When it comes to gifts, I don’t like to be surprised. It may seem tacky, but whenever a holiday rolls around, I take the guesswork out of the equation and send my husband a couple potential gift ideas. He knows not to stray from the list. (PS: I always ask him for a list, too. I may like to shop, but I’m not great at doing it for other people.)
This Valentine’s Day, I requested something a little ridiculous: a statue of Diana, the goddess of the hunt. (Since she and I share a name, I figured it was fitting.) And guess what arrived early?
The statue is substantially heavy and pretty big — not great if you need it to fit inside a cramped studio apartment. Since every square inch counts, I tried repurposing the statue as an accessories display.
This fur hat (last seen here) lends the statue an opulent look that reminds me of the Russian Revolution. The hat is normally stored in a hat box, which takes up a lot of closet space — this was definitely a more festive and efficient storage solution.
I was so delighted with my first experiment, I soon gutted my entire accessories collection to crate different looks for my plaster Barbie. (Remind you of anything?)
Next, I tried something a little simpler.
Sure, this is fun — in a French minimalist way — but it’s not enough.
THIS IS MORE LIKE IT! This beanie gives a hipster vibe to Diana’s stoic demeanor. (Couldn’t she be the star of a rom-com opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt?) I paired the insouciant hat with a fussy, floral headband, which I wrapped around the base of the statue like a choker. Headbands are a huge pain to store — especially big, fascinator-types like this — so this may be my storage winner.
As a final parting note, I just want to give my husband some props. He DID stray off my official list this year, surprising me with this book after I mentioned it in an e-mail. My overly caffeinated heart is very full with appreciation this year.
Do you have anything offbeat on your Valentine’s Day wish list? I’d love to hear about it!