The Perfect Gifts for the People Hosting me during my Upcoming Germany Vacation

On April 1^st I will be hopping on a plane to Germany.  It is a trip that I planned back in November when I found out that gold bricks are being laid in the town from which my grandfather came in memory of my grandfather's parents and siblings, all of whom perished in the Holocaust.  Gold bricks were already laid in memory of my grandmother's brother and father, cousins, aunts and uncles in Hanover.  On April 5^th, bricks will be laid in the small, rural town of Schwarzenborn in memory of my grandfather's four siblings, father and step-mother, none of whom survived the atrocities of Adolf Hitler.  My grandfather was the eldest of the seven children in his family.

With money tight all around, I wasn't sure how I'd be able to attend the ceremony and still have some time to visit with friends and family in Germany.  Thankfully, I had racked up so many Delta SkyMiles, that I am able to fly World Business Class free of charge to my destination and back.  I also am thankful that my grandmother has so many friends in Germany, as well as distant relatives, that I do not have to stay in a hotel.  I will be staying part of the time with one couple, and then moving my things to another couple's home where I will finish my stay.  I will also be visiting with distant cousins.

Given my flight arrangements, I have no plans on checking luggage.  Because I used SkyMiles, and because I'm flying into Hanover which has a smaller airport, I have a connection on my way to my destination in Amsterdam.  I have no plans to check luggage so my question to myself was, "what can I bring to my hosts as thank you gifts for allowing me to stay in their homes and for driving me to my tourist destinations?"

So, I thought for weeks about what to bring along with me.  A 2010 calendar with artistic photos of New York?  Maybe a small New York photo book?  Then, finally, a lightbulb went off in my head!

I decided to make gifts for them.  A paint-your-own pottery studio opened down the block from my apartment about 18 months ago and I've been addicted to it ever since.  I've painted gifts for people for holidays and birthdays, and I've also painted things for myself as well such as desk accessories for my office and a stylish piggy bank in which I save all of my change.  So now that I'd decided that I'd paint my friends and family something, I had to figure out what I was going to paint.

I thought of a great quote about friendship from Sex and the City (the show, not the movie) that I felt was perfect to represent a long distance friendship.

"Seasons change.  So do cities.  People come into your life and people go.  But it's comforting to know the ones you love are always in your heart, and if you're lucky, a plane ride away."

Now I figured out the quote, but what could I put that on?  I found a small square plate that was perfect.  On the front, each side of the plate (each rim) was painted with a different seasonal scene (winter, spring, summer, fall).  The center is simply white.  I painted two "add-on" pieces which are small airplanes which will be fused to the center of the plate when in the kiln.  On the back center of the plate is the quote in English.  Along the rims, is the quote translated into German (thanks to the help of my grandmother).  I painted two such plates, one for each couple I'll be staying with.

I also needed to figure out what to bring with me for my family members.  The pottery shop has 8 inch tall letters which I decided to paint with their names and a small design.  Each has a pail background color with bolder colors for names and designs.  On the back, I wrote, "with love, Arielle '09."

I believe these are perfect gifts to bring along with me that they will love, and of course, the gifts came fro my heart.

Once I get back from my trip, I'll post again with photos and an update on how everyone likes their gifts but most importantly, about the ceremony in Schwarzenborn and other things I did on my trip!