Home Design with Kevin Sharkey

For Truman's first birthday on March 6th and Jude's second birthday on March 8, I gave them a menagerie of stuffed animals. I get my toys at a place called Little Marc, one in a cluster of Marc Jacobs boutiques in our neighborhood, the West Village. These high-quality creatures are made by the German company Steiff; I've been giving them to Jude & Tru for special occasions and they are developing quite the collection. The company was founded in 1880 and the quality of the craftsmanship is unmatched. An entire zoo of options is available. For this birthday I gave them a baby bear, baby elephant, a wolf, and a giant panda that can be ridden. Jude had great fun unwrapping the big cellophane packages on behalf of she and her little brother.

Take a look:

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1 Happy birthday! I lean towards simple, beautiful wrapping--just a little tissue, lots of cellophane, and yards of ribbon to ready these special gifts.

2 Jude is incredibly observant. She was enchanted by the big satin bows.

3 Jude was kind enough to open all the gifts for Tru and herself.

4 Let the unwrapping game begin!

5 As we all know, sometimes opening presents is as fun as playing with them.

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7 Despite being a baby himself, this panda is bigger than Jude.

8 ...but the perfect size for rocking. Soon, Tru will be big enough to hop up for a ride with his sister.

9 A kiss for the baby wolf.

10 The aftermath: Worth every minute of clean-up.

I wanted to dedicate this entire week to celebrating my favorite holiday, Valentine's Day. As I started thinking about my v-day love campaign, I found myself reminiscing on some of my favorite "Good Things" from Martha Stewart Living.

Birch Love Vase 

Flowers are a timeless way to say "I love you," and this birch-bark vase with carved initials from our February issue (created by floral designers at Prudence Designs and Events in New York City) is a beautiful twist on a classic. Great presentation is key to a great gift.

Finish with a Bow

Even if they don't have a sweetie to snuggle up with on Valentine's Day, gift recipients will still have sweet dreams if you give them cozy flannel sheets wrapped in a luxurious pink bow. My friends loved receiving this gift last year.

Stenciled Gift Bags

This Good Thing is so simple, yet impactful. Personalize the stenciled letters to make them extra-special. These would make great gifts to surprise my coworkers with when they get to the office Thursday. For even more cute Valentine's Good Things from our craft department, pick up the February issue of Martha Stewart Living.

Nobody gives better birthday presents than Alexis. Part of her strategy, I have determined, is that she is a great listener. I can mention something in passing in a conversation in June and then the next thing you know, six months later it is wrapped in the most lavish fashion and presented beautifully. This year was no exception. On December 18th I was presented with the most beautiful and delicious ice cream cake, nested in boundless amounts of tissue paper and cellophane, and tied with yards of extravagant double-faced satin ribbon. And, if that weren't enough, a bar cart that I had long ago mentioned I would like for my office (sometimes a martini is an absolute necessity) turned up.

I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and taste of the cake, the chic and style of the bar cart, and the thoughtfulness and generosity of my friend.