Stephanie Finkelstein is a gift expert and owner of The Elegant Setting, the premier gift shop in the Hamptons, New York's luxury seaside resort.

Her custom ideas touch those who cannot think of anything to give but also those who do not need a thing. She takes pride in creating an intimate and personal shopping experience inspired by an unspoken but deep tradition of gift giving to strengthen bonds and honor memories.

Her exclusive touch extends to a monogramming service for everything from linens to stationery making each present a personalized one. Her embroidery specialists can custom design monograms, motifs and images drawing from over 200 fonts and 300 thread colors. In-store are luxury brands Baccarat, Hermes and Riedel and decorative pieces to brand with one's own initials.

After years as a New York City social worker with a Master's degree from Wurzweiller School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, Finkelstein discovered her passion for beautiful objects on the occasion of her wedding. This revelation, combined with her deep management and people skills, illuminated a new career path.

Finkelstein's start in retail, in 2002, tapped into her own family nostalgia with a shopping experience similar to the one her grandmother enjoyed. It was a time when all the clerks knew her and when seeing something that they knew she would like, they called to tell her about it.

Demand for such a personal shopping service to high-end clientele, along with an inventory of new and vintage tabletop décor, was growing inside Finkelstein's appointment-only Manhattan showroom.

Her next move was to open The Elegant Setting in Southampton, New York in 2004 with all-occasion gift services including monogramming and fine embroidery, bridal gift registry and corporate gift services.

Today, Finkelstein applies her deep insights about people and her eye for design to wow even the person who has everything. Her goal is for gift givers of every occasion to receive the greatest compliment of all, "You really know me."