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ventaYesterday prezzybox.com, who are usually quite sensible and useful people, sent me an email advertising their range of "personalised gifts" for Christmas.
Top of their list was a Personalised Me To You Book (in the category "Romance", in case you aren't getting the picture).
"This Me to You personalised book is the perfect way to show someone special how much you care. Each page has a romantic quote or a picture of Tatty Teddy. It is sure to make someone smile."
Now, I like pictures of raggedy grey teddy bears as much - or even slightly more - than is healthy in someone over the age of eight. However, if someone gave me one of these books I think they would find it rammed somewhere extremely unexpected.
By buying someone this personalised gift, I'm showing exactly how much I care. Just enough to type my and their names into some boxes, add my personal message of up to one hundred characters, and click a button. You could get 40% more caring into a tweet, and that is surely the least romantic form of communication ever.
I usually save this rant up for Valentine's Day, but off-the-peg romance is an oxymoron. Occasionally - very occasionally - you might find a card, or a poem, which so exactly expresses the sentiment you want to convey that you can't possibly better it yourself. But, realistically, it isn't going to happen very often.
If you want to give someone a cutesome book of bears and romantic quotes, buy a book of bears and scrawl your own quotations onto it. Possible pausing with the marker pen to add hats/moustaches/glasses/bondage gear/gruesome injuries to the bears, to taste. I'd do this. Most people I know would, I think, do this in preference to expressing their love in one hundred characters of plastic conformity.
However the sales of one-size-fits-all hearts-and-flowers romance, peaking around mid-February, suggest this is not the norm. Generic romance is a crime. Do not accept it. Demand a genuine expression from your suitor.
Top of their list was a Personalised Me To You Book (in the category "Romance", in case you aren't getting the picture).
"This Me to You personalised book is the perfect way to show someone special how much you care. Each page has a romantic quote or a picture of Tatty Teddy. It is sure to make someone smile."
Now, I like pictures of raggedy grey teddy bears as much - or even slightly more - than is healthy in someone over the age of eight. However, if someone gave me one of these books I think they would find it rammed somewhere extremely unexpected.
By buying someone this personalised gift, I'm showing exactly how much I care. Just enough to type my and their names into some boxes, add my personal message of up to one hundred characters, and click a button. You could get 40% more caring into a tweet, and that is surely the least romantic form of communication ever.
I usually save this rant up for Valentine's Day, but off-the-peg romance is an oxymoron. Occasionally - very occasionally - you might find a card, or a poem, which so exactly expresses the sentiment you want to convey that you can't possibly better it yourself. But, realistically, it isn't going to happen very often.
If you want to give someone a cutesome book of bears and romantic quotes, buy a book of bears and scrawl your own quotations onto it. Possible pausing with the marker pen to add hats/moustaches/glasses/bondage gear/gruesome injuries to the bears, to taste. I'd do this. Most people I know would, I think, do this in preference to expressing their love in one hundred characters of plastic conformity.
However the sales of one-size-fits-all hearts-and-flowers romance, peaking around mid-February, suggest this is not the norm. Generic romance is a crime. Do not accept it. Demand a genuine expression from your suitor.
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no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 11:50 am (UTC)I actualy seem to prefare Valentines being a single, gives me a chance to send stuff to friends and try and make them smile, plus the odd thing to people i may care a little more about....Then again i like excuses....Holidays, "saw this, thought of you", Birthdays, And happy wednesday works well too when you just can't think of a better (or worse, or maybe just more plauseable) excuse.
no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 03:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-10 04:04 pm (UTC)Given reasonable time and being in a happy state, it is supprising how daft and soppy i can be. Used to love living in London and wandering round the shops at lunch, far easier to get inspiration back then.....Hell I once made suzi an Advent Callendar as being vegan the chockie ones were out....Ambition got the better or my and my Notre Damn inspired window idea didn't quite work, but even with little draws it worked well.