CasaSugar

Roundup: "I Love You, Dad" For $50 or Less

CasaSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0700

If your dad is anything like mine, he'd prefer your presence to your presents on Father's Day. But why not throw yer ole man a bone with a little gift that won't break the bank?

I've rounded up a range of accessories for Pop's pad under $50 that will surely make him smile. If you find a way to personalize them, even better! For example, unearth a nostalgic photograph of you and your main man from back in the day for these beautiful frames. No such luck? A homemade manly meal always shows that you care. See my affordable and masculine finds when you read more.

Wooden Trunk Boxes - $19.00	Crow Bottle Opener - $25.00
Grid Pillow - $24.95	Green Wall Clock - $16.95
Crane & Co. Lizard Notecard Gift Set - $39.00	The Chatsworth Collection Personalized Polka-Dot Coasters/Navy - $50.00
Timber Candleholders - $12.00	Potted Succulent - $14.95
Roost Horn Corkscrew - $10.00	Graphic Image Personalized Leather Coasters - $50.00
Wooden Bread and Cheese Serving Board - $40.00	Fringe Frame by Towle - $25.00
Graphic Image Personalized Leather National Parks Journal - $37.00	"New York architecture & design" - $16.95
Flare Mango Wood Bowl/Salad Servers - $14.95	Carved Wooden Cachepot - $24.00
Monogrammed DuraClear® Cocktail Shaker - $19.95	The NPR Map - $8.98
Hour/15 Minute Glasses - $9.95	David Weeks Robotrilla Ashtray - $25.00
Spy-Fi - $24.95	Veneer Profile Frames - $19.00
Whigby Two Legs Bad Print - Blue on Brown - $25.00

Open House: What Was Your Favorite Homey Gift This Season?

CasaSugar — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:30:06 -0800

For those of us who are passionate about interior design and home decorating, the holidays are often a great time to feather our nests, thanks to the generous gifts of friends and family. What was your favorite holiday gift this year? Was it a subscription to Domino? Perhaps some trendy nesting boxes? Tell me about your favorite home-related gift in the comments!
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Weekend DIYs: Holiday Projects

CasaSugar — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:30:47 -0800

It's never too early to get started on holiday DIYs! I've rounded up some projects that will make great gifts, as well as DIYs for making wreaths and wrapping paper. To get the lowdown, check out the slideshow.

View Slideshow ›

Cool Idea: Eco Chic Gifts

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:13:27 -0700

Growing up I had a friend who was the queen of re-gifting. She usually passed on my gifts to her to our mutual friends when their b-days came around, but one year she re-gifted a board game I'd bought her to me on my birthday! It got to the point where she might as well have left all of her presents in their wrapping paper and change the gift card. While I certainly don't recommend this shopping technique, it does do a good job of curbing consumerism and waste. TeamSugar member Mazdagirluk thinks along the same lines; she recently wrote, "For my bday this year, I have asked for no "new" items. Only items friends have but don't use anymore, or just a smile. I am interested to see what people share!" There are other ways to give (and request) eco chic gifts though, without emptying out your own closet. To hear them, read more.

Consider giving a friend tickets to a concert or a baseball game, donating to charity in their name, hiring a cleaning lady or babysitter for them (or babysit yourself!), giving them a cooking lesson or a mani/pedi, or picking something at an antique store or a flea market. Or, plant a tree or flowers in their yard, which releases oxygen rather than CO2! The same goes for friends: if you're getting married soon, you can register for all of these things for your wedding, as well!

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Ask Casa: Garden Gifts For Wedded Friends?

CasaSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:30:12 -0700

Hi Casa,

My friends just got married, and even though I attended their wedding (gorgeous, by the way!), I still haven't given them their gift. I feel a little guilty about it, but I just couldn't imagine getting them a cheese grater or a set of pillow shams from their registry. I want to get them something a little more unique. So, when they told me at the wedding that they'd recently decided to start a garden at their home, and basically were starting from scratch, I knew that I wanted to get them something to help them in their gardening dreams. They're starting a big gardening project upon return from their honeymoon, so I'd love to have my gift waiting for them. Do you have any ideas for reasonably priced, cool, and unusual garden gifts?

Thanks in advance,
Mosspink

To see my suggestions, read more

Hi Mosspink,

No worries about not getting your friends their gift before the wedding - after all, even if Emily Post disapproves, most people won't fault you if it takes you up to a year to get them a gift. I've found some out-of-the-ordinary ideas for gardening gifts. My first thought was to find some unusual item from the San Francisco-based store (and website) Paxton Gate. You have to call in your order, but with cool items like Hori Hori Digging Knives and Slovakian Watering Cans, I think it's worth the minor hassle.

Since you want their gift waiting for them by the time they get back from their honeymoon, another idea is to find a local nursery and order specific, interesting plants for them for their garden. Try native perennials, which will be easier to care for in the long run, or opt for an intriguing mixture of heirloom vegetable seeds.

I've also rounded up some beautiful garden items from ShopStyle, including bird feeders and fountains. I hope one of these inspires you! Whatever you get, I'm sure your newly wedded friends will love your thoughtful gift.

Good luck in your search,
Casa

Lily Rain Chain & Copper Basin - $119.00	Welcome Rock Boot Scraper - $19.99
Mini Blossom Hummingbird Feeder, Red - $29.00	Tall Copper Birdbath - $179.00
Aidan Gray Rusted Urns - $39.00	Embossed Terra Cotta Planters - $24.99
Citronella Candlepots/Stands - $2.95	Blue Egg Birdhouse - $59.00
Garden Composter - $70.00	Indoor/Outdoor Small Paper Lantern String Lights (Set of 10) - $9.99
Nightingale Lantern - $18.00	Hip Haven Retro Bullet Planter - $100.00
Tranquility Wind Sculpture - $55.00	Capiz Windchimes - $12.99
Galvanized Planter - $14.95	Go Zero Plant-a-Tree Charitable Contribution & Certificate - $2.00
Solar Island Fountain - $79.00	Lighthouse Bottle Lantern - $75.00
Small Orb Spreadable Trellises, Set of 2 - $33.00	Honeycomb Lantern, White round - $15.00
Terracotta Bird House - $80.00	Kamani Wood Mushroom, Large - $59.00
Galvanized Thermometer - $39.00	Chalkboard Storage Trugs - $10.00
Copper Pots, Square - $1.00	Waspinator - $30.00
Galvanized Flower Bucket - $35.00	Titanium Garden Seat - $149.95
Perch! - Birdfeeder - $84.00	Wood-Handle Pruning Shears (Set of 2) - $70.00
Forged Watering Nozzles (Set of 2) - $70.00	Small Rubber Tubs (Set of 6) - $320.00
Kadota Fig Plant - $98.00	Wall Mounted Bird House - $80.00
The Backyard Beekeeper: An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping Bees in Your Yard and Garden - $20.00	The Green Book - $12.95

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Roundup: Gardening Gifts For Mom

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:30:58 -0700

The parallel between Spring and Mother's Day has naturally always led me to purchase gardening gifts for my mom each year. But, it's also just nice to help our mamas enjoy their gardens a bit more. The down and dirty gardening types might be happy to receive some helpful tools or gear for their hobby, while the more aesthetic-focused moms might want to receive a copper garden hose holder that simply looks good. And others, nongardeners, certainly wouldn't complain about being gifted a beautiful, potted plant. Think about where your mom falls in the group, and then check out the widget below for some gift ideas that'll please most mothers!

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Coming Soon: CasaSugar's Holiday Gift Guide

CasaSugar — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 14:00:59 -0800

Next week kicks off my 2007 Holiday Gift Guides, which will run until Christmas and showcase detailed home gift guides for all of the home-oriented folks in your life. I'll feature gifts for a variety of decorating tastes and budgets, so stay tuned!

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Nice and New: Brocade Home Gift Collection

CasaSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:06:05 -0700

Brocade Home has come out with a gift collection that's totally fresh, just in time for the holidays. They've outfitted mobile accessories, frames, journals, albums, garden tools, office tools, candle holders, holiday trim, and other decorative objects in their wonderful rococo prints and soft hues, and there's no obnoxious red or green in sight. I'm especially psyched to see some of these new designs because I adore all of their textiles but wouldn't necessarily want to cover my walls or furniture in them. Now I think I might actually get my holiday shopping done early this year! Click the images below to see what's on my shopping list.

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Crave Worthy: Message Bean

CasaSugar — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 07:30:42 -0700

The adorably innovative Message Bean ($14.95) would be a great and affordable housewarming or hostess gift. The recipient simply has to plant the bean, and a message appears on either side of the sprout. Varieties include "Thank You," "Love," "Good Luck," "Happy Birthday," "Get Well," and more.

All it takes is soil and about a half cup of water, and it grows in about a week. Has anyone tried this? If so, let me know how it turned out.

Flowers Wilt, Chocolates Melt, Glassybaby Forever

FabSugar — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 23:42:10 -0700

What is a glassybaby? Only the hottest thing to come out of Seattle since Starbucks! The perfect hostess, housewarming or birthday gift, glassybabies are beautiful hand blown glass cups that can be used as candle holders, vases or drinking glasses. They come in 53 different colors, with new ones being introduced all the time and named fun things like "Seattle Sunset," "Rubber Ducky," and Martha Stewart's favorite "Bedford Brown."

When lit up they glow beautifully and make fabulous centerpieces or are sure to spark conversation when used as wine glasses at a party. Glassybabies have been getting a ton of press since Oprah created the buzz by listing them on her list of Favorite Things and artist and creator of glassybaby, Lee Rhodes, was featured on Martha Stewart Living.

A three-time cancer survivor and mother of three, Rhodes started making the glassybabies out of her garage seven years ago as gifts for friends. Now she is giving back by designating a select group of glassybaby colors to benefit organizations contributing to cancer patient care and cancer research. For example, this goldenrod glassybaby benefits M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to help Hurricane Katrina victims receiving cancer treatment.

To see more colors and to find out how to purchase a glassybaby, read more

Glassybabies are $40 each and can be purchased here.

Copper Garden Hose Holder - $174.90	Jollys Garden Shoes - $42.00
Straw Birdhouse - $12.99	Patterned Garden Tool Set - $69.00
Garden Torches - Stainless Steel - $45.00	Tulips in Yellow Terra Cotta Pot - $49.00
Decorative Garden Buckets - $24.99	Women's Hi-Performance Gloves, Green - $22.00
Hemp Garden Gloves - $10.00	Gardening Gift Set by Burt's Bees - $19.50
Pink Bulb Garden in Wire Basket - $34.00	Unisex Thorn-resistant Gloves - $8.00
Iron Birdbath Stand - $109.00	Giardino Faucet Knobs - $28.00
Garden Tool Caddy - $69.00	Orange Bulb Garden - $44.00