nearby mall. All kinds of totally legal adventures await you with this fun holiday gift!
Showing posts with label hidden treasure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hidden treasure. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Friday, December 18, 2009
Holiday Gift #5: Scavenger Hunt
This holiday season is probably pretty tight for virtually everyone. Perhaps you feel really bad about getting your boyfriend a pair of boxers, a mix cd, and that's about it. Well it's time to turn this seemingly ho hum gift pack into a crazy little adventure!
We've definitely arrived at the "five golden rings" portion of our list because this one is truly tops. You can get as simple as you want or seriously blow it out the box with this gift. Last year I put together a little hunt for my sister's new boyfriend and it included cheese and some lip balm! And a friend of mine just put a hunt together for his girlfriend that included a walk through the gorgeous Christmas lights display in the neighborhood park and drinks 23 floors up overlooking the city.
Either way, as cliché as it sounds, it's definitely the thought that counts and any time you have to think up clever clues, c'mon that's a whole lotta thought right?! And the clues are key. Reach way down deep on this one and get your creativity on. Stay local but slightly bizarre and hide clues in places according to your girlfriend's bathroom routine. Branch out but stay classic and leave clues at all your favorite bars and restaurants. What do I always say people? All together now! "The possibilities are endless!"
So you get the picture. Obviously scavenger hunts work year round, for any occasion, for no occasion at all, and for absolutely anyone from your 3 year old niece to your 83 year old grandpa. I honestly think we don't have enough scavenger hunts in our lives, so let's all get on this thing!
We've definitely arrived at the "five golden rings" portion of our list because this one is truly tops. You can get as simple as you want or seriously blow it out the box with this gift. Last year I put together a little hunt for my sister's new boyfriend and it included cheese and some lip balm! And a friend of mine just put a hunt together for his girlfriend that included a walk through the gorgeous Christmas lights display in the neighborhood park and drinks 23 floors up overlooking the city.
Either way, as cliché as it sounds, it's definitely the thought that counts and any time you have to think up clever clues, c'mon that's a whole lotta thought right?! And the clues are key. Reach way down deep on this one and get your creativity on. Stay local but slightly bizarre and hide clues in places according to your girlfriend's bathroom routine. Branch out but stay classic and leave clues at all your favorite bars and restaurants. What do I always say people? All together now! "The possibilities are endless!"
So you get the picture. Obviously scavenger hunts work year round, for any occasion, for no occasion at all, and for absolutely anyone from your 3 year old niece to your 83 year old grandpa. I honestly think we don't have enough scavenger hunts in our lives, so let's all get on this thing!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Holiday Gift #2: Decoupage
Decou-what now?? I thought I'd scare away all of my five readers by getting crafty in my next gift idea! So whomever is left, please pull out your pinking sheers and let's get to work! I jest, of course, you don't need pinking sheers. You don't really even need a scissors. Just some good ol' fashioned Elmer's Glue, some ripped up paper inspired by your best bud, and a wooden container or small piece of stripped furniture. Alright maybe I lost you, let's go on a craftacular journey together:
Tool on over to JoAnn or Michael's or whatever craft store floats your boat. Meander to the wood crafts aisle and you'll find plenty of possibilities from larger cabinets to small wooden or even cardboardish boxes. Let's start small. Grab that little book box guy.
Decoupage medium is equal parts glue to water, so while you're there, pick up some trusty Elmer's. If you really do want to step it up a notch, however, I've used Plaid® Royal Coat and I LIKE IT!
[I've heard not so great things about Modge Podge...but it's up to you!]
Now don't stop there, this craft store also sells little sponge brushes that will come in handy. They should be nearby and come in plenty of sizes. Get a wide one for big areas and a small one for corners and crevices and such.
These are better than a typical paint brush because they don't leave a texture behind. HOWEVER! If texture is what you're going for, by all means use any old brush you've got lying around.
Totally freaked out yet? Don't be, this is fun! Now the craft store sells special decoupage paper, but it's usually pretty old fashioned and doily-esque, so if that cool cat in your life ain't down with doilies, head to the internet for inspiration! What kinds of stuff does Awesomest Person Ever really love? Hitchcock movies? Done! Get on eBay and win yourself a few posters and cut or rip out cool elements like the creepy attack from The Birds or the man falling into the white and orange swirl from Vertigo. You don't even have to buy posters though. You can find high quality versions simply by the magic of Google > Images > LARGE! Just make sure you print this stuff out from a pretty decent printer on pretty decent paper so it doesn't look all smeary and craptastic. Hey! Why don't you take advantage of the awesome color printer at work maybe!
If you go about your decoupage via Google Images and your lovely printer, the possibilities truly are endless. You can also get fab photos from magazines and old books lying around that you'll never look at again. Maybe your chick is into all things Vampire right now. Well you can't swing a dead cat without hitting high quality photos galore of pouty disheveled Robert Pattinson.
Once you've gathered all of your papery goodness, it's time to get your collage on. You could lay everything out beforehand to get an idea of how much coverage you'll need, but you don't need to be too anal about it. The whole point of collage is to rock the random.
Once you've got a basic plan, get gluin'! Decoupage is messy, but honestly, totally simple. The directions are even on the container of Royal Coat. In a nutshell:
1. Brush some glue to the back of the scrap and place it where ever you want. (With bigger scraps, it also helps to have some kind of smoothing device to get out the bubbles and wrinkles...even just the edge of a piece of cardboard will do.)
2. Repeat with the rest.
3. Wait to dry (some 10-15 mins)
4. Brush a coat of glue over the top of the entire thing in even strokes.
5. More drying.
6. Apply as many coats as you'd like.
7. More drying.
8. Done!*
*You can also apply some kind of acrylic sealant to lock in the delicious decoupage flavor once the whole thing has dried completely.
I will leave you with a photo of my first decoupage experience. This one was for my sis last year for Christmas. Hence the aforementioned Hitchcock suggestion. Sure, this was a little on the expensive side, but you could definitely keep your own project below $10.
And with that, I leave you to your imagination! Keep it cool. Keep it unique. Keep it personal. You'll create something truly kick ass. PS! Thinking of proposing this Christmas?? Why don't you decoupage a small box to put the ring box in. KABLAMO!! Double kick ass.
Tool on over to JoAnn or Michael's or whatever craft store floats your boat. Meander to the wood crafts aisle and you'll find plenty of possibilities from larger cabinets to small wooden or even cardboardish boxes. Let's start small. Grab that little book box guy.
Decoupage medium is equal parts glue to water, so while you're there, pick up some trusty Elmer's. If you really do want to step it up a notch, however, I've used Plaid® Royal Coat and I LIKE IT!
[I've heard not so great things about Modge Podge...but it's up to you!]
Now don't stop there, this craft store also sells little sponge brushes that will come in handy. They should be nearby and come in plenty of sizes. Get a wide one for big areas and a small one for corners and crevices and such.
These are better than a typical paint brush because they don't leave a texture behind. HOWEVER! If texture is what you're going for, by all means use any old brush you've got lying around.
Totally freaked out yet? Don't be, this is fun! Now the craft store sells special decoupage paper, but it's usually pretty old fashioned and doily-esque, so if that cool cat in your life ain't down with doilies, head to the internet for inspiration! What kinds of stuff does Awesomest Person Ever really love? Hitchcock movies? Done! Get on eBay and win yourself a few posters and cut or rip out cool elements like the creepy attack from The Birds or the man falling into the white and orange swirl from Vertigo. You don't even have to buy posters though. You can find high quality versions simply by the magic of Google > Images > LARGE! Just make sure you print this stuff out from a pretty decent printer on pretty decent paper so it doesn't look all smeary and craptastic. Hey! Why don't you take advantage of the awesome color printer at work maybe!
If you go about your decoupage via Google Images and your lovely printer, the possibilities truly are endless. You can also get fab photos from magazines and old books lying around that you'll never look at again. Maybe your chick is into all things Vampire right now. Well you can't swing a dead cat without hitting high quality photos galore of pouty disheveled Robert Pattinson.
Once you've gathered all of your papery goodness, it's time to get your collage on. You could lay everything out beforehand to get an idea of how much coverage you'll need, but you don't need to be too anal about it. The whole point of collage is to rock the random.
Once you've got a basic plan, get gluin'! Decoupage is messy, but honestly, totally simple. The directions are even on the container of Royal Coat. In a nutshell:
1. Brush some glue to the back of the scrap and place it where ever you want. (With bigger scraps, it also helps to have some kind of smoothing device to get out the bubbles and wrinkles...even just the edge of a piece of cardboard will do.)
2. Repeat with the rest.
3. Wait to dry (some 10-15 mins)
4. Brush a coat of glue over the top of the entire thing in even strokes.
5. More drying.
6. Apply as many coats as you'd like.
7. More drying.
8. Done!*
*You can also apply some kind of acrylic sealant to lock in the delicious decoupage flavor once the whole thing has dried completely.
I will leave you with a photo of my first decoupage experience. This one was for my sis last year for Christmas. Hence the aforementioned Hitchcock suggestion. Sure, this was a little on the expensive side, but you could definitely keep your own project below $10.
And with that, I leave you to your imagination! Keep it cool. Keep it unique. Keep it personal. You'll create something truly kick ass. PS! Thinking of proposing this Christmas?? Why don't you decoupage a small box to put the ring box in. KABLAMO!! Double kick ass.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
The plot thickens.
You know what's free? Writing something on a piece of paper.
This isn't a cop-out. There's a reason I chose to design the above banner in such a fashion. Love letters, like letters, circle-yes-or-no letters, emails, snail-mails, texts, Facebook comments, Post-it notes, matchbooks, frosty windows, it DOESN'T MATTER! We love, love, LOVE getting stuff with stuff written on it. Ok maybe we love getting 2.61" x 6.14" pieces of paper the color of the foamy sea during a late afternoon thunderstorm, adorned with the heads of political figures and many zeros. But when those are few and far between, the back of a Chinese menu with an I, a heart, and a U may just do the trick.
Honestly though, it really goes back to middle school when we'd fold up notebook paper into the shape of tiny triangles and shove them into the slats of lockers. Didn't it, like, totally make your day? Finding those tiny triangles was like finding precious, precious gold. ESPECIALLY if it was from the hot eighth grader...sighhhh if only. Nowadays, we have our inboxes open 24/7 just in case something particularly fun and surprising comes through. The lovely late '90s romantic comedy featuring the adorable, but feisty Meg Ryan, and the hilarious, but cozy Tom Hanks hit home for a reason (you may or may not be dead inside if you don't cry when she sees Brinkley come over the hill). Its 1940 counterpart did the same thing only old school. Bring back the old school. Hand-written correspondence--particularly of the romantic variety--is something we long for day in and day out.
So I majorly digress. My question is: Would you like to make the best person in the world really really happy right now? Write something. Better yet, write something and hide it somewhere they'll find it. Cereal box, running shoe, car visor, page 189 of a novel they're reading, page 189 of the medical text book that put you guys in the poor house. It's like seriously the simplest, most awesome thing ever. Here's a story of my own: the BF went out of town for the week and asked me to water his plants and take care of his cats (guys with cats are rad by the by). I found a quarter-folded piece of paper taped to the watering can. Even just seeing "Katie" scribbled on the front of it made my heart go all wonky. See???
Ok sure, I may be super easy to please or something. But at the end of the day, less is more (ah yes!) We all love to hear we are loved, and when someone takes the extra time to be creative about it, it means that much more. So trust me on this one. Jot down something sweet and stick it in the frig-drawer full of cold cuts already!
This isn't a cop-out. There's a reason I chose to design the above banner in such a fashion. Love letters, like letters, circle-yes-or-no letters, emails, snail-mails, texts, Facebook comments, Post-it notes, matchbooks, frosty windows, it DOESN'T MATTER! We love, love, LOVE getting stuff with stuff written on it. Ok maybe we love getting 2.61" x 6.14" pieces of paper the color of the foamy sea during a late afternoon thunderstorm, adorned with the heads of political figures and many zeros. But when those are few and far between, the back of a Chinese menu with an I, a heart, and a U may just do the trick.
Honestly though, it really goes back to middle school when we'd fold up notebook paper into the shape of tiny triangles and shove them into the slats of lockers. Didn't it, like, totally make your day? Finding those tiny triangles was like finding precious, precious gold. ESPECIALLY if it was from the hot eighth grader...sighhhh if only. Nowadays, we have our inboxes open 24/7 just in case something particularly fun and surprising comes through. The lovely late '90s romantic comedy featuring the adorable, but feisty Meg Ryan, and the hilarious, but cozy Tom Hanks hit home for a reason (you may or may not be dead inside if you don't cry when she sees Brinkley come over the hill). Its 1940 counterpart did the same thing only old school. Bring back the old school. Hand-written correspondence--particularly of the romantic variety--is something we long for day in and day out.
So I majorly digress. My question is: Would you like to make the best person in the world really really happy right now? Write something. Better yet, write something and hide it somewhere they'll find it. Cereal box, running shoe, car visor, page 189 of a novel they're reading, page 189 of the medical text book that put you guys in the poor house. It's like seriously the simplest, most awesome thing ever. Here's a story of my own: the BF went out of town for the week and asked me to water his plants and take care of his cats (guys with cats are rad by the by). I found a quarter-folded piece of paper taped to the watering can. Even just seeing "Katie" scribbled on the front of it made my heart go all wonky. See???
Ok sure, I may be super easy to please or something. But at the end of the day, less is more (ah yes!) We all love to hear we are loved, and when someone takes the extra time to be creative about it, it means that much more. So trust me on this one. Jot down something sweet and stick it in the frig-drawer full of cold cuts already!
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