Now that your food coma is slowly wearing off, you may start noticing a new sensation in your stomach. However, this time it has nothing to do with the copious amounts of casserole and pie you stuffed yourself with yesterday. No, no this time it is the feeling of sheer terror in the pit of your stomach that you have less than a month to buy EVERYONE you care about a gift for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa (I prefer Christmahanukwanzica) or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate. Because I am excellent at procrastinating and have many years of practice in the art, I am all too familiar with the feeling. But! Because I have had to worry about buying so many last minute presents throughout the years, I consider myself an expert on gift-giving and am willing to bestow my expertise on you. Obviously, not everyone wants the same thing, so I usually approach my list of family and friends by breaking it down to the types of people I am shopping for based on their interests and relationships to me. Today we are going to focus on the females on your list because Sous le Lit doesn’t have much to offer in the way of manly gifts (unless the men in your life have somewhat non-traditional tastes in clothing and shoes).
Lomography Diana F+ camera
1. Your artistic older sister: Give her something that will satisfy her need to be creative with the Lomography Diana F+ camera ($50, souslelit.com). The pictures that it takes are beautifully saturated with light, flattering, and feel like they are stills from your most incredible dream. The camera can be modified for a number of exposure settings, different shutter speeds and two photo sizes. It is perfect for creating whimsical, dewey portraits that she’ll treasure forever, and that will make great additions to her portfolio.
Monserrat de Lucca "Western" bracelet
2. Your funky friend who has everything: All of us have that person in our life who doesn’t really NEED anything because usually when they like something they just buy it for themselves. These people typically are the types who want to have something before anyone else does. They had a pet rock before anyone else, they “discovered” the Spice Girls in 4th grade, and being called a “hipster” is a compliment for them. These people are the hardest to shop for because unless you can find something that they don’t already know about, then it just isn’t good enough, fresh enough or obscure enough for their elitist tastes. Well, I have discovered the Holy Grail of gifts for the impossible friend, and his name is Montserrat de Lucca. The NYC based jeweler creates the perfect combination of kitsch and creative in his collection of necklaces, rings and bracelets. Not only will you give her a piece of wearable art, but she will also be impressed that you found such an amazing designer before she did.
Miz Mooz "Solis" boot
3. Your vintage-chic BFF: Looking to give someone a gift that says “old” but looks new? Before you go wading through the musty racks at your local second hand store, check out the Miz Mooz’s “Solis” boot. ($198) The creators behind the brand set out to design shoes for women in NYC who want footwear that is both stylish and comfortable enough to walk a mile to work in (and who said you can’t have everything?). The “Solis” is not only both of the above, but the cognac leather and lace-up front give the boot a Victorian-era look that will stay current season after season. If the gift of style isn’t enough, once she puts them on her feet, she’ll feel like she is walking on clouds of marshmallows. These boots really are the gift that keep on giving.
4. Your “kinda-sorta” friend: The “kinda-sorta” friend is exactly what it sounds like; someone who you don’t really go out of your way to hang out with, but when you do, you usually have a pretty good time. This could be anyone from your co-worker to someone on your co-ed softball team. You shouldn’t really take too much time shopping for this person because as a “kinda-sorta” friend, you probably don’t know too much about them. Usually a good generic gift is the perfect fit for this person. I would recommend getting this person something that everyone needs and that isn’t dependent on their likes or interests. For the people on my list that fall into this category, I have always had luck with scarves, cute gloves, or a fun pair of socks. First off, who doesn’t need socks? A new pair of socks will also give them an extra day to put off doing their laundry. Secondly, living in Denver requires a bunch of cold-weather gear to wear with a number of outfits. If you are buying them a scarf or gloves, make sure you buy a good neutral so that they can get the most use out of it as possible.
If you follow those recommendations, I promise you, nothing you give will be returned. And if someone on your list doesn’t like your gifts (not likely), every store has a return policy. And don’t forget to get yourself a gift because you should always be the most important person on your list (I would suggest a massage). Good luck out there and happy shopping!
xoxo
Sarah
