[pen meet paper: state prints with lyrics]

When staying at my parent's beach house, I like to do something nice for them, whether it's helping them out with the house, cooking some meals, or giving a small gift. While flipping through an old copy of Southern Living magazine on the beach, my girlfriend and I discovered the perfect thank you gift from Pen Meet Paper.

Pen Meet Paper designs, draws and creates state prints by hand and uses lyrics that relate to the state. For my parents, we went with the Goin' to Carolina print ($16), which features lyrics from James Taylor's classic song "In My Mind, I'm Goin' to Carolina" (one of my parent's favorites). It has a great water color look to it, and arrived very quickly. My girlfriend put the 8 x 10 print in a simple white frame from Michael's since they'll be hanging it at the beach. A small thank you gesture, but my parents love it!

There are many other state prints available in the artist's Etsy shop, and you can also work with her to customize/personalize them. For the constant traveler who never stays in one place, I'd recommend the See the World Globe print.

[old try dc print]

A quick glance around my apartment reveals plenty of empty space on the walls- since I'm renting, I've been hesitant to hang lots of things (that, and I'm just lazy). However, I've always wanted to create a wall with lots of different meaningful things hanging in different sizes and different frames (something like this or this). To start off my collection, I'd choose this DC print from The Old Try. 

The Old Try produces handmade prints in small releases that highlight our great southern states. Included in the mix is this DC print, The District ($42). Sized at 13" by 20" and handmade of 100% cotton, the print features a twist on the DC flag. Whether you're a DC native or transplant, this print shows your love for our Capital in a cool way. Check out all the prints The Old Try offers for a chance to bring some modern southern style to your home.