I second the Martelli ergonomic rotary cutter. Also, this is a small item, but usually not available in the LQS, so I recommend buying the Clover yellow and blue glass head pins which are the 0.4 size (thinner than the 0.5 size which is commonly available). I use nothing else for pinning when piecing. Because the shaft is so thin (you can bend them if you're aggressive when pinning) there is no distortion of the fabric, thus you get better matching of points. Happy Birthday, and have fun spending your birthday money!