Sunday, January 26, 2014

Valentine's Gifts or Decor Made Easy!

Trust me... this is one blog post you may want to "pin" away in your "awesome gift ideas" folder :) 


This may come as a huuuugggeee surpise to some of you... Ok...maybe none of you...let's be real. I LOVE MONOGRAMS. If I could afford it, I would monogram every piece of clothing I own. So far every pj set I have has my initials on it somewhere.


I can't be the only one, I mean, we are in the south. However, I realize some readers (if anyone even reads this old thing anymore) are from all over and may not feel the same... But I do know a sweet Canadian who could be my southern sister, so who knows- you either love it or you hate it. My real sister hates it. My sister in law doesn't get it either. So for those of y'all who think monogramming should fade out once potty training begins, this may not be the post for you BUT DON'T LEAVE JUST YET bc I bet chances are you KNOW someone who loves a good monogram :)

 

I love how personalized monogramming is. Think of the endless possibilities you could come up with having these monogram vinyl stickers I just found on Etsy.



 I cannot recommend Aimee Ogden Design's shop on Etsy enough! Aimee has been the sweetest seller and I have ordered multiple packages from her that have gotten here so fast it's nothing less than impressive (California to Georgia, at that!) I want you all to know, I use her and I PAY for her quality vinyl- this is NOT a sponsored post. In fact, I had to ask for her permission to blog this :) I was just that happy to share the few ideas I came up with!

Everyone knows how much I love Valentine's Day- I adoreeeee it so much, I'm not even a cheesy typical chocolate and flowers or pink/red girl, I just think it's a fun holiday for some reason. Remember my other Valentine's Day post with the conversation hearts? Anyhow, let's get this going! 


I shared my monogrammed vase on Instagram and the ideas started flowing. I was so shocked how great the vinyl jazzed up this thrift store glass I was excited to experiment on more! I decided to share a quick little Valentine's Day gift idea or just a great gift in general- think wedding showers, birthdays, etc! Keeping it as your own decor is totally appropriate as well- and with her prices you can afford to gift some and snag one for yourself!

Ok, here goes!

I started with a Bath & Body Works candle for three reasons:

1- they smell incredible
2- they have great coupons (I never pay retail which is $20- this current one was $6 at semi annual)
3- the label is actually MEANT to be taken off, so it comes off easily without leaving any residue


The only CON to the B&BW candle is how short lived it is. That being said, it still works great
 for the job, and it's not like the vinyl is expensive. This isn't really a con because I have salvaged these jars by taking the wax out and reusing the jars for candy or flowers and guess what? The vinyl survives the dishwasher so you can reuse the jar even after washing the candle out!









There are a few more reasons why I love these candles- did you know they have a satisfaction guaranteed policy? Even after burning, say you hate the smell or it gave you a migraine- you can return it! I never tried but I saw a lady do it and the guy was so nice and let her pick whatever she wanted instead! 


After peeling the label I do a quick wipe-down to make sure the surface is clean and ready for the sticker.



When peeling back the sticker from the backing, make sure the letters come off and stick to the clear adhesive. The S and G we're tricky, but slow and steady gets the job done.


The easiest way to stick the sticker on is to gently place it on the jar after guesstimating where you want it to be placed, center first. Once I laid the G down very gingerly, I started patting it down outwards. This helps for centering and of course, bubbling. 




I start rubbing the sticker down to make sure there aren't any air bubbles and take a gift card to work on the weird edges I want to keep down for good.



After I peel the clear adhesive side off, the vinyl is set on the candle! Just for good measure and my own assurance I go ahead and do a final press down.




And then you're done!!! You have a fully customizable gift for UNDER $10! 


{To get this look: I ordered Aimee's3x3 Metallic Gold sticker in Style 3}

I looooove my candle! I think it adds such a great touch on our coffee table! Just imagine how
surprised someone would be to have their own personalized candle :)








Of course I couldn't just stop there.... I told Aimee I wanted to try them on wineglasses! She has a listing for 4 stickers you just won't even believe how cheap.... 

After some reassurance from her that she has them on her own, and they have withheld the multiple washes in the dishwasher, I went ahead and put them on my own! Let me go ahead and say... If you
are doing the wine glasses....practice with a spare- if it works, great, use the spare on your cell phone!
 Also, don't make life harder by getting the circle design haha Aimee told me the diamond style is best for wine glasses. I wish I listened. I ended up not being able to figure out the circle design on the round curve of the glass so I just ditched the idea altogether. Quitter.




Soooooooooooooo, I had to improvise.


But I'm not mad about it, they look great regardless! Such a classic twist on a kitchen staple ;) wine glasses are a staple around here at least. 





Let me add, you can get glasses anywhere for super cheap- these were from TJ Maxx for $5.99 for the set of 4! Another expensive looking gift for around $10! Who would ever guess??! Imagine how thoughtful gifting these with your single girlfriends monogram and a nice bottle of wine to go with them! I don't think Valentine's is only for couples, I think it's for everyone! They make a great gift for anyone- not just on Hallmark's best selling holiday :) I hope future recipients of my new favorite gift don't read my blog... haha. 

Remember monogram etiquette when ordering, since she will only print what you tell her- in the order you put it. With all the dos and don'ts of initial placement it's nice to just check before ordering! 


The affordable gifts just got more affordable... Not only is Aimee the best vinyl seller out there, but after asking her permission to post this, she offered 10% off purchases over $5! Don't miss out on this! Go over and see all her styles and colors she offers and let your imagination run wild! You can stick these on everything, trust me, I know. Just enter the code: ORDYANDJOON at checkout for your discount. I wanted to get this post up for y'all to be able to order them in advance for valentines day, but don't forget them for any future gift ideas! 

Now, just because I'M a fan of circle monogram, I know you may be wondering if she does the beloved scroll monogram as well- she does! She offers the best combination of style and colors I have seen out there... I have no doubt you'll find just what you're looking for- good luck on narrowing your choices down! 






Think of all the planners, iPad covers, iPhone covers, laptop covers, glasses, frames, cars, trays, decorative plates, lamps (yes, the thought crossed my mind...) and everything else you can think of that would look SO much better personalized! 


{Target planners and Amazon ipad case- you'd never know I spent about $15 for each!}