Visiting a Friend Overseas, Gift to Bring to Dinner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't bring anything from the US, its all too vulgar. Get flowers locally or a desert.

Lol. How precious you are.

Also, it's dessert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm OP: to clarify, I'm not trying to bring something US-themed or something my friends can't get in Spain. I just want to bring a thoughtful gift I can buy in advance and put in my carry on.

They are not Americans living overseas. Their kids are grown. They are not chotchke people. I'm leaning toward something from the MOMA or National Gallery of Art shops but open to all ideas.

Go to Chocolate House in DuPont and get a box of truffles. Elegant, lightweight and delicious.

[Anonymous]

Even though you said you don’t necessarily want to go with something USA-themed, the last few years, we’ve brought the official White House ornament for the year as gifts. It looks like the 2024 ornament is already out, focusing on Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

https://shop.whitehousehistory.org/products/official-2024-white-house-christmas-ornament

Small, thoughtful, easy to pack.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, when I lived overseas and people came to dinner, the usual gifts were very welcome - a nice bottle of wine, local chocolates or dessert, flowers...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't bring anything from the US, its all too vulgar. Get flowers locally or a desert.

I guess every European is magically sophisticated and refined. Why do you live here? It must be very difficult for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm OP: to clarify, I'm not trying to bring something US-themed or something my friends can't get in Spain. I just want to bring a thoughtful gift I can buy in advance and put in my carry on.

They are not Americans living overseas. Their kids are grown. They are not chotchke people. I'm leaning toward something from the MOMA or National Gallery of Art shops but open to all ideas.

Tea towels? I think food/flowers are best.

[Anonymous]

American diner style coffee mugs will be a hit with Spaniards.

Coffee mugs are not very common in Spain, you either have the cup and saucer with the tiny handle, or people drink the hot coffee out of glasses with no handles (!?).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fancy chocolates?
Hermes leather tray
Venus et fleur single rose
Custom stationary
Le labo candle
Nice tea

The Hermes tray is almost $800, wouldn’t that be a pricey gift for a dinner gathering?

This is OP. I'm definitely not bringing my friends a $800 Hermes leather tray but other companies have similar gifts that are less $$. I love Le Labo candles so that's also an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:mumbo sauce
Virginia peanuts
J.O. seasoning shakers

I'm sorry, but none of these, unless you know for sure that they like mumbo sauce and/or peanuts. Tell me about your friends. Are they Americans living overseas? Do they have children?
I lived overseas for several years, and when people visited from the states there were definitely things I wanted, but not DC/Americana chotchkes.

Ah, another one unable to detect sarcasm. I apologise for forgetting the /s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even though you said you don’t necessarily want to go with something USA-themed, the last few years, we’ve brought the official White House ornament for the year as gifts. It looks like the 2024 ornament is already out, focusing on Jimmy Carter’s presidency.

https://shop.whitehousehistory.org/products/official-2024-white-house-christmas-ornament

Small, thoughtful, easy to pack.

I’m curious why a Spanish couple would be interested in a Christmas ornament about a former U.S. President. Even I’m not interested, and I like Jimmy Carter.

I do like the diner mug idea!

[Anonymous]

A nice candle/vase/picture frame is always a thoughtful gift

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't bring anything from the US, its all too vulgar. Get flowers locally or a desert.

Lol. How precious you are.

Also, it's dessert.

Mais non, one must import sufficient sand from Arizona or the Sahara, if you must, to build a desert in their arid annex. Tout les mondes have such rooms in Europe but it is almost impossible to fill with sand anymore. Hermes sells boxes but you must get on the wait list ten years prior so you must find another source. It is the seulement gift this summer. Everything else is tres gauche.

[Anonymous]

How about some NASA souvenir? They have some good gifts.

For what it's worth, I don't like getting coffee mugs. I already have my favorite. I end up using them as pencil holders.

[Anonymous]

Tea towels travel well. I get ones from local designers.

[Anonymous]

This is a bit left field, but I love the New Yorker jigsaw puzzles by the New York Puzzle Company. They have many different puzzles of famous New Yorker magazine covers. High quality pieces too.