Thursday 26 August 2010

Gifts for the yet unhitched


After Anne-Marie's brilliant article on Wedding Anniversary Gifts, the Early years, I - Brigitte from Purls of Colour - threatened her with an article on gifts for the yet unhitched or the unhitched again, ie the bachelor boys and girls of Ireland (and beyond).

So, apart from handing over an inflatable man or woman, pyjamas with big patterns a la Bridget Jones, blocks of chocolate the size of a house, or a basket of cleaning products (hint hint), what do you give a fancy-free singleton who is exhausted splashing out on their friends' wedding or wedding anniversary gifts (or gifts for new borns, back to school gifts for nieces, nephews and godchildren and Christmas gifts for everybody and their dog) ? The Crafty Ireland team has the solution...

Some are single by choice, some are not, but where ever you are in your life, you are on a journey:This beautiful print by Designbirdie would certainly suit a batchelor pad, and even more so if said bachelor loves to travel.

Talking about travelling, this lovely vintage basket from Dandelion Daydreamer is basically screaming to be taken to a French market by a single girl on a summer's morning:


If you feel flush, you could always slip in a plane or train ticket to France. Ok, one can hope...

Or maybe the single lady loves the city life? Then this 'Coffee in Paris' charm bracelet by Aisling is the just the right gift (again, travel tickets can be added...)



Talking of coffee, I love this painting by Diana Marshall:


It is called 'Reflections of me', and would really look great in a singleton's kitchen or living room. Just the right thing to look at on a Sunday morning when singles are happily sipping their coffee and reading the newspapers, staying all morning in nightclothes and slippers...

Slippers...yeah!

Now here are some stylish slippers for the single girl by Suzanneorford:


There is something about felt slippers that is just so comfy! Great to lounge on the sofa or dance solo in your living room.

But then the bachelorette goes out (a lot) and needs to get her groove on:


A gift of this shocking pink fascinator by Ruby Feather certainly will get her noticed on the dance floor. And then...maybe...bachelorette no more...

Although no bachelor boy has to go through the rigmarole of formalities depicted in the picture at the start of the article, a little bit of dressing up doesn't do any harm either. This bow-tie from A Frame of Mind will make a shy Irish bachelor boy stand out from the crowd:


Do I hear the single ladies sigh? Yes, it's definitely a cute...bow-tie!

And if you think your single friend needs to impress the ladies with his knowledge of the world, what about this unusual gift?


The Orange Sexual Chakra Stained Glass Suncatcher by Rainbow Stained Glass will certainly be a great talking point. And it brightens up any room.

Just as subtle is this print by Cherryblossomtatoo:



A bachelor boy or girl doesn't have to tell anyone that it's entitled 'Fireworks in the Bedroom', and that Carrie stated in her description: 'They say it's where the magic happens...'
Singletons can be discreet if they have to ;)

If you are looking for a present for your gay or lesbian single friend, Nice Day Designs has stylish pocket mirrors which are perfect for going out:







Single doesn't always mean living alone. If you know a group of single friends who share a house, this Irish House Warming by John Dolan Woodcraft is a must-have. Trust me, I speak from experience...(on both counts)



Etsy Ireland crafters are a talented bunch who have beautiful goodies for nearly everybody. However, I noticed the absense of a hang-over cure, but maybe some crafty singleton has one ready and just won't share the secret of looking gorgeous and alluring or witty and handsome the day after a night out?

11 comments:

  1. Lovely list of items there!!

    Just wondering with Etsy's new announcement, what are Irish Etsy sellers setting their sales tax as? I presume thats the same as VAT. Do we need to charge VAT only to Irish buyers, or all buyers? If anyone out there knows I'd appreciate it. I charge VAT to my customers, off Etsy normally, so I assume I should be doing the same on Etsy somehow!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Anonymous,

    I'm moving your question to the Etsy Ireland Discussion Thread

    http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6607062&page=2

    because I think it fits better there (and might get more replies throughout the week)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Brigitte that was a fabulous piece! I love everything you picked out and feel almost sorry for myself that I am so happily married - hehe. Thanks for including my photo - the bedroom can be a pretty magical place ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Purls! Didnt realise they had one! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Happy married life Carrie....Have a Wonderful future ahead

    ReplyDelete
  6. nice selection purls...and a couple of shops I'm not very familiar with so off I go to explore....

    ReplyDelete
  7. You always have me knotted Purls - cute...bow-tie! :D

    ReplyDelete
  8. Cute *winks* bow-tie indeed!

    Thanks for featuring my gay mirrors and badges! I once had to discreetly convince a little girl at the market not to buy the lesbian one, she innocently thought it was two girls holding hands, aw bless :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the inclusion! Just saw this now. what a clever article! mandi x

    ReplyDelete