If you’re looking for a a think-outside-the-box gift idea for an extra special couple or bride-to-be, here’s an idea that beats the heck out of another pair of fancy-schmancy crystal candlesticks: a blue iPod nano, custom engraved with their names & wedding date or another special message!

This would actually make a super thoughtful group gift from a bunch of close friends, the wedding party – or from the bridal shower hostesses to the guest of honor. Give the shiny little “Something Blue” to the future Mrs. along with a disc of digital photos for her to load onto it right away, featuring good times with her friends and future hubby.

Speaking of photos…you know those cool photo books you can order online where your photos are printed right on the page? Well, you can create and order those right within iPhoto now.

It’s super easy – you basically just pick a design theme (13 styles to choose from), drag the photos that you want into the book, add text, select page layouts, and rearrange photos as desired. You can choose from hard cover, soft cover, or spiral bound books, ranging from $9.99 – $29.99.  My friend recently gave hard cover books of wedding photos as special thank-you presents for her parents and in-laws, and they turned out beautiful! This is also a great way to make keepsake books of the bachelorette party, bridal shower, and other pre-wedding festivities…

And while we’re on the subject of Apple, I just gotta give a shout out to my new favorite toy…

Between the Mac Pro that I feel like I spend 3/4 of my life on, the laptop version that comes wherever the desktop can’t, the fact that the iPod has become an absolutely imperative party staple and workout “buddy” (as ridiculous as it sounds, there have been times when dead battery = dead workout), and the Apple TV we introduced to our living room a few months ago, I thought I was pretty much living in an Apple world as it was…and then I found yet another excuse to visit (or make that “stand in line at”) the Apple store…the new 3G iPhone.

I’ve never really been a “fancy phone” person to be honest… but now that I have this ultra-cool little “smart phone”, I have to admit that I’m hooked! There are so many great features for organizing your life, the look of everything is so pretty & sleek (just like everything Apple creates)… and it’s so fun to see the HWTM site & blog in mini-form on the screen! It’s those little things, you know… :)