I hope all of you had a wonderful Thanksgiving (or a wonderful Thursday, depending on where you call home). Professor Lasertron and I went to my parents' house at noon and had waffles and fruit and potato chips and asparagus. Then we lounged around until we were hungry again around 6 and ate more of the same. We don't normally do the traditional holiday things. We just eat what we all like!
The Lasertrons showed up in jammies. After waffles, we just played Fallout 3 all day.
We also did the annual lounge-around-and-read-the-ads thing. I made a big list of everywhere I wanted to go and everything I wanted to get for people.
To be honest, I didn't see many must-buy things. We don't have as much money to spend this year on gifts since Dave stopped working, and nothing really struck me as perfect for anyone on my Nice List either.
I planned to go shopping at the mall at 5am when it opened this morning, but when I started getting ready to go I just crashed. Not enough sleep lately at all. I enjoy being part of the crowd and witnessing the chaos of Black Friday doorbusters, but it wasn't worth it this year.
Isn't it so much better to look online for gifts?? No crowds, no getting dressed, and the ability to compare prices and find anything. Lots of blogs will be giving their best gift picks this month, and I wanna ride that train too. I'm starting with teen girls because that's just my favorite.
Under $100
Holga Cameras are a cult favorite with a fanatic global following. Each individual plastic camera produces a unique soft-focused shot, and I can't think of a teen girl who wouldn't love the creative possibilities. The camera is very cheap, and Lomography.com sells a great starter kit that includes the 120 film and some other goodies.
Tarina Tarantino makes jewelry that I just absolutely COVET! Most of her pieces range between $30 and $200, so it's easy to get something within your budget. My favorites are this bracelet and watch pendant.
Under $50
All music fans need some cool headphones like these made by Zumreed. They come in lots of different colors, too.
The Rocco Oval Chalkboard from SeeJaneWork.com is a reusable wall sticker that would look cute in a bedroom or dorm.
I think this bag from asos.com is unusual and pretty enough to win cool points but big and functional enough to hold everything ladies need.
The silver forget-me-knot ring by Brooklyn designer Kiel Mead is heirloom-worthy.
As far as makeup gifts go, I think the Too Faced World Domination Tour kit would be hard to beat. It's packed with tons of fun colors, and the package is actually a music box with a chic figurine that turns in place.
Under $25
The Sublime Stitching Stitch-It Kit. I bought this several years ago and it's been one of my favorite gifts to give ever since. The fabulous Jenny Hart, one of the women who made embroidery cool again, includes simple instructions and many of her famous illustrations ready to embroider onto a pillowcase.
A cute monogram stamp--essential for thank you notes.
This retro wood and melamine tray is made for dinner, but would look just as good on top of a desk or in a drawer holding office supplies, hair accessories, or jewelry.
This set of Ciate Paint Pot nail color includes shades I would really like to wear--a dark blue, dark grey, and black, but if you want something brighter, there are lots of shades. The bottles are too cute to keep in a drawer!
Picture frames are a go-to gift for teen girls, and I love this set of eight wall sticker frames for something more unexpected and chic. The kit also includes a ruler and diagram to help arrange the frames. Since they're re-stickable, the frames can even be rearranged any time.
