Custom Pet Paintings Make the Perfect Gift

A traditional portrait, pop or more whimsical style…you choose, when it’s custom art.

Custom pet paintings are the perfect gift for those of us who love our furry friends or as a gift to memorialize a previous pet. Check out www.custompetpaintings.com to see what can be done for you.

Peggy Hogan, a pet lover herself, hand paints the portrait on archival quality gallery wrapped canvas, using your photo as a reference. Give the perfect gift that will bring a smile or tug at the heart.

Maverick was adopted from a Beagle Rescue. This painting was done from a photo she took right after he came home. He is a happy dog now but still mellow.Stacey’s mom and dad bought this custom portrait for her as a Christmas gift last year. They gave her a gift certificate and Stacey was able to choose the photo, style and background color.

This was a perfect gift for her because she had just moved into her own home and was eager to begin decorating. She wanted a more modern look for this 8 x 8 canvas but still wanted it to resemble her buddy. Stacey loves her portrait of Maverick and her parents were thrilled to give the gift of art.

Beautiful Sea Glass Used in Jewelry

We visit a lot of websites to find some of our favorite gift choices for this blog and our accompanying website Top Gift Choices. You can find great gift ideas in a lot of places on the internet, but it just takes a lot of time. So hopefully our suggestions will help make your gift search easier.

We find clever gift ideas on a wide range of websites like Tears of the Sea, which has some of the most beautiful sea glass jewelry we've ever seen. Very unique and different. If you've ever gone looking for sea glass, you'll know how treasured this can be.

Father's Day Gifts for Dad's With Younger Kids

At this point, the dads spend a lot of time at work* and are trying to spend more time with their families. Gifts that encourage time together are always a good choice. Some of my favorite gifts for this group are:

Apache Helicopter. A fun remote control gadget, this RC copter comes highly rated and sells for just $49.99.

*These dads happen to be pretty tired too, so I love ideas that pamper them such as:

• The Hammock. There are many choices but the Island Bay Rope hammock from Hammocks.com is a favorite for $99.

Creative Gifts for Any Occasion

If you’ve got time and talent, there is nothing more treasured than a handmade gift.
- Or why not surprise someone with an attractive journal (at Barnes and Noble) that lists your “favorite special memories”?
- Another top gift idea (for anniversaries or “big year” birthdays) is to design a custom photo book (at Snap Fish). You select the photos you want to use and layout and the book is printed with a custom cover.
- A message in the bottle (at Amazon) is another great way to provide a sentiment that won’t be forgotten.

Gifts That Don't Require Pre-Planning

There are many other top gift ideas that don’t require pre-planning and customization. We love gifts that are reflective of special passions or are beautifully crafted but still useful.

- Consider a coffee table book on "Journeys of a Lifetime, 500 of the World's Greatest Trips" or "50 Places to Golf Before You Die" (both at Barnes and Noble).

- An exquisite gift like the bamboo tornado pen lets the recipient know you gave the gift special thought.

Unique and Fun Gifts

Unique and fun gifts are always good, but make sure the gift is not too quirky. We give a “two thumbs up” to the Football Barbeque Set with plastic handle sport football textured grips and a spatula head with a gridiron design.

We hope that gift giving can be as much fun as receiving gifts for you!