Part of our trip to Europe last month included a side trip to Germany. One of DH's coworkers lent us her apartment for three days (she was in another country for work at the time).
We bought flowers while we were there, and left her a nice note, but I would like to do something else as a thank you gift. She probably saved us $500 or so in hotel costs, and it was very sweet of her to offer - she'd only met DH once, and never met me.
But I'm kind of stumped because she's in Germany. I couldn't really get a feel for what she's into...she does like to travel and she reads a lot of books (some in German, some in English) but I can't figure out what would be something she'd really like. DH has to go back to Munich next week for work, and I'd love to send him over with a gift....any thoughts?
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"Good taste shouldn't have to cost anything extra." - Mickey Drexler
-Maybe a travel guide to the US and an open invitation to come stay with you? -Did you get a feel for her home-style? Maybe a nice serving platter that matches her scheme? -Some stationary? Maybe from that etsy site?
if you know she likes to read a lot, maybe just an Amazon GC...for a larger amount than you might normally give, since she saved you so much...i guess that's not the most creative idea. ordinarily i'd probably say a restaurant GC, but since she lives in Germany... unless there's a really nice place you went when you were there?
Thanks, ladies. Her place is tiny - for the first time, I could truly see who IKEA designs for, because I think almost the whole apartment was furnished by them. Which made sense, because there's not a lot of space to spare! So I think her style (at least right now) is very minimal because there's just not room for much.
Stationery might be nice; I don't really know her taste so I guess I could keep it clean and simple. I'm hesitant to get much in the way of decor stuff because they (she and the roommate) are so tight on space. Also the Amazon GC might be nice - and light for DH to travel with.
I just wish I had a better feel for something she'd really like. It was so great of her to let us stay!
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"Good taste shouldn't have to cost anything extra." - Mickey Drexler
What a sweet person! I generally like to gift something from my region (i.e. maple sugar candies when I lived in New England). That said, if your concern is space and ease of use for someone who has quite a minimal lifestyle, I think an Amazon or Zappos GC is a great idea. I'd say IKEA, but it sounds like she's already pretty set for IKEA.