guys

This post comes to you from Anne-Marie of The Succulent Wife, part of the Gift Giving Advisory Board. For more great gift ideas, check out our Hostess Gift Guide and Holiday Gift Guide!

Many of us women miss the days when our men used to don suit & tie on a regular basis. There is something quite irresistible and sexy about the confidence they exude when they are wearing a tie. Which is why we’ll be sneaking one or two in their Christmas stockings. Our choice? Jack Franklin ties.

The Jack Franklin tie company was born out of the frustrating fact that well-made neckties are extremely overpriced. By selling exclusively online, Jack Franklin is able to bypass the middleman and offer high quality, beautifully made, hand-sewn ties at a reasonable price. They use the finest fabrics and sell brand name quality minus brand name price. All ties are made with wool interlining, which gives them an added layer of thickness, allowing a longer life and better knots.

We love the classic silk fabric patterns that are updated with contemporary colors palettes, factors which elevate these ties above all the trends and fads and will allow them to endure with timeless style. Shop all the Jack Franklin tie colors and patterns and know that the company offers a satisfaction guarantee on all of their ties because they want their customers to be happy with their purchase.

First time customers, please enter code: TSW2093 for a 30% discount valid on your first purchase. And for even greater value – AND a great gift idea that will provide delight all year round – take a look Jack Franklin Tie-of-the-Month Club which provides even more “tie value”.

BTW, you might find this useful… Here’s a handy guide to help your man to manage the various ways to tie a tie knot.

To keep in touch with Jack Franklin and what the company is up to, follow them on Facebook or view the latest news on Jack’s Blog.

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Awhile back, Emily from Life+Gear contacted me about their eco-friendly glow sticks and offered to send me a couple to try out. After checking out their site, which also offers plenty of other handy products for emergency preparedness such as rechargeable flashlights and lanterns, and quad-power light/radio/cell phone charging stations, I figured their products looked like they would be great things to have down here on the Gulf Coast, especially during hurricane season.

Their LED glowsticks double as a flashlight, emergency flasher and whistle, all in one. Mine arrived just before Voodoo Fest, and knowing that we’d be hanging out long after it got dark in City Park, I figured it was the perfect time to take them for a test drive. The glowsticks, which are attached to a lanyard, were great to hang around my neck and keep with me for when I wanted a little extra light. A few weeks later, when our power went out at home during a thunderstorm, the same glowstick came in handy again when I used the flashlight mode while we searched for matches to light some candles. I realized that a couple of my friends at Voodoo Fest actually had the same glowsticks – one thing that we noticed was that we’d all lost the plastic cover for the whistle end of the glowstick pretty quickly, but the light device lasts for much longer – about 200 hours of use!

Life+Gear also sent me one of their eco-friendly solar powered fans, which has 5 power source options and also doubles as a cell phone charger. I could only think about how useful this would have been during Hurricane Gustav when we were stuck in Baton Rouge for a week with no power at David’s dad’s house. His poor dad was hot and miserable the whole time, and I wish we’d had something like this to help provide him a little more comfort at the time.

Life+Gear’s glowsticks would make especially great stocking stuffers, priced at only $5.99. I can’t help but think that some of their other products would make great guy gifts too, especially for outdoorsy types. Check out the full selection at www.lifegearcompany.com.

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This guest post was written by Robyn who blogs her own great Etsy finds over at Everyday Etsy while trying to simultaneously pry herself loose from the grip of a very overpowering knitting addiction and love on her three cats. Thus far, the yarn and kitties are winning.

Wedding season is about to start full force, and for those (like myself!) who are getting married this year, consider getting gifts for your bridal party that are handmade, and as unique as they are! Etsy is the perfect one-stop shopping experience for just about everything you could ever want, and presents for the bridesmaids and groomsmen are no exception.

For the ladies, consider a great piece of jewelry. Long gone are the days of matching necklace sets for everyone, so consider getting each lady a piece she can add to her collection, something she’d be willing to wear any day of the year, and not just on your big day.

Everyday Etsy guest post

1. Ovals and turquoise necklace
2. Ocean Wave earrings
3. Bumpy Road ring
4. Constellation cuff

If jewelry isn’t your thing, give each ‘maid something she can use in her everyday life, an item that will remind her of the special day she shared with you.

Everyday Etsy guest post

1. Pink Coriander Clutch
2. Chandelier Scarf
3. Cherry Blossom Tea For Two
4. Hot Chocolate Lip Balm

For the men, you can still go the “identical gift” route, while keeping the gifts fresh and fun. Consider cuff links for each guy, but each one tailored to the preferences of the groomsman. Or you can throw caution to the wind, getting items that are completely out of the realm of general wedding gift ideas. No matter which path you take, your guys will appreciate the thought.

Everyday Etsy guest post

1. Ace Of Spades Cufflinks
2. Jim Beam Cheese Plate
3. Red Houndstooth iSockit
4. The Maddox Leather Wristband

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Steampunk Overload

by MissMalaprop on January 5, 2009

We’ve become a little obsessed lately with all things steampunk around my house. Suddenly my boyfriend is really into the whole thing – he even dragged me to Joann’s Fabric over the weekend to pick out patterns for vests and jackets he wants to make! And he’s started watching Threadbanger for more DIY steampunk ideas!

I’ve also found that there are a variety of other tutorials and books on how to make virtually anything you could dream of, steampunk-style. Steampunk is all about the DIY ethos, so here are a few books that can get you started on crafting your own steampunk gear:

- The Art of Steampunk: Extraordinary Devices and Ingenious Contraptions from the Leading Artists of the Steampunk Movement by Art Donovan


- Metalwork Jewelry: 35 Step-by-Step Projects Inspired by Steampunk by Linda Peterson


Steampunk Style Jewelry: Victorian, Fantasy, and Mechanical Necklaces, Bracelets, and Earrings by Jean Campbell


The Steampunk Bible: An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature by Jeff VanderMeer

Just a quick search of Etsy brought me TONS of cool handmade steampunk gear. Check out some of the many amazing shops I found carrying loads of goodies for those in search of sci-fi meets Victoriana accessories to complete the ultimate steampunk look:

goggles:

BoilerGoth.etsy.com – metal steampunk goggles – $94

BoilerGoth Steampunk Goggles of the Metal Bodied Sort

Kimagure.etsy.com – monogle – $35

kimagure monogle - steampunk monocle meets goggles

MadArtjewelry.etsy.com – Time Lord Steampunk Goggles – $55

madartjewelry Time Lord Steampunk Goggles

Breeder.etsy.com – cyber goggles – $31.95

Breeder's cyber goggles - black rubber studs

spats:

LesFrivolites.etsy.com – leather gaiters – $105

lesfrivolites leather gaiters buttons & straps

mariapozodesign.etsy.com – black and beige tapestry spats – $99

mariapozodesign black and beige tapestry spats

corsets:

louiseblack.etsy.com – Victorian cameo corset – $154.50

Botticelli-esque Victorian Cameo Corset in Stripe Silk and Rococo Fabric by Louise Blac

psbcreations.etsy.com – steampunk-inspired sepia tone corset – $160

psbcreations steampunk corset

steampunk jewelry:

PersephonePlus.etsy.com – steampunk cuff bracelet – $60

persephoneplus monstrous large and bold steampunk cuff bracelet

SteampunkCellar.etsy.com – steampunk gold bird pin brooch – $33

SteampunkCellar gold bird pin brooch

CatherinetteRings.etsy.com – wire ring with lab-created opal bead – $125

Catherinette Rings Artistic STEAMPUNK wire ring with LAB CREATED OPAL bead

COGnitivecreations.etsy.com – writers quill artful hardware pendant – $65

COGnitivecreations The Steampunk Writers Quill Artful Hardware Pendant

rubyanndesigns.etsy.com – unisex steampunk cufflinks – $42

rubyanndesigns steampunk unisex cufflinks

19Moons.etsy.com – beetle mechanique watch ring – $52

19moons beetle mechanique watch ring

liquidsolution.etsy.com – Grishels Electronic Grenade necklace – $55

liquidsolution Grishels Electronic Grenade steampunk necklace

edmdesigns.etsy.com – watch movement ring – $75

edmdesigns clockwork watch movement steampunk ring

headwear:

twilightandfiligree.etsy.com – cog leather skull cap – $38

twilightandfiligree steampunk cog leather skull cap in brown

LeatherheadOriginals.etsy.com – flower power aviator – $74.99

LeatherheadOriginals flower power aviator hat in plum leather

SteamSociety.etsy.com – Neo-Victorian pageboy feather cap – $38

SteamSociety Neo Victorian Rockstar Steampunk EcoFriendly Feather Top Pageboy Newsboy Hat Cap Extraordinaire

other accessories:

ProfMaelstromme.etsy.com – leather & brass gas mask – $178

profmaelstromme Steampunk or post Apocalyptic Leather and brass tube altitude / Gas Mask

toybreaker.etsy.com – Victorian gears silk necktie – $40

toybreaker Victorian gears silk screenprinted necktie

miischelle.etsy.com – steampunk pasties – $30

miischelle steampunk burlesque pasties

Thesteampunktrunk.etsy.com – steampunk wedding corset lace cuffs – $150

thesteampunktrunk Steampunk Wedding Butterfly Embossed Leather and Lace Corset Cuffs

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Vintage Vodka Label Necklace

by MissMalaprop on May 21, 2008

I absolutely love this necklace. Maybe it’s the recycled vintage vodka label, maybe it’s because I live in New Orleans and we know how to hold our hard liquor… I don’t know but it’s pretty awesome. And it’s also available in scotch, rum, gin and brandy at dustDesignCo.etsy.com for $35. They’ve got plenty of other amazing repurposed jewelry pieces as well, including loads of steampunk inspired wearable art.

dustDesignCo.etsy.com vintage vodka label necklace

via GreatGreenGoods

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Recycled Circuit Board Jewelry

by MissMalaprop on November 5, 2007

Who knew circuitry could be so stylish? Apparently Debby Arem knows because she’s the clever designer behind these cool cufflinks, created from recycled circuit boards.Debby Arem recycled cirucit board cufflinks

Doing some early holiday shopping for your favorite geek? I think any of her circuit board cufflinks or tie tacks would make great gifts for geeky guys, and if the computer nerd in your life is of the female persuasion, Debby has you covered with her collection of earrings made from old circuit boards.

There are also circuit board bookmarks, clipboards and keychains (perfect if you get stuck with the office IT guy as your Secret Santa), as well as some beautiful beaded jewelry that doesn’t involve recycled computer components.

You can browse all of her amazing work at Arem Designs.

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