The Great Gift Challenge
Mon, 16 Nov 2009
Kim and I are so excited. eBay and Martha Stewart Living have asked us to take part in their special advertising campaign. Each week for the next 4 weeks we have been given an amount of money to go on eBay and search for holiday gifts for our nearest and dearest. We jumped at the chance because we love the thrill of the hunt. And even more exciting, our US readers get a chance to enter the Great Gift Challenge sweepstakes where a $1000 eBay gift voucher is up for grabs. Imagine the damage you could do this holiday season with one of those in your virtual back pocket. I'm kicking off the promotion with the hunt for a gift for $25 (shipping not included). Yowsa not very much you say but it can be done and the results will definitely not be cookie cutter. My family does a Kris Kringle every year (you know where everyone draws one name out of a hat and a small limit is set). This year I am buying for my niece Libby. She's just moved out of home after many years (too many her mum jokes) and is looking to set up a retro/boho/artist as a young woman style apartment. What did I find on my hunt and what did I actually get for her? (Click on the images to find out more.)
The linen bath towel looks so luxurious and I'm sure she'd love it and the monkey vase too was a top contender. I am secretly hoping that I can win the vintage metal chairs as they would be stunning around a farm style pine table in her new home but I just know the price will go higher (oops it already has). I'm keeping an eye on them still. I wondered about several calligraphy brushes to arrange artfully on her coffee table and searching around you can find good prices and free shipping but I'm just a little wary about quality and the length of time for shipping. I may be adventurous with my online shopping but China still scares me. OK what did I buy? Vintage movie posters. These are from a seller that Kim has bought from before - lots of colourful psychedelic ones. They are only $4.99 USD each and I'm thinking a group of five on a wall will be just what she needs. I went for an almost film noir look, lots of graphic black and white with a little light relief with colour pops. Some of you may think they are a little masculine but they'll be perfect. She already has the vintage frame collection going. She is my niece after all. Different sized frames, united with either similar mattes or frame colours and we have an art group. She can soften the harsh graphic nature of the prints by adding in other images and found objects over time.
Now all I have to do is wait for them to arrive from the Florida and figure out how to wrap them. Truth be told I often don't wrap, preferring to cut down on waste by gifting in the bag they came in. That's what I tell my friends anyway ;) I think I'll sandwich them between corrugated cardboard and bind them with newspaper bands and twine. Add a bright red star tag mimicking the heart on a chain in one of the posters and I'm done. Or maybe I'm just head off to Martha's website to look through her archives for inspiration. Don't forget to head on over to the Great Gift Challenge to enter the sweepstakes. Someone has to win it and it might just be you!
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