Graduation Dress & Decorum - 10 Gift Ideas

Hi guys! Sorry for the late post, this week at work has been insane to say the least. So for this week, I just wanted to start off by saying Congratulations to all the grads out there, both from high school and from uni! It is such an accomplishment to have finished something that you have put years into.  I know I am feeling a plethora of emotions, both happy to be moving onto my next chapter and sad to be leaving this era behind. Nonetheless, it is an exciting time for all experiencing it! So UBCO had their grad yesterday and today and from all of the photos, the dress code includes a large variety. Some people are going garden party like those shown in the photo collage below (Congrats girls!) , while I have seen others in more formal dresses.

Those girls look fab! Now for my dress.. here is a peak , but look at my horrible tanlines! Any suggestions on how to rid myself of them would be much appreciated so comment!!

Now, Decorum for grad gifts. My coworker and I were having lunch on Wednesday and she was torn on what she should get for her friend's graduation and it got me thinking. Now, for myself I am not expecting anything lavish from friends, even just a congrats shoutout or message is perfect for me!! But if you are wanting to get the grad of your life a gift, its a hard job. Is it formal enough for something huge like wedding style or should it just be a small token that shows that you acknowledge their accomplishment. It's up to everyone's own discretion I guess, but I did some research and here are my

Top 10 Grad Gift Ideas (in no particular order)

1. Bottle of Wine/ Scotch (For the boys). Obviously if anyone knows me, this would be a suitable gift. Now that we are graduated and educated, we want to be sophisticated too !! What better than a gift to start our copious selection of reds and whites to entertain our esteemed colleagues ;) (or just get licked in the first week, haha!).A Couple of my fave Okanagan Wines? Try the Quail's Gate Chasselas, the Summerhill 2011 Riesling, or  the Kettle Valley Pinot Gris for whites and for Reds, The Cellar Hand Red, The Quail's Gate Old Vines Foch and the Mission Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.  And the scotch for the boys, who have now become gentlemen, Try the Talisker 10 year. Yup. I Know that :).

2. Cash. Simple, and straight forward. Those last 4 or 5 years have driven us into debt close to bankruptcy before our careers have even started. So some extra cash on the side is much appreciated to put towards those stacking bills and loans. Or to squander on travelling and more wine :)

3. Gift Cards - Boutiques, Electronics, Clothing, Restaurants. Now, some find these impersonal but I personally love gift cards! Now that I am working full time I feel guilty if I splurge on a new outfit or out on the town for some dinner and drinks! But with a gift card, it's justified because I have to use it up somehow!

4. Spa Day- Massage, Pedicure, Facial , or Hair Color/Cut. Those 5 years took a serious toll on my stress levels. What better than a relaxation massage or pedicure to unwind and take a break! I just so happen to work for a PHENOMENAL salon and spa and maybe if you all are lucky I can swing  you a deal ;). Plus now with the prospect of getting hired at a Big Girl Job, I will need a new, hot professional look !!

5. Flowers & A Heartfelt Card. This idea is for the budgeters. I don't care what any girl says, but getting a nice colorful bouquet of flowers always gets a smile and the warm fuzzy feeling :) Plus a heartfelt card with how proud you are of that special grad with some other personal anecdotes will be sure to get a happy tear and resonate with them :)

6. A Piece of Jewellery - (Watch/Ring/Necklace).  Very traditional and original, but classic and still appreciated! Although this is more for the big spender, it can still be a great gift. My fave for watches obviously a Michael Kors with a big face plate (avail at the Bay, Spare Parts, Holt Renfrew) and for guys, this company I stumbled upon FarmFresh is awesome. A canadian company, their watches are mint, ask my very happy boyfriend :). For necklaces, my fave for right now the Pyrhha Talisman Necklaces! The Reward for Perseverance Talisman (202$) or the Follow your Dreams Talisman (166$) seem quite appropriate.  For Rings, anything Wolf Circus (wolfcircus.com) for girls, and for guys a classic class ring type is very cool.

7. A Gym Membership/Yoga Pass. I know what some of you are thinking, wont that be offensive? But actually, for a lot of students we get really cheap gym passes and fitness classes while we are in school but once we get out, that disappears and memberships can be pretty pricey! So a starter membership or yoga pass for a couple months is actually a great help rather than an offence, just maybe chat with the grad first about their needs!

8. Phone Cards/Euro Train Passes . For that grad planning on spending their next year abroad travelling and gaining some "culture" in Europe. It'll be a nice start to be able to get home when you get beligerantly drunk in Amsterdam and wake up in a barn with no pants and surrounded by goats with a bottle of Absinthe hanging from your neck. (Not saying this from experience or anything)

9. Concert Tickets. In my country lily form, of course music would be a fantastic gift! Now that we have some more time, we can actually attend that concert/festival we have been putting off!! Yes Please!

10. A Painting/Photo Collage of the Grad's day. This is an after the fact gift, but take some great photos at the Convocation and create a scapbook. If you have known the grad throughout their time in school and have some chronicle photos of their time there include those and write little notes. Inexpensive, yet very thoughtful and will last a lifetime.

That's all I got for now, but any of those I would be SOO happy with! Again, Congrats Boys and Girls, all of that hard work has paid off! Whether youre off to an exotic wonderland or are gearing up for graduate/medical/dental school or are just going to enjoy the time as a uni grad like me, that took a lot of work and we should be proud that we got through it! YAY US!

xoxo

S.
(ps. for the photos in the collage, no credit goes to me. As you can see, I sniped them from insta! NO copyright issues ! haha xo)