Last Minute Gift Giving Guide

In my world, December 11th is last minute for Christmas or Channukah gifts. But that's just me.

Anyway, this is the follow up installment to my original gift giving post, filled with so many awesome, and some recession-friendly, gift giving ideas.

Cuz it wouldn't be agmacsparty.blogspot.com without these helpful suggestions.

Gifts for friends with a sick sense of humor like yours

• Mean note cards. These are hilarious and ill-humored. My fave.

Gifts for Friends who are obsessed with Twilight, or for your teenage cousins/nieces

• We've all got them. You know who you are. Check out these cheese-tastic gifts--iPod covers, shoes and Edward Cullen dog tags--at Etsy.com

Art for friends with weird taste

• Prints or books by Greg Simkins and Mark Ryden

Personalized Gifts (always a good idea)

• T-shirts with inside jokes or special messages at Cafe Press

Pretty Things

• Anything from this site would be good for a girlfriend if you don't know her that well or just can't figure out what to get her, look here
  

For Mad Men Lovers!

• Joan Holloway paper dolls! Hot!

Books, for anyone

• Great Coffee Table book by an awesome Photographer
  
• Any books from Taschen
  

For Co-Workers

• Crap like this
  
• And Crap like this
  
• And some from the Fred Flare online store
  

Gifts if you have some money to spend...

• Check out these beautiful Periodic Table rings and accessories by my friend Joe

...If you have no money to spend

• Send an e-card espousing your cheapness or lack of employment
  

And a tried and true gift when all else fails, DVDs of awesome movies. You can visit Amazon for that.

XOXO
Lil' Elf Agmac

*REPOST*Everyday, or Early Holiday, Gift Giving Guide

********This is a re-post from October. I will also be doing a Holiday Gift Giving Guide Part II next week, so look out for it!************************************************************
I know it's only October, but there's no reason you can't start thinking about the holiday season now.

I consider myself a creative gift giver and would like to think that I know the tastes and desire of my friends & family pretty well. All it takes is to keep your ears open throughout the year for hints and a penchant for the creative.

Below is a list of my absolute favorite gift websites, along with some ideas for family members. I will repost when it gets closer to Christmas to remind everyone!

Gifts for just about ANYONE:
My favorite, favorite gift website in the whole wide world is Excitations
Because better than giving someone an object or a "thing," is giving them an experience.
With this site, you can choose a city and the type of experience you want to give--whether it be a culinary tour, a wine tasting, a cooking class, a hot air balloon ride, or even a glass blowing class!
I've given this as a gift for holidays, birthdays and weddings. I especially like giving it as a wedding gift in lieu of money because I'm not quite at the age yet where I feel it's appropriate to give checks or cash as a gift.

Gifts for your gal BFF's:
Let's face it, ladies love jewelry and pretty things. There are a slew of websites out there that have amazing crafts, jewelry, kitchen items, etc., but below are my two favorites:

* Etsy, and especially check out my friend Jennie's line!

* Elsewares--has art, jewelry, clothing, kitchen items, the whole shibang!!!

Gifts for Co-Workers:
Otherwise known as stupid junk you wouldn't get for people you actually like...

* Cube Goodies

*Exit 9





Gifts for a boyfriend's or girlfriend's Mom:
* Pylones
Some people (my bff Lo) think this stuff is tacky junk. But if you shop with a discerning eye, one or two kitschy things can make a home! (Take my obsession with pigs for example--I wouldn't decorate my entire apartment in pink pigs, but a tiny item here or there adds to my "quirkiness).
And you don't really have to know the person's taste or home decor, because you can just get something fun!

*Fine Chocolates are also always welcome, no matter if the person eats them or not, they're a nice gesture and fun to share. My favorite chocolates are both beautiful and delicious... MarieBelle



Gifts for a boyfriend's or girlfriend's Dad:
This is simple, Liquor. First, find out if said Father is a recovering alcoholic. If not, then a really nice bottle of scotch goes a long way (I recommend Johnnie Walker Green or Blue).

If you are married and this is a father-in-law, or if you are looking for a gift for YOUR Dad, try a gift that keeps on giving such as...
Wine of the Month
or
Beer of the Month

Just make sure the state you are delivering to allows for alcohol shipments.

Homemade Gifts:
This can sometimes be the most special (and let's face it, cheapest!) gifts you can give. However, in my experience, it's always better if you have an established talent, such as sewing, or photography, or baking.
My favorite handmade gift maker is my cousin-in-law Carey. She's super shy and modest about it, so I won't link to her blog, but below are a few things she's made for her friends and their kids. Aren't they FANTASTIC?!?!?!
From top: Aromatherapy pillows and a knitting needle holder; Traveling Chalk Board; Crayon holder.


Art as Gift:
This can be tricky!! I do NOT recommend buying art for someone UNLESS: a) your friend/family member is in the midst of redecorating or moving into a new place, and b) unless you really know the person's taste.

* For lovely prints by independent artists see Etsy (above)

* Vintage Art

* A fave artist of mine... Stella Im Hultberg


* Great prints from illustrators around the world... Soma Art

Wedding Gifts:
* See Excitations (above)

* Black-Out Kit...Another great idea, which is "homemade," was given to me years ago by my co-worker/friend Cathi. She suggested getting the happy couple a "Blackout Kit." This consists of activities to do that don't involve electricity or TV. These can be "sexy time," or just playful and things that help couples reconnect. Some examples include pottery clay, candles, mad libs, board games like Boggle, a blind fold, massage oil (get your mind out of the gutter!), aromatherapy, etc.

Babies:
* Awesome and great for any hip upcoming parents you know... Rockyabyes

* Rock Tees

Thanksgiving is Here...Well for me at least

Hey blogowers (get it, like followers?)

Today is Tuesday and I am embarking on an almost week long family holiday.

To most, this sounds like a nightmare, but to me it means good food, free booze, fires in the fireplace, and a lot of sitting around in a warm house with a blanket.

But for those of you who don't like your family that much, or who have to deal with lots and lots of relatives and insanity, here's my Survival Guide to Holidays with the Family:

* Ear Plugs--especially good if you have nieces and nephews of the "shrieking" age

* A spare car--always try to take an extra care if you are going to a relative's house so you can leave when you want

* Netflix--when all else fails in the conversation department, a blockbuster film or a comedy are good crowd pleasers

* A good book--so you can be pretending to be engrossed in it when Uncle Ned tells you the same story for the upteenth time

* Running/walking shoes--For anyone leaving New York and going to Suburbia or Small Town USA, enjoy the trees and fresh air while you can!

* Booze. Stock up before Thursday. Nuff said.

Most importantly, just remember that while holidays are stressful, they are at least a break from work, break ups, house cleaning, cat poop and responsibility.

Have a happy and warm Thanksgiving and I'll be sending through **Snapshot Wednesdays** and **Fine Art Fridays** as planned this week.

Mwah!

Great Thanksgiving Movies

If you aren't a football or Macy's Day Parade fan, check some of these out while you're sitting on your couch digesting or to get yourself psyched for Turkey Day over the next two weeks...

Home for the Holidays
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113321/
One of the first movies I remember that basically got one set (a dining room) and paired it with an ensemble cast full of dysfunctional characters. It has Robert Downey Jr in it so it can't be that bad, right?

Pieces of April
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311648/
Two reasons to see this movie: Katie Holmes before Tom and the chick that played her sister in this movie did Karaoke with me a couple of years back and stole "Shoop" from me. Throw things at the screen when she's on.

An American Tail
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090633/plotsummary
Whle not specifically about Thanksgiving, what makes you want to be an American more than Barack Obama? Fievel, that's who.

ThanXgiving
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0878717/
Wow, this looks awesome. Never seen it but will if anyone's down!

Tagline: No meat too tough...

Plot: A group of film students go into the woods to make a movie. They believed to have found the perfect location, a vacant campsite which soon proves otherwise...

Sounds like our camping trip! LOL.

The House of Yes
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119324/
I forgot about this one. It's so fucked up and great. I miss when Parker Posey was more than a crazy cameo.

Planes, Trains & Automobiles
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093748/quotes
RIP John Candy.

Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068359/
You can't go wrong with aCharlie Brown holiday movie. Reading the synopsis on imdb begs the age old question, if Charlie B is putting the di nner together himself WHERE THE HECK ARE HIS PARENTS?

Thanksgiving Family Reunion
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374275/
A Bullshit National Lampoon's without Chevy Chase. But Judge Reinhold is in it!

Celebrity Bric-a-Brac:The Story of Thanksgiving
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7755vuRLJ-Q
Something I found on YouTube. Kinda funny.

Son-in-Law
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108186/
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Poor Pauly Shore.

The Sure Thing
http://www.amazon.com/Sure-Thing-John-Cusack/dp/B00009OWJY/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1226444523&sr=8-1
Can't remember if the holiday they are traveling during is Thanksgiving or Christmas, but this is a must for any Cusack-a-phile!

The Wizard of Oz
http://www.tnt.tv/title/?oid=852
A classic. Nuff said.

James Bond
http://www.bondmovies.com/news/79.shtml
Spike TV's yearly Thanksgiving Marathon of Bond movies. A great way to "bond" with your dad. (Ha!)

And some of TV's greatest Thanksgiving moments:

Brad Pitt on Friends
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2zFlARhY-s
Back when he was Brennifer and not Brangelina.

And from Lauren—a little Saved by the Bell: The College Years
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhRLhl0HRjA

I know there are others (Alice's Restaurant & Hannah and Her Sisters) but I haven't seen those and don't want to come off as pretentious.

Lastly, Thanksgiving is for some crazy reason when corporate America starts advertising for Christmas, so don't forget to tune into A Christmas Story...over and over and over again.

Next week: unusual Thanksgiving recipes!

XOXO