gift for a friend's birthday

woodstock

woodstock

Final Approach
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Hello

I'm trying to think of a nice gift for a friend's birthday. We've had "bucket list" conversations and one thing on her bucket list is "write a book" (I doubt she means in 2010 though). Any unique ideas that would be encouraging?

She also wants to get into photography, so I could consider something along those lines. She and her hub are MAJOR foodies (they make their own sausage. They have two, count 'em, two, outdoor smokers) and throw large food-intense pool parties a few times each year (plus the non-pool based parties)...

The book idea I'd like to run with, because if it's food based, I cannot possibly give them something they don't already have, and photography is too easy I think.

Thanks for pointing me in any direction for ideas.
 
I recently received the Art of French Cooking cook book set and have been loving it!! I made mayonnaise from scratch last week and want to get up to beef Burgoyne in a month or two. You could couple the books with either the DVD Julie and Julia or another book, My Life in France, Julia Child's memoir.
 
Writing a book is easy. Publication is another story. Want I should Origami a nice book for her? She can write whatever she likes in it and strike one off the bucket list.
 
What's your spending limit?
Gift cards to someplace that sells to their hobbies is one idea- let them choose something they don't have.
 
Hi

Good idea on the gift card. I can swing by their favorite cheesery. Also, I might be in the VA wine country Saturday, I could pick up something there. Wine seems so "easy" though, although if there were other gifts along with it...

Steingar, good point, haha! Publishing, not writing.

Scott, good ideas. The funny thing is, her HUB is the chef - she just really loves the food. She is well read on a vast array of subjects (including finance, which still escapes me) and food is one of their shared hobbies. He cooks, they both eat.

They also really like to travel and have unique ideas about that - IE not just "let's go back to Italy".

ps. probably around 100 bucks unless it's something really to-die-for.
 
I have a Lynn Rosetto Casper cookbook that I adore.

Important question: does she want/need "stuff" or is the preference for consumables?
 
Bill

That's another thing - they don't want/need anything. If they did, they probably already have it. That said, she is interested in all sorts of things and would probably like most anything I get her.

"Unique" consumables would be nice. For instance, had her BD come after the trip to Italy I'd just pick up something cool there and bring it home. Maybe a local chocolatier, locally made items, etc. I did find a little store in Leesburg that sold gourmet stuff, some items handmade, but the chocolate itself was dated April 15 and "consume within 3 weeks" which means that was a no-go.
 
woodstock said:
Bill

That's another thing - they don't want/need anything. If they did, they probably already have it. That said, she is interested in all sorts of things and would probably like most anything I get her.

"Unique" consumables would be nice. For instance, had her BD come after the trip to Italy I'd just pick up something cool there and bring it home. Maybe a local chocolatier, locally made items, etc. I did find a little store in Leesburg that sold gourmet stuff, some items handmade, but the chocolate itself was dated April 15 and "consume within 3 weeks" which means that was a no-go.
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If you're looking for hand made chocolate, there's a shop in the Fairfax Corner shopping center (next to Il Vino wine shop, and near P.F. Chang and the new place that Great American Restaurants is opening). That's the same shopping center that REI is in. The wine shop there has some interesting stuff, and sometimes has special wine-tasting meals.
 
If she wants to write a book then there are many online companies such as Lulu ( http://www.lulu.com/publish/index.php?cid=en_tab_publish ) that will allow you to copy and paste what you write into a personalized book. You can add photos and make the book different sizes. You can even create cook books with awesome covers. What is also neat is once you publish it, your friends can buy copies online! There is even an option to have an ISBN code and sell it through Amazon.com which makes you feel like a writer.
 
Two other ideas:

1) Cook them a nice dinner. If you're a good cook do something really special for the dinner.

2) Take some of your excellent photography, have it printed and framed professionally, and give it to them as art. I've done that for folks a couple of times (it's part of the reason I have the Canon 9000MKII printer) and they loved it. A friend in Cincinnati is a published photographer - he regularly gives prints of some of his best pictures as gifts.

And one more that just came to me: one year a friend gave several of her friends diary books and asked each recipient to keep a diary that would be condensed, edited, and turned into a personal set of stories. I love the idea because it has meaning to each recipient, and it give insight into other's lives.
 
Hmm, what came into my mind was help her get started writing a cookbook.

I don't have time to do the research for you but there is a fair amount of software and websites out there that let you collect, sort, edit and format recipes.

If the idea is to co-author it, you have a good start in your 50 meals blog.
 
I once took an uncle's photographs (he was an avid if somewhat inept photographer) and used them to make him a calendar. There was no software for it at the time, and it was quite unique. These days its pretty easy, but the effect would probably be the same.
 
Areeda said:
Hmm, what came into my mind was help her get started writing a cookbook.

I don't have time to do the research for you but there is a fair amount of software and websites out there that let you collect, sort, edit and format recipes.

If the idea is to co-author it, you have a good start in your 50 meals blog.
Click to expand...

Y'know, that's another thing. Friend of mine did something similar for his father (and we all got copies, too). My friend collected "favorite" recipies from all his friends and assembled a cookbook. Great way to share favorites and "foodie" meals. And it's a GREAT gift that keeps giving.
 
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