12/17

The Art of Gifting With Simone LeBlanc

I get a lot of questions from my followers, friends and family members asking the etiquette on gifting, especially during the holidays. For this post, I had to turn to the gift queen herself, Simone LeBlanc. 

Simone has made a name for herself in Los Angeles for being a professional gift giver. Yes, it’s a thing and she’s made a successful business by doing so. Simone finds one-of-a-kind items and turns them into a curated box. Her boxes are my go-to for any birthday, anniversary, hostess gift, etc. She proves that even the littlest touches can make a difference. 

I’ve turned to Simone to answer three of the biggest questions that I get when it comes to gifting.

1. What makes the perfect gift?

The perfect gift should charm, surprise and delight. It’s something unexpected, yet at the same time it’s personal and resonates with your recipient. Remember that gifting is an exchange – it’s about a connection between people that conveys what words cannot. So, be authentic…if you love what you’re gifting, authenticity will carry through.

2. How do you gift the person who has everything?

Be mindful of your relationship with your recipient and the message that you want to send. For your very special gift list, dig deep into your relationship, the nuances, your history with the recipient. Now is the time to show how much you notice the details. It’s not about budget, necessarily, but insight. For example, gifting an item with history or related to a personal story is a great opportunity to show how well you know someone and how much you listen or understand them.

It’s also totally acceptable to seek a second opinion – there is no harm in engaging a bit of backup from a trusted source. seek some external wisdom! Get in touch with spouses, best friends, etc. to find out what the person you’re gifting has been pining for.

Social media can help you keep up on the day to day point of view of those you don’t get face time with often. Apply any available investigative tactics here!

3. How do you give the people you love an amazing gift while still on a budget?

Select a gift that you are inspired by, have a personal connection to or have enjoyed on your own recently – an anecdote is always fun and thoughtful and sincerity always wins. This will help your gift to be very personal but doesn’t have to be about your spend. Do you have a favorite new Olive Oil that you love? Pair it with a simple little dish, a backstory of the oil and some dried herbs for serving and you have just gifted them an evening of entertaining inspiration!

I also recommend that you keep an eye out for gifts for loved ones all year long. I often pick up pieces that feel just right for someone months away from the holidays and hold onto them until the time is right. This helps to avoid the stresses of last minute gifting, where the dollars can add up out of sheer desperation for getting it done.

We have a really beautiful curation of gifts in a variety of price points on our website  which helps solve this problem in a big way!

You can follow Simone on her Instagram here or check out her website here. Simone is also one of my cluster of stars who helped me with Everyday Chic, which you can purchase here. 

If you haven’t checked out my Holiday Gift Guide, what are you waiting for?! Get shopping, girlfriend.