Mine at Last: Palindromaid Gifts

Oh, thank you! Just what I always wanted!  This jewelry box that will only hold two pairs of earrings will go really well with the other 6 I've collected from graduations, sweet 16s and Christmases!"

None of the palindromaids would ever say that in real life, but I knew that if I got a jewelry box with my initials on it, that's what I would think in my own head.  I love the 6 I already have, but I just feel that my collection is complete now.  In light of this, I had a hard time figuring out what I thought the palindromaids would all appreciate.  I had thought of personalizing each gift and began to ask them what they wanted.  I'm practical like that. My family asks what I want for Christmas, they get what I asked for, and though there are few surprises on Christmas morning, everyone seems happy that they didn't waste a million hours shopping and we all got something we liked.  The palindromaids' consensus was that they wanted something sentimental and would leave it up to me.

I really wanted to treat the girls to something nice, sentimental, that would appeal to all of them, that had a tinge of vintage appeal, and that was within my budget.  Not going to lie, this was a tough tasking for me.

Working on the assumption that if I should choose something that I would love to have for myself, I narrowed it down to a few options.

Silk screened scarves in classic b+w (matched our wedding colors, but were neutral) from Cyberoptix Tie Lab:

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Delicate, silver leaf pendents from Riki Craft:

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Personalized silver business card cases:

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My issue with the scarves was that they may not have fit with everyone's personal style.  I had the same issue with the pendents.  The card cases seemed to strike a balance between useful and sentimental.  I bought myself one years ago at a shop in Dupont Circle and am complimented whenever I take it out.  The pricing would also allow me to add a few fun items into the mix as well.  I bit the bullet and ordered the card cases.

I knew I wanted to incorporate this lovely wrapping design from Martha Stewart,

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so I printed the gray version onto fabric paper.  I attempted to follow the rest of the instructions, but couldn't find scalloping scissors in the time frame that I needed them to be special ordered, so I had to use pinking shears.  Also, since I printed onto fabric paper, the resulting clutch was very limp.  If I were making it into a real clutch rather than just fancy wrapping, I would have followed her instructions or I would have added some interfacing and lining to make it more substantial.

I added pearl letter ornaments from Michael's to the front of each package.  I hope that they looked coordinated with the wedding, but not too matchy.

Then I stuffed the little packages with goodies for the weekend.

I added gum, Advil, Shout wipes, mini tooth brushes with built in toothpaste, and Stila lip gloss.

My favorite part was taking the time to write each girl a meaningful letter.  I love handwritten notes and strive to keep the art alive.  Even if they didn't really like the gifts, I hoped that the note would touch them.

My only regret is that in the midst of getting our makeup and hair done, I handed out their belated Christmas presents, but completely forgot to give them their wedding gifts!  I was able to hand some of them off the following day, but had to mail two of them.  If I could have a do over for the day, I would have set aside a specific time to do this, rather than wait for what feels like a good time.

Lesson Learned: Set aside a specific time to hand out gifts (maybe even the day before the wedding) to ensure that the exchange is a priority.
PS - I kept one of those Stila lipglosses for myself and LOVE it! 

Did you decide to give bridal gifts that you loved/owned yourself?