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Think about how you would describe them to other people….

that usually includes a robust list of what they do/are passionate about, which will give you a good jumping off point. HOWEVER, I am also a big fan of renegade gifting. the most treasured items I’ve ever received as gifts are things that I’d never buy for myself (and therefore would never ask for) but are things the gift giver associates with me. my mom gave me a calmansi tree one Christmas to remind me of my childhood in the Philippines. one of my bffs got me a handmade leather journal with the last sentence of my thesis stamped in the cover when I graduated. my ex got me pottery classes at a local studio and handmade a fun gift certificate for my last birthday. I love to give books bc that’s what I’m passionate about, and it can be a fun way to mix my personality with the receiver. the best part about receiving a gift is feeling truly seen by the person

@its_just_kate

Nov 30, 2024

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Handbound engraved leather journal

got one from etsy for my professor with his initials engraved and he really loved it! not the most personal but a sweet gesture. maybe throw in a cool pen too

@gillian

Apr 18, 2024

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CUstomize your gifts!

This is for your rich aunt, your designer bag friend, the boyfriend's parents in law you want to impress but don't know how. What money can't buy, the right brain can make. This recipe calls for: (1) thoughtful gift (1) custom spin For example: When my friend turned 20 she already had everything I could possibly give her. A drawer full of her favorite candles. A line up of expensive perfumes she stands by. Internet access and her parents' credit card. What doesn't she have? My right brain. My ability to craft the perfect set of 10x12 drink posters with witty cocktail names and an easy-to-follow ingredient list. Each element was chock-full of inside jokes from my personal quote list of our most debaucherous nights. Other ideas: a custom candle, a photobook of your favorite memories. My sister's go-to: hand-crocheted ornaments (Bonus points if it's mini figures of them or their pet). Sure, these may take more time to craft than logging into Amazon and clicking through the "Gift Guide for Her" brochure. But if you're still on an hourly wage, think to yourself: Would you rather spend an hour on Canva or the equivalent of 4 hours of work for a coffee table book whose spine will never be cracked?

@oklee

Dec 18, 2024

Top Recs from @bluz

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You Aren’t Alone — we all are

From the Atlantic: ”There is no statistical record of any other period in U.S. history when people have spent more time on their own.” I don’t know anything about you—how funny is that? I couldn’t even begin to guess what your life looks like. I couldn’t spot you in a crowd. If I were a friend, I’m sure I could give better advice. Perhaps suggest joining a local group  I know of, or a class at the gym that always puts me in a good mood. Perhaps introduce you to someone I’ve always thought you’d get along with.  The beautiful thing about the internet is that you can ask this question to the void and the void speaks back. It’s so much easier this way, but so much worse.  Geography, family, shared interests, shared labor. Community used to be inescapable. We still depend on each other for everything, but we do it all at a distance. I’ll chat for an hour with a friend across the country, but I know nothing about the people across the street. It’s a selling point if the grocer can name the farmer who grew your food. I could have been writing this to send to a distant family member, who I want to reconnect with, or an old friend—instead I’m writing to you, a stranger. It’s easier. Our community ties have been broken.  So: what do you, an individual, do? You may find more success if you develop individual friendships tied to a place—several articles about the loneliness epidemic talk about the gym—or a group that meets regularly. Apparently, the best way to beak down peoples’ walls is just to see them constantly. This is true for new friends and for deepening relationships. For those friends and acquaintances you’d like to be closer to, keep inviting them to shit. Set your boundaries, but keep trying. The thing about people is that everybody is interesting and confusing and stupid and wise and mean and wonderful—but it’s safer to spill all that on the internet, where no one can spot you in a crowd. Let people know that you’re around and interested no matter what, and see what happens. It will take a long time, but it’ll be worth it. Not just for you, but for them. For everyone, if we all put the effort in.  I’m sorry—it shouldn’t be this way. But we have to try. We’re all counting on each other <3

@bluz

Apr 23, 2024

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your 20s are for figuring it out

Whatever life you envisioned for yourself, your 20s are when you find out if it’s viable—or what you really want. Money and time matter way more (in my experience), and your friends live further away. You get to do whatever you want, which is amazing and awful. Expect to hear about peers working their dream jobs while living in inhumane conditions, discovering lifelong passions and quitting their ambitions, and re-making all the choices that seemed permanent at the time. Maybe by 35-40 you can expect consistency, but in the next twenty years your peers will go through a lot and change even more. Just remember that only having a kid and back issues are forever. When in doubt, find a mentor or a role model. Focus on the present if you can, and journal if you can find the time—it helps. Leaving you w/ this pic of sand—a symbol of the passage of time which is most beautiful when observed closely.

@bluz

Apr 27, 2024

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living in present tense

This morning I brought my car to the mechanic first thing. Didn’t have anywhere to be for the rest of the day, so challenged myself to enjoy a slow walk home—could have been 40 min, ultimately took 4 hours. I stopped to smell my neighbors‘ flowers, to buy a new pencil at the art store, and to read in a park for a while (big shoutout to the Libby app and city parks). I‘ve been talking to a therapist about how I wake up every morning worried about whatever I have scheduled, and tend to ruminate on failures towards the end of the day. Today I didn’t dwell on the future or the past, just lived in the present. 10/10 experience.

@bluz

May 10, 2024