Tokens of Your Affection

I simply love to give and receive gifts! Nothing else makes me feel as validated, appreciated, loved and desired. Gift-giving is truly my love language, and even the smallest tokens of appreciation make me extremely happy. When I receive a gift, my heart hears “I was thinking about you when I saw this. You’re always on my mind.” When I’m considering meeting a new friend, the seduction starts well before our first meeting; through your witty messages and tokens of appreciation my heart becomes helplessly intrigued.

I love beautiful things, useful things, and meaningful demonstrations of care, be they small or large. I’d once mentioned I get eye strain from studying, and a dear friend sent over a brand of Japanese eye drops that aren’t available in the states. These little gestures give me an almost childlike thrill. It’s one of the few times I allow myself to let go of my cool composure and get giddily excited and effervescent… which is hopefully a plus for the giver! 

I love items that serve as a memento of our shared experience; my favorite gifts don’t just thrill me on an aesthetic level, they also remind me of how profound our connection is. However, significant investments in my health and wellbeing have made me the most deeply grateful. I had constant back pain from years of hunching over a desk studying; my posture was a mess. A lover saw this and gave me a year of private Pilates sessions, allowing me to receive specialized instruction and retrain my neck and back muscles. The one-on-one time with my Pilates instructor helped me develop an aligned, elegant posture and taught me how to carry myself to avoid injury in the future. I’m permanently grateful to the gentleman who allowed me to train with her, as he forever improved my quality of life by caring for my physical health. 

Gifts are never expected, but they are tangible demonstrations of your affection and interest in me. They will never go unnoticed and I will always respond with real appreciation and gratitude. 

Wishlist

If you’re inspired to send me a gift, I hope you’ll enjoy browsing through my current Throne Wishlist. I find it’s very revealing of my personality and tastes, and perhaps gives you some insight into who I am as a person. It’s where I save all the beautiful things that strike me, but can’t justify purchasing for myself as a student! 

Gift Links

Digital gift cards are the most efficient way for me to receive gifts, even if you’ve already picked out something beautiful, useful or meaningful you’d like to share with me. If you’d like someplace to start, the retailers below always have things I’d love to have which will serve as a physical memento of our connection. 

Saks Fifth Avenue

I appreciate the level of curation that goes into their womenswear offerings; they have a way of selecting just the right amount of outré and classic from each designer.

Neiman Marcus

I love Neiman Marcus for my going-out dresses and cute dinner date outfits… I always leave Neiman’s feeling more cheerful than when I went in.

Amazon

For the basics and the fun finds… I currently have lots of nonfiction in my cart that I hope to read one day (even though they might have to wait until after graduation…)

Bergdorf Goodman

I have so many fond memories of walking the floors at Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue with girlfriends in college, wishing and wanting a life that was still out of our reach. Now when I visit BG, I remember the younger version of myself and reflect on how happy she’d be to see where she is today! 

West Elm 

I’m always thirsting for new furniture and home decor items; curating my living space is a slow-burning passion of mine and I’d love it if you helped feed my fire. 

Sephora 

I’m always on the hunt for new skincare systems and makeup items! I’m currently in love with SK-II’s line of moisturizers and Pat McGrath’s color palettes–yes, I am a girl’s girl! 

Uber 

The most useful gifts are often the most meaningful to me. I always take a car to get home from the lab late at night; my lovers who feel most protective of me make sure I always have a safe way to get around the city.    

Tiffany & Co  

These little blue boxes always warm my heart. I’m a sucker for sparkly, shiny and tasteful; let me know if there’s something specific you’d like to see on my wrist when we meet. 

Agent Provocateur

Agent Provocateur makes the best lingerie for my body type, and their styling and cut never fails to help me embody my divine feminine. Wearing something beautiful under my street clothes is a special little secret that I hope to share with you. 

La Prairie Skincare 

I am totally obsessed with La Prairie’s skin care line! I love my nightly ritual of smoothing their serums and creams onto my cheeks and along my neck… I love how confident I feel now thanks to the way their serums make my skin glow.

Philanthropy

While I love tangible gifts, I also appreciate gestures of support in my name to charitable causes. Please let me know if you’d like to make a donation in my honor to two of my favorites: 

Doctors Without Borders

When I was in middle school a neurologist from Doctors Without Border spoke to my class about her work, and emphasized how much chemistry and math she studied in medical school. She was one of my earliest inspirations to pursue a science education in service of helping others. 

Girls Who Code

I wholeheartedly support Girls Who Code’s mission to build a pipeline of future female software engineers and increase the rate of girls’ entry into STEM education. In high school I was often only one of a handful of girls in advanced science classes; I hope future generations of girls are encouraged to pursue and love science the way I do.