Affordable Birthday Gifts

Howdy friends!

So I spent all weekend trying to figure out what to buy my boyfriend for his birthday, which is this upcoming Saturday. It’s hard enough to buy people gifts—I usually just buy them what I like, :)— but this is the first BDAY we’ve shared as a couple, so the pressure is really on. Plus, he has REALLY good taste, artist-turned-chef, not to mention his ex “lady friend” was a gazillionaire: I think she bought him a friggin’ surfboard and/or a CAR for his last birthday! Grrr, girl should take that money and fix those cankles…..But, lets keep the focus here..

So while I don’t have mounds o’ dinero, which is why this blog is titled “Practically” Posh, and not “Pretentiously” Posh, I am certainly rich in ingenuity! Looking to make a big impact with my small birthday fund, I headed to my favorite website: http://www.etsy.com—It’s a site where you can buy and sell a plethora of ADORABLE hand made items. If you know this website then you are undoubtedly an addict, too. If not, I warn you now, you’ll will stay up all hours of the night perusing their super sweet finds

Now my novio is a ceramicist (like in Ghost, but not so gay) so I started in the sculpture section and ran across this guy:

How friggin cute is he? This little lovely was a “one of a kind hand crafted sculpture” and only $15, score!

But, on further inspection, I found out he was only two inches tall. Dude, that’s a golf ball…. No, I needed more show for my dough.

So the search continued in the ceramics area, where I came across this crazy monster!

He’s an “El Chupacabra Goes to the Moon” magnet! Now this is art! A hand painted and kiln-fired ceramic work of genius for only $8, a steal. Do I have a collectors eye or what? This loco totally went into my basket. But I couldn’t stop at a magnet, plus does it make sense to give an artist work in his own medium? It’s like buying a jewelery designer earrings, kinda dumb. Ok, Ok, so off to the prints section, which are nice and affordable……

Where I finally found it:

I LOVE it!!!! Titled “I Like Your Scarf”, it’s an 8.5 x11 print of an original illustration signed by the artist (Ashley Goldberg) and only $20! My love and I met in winter, so we always had tons of cold wear on, plus I am MAD for guys that wear scarves and I always borrow my stylish beau’s cause he has so many. And it kinda looks like us, as my hair is darker than his.

What do you guys think about the print, achingly tender, right?

So two clever, artsy-kitsche cadeau’s for $35 combined! Coupled with a swanky dinner and some kissy face, all in all the makings for a BRILLIANT birthday, I’d say.

Will let you know how it turns out..

xxxooo Robyn

Can astrology be used in lieu of therapy during a recession?

Hello all! This is my first blog on bepracticallyposh.com and while I will soon inundate you with cool (and affordable) product recommendations and great advice on how to live the high life on a little budget, today I wanted to talk about how to maintain positivity during tough times. While whether we’re in an actual recession remains to be determined, it sure does feel like it doesn’t it?

It’s usually during these precarious moments that I value my time with my old therapist, which we can call Dr. G. However, as I recently dropped my Cobra coverage because it was raised to an OBSCENE amount (over $500 a month, bloody hell!) I have begun to seek solace and “sage” advice from the stars: in astrology columns. My favorites are Jonathan Cainer (Cainer.com), Susan Miller (astrologyzone.com), and of course, Latino icon, Walter Mercado who dispenses “dramatico” advice on Univision’s Primer Impacto. (He’s also on the BRILLIANT show Viva Hollywood on Vh1! It’s padre, guey!)

While most of the “stellar” advice is delivered in vagaries and platitudes,like: “If you open your ears, you may yet find that others open their hearts,” or “Es un buen momento para poner los pies sobre la tierra,” at least it’s free. My therapist usually just lets me drone on (I hate my sisters dog!…. I know I’m on a budget, but I can’t take the subway in this outfit without getting accosted..”) and then makes me COME TO MY OWN CONCLUSIONS. Dude, what am I paying her for?

Isn’t it better to hear this: “Life is good and about to get better. Once the sun moves into your birth sign this coming weekend you will no longer be held back by the kind of vague fears that have so blighted your life in recent weeks. Most, if not quite all, of your dreams are about to come true.”

Than this: “You’re only hurting yourself by coming to your appointment 20 minutes late.” (I’m not allowed to take cabs, remember!)

What do you guys think? In uncertain times, isn’t entertainment and fantasy, and blonde coiffed hair infinitely more inspiring than just meddlesome reality? 🙂 Just a thought….xxxooo…Robyn