Today I have some LuSHHus gift ideas for you to give that special someone in your life on Valentine’s Day.

I think most people would be heart-warmingly surprised to receive one of these tailor-made Valentine’s Day cards pictured below.  It’s not just your average Hallmark card and I think this handmade craft would make an extra special treasure when framed or otherwise displayed after Valentine’s Day has come and gone.  This is truly something to keep forever.  Order your Valentine a personalized design here for $10.00.

The Chop2Pot is one of the best ideas I have seen in a long time.  This kitchen tool is a cutting board that converts to a chute when the handle is squeezed.  So the chopped food easily slides into the pot without a mess.  And the pink color makes it a perfect gift for your Valentine who likes to cook!  Check it out here where it sells for $19.75.

A jigsaw puzzle depicting the front page of the New York Times on your wedding day or other special date you and your Valentine share would make a special and sentimental gift.  You can order any date from 1851 to present here, and the cost is $44.95. 

No, I don’t have an iPhone, and I am not saying I want or need one (ok, having one would be fun), but I do think the iPhone would be a good gift option for you to give to your Valentine.  I am hearing good reports all around on the iPhone, especially from my sisters who both have one.  A new iPhone is sure to put a smile on your Valentine’s face (check them out here)!  Be sure to check out the diamond encrusted iPhone if you are so inclined (it costs about $41,000).  By the way, I have the Blackberry Curve which I love.

Why not give your sweetheart a gift that keeps giving with these love coupons.  Fill them in however your heart desires, and let your significant other cash them in at his or her pleasure.  A set of eight true love coupons is available here for $3.75!

We don’t have the Wii but if we did I’d probably get my husband this for Valentine’s Day: the Wii Sports Pack.  This set includes a tennis racket, golf club, and baseball bat to be used with the Wii.  Buy it here for $29.99. 

This ring is a fun option for a friend who is unattached or some other light-hearted recipient (make sure you don’t give it to someone who is dying for a real engagement ring!).  You can find this ring here for $12. 

I love these simple heart earrings from Gucci.  These bamboo sterling silver studs are available at Saks for $140.  Check them out here.  (If jewelry is what you want to give, be sure to check out Tiffany & Co.  They have a beautifully designed Valentine section on their website, and I especially like this and this.)

How about this heart-shaped velvet mouse?  Your Valentine will be thinking about you with every click of the mouse.  This is available here for $19.99.

A Valentine’s gift guide would not be complete without a chocolate option, and I think this selection from Godiva looks very sweet and delicious.  Two of the flavors that sound best to me are Bananas Foster and Vermont Maple Walnut.  You can purchase these and other chocolates here (this collection is $95). 

Here is one more chocolate option and this is a treat that’s sure to keep your Valentine warm through the last of winter: Hot Chocolate On A Stick!  Simply stir the cube of chocolate into a cup of hot milk for a decadent delight.  You can get a set of six Dark Chocolate cubes or six Hazelnut cubes for $18 here. 

This notebook computer is an extraordinary gift option for Valentine’s Day.  This Love Edition computer by Ego boasts all the features your loved one will desire in a computer, and you can purchase it online here.  As you can imagine, something this LuSHHus carries a price tag; the basic Ego laptops start at about $5000.

Happy Valentine’s Day Shopping to you all, Ashley

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This week my mom is turning 60!  I wanted to find a quote for this week’s LuSHHus Weekly Wisdom installment that reminds us how important mothers are in our lives.  I could not resist sharing these first few that I uncovered:

Sweater, n.:  garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly.  ~Ambrose Bierce

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?  ~Milton Berle

Every beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother.  ~Moorish Proverb

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  ~Tenneva Jordan

In the end, I decided on the following quote for this week’s quote.  The words certainly ring true in the case of my mom.  Happy Birthday, Tootsie!

A mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take. ~Cardinal Mermillod

Have a LuSHHus week, Ashley

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These postcards are such a LuSHHus way to reach out to a long distance friend or family member.  Order one of these postcards here so that you can send a note to someone special in your life (and make sure to have the artist stamp the hearts where you and the postcard recipient live.)  These postcards are just $2.50 each, and think of the happiness you will bring to the person who receives this special card in the mail!

Cheers, Ashley

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If you love coffee, then a great cup of coffee likely makes you very happy.  I think that I have found how to make the perfect cup of coffee at home, and, believe me, it makes me very happy.  I owe it all to a wonderful little frother (and my parents who gave me the frother for my birthday last month.)

The Nespresso Aeroccino Automatic Milk Frother is available at Williams Sonoma here for $89.95, and I assure you it is worth every penny.  I have not even thought about buying coffee since I received this fabulous little machine.  Simply pour the milk and press a button in order to receive the frothiest creamiest milk you can imagine.  I almost jump out of bed each morning in order to experience the joy of my homemade latte!

Happy Thursday, Ashley 

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What a stylish way to motivate yourself or your favorite people!  These “Give it Your Best” posters are available here and can be ordered framed or unframed.  Sometimes a few words of encouragement are all that people need to get the job done.  I think it would be very LuSHHus to offer those inspirational words in this stylish manner!

Have a Stylish Wednesday, Ashley

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Sure it is not necessary and it is awfully luxurious, but that is what Tuesdays are all about here at LuSHHus…luxury.  So why not treat yourself or someone you love to beautifully monogrammed pillowcases.  How fun to see your name or your initials stitched onto your bed linens.  If not for you, then this might be a fitting gift for newlyweds or even for children in order to help them keep their belongings close at hand.  No matter who is on the receiving end of the embroidered pillowcases, make sure to visit my favorite embroiderer’s website here.  Embroidery by Valerie will fabulously embroider your pillowcases and anything else!

Have a Luxurious Tuesday, Ashley

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Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you’ve imagined!

-Henry David Thoureau

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It is so important to moisturize and now more than ever (since it is winter and all) your skin needs lotion.  I have tried many lotions and potions over the years in search of the perfect formulas, and I think my search for the best hand cream and foot cream has finally come to an end since I found Hand Relief and Foot Relief from Aveda.  Try these products and feet and you will not be sorry.  Hand Relief and Foot Relief are the ultimate in moisture replenishment for the skin as far as I am concerned.  These formulas are thick and luxurious but not at all greasy.  Buy them here where a 4.2 ounce size of each costs $18.  Your skin will thank you.

Happy moisturizing, Ashley

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We are only a few days into the new year, and the promise of new opportunities, new beginnings and new resolutions is still in the air.  This week’s Weekly Wisdom reminds us to really live this year.  Make 2008 the most LuSHHus year yet!

Another fresh new year is here, another year to live! to banish worry, doubt, and fear,to love and laugh and give!

-William Arthur Ward

Cheers, Ashley 

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If you are a dog lover, you really should read Mark Levin’s new book Rescuing Sprite.  Even if you are not a dog lover, you will surely be impressed by how strong the bond between a family and its dog can be.  My dad, an unabashed friend of furry animals, gave each member of our family a copy of this new publication for Christmas, and I enjoyed every minute I spent reading it. You will, most likely, shed a few tears, but, more importantly, you will be reminded of the unconditional love our four-legged friends bring to our lives.  Pets are certainly a wonderful source of happiness for many of us (that means you, Oliver…see picture of our Oliver below!).

Thanks for the book, Dad!  Ashley

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If losing weight and getting into better physical shape is on your list of things to do, check out the Motiva watch and the BodyBugg.  Both will, among other things, help you count calories in so you can make sure they don’t exceed the calories you burn. 

The Motiva is a wristwatch that does much more than tell time.  It calculates your heart rate (without a chest strap), counts calorie consumption, and offers five different timers.  You can buy this useful watch online here for $100. 

The BodyBugg, a device you wear on your arm, counts the calories you burn and consume throughout the day.  All of this information is displayed on a screen so that you always know where you stand in meeting your goals.  There is a web-based program that works along with the BodyBugg.  The purchase of the BodyBugg includes a three-month subscription to the service, and you can renew for $99.95 per year after the free service expires.  Purchase the BodyBugg here.  Prices start at $399.

Here’s to your health, Ashley

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Colin Cowie’s new book Colin Cowie Chic is the latest (and possibly greatest) guide to living with grace, style, and luxury.  This is a veritable handbook on how to entertain, travel, work, and, well, live.  I cannot imagine a more LuSHHus book.  Of course I have added Colin Cowie Chic to my LuSHHus Books at Amazon list to the right.  I think this is just the book to help us live LuSHHusly in 2008.

Happy New Year, Ashley

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