Men are always struggling with new gift ideas to help make them a hero for at least the week. This Valentine's Day, that could be you. Though the following idea is simple, you wife/girlfriend will almost be guaranteed to love it.

I am not going to propose you make anything or even buy anything crazy that looks like you hired someone else to buy it for you. In fact, all I am going to recommend for you to buy is jewelry, but the trick is making it personal. Every woman loves knowing that the man she is dating/married to knows her preferences. If he knows her likes he is showing that he is paying attention to her. (This may be a novel concept to some, but it is definitely a useful one to know about.) The customized jewelry/gift idea comes from a bracelet I saw years ago.

I came across the most romantic piece of jewelry I had ever seen in an antique store in Estes Park, Colorado. It was a beautiful, but simple charm bracelet that was over 80 years old. The original owner of the bracelet was a gentleman who needed an anniversary gift for his young wife of only one year. He decided to work with a local jeweler to come up with a "month-a-versary" bracelet. He went through each month of their one year marriage and recalled one particular significant event, and then designed a charm with the jeweler to match the event. For example, one charm on the bracelet was a dog in a doghouse - obviously not the best month for the husband. Another charm was a delicate envelop that opened with a tiny, gold letter that pulled out and said, "I love you" on it. This month was probably when he wrote a significant love letter. Over all the bracelet was delicate and beautiful, but more important, it was completely personal.

Now, I am not recommending for every man to head out to his nearest jeweler and design his own bracelet, but the concept can easily be duplicated. There are many ways add a simple touch to jewelry that makes it unique and personal. When I am making jewelry it is rarely ever finished until I add one simple item to make it catch a buyer's eye. The finishing touch is a simple, sterling silver charm with a shape or carved picture on it, but that is what makes a woman drawn to that particular bracelet. For clarification, many women have a "signature" shape. I have a dear friend that loves stars, and she is always looking for the perfect accessory with a star somewhere in it. I personally have always been obsessed with hearts, and almost every item of jewelry I own has a heart on it somewhere. Men, if you pay attention to your significant other, you may notice she is particularly drawn to dolphins, angels, or even acorns. (Sounds strange I know, but it is true.) Besides shapes, women often a have favorite color or season. My mother's home is designed around fall colors so she is always reminded of that season when she is at home. I also know women who have only one color that they use in their wardrobe, decorating, cars, etc. For example, everything my grandmother owns from her dishes to her earrings are blue. My grandfather loved her blue eyes, and that was his favorite color she wore, so it became the only color in her life.

Another idea is to think of something memorable the two of you have done together. For example, the two of you may have gone on a vacation in the past year. Find a piece of jewelry that could represent that vacation. Many items of jewelry depict a theme from a particular country or region. A lot of the jewelry I work with results in seashore motifs, which would be perfect if you had been on a tropical vacation that year.

So, gentlemen, you do not have to really do too much work. Simply look through your wife's/girlfriend's favorite things, pictures, magazines, books, etc. and find what she loves. Focus in on one simple item that she particularly is attached to and take the idea to a jewelry website. There are plenty of websites that will customize a beaded bracelet with a simple added charm for decent prices. Who knows, you may visit some of these websites and already have a bracelet made that would be perfect for the woman in your life. Then, when you give her the gift you can simply say, "I know how much you loved the ocean, so I found this bracelet with a seahorse charm on it to remind you." Bingo, you are instantly out of the doghouse for the several weeks.

Looking through the cell phone charms and bracelets in particular may help you think of ideas that would be perfect to use. If there is something you do have in mind, feel free to contact us, and would be more than happy to create a custom piece for you.

Good luck with your quest, and hopefully it will help you think a little on your creative side without burning too many brain cells in the process.