Stop by Marta’s shop to pick up very fun packaging

I bring up the talented Marta of Marta Writes so often here, that I thought I’d better get on with it and ask her for an interview. Lucky, so very lucky for me, she said yes.

Marta’s blog is an absolute favorite. Marta is an Idaho girl (I grew up an Idaho girl), and let me tell you, homegirl can write. I see a block of text on her blog and can’t wait to dig in, to watch how she tousles and arranges the words. If I have a day when I don’t get to read a piece of serious and illustrious literature, but I’ve had a chance to read something on her blog, I’m satisfied. Yup. It’s that good. Oh, and she also takes inspiring photos, has super cute handwriting, and runs a great shop full of packaging and her graphic design work. Plus she always gives the best gifts. What more could you ask for? And since it is Thanksgiving week, be sure to stop by Project Thankful on her blog and join many others, including me, in listing a thing or two you are thankful for.

Meet Marta
hello. i am marta dansie from martawrites. i live in idaho with my little boy and my husband. i am a graphic designer and specialize in book layout and announcements and invitations. i love to be with family, to write, to read, to bake, to wrap gifts, to plan parties, to roadtrip, to practice yoga and to purchase candy from the bulk section.

And now that we’re acquainted,

a few gifts that WOULD or DID make Marta happy

tickets to a broadway show. a few years ago my husband surprised me with tickets to Lion King and then again, another surprise to Wicked, both such happy occasions. he knows i live for musicals and is always such a good sport to escort me. i told him the gift of surprise broadway tickets should become a tradition.

a set of photographs. my husband commissioned our niece (an amazing photography college student) to snapshot all of our newlywed places; where we lived, where we ate, the streets we walked and so on. i am still in awe whenever i see these incredible photos. not only are they beautiful, but they speak volumes.

a book of yoga wisdom. my darling cousin whitney put together a custom yoga workbook for me to brush up on my skills. she is a yoga teacher and is my go-to source whenever i have questions about certain poses. she always has the best advice for technique and makes me feel encouraged and strong. she was so sweet to put together a thoughtful book full of photos and quotes that i can open up again and again.

a day for a getaway. it was ever so romantic when my husband surprised me one saturday with a getaway to the big city for a weekend last december, just so i could get all the christmas shopping done in my favorite shops. we had nothing planned other then purchasing a few christmas list items, so everything else (even our meals) were spontaneous and lovely. we even went to watch ice skaters downtown at night.

a jar of grandma bernice’s strawberry jam always gets tucked into my purse every time we visit her. she is such a classy woman, in her nineties and still incredibly on top of it. she is my hero. it not only tastes delicious but it reminds me of all the qualities i love about her.

a package of stamps from my dad. one day i blogged about vintage stamps and soon thereafter i found my dad’s amazing stamp collection in the mailbox for me. he said he was happy for me to have them!! (he is the best gift giver because he is always paying attention to details.)

anything from a local bakery or gift shop is always a fun surprise.

a few gifts that WOULD or DID make someone else happy

a stack of magazines. i love taking a big pile of my favorite glossy magazines to a friend who loves them as much as i do.

tickets to tokyo. i’d love to take my husband back to one of our favorite ramen shops in tokyo, japan. i dream of surprising him one day with our luggage already packed in the trunk of the car.

a copy of favorite family recipes. i made a binder of traditional recipes from our family along with magazine cut outs and online recipes and empty page protectors for new recipes too. it’s a perfect bridal shower gift, a great way to welcome a new member into the family.

a book of adjectives. i created a mini accordion book for my cousin’s 25th birthday featuring 25 words that describe her.

a jar of homemade bath salts. i love making martha stewart’s bath salt recipe with eucalyptus + mint oils and tying a string around it with a small scoop attached. it is a perfect hostess gift, get well soon gift, new mama gift, going away to college gift, etc. i should start making that recipe in bulk. it would be fabulous in mini jars for favors at a girls night out party!

a visit from the whole family. this last september, the entire cast (meaning all seven kids and spouses) surprised my mom for her 60th birthday. since we are spread all over the country, it is near impossible to get together often, but we pulled off the task of being together again for the special occasion. the look on my mom’s face was truly priceless. our reunion was better than any material gift we could’ve given her.

anything wrapped in bakers twine looks so charming to me.

Tags: anniversary gifts, DIY handmade gifts, gift wrap and pretty packaging, gifts for her, gifts men give women, gifts that aren't stuff, inexpensive gift ideas, Interviews, personalized gifts, romantic gifts, Valentines Day gifts, wedding gifts

This entry was posted on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 7:33 am and is filed under Gift ideas, thoughtful gestures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.