As far as Christmas traditions go, there is one in my family that I don’t really understand. But then again, I’m not a guy. Right about now my Dad is on his was to Smyth Jewelers to start his Christmas shopping. And truth be told, Spencer would be meeting him there if my special Christmas gift didn’t come a little early.
They Have it All
Let me preface this with I am not stereotyping, just talking about the men in my family. My Dad, husband and FIL (Father-in-law) all wait until the last minute to do their Christmas shopping. One may call it procrastinating, or they may just like the thrill of the last-minute pressure, the long lines and the traffic LOL. Perhaps, it is the champagne, popcorn and warm chocolate cookies that Smyth serves (hopefully by now they know Smyth serves those every day, not just around the holidays). Either way I have to admit, their shopping plans are solid. They have one destination in mind where they can accomplish all of their shopping and pick out that special Christmas gift for their true love.
Smyth Jewelers is known for being a jewelry store. Obviously, it says it right in their name. And if you are a Baltimore local you know that Smyth is where “Baltimore Gets Engaged”. But, beyond all the jewels they offer so much more! You really can shop for your whole family there! Grandparents, sister, brother, Mom, Dad, your kids… Smyth truly has gifts for everyone! No wonder the guys go there!
Thoughtful Traditions
Growing up my Dad’s special little gift for my Mom was jewelry. It would be the very last gift she would open, and he would make giving it to her fun. He would create a scavenger hunt of sorts, giving her clues to find her final gift. I just remember thinking how thoughtful and cool that was of my Dad. It didn’t matter that he shopped on the 23rd, wrote the little clues on the 24th and hid them Christmas morning. His gift and ideas are just as meaningful and thoughtful as if he had done them two weeks ago!
Spencer’s thoughtfulness is similar in his own way to my Dad’s. One year for Christmas I was (shocker) talking about wanting a puppy so badly that he gave me a huge stuffed puppy with little gift boxes tied to his ears and tail. They were silver earrings, necklace and ring from Smyth. Another year he gave me a gorgeous cocktail ring and wrapped the tiny little box in 10 larger boxes for me to open all before getting to the ring box. I love the thoughtfulness where giving the gift is just a great as the actual gift!
Sentimental Monogram
This year I may have accidentally put a kink in Spencer’s shopping plans, but who knows, he may end up surprising me and telling me he has to run an “errand” later today. Since having Kade, I have been searching for a piece of jewelry that I can either wear each day, or pretty regularly, that represents him. You may remember I mentioned this before but the uniqueness of Kade’s initials actually represents Spencer and I. Kade Sawyer Stevens, KSS, is my initials KS and Spencer’s initials SS put together. Over this past year I have been thinking about updating my gold monogram necklace to represent Kade and our family.
We happened to be in Smyth picking up a family gift a few weeks back and we decided to order my necklace. Due to the customization of initial placement, size, chain length and color Spencer let me know about my special Christmas gift. I chose KSS in that order, size large, gold plated, with an 18” chain. The cool thing is that it also adjusts to 16” so I can wear it at both lengths depending on my outfit. My necklace arrived a little earlier than we were expecting, and Spencer surprised me with it early. He said he knew I would love wearing it for our Christmas pictures and sharing it with all of you! He was right! Got to say, he knows me well! I absolutely love this necklace! The size large is perfect for me. I love how it really stands out in a very classy way.
The Most Special Christmas Gift
My most special Christmas gift is truly my family. We are so blessed to love and be loved by each other, and our extended family too. And now my monogram necklace represents that in a way I can share the story with others and keep them close to my heart!
Growing up in the Baltimore area, Smyth has always been THE jewelry store to go to. And it’s a given that no matter who you’re shopping for or what the occasion is, they will have the perfect gift for that special man, woman or kiddo in your life. And it doesn’t matter if you shop early or you’re a last-minute person like my dad. The staff at Smyth is amazingly helpful and will make sure you find THE gift you know that special person will treasure for a lifetime!
Huge thank you to Megan from Maewood Photography for these beautiful photos and to Smyth Jewelers for sponsoring this post.
