It can be hard to find a gift for the guy who has everything….and even harder to find a meaningful gift. So, I was thrilled when I found out about Brewster Belt Company when I needed another gift for my grandfather. He’s now close to eighty years old and over the years, I’ve exhausted my arsenal of personalized gift ideas for him having purchased everything from custom golf balls to monogrammed handkerchiefs for Christmases, birthdays and Father’s Days. With another Father’s Day approaching, I was racking my brain for a unique gift idea that he would actually use when a friend told me about Brewster Belt Company’s custom needlepoint belts. When I saw the custom landscape needlepoint belts, I knew I had found the perfect gift and I knew just what landscape design I wanted on the belt….
My grandparents have been “snow birds” in Palm Desert since the 1970s. Growing up, we usually visited annually. In the depth of winter, we would board a plane from Chicago’s frozen O’Hare airport where we were transported to the sunny, outdoor Palm Desert Airport. As a child, I remember looking out the plane window at the vast desert as we approached the airport through the mountains. As we flew by the residential areas with a bird’s eye view, the terra cotta roofs, golf courses and swimming pools looked like a dollhouse scene. In the early days, you exited the plane via stairs in the open air. The blinding sunshine and dry, floral smell of the air were always a welcome greeting.
We spent our time in Palm Desert basking in (and burning in) the eternal sunshine and keeping cool in the pool surrounded by flowers, palm trees, clear blue skies and mountains. We visited the Living Desert Zoo and shopped and dined on El Paseo. I rode alongside my grandfather as he drove his classic Jaguar to the Pink Elephant car wash and I still remember the elephant-shaped receipts he collected in the center console to earn free car washes. As we grew up, we started going to the big tennis tournament at Indian Wells and one night, he took my husband and I to “The Nest,” an iconic piano bar that has been a popular haunt for the young and old since 1965.
These were the memories I wanted to capture and the folks at Brewster Belt Company helped me design the perfect landscape needlepoint belt that included all of these meaningful and memorable landmarks. My grandfather loved all the details on the belt and all the thought that went into it. He had fun figuring out what each landmark was. And, he said it was a “really nifty” gift. Now, he can wear his memories every day and the belt makes a great conversation starter, as well, so he has the opportunity to tell his (many) stories even more often….sorry, Grandma. 😉
So, the next time you find yourself searching the end of the Internet for a personalized gift idea for a husband, dad, grandfather or friend in your life, consider a custom needlepoint gift from Brewster Belt Company and turn their memories into a meaningful, custom gift. In addition to belts, Brewster also offers custom wallets, flasks, dog collars and wedding gifts. Browse the website at www.brewsterbelt.com for design ideas or create your own custom design. Check out some city/landmark belts here: https://brewsterbelt.com/belts/cities-and-landscapes/.
