The Pink Poodle

A fundamental rule of life: no girl is ever too busy to receive a present. And when I say "present", understand that there are two kinds of presents. Type one: presents from other people. Type two: (and no--I am not the least bit ashamed of it) presents from oneself.

Although we’re busy, there’s always a tiny little parcel of time that can be used to pamper oneself in just the tiniest little way, or to get to give a little gift. There’s a plethora of cute little things out there—and it’s up to you to find them for that day when everything’s just blue, or—better yet—you’ve decided that you deserve it!

When my parents and I were in San Francisco a week ago, we went shopping along a great shopping and walking street. We slipped into a furniture store as we passed by. A word of wisdom: never pass by a furniture store without going in (or, I suppose, if you have a phobia of leather or wooden tables or something, at least poke your head inside before fleeing the scene).  The past year or so, I’ve discovered just how amazing furniture stores can be. And, believe me, you soon shall as well.

For example: Z Gallerie. My friend pulled me in there in the mall one day; I’d never gone in, figuring that since I don’t have a house, I have no need to browse through furniture and home decorating selections. I soon became enlightened regarding furniture stores. Z Gallerie has more than tables and chairs (and no, I don’t mean sofas)! We found two great grabs: pens and a butterfly.  Do not feel confused; I shall explain the pens. 

When one attends high school, one realizes that no matter how many times the super irresponsible boy next to one asks to borrow a pen(cil) and promises to return it immediately, he never does. We bought these pens precisely for that reason. They are joke pens, and were quite amusing! Where an average pen would have a business name on the side or a phone number, these pens advertised (imaginary) companies and services such as “Stuffed with Love Taxidermy”, “Laser Hair Removal”, and other—more awkward—slogans (including company descriptions) on their sides. The idea is that if the boy borrows a pen again, he can keep it—and when he or someone else finally reads the pen, he’ll never want to borrow one again! In a sense, it even works; since we bought the pens, neither of us has been asked for a pen. Bummer!

And now, the butterfly. It’s not real—don’t worry. I found it around Christmas time in the ornaments section. The one I selected is about the size of your hand when you spread out the fingers, and is made of a sheer white fabric with silver detailing and sparkles (of course the sparkles!!!), and has a clip on the bottom of it so it can adhere to anything! They’re great for putting on light fixtures, chandeliers, curtains, or, I suppose, Christmas trees.

So there are two cute little gift ideas that can be found at furniture stores. I recently discovered one more, in San Francisco: Jonathan Adler! We were walking on Fillmore Street in San Francisco when we went inside to investigate. Not only is the furniture cute, chic, and fun—they also have fun little things and also a collection of furniture for kids. Basically, it’s quality designer furniture, but mini!!

So, if you ever go into Jonathan Adler, be sure to look at the stuff at the check-out counter. I found this adorable eraser that I decided to buy as an early birthday gift to myself. (Please note: I’ve never bought myself a present before, but I was in a very good mood regarding my birthday and my parents endorsed the idea so it’s not completely my fault :P ) It’s a huge, heavy eraser but, as someone pointed out at school today, it can double as a paperweight! So really it’s two for the price of one! It’s a pink poodle that comes in a really cute clear plastic little box. The lady even tested the eraser for me to make sure that it erases well—and don’t worry, it works perfectly. She even tied a bow around the little box when I told her it was my birthday present. It was a little pricey for an eraser, but since it’s not just any eraser, I have no regrets; in fact, I intend to enjoy and love my pink eraser poodle for a long, long time. 

So, the moral is: don’t be afraid to get yourself a little something! It brightens your day, and who knows? It could end up brightening your month or year, too. 

This is the poodle eraser! For school, we tied the green ribbon to make a little collar! (super chic, FYI). What do you think-- would Snoopy approve?