My best friend's 40th birthday is coming up (mine is not long after). I am looking for something that I can give her to mark this significant occassion. We have been friends for over 25 years. Over the years, I've given her a Bible, a photo collage, a cross, etc.
Her husband is throwing her a surprise BBQ and I've promised him I will be there to "put away" things that she would not want others seeing in her house. I will also be documenting the party and making a photo album (I'm not creative enough to scrapbook) for her. My husband is doing the same for me (although not a surprise) and I know she will capture the moment for me as my photographer.
I'm just looking for something that would make this extra special or an idea both of our husbands can use. Yes, obviously, it won't be a surprise for me but I'm not big on surprises anyway. It feels weird asking for suggestions on something that involves me as well but I trust you won't judge me for doing so. I'm mainly interested in something for her.
You are the best bunch of creative people I know with a diverse amount of ideas and suggestions. Any advice you have is great. Thanks in advance!
Update: Heather brought up a good point. I initially asked for something she will cherish. She's right. Only I will know what she would treasure. So instead, I'm looking for something out-of-the-ordinary, not your typical gift. What have you done for someone significant to you?
Thank you for all the great responses. Bottom line, there is not gift I can give her that would thank her for the years of unbiased friendship that she has given me. Even still, I have ordered her the "Aged to Perfection" Pajama set from Pajamagram and a few extras and am having it delivered to her work next week. I'm also setting up a table at the party with note cards that the guests can fill out a message to her. I will have these bound together as a keepsake of the day. Her husband hired a photographer so that frees me up to simply make sure she enjoys her day. We're working on a two-family vacation for some time this summer which is the best gift of all.
A while back someone talked about giving someone "40 items of the same thing" I thought it was pretty cleaver so maybe you could do something fun with that, otherwise just get her as much spa day stuff as possible that you can afford for both of you and do it together. I am jealous of the "debt free" we are hoping to get there someday, congrats to you.
I recently went to a 40th birthday party where the family had given her a clothes basket filled with 40 Memories. They were small little trinkets that symbolized the past 40 years. She LOVED it and was AMAZED that they remembered some of the things that they remembered. It was REALLY small stuff, and while I don't remember the actual items in there, it would include silly things like a rock, and all items had a card attached with a description of the memory and tied with a cute ribbon. It was all the birthday girl talked the whole party. It helped her reflect on the past 40 years and it demonstrated to her the effort that her family and friends put into her special day. I hope this helps!
How about a set of 1969 (her birth year) coins?
Make a theme party with things from about 35 years ago, complete with the music. Have guests dress back to that date. Your gift can be something simple as a large colage of her as a child and growing up to date along with her family. This will not only be something as a surprise and memories. See if you can have this put of a cd and show it at the party, that way she can save it and rewatch it over and over.
Hi B.
Such a lucky person to have such a good friend.
Get your girl friends together- give her a day at the spa - with all of you together- and you by her side I amsure it could be something you both could cherish ...........a real fun day......
blessings
C.
For my 40th birthday my friend since I was 5 years old made me a photo album but it was not just any type of photo album. It was titled "This is Your Life" and she had taken the time to get with my daughters and have them sneak some old photos plus she had bunches herself while we were growing up. She also took the time to drive down to the town we grew up in and take a photo of my house, our school and anything else she could think of, she then drove around here taking photos of the houses I had lived in, the schools I had attended as well. She began the book from the day I was born to the present and in between the photos she had written my life story. I can not tell you how much that meant to me nor can I tell you how long it was before I stopped crying. Just to read your life story and remembering some of those times and places really brought back memories and a lot of laughter. She even included the sad times and it also made me realize how much she and I had been through together growing up. I still have that wonderful book and will pass it down to my children or grandchildren. I know it took her a lot of time to do that book but I have to say it certainly was worth it to me. They also now have software programs where you can do basically the same thing and you speak about the times, places, photos etc and you import photos and all of it goes on a CD. Good Luck and I think it is so wonderful that you want to do something special for her.
What about a blessing book? That is where everyone that she knows writes something "nice" about her. Ways that she has blessed them! It can be about a time when she was there for someone, something that she does, something that she has done, etc, etc, add pics of special times. Then have it bound into a book, probably pretty reasonable at Kinkos.
Good luck!
L.
I once made a "Geri Kay" basket. I got hardware items and wrapped pink paper over them with a label that said "Geri Kay makeup remover" on like paint thinner. I got some spackling and put "Geri Kay wrinkle reducer." Various things. I got black flowers and stuff to put in it. It was just hysterical. We also came up with a little man-made coffin for another friend of ours and put a dummy in it for their surprise party.
Have lots of fun. You won't get another opportunity like this for at least ten more years.
How about a quilt. Have everyone bring a 12" square of 100% cotton fabric. They can write something on it or embroider whatever. It can be any kind of print or solid fabric. For my parents 50th we sent everyone invited a 12"square of muslin and had them decorate it and send it back. Some painted,embroidered, had pictures put on them from Kinkos, etc. We had to do this ahead of time because we wanted the quilt finished on their anniversary. We put it all together and it was beautiful.Unfortunately, they only enjoyed it for 2 years because both of them passed away. For my husband and my 25th we had everyone bring a 12" square of their choice, print or solid and had them write on it with a silver sharpie. I had a friend put it together and quilt it. We love it and are enjoying it everyday. It is so soft, machine washable, and unique. I also had so many squares sent that we have pillow shams and are probably going to have enough to make a bedskirt also. It brings happy tears to my eyes every time I look at it. It doesn't have to be done before her 40th. You can show her all of the beautiful squares and tell her what you are going to do. The cost may be more than you want to spend. My friend pieced the quilt for free,but I paid the 225$ for the quilting. You can go online if you don't know of a quilter and find one. Their are a lot of neat ideas for quilts online. Good luck.
Have you considered doing a girls weekend or a spa day? That is the kind of gift I would cherish - time with friends that I love - time away from being wife and mother.
And for your gift, in your profile you mention clutter... have your husband gift you a session or two with a professional organizer.
Hope this helps! I just turned 40 and it is great so far!
blessings,
stacy
Since no particular "gift" ideas come to mind, how about you create categories for "how well do you know her?" and ask everyone at the party to tell a story about certain topics that are near and dear to her heart? Have a picture to accompany each. Is this an all-adult party or no? That might drive some of the questions.
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Gift-giving is not about the gift but the recipient of the gift.
You have been this close for so very long. You want to give her something that she will cherish, but you ask people who know nothing about her...or your relationship with her. You need to go to the heart of who your friend is and what's important to her...and choose from there.
We can surely help you find something "cool", but you want it to be more personal than that.
Good luck, B..
Sounds like all that you are doing is great!! Does she enjoy Wine?? You could do a Personalized Wine! She can enjoy the Wine and save the bottle as a keepsake. In fact everyone at the party could sign the Wine bottle. A double magnum Wine bottle is 1.5 liters- enough to serve at the party and big enough for everyone to sign. It even comes with the marker for the bottle! Let me know if you are interested!
HI B.,
I am with you I am not creative for the whole scrapbooking thing. However on Shutterfly.com you can upload and create really awesome hardcover books, add text and images, and they have very nice "printed" pages. I have done 3 books for my daughter everyone always comments on how great they look!
You could try that...
You can make really cool photo albums/scrapbooks on Shutterfly.com. They don't cost a fortune and are beautiful. I am not into scrapbooking so have done these for my son for the last two years rather than doing the typical baby book. We get lots of comments on how beautiful and professional they look.
Hi B.,
A few suggestions:
When myself and 2 other very close friends turned 40 (all within a month of each other) I bought both of them and myself and small print from the Kathy Womack's Women and Wine Series. If you live in A. there is a Gallery downtown (I believe there's also one in Houston). You can get a small print, framed for about $50. Or you can buy the prints unframed for about $15. Here's the website if you're not familiar with the artist:
http://kwomack.com/wwprints.html
You can't help but smile and think of great times with great girlfriends when you see the prints! My friends LOVED them!
You could also start her a charm bracelet with different charms representing special memories the two of you have shared. Make one of them a globe (I know James Avery has this one) with a note, "Your friendship means the world to me". You can add to it later on different occasions. Look at James Avery and Brighton (Brighton has a lot of fun charms. You could also do a necklace instead of the bracelet).
One more thing, one favorite memory I shared with my girlfriends, was when were first becoming good friends, we skipped a class in college and watched Beaches (and cried like babies). As an extra gift, I sent her a copy of Beaches, some munchies and made a custom box of Kleenex with our picture and message from MyKleenextissue.com. It was a fun little something extra.
I also agree with a few others, you can make some great albums at Shutterfly.com.
Happy Birthday to both of you!
You might think of going to a day spa for a treatment/massage and lunch together. For my fortieth I did this (1st time!) and really enjoyed it, but would have had more fun with a friend along. Lake House in Austin spa has different packages and was wonderfully relaxing. What a treat!
Hi B., I understand by what you mean, by wanting to get her something unique & unforgettable. You know what I am going to do for my best friend (of 18 yrs.) birthday? I am going to make a photo video. Windows has a program that is already set up on my computer called Windows Video Maker. You just upload photos, past & present. Ones that you think would mean the most to her, moments that she cherish. There are so many options for customizing the video such as adding music, etc. It took me awhile to do the first one, but it was fun going thru all the pics. You could then have her husband play it on a DVD player at the party! Or you could find a college kid to do it for you... good luck!
How about a video of friends and relatives telling her what she means to them and/or funny stories mixed with a picture slideshow of her from birth to now? I think others will probably have great ideas for inexpensive ways to do this, but this is what came to mind. What a great friend you are to her! Have fun!
Side note to Heather- You put yourself in that situation.
What I plan on doing for my Best friend of 25+ years is make a Video [DVD] of all our pictures from years past. I've been also try to find all our old songs to make a CD. We have been friends since 3rd grade so we also have school group pictures and lots of old memories. Some thing you 2 can do together is have a girls nite and make a time capsule- we did this too. Have fun...
