Each year I try to give suggestions on great gifts for people that don’t take up space, don’t add unnecessary crap to people’s lives, and don’t play directly into the hands of huge retail chains that pump out poorly made trinkets.
2008 suggested what to do and what not to do for last minute present buying.
2009 listed some consumable gifts that won’t leave a trace when they’ve been used. (Well apart from the obvious trace a tattoo will leave.)

This year I’ve got a whole lot more ideas that I would be really stoked to receive. Many of them won’t cost a thing. Others will have a small but worthwhile cost. The physical things on these lists can easily be bought second hand, some can be created from your own hands. Some only require your presence.

We’ve all gotten lost so far down the rabbit hole that we don’t even realise we’ve turned into capitalist consumerist whores. He who dies with the most toys wins and all that rubbish. We all need new clothes, and new computers when our current ones die. This is modern life after all and a computer is an integral part of living in the modern Western World. But spare a thought for those 200,000 Kiwi kids in poverty when you’re debating whether to get the $800 leather bag or the $200 leather bag.

So without further ado – here’s the first in my list of awesome shit that you should think about gifting to the people you love:

Mixtapes

You thought these went out around the same time tapes did didn’t you? Well you thought wrong. Mixtapes are still one of the ultimate romantic gifts. And even if you don’t have much of a clue about the music your giftee will like it’s really the thought that counts here.

Make a playlist for a specific mood: your favourite songs for getting ready to go out, the best to cook to, a chilled out selection to have on in the background when there are people over, power ballads that everyone loves to sing at the top of their lungs.

Find all the rare b sides and live bootlegs from your giftee’s favourite band and burn them to disk with some homemade cover art.

Or the ultimate in selfish gifting (other than the old classic power tool gift that you really want for yourself) spend an afternoon (or a lifetime) cultivating your favourite songs of ALL TIME and put them on a flash drive. Your recipient might be exposed to some new music they love just as much as you do, and if nothing else they’ll have music to put on when you’re hanging together.

If all of my friends sent me 10 of their favourite songs I would get some much needed exposure to new music and I’d finally be able to offer up my iPod for the stereo when there are people at our house! Apparently I’m the only one who chooses to fill the majority of their soundscape with Finnish metal and sex addicted pop rockers.

Well a lot of things really. I’m way way WAY over my current self imposed budget and I haven’t even started shopping for gifts yet! It’s a busy time of year for socialising, we had a week away in which I couldn’t resist the sales, my phone died and I had to buy a new one, and I have a tattoo appointment coming up.

Here are some of the things I’d buy myself if money wasn’t an issue.

Tattoos – I’m getting one on December 14 anyway, but it’d be nice if I had unexpected spare money to pay for it. It’d be great to get a tattoo fund started for my future tatts too!

DSLR Camera – This is going to stay on my list till I get one.

Candy and other delicious foods – I’m a big fan of food. I would call myself a foodie but I’m pretty sure you have to be discerning to be a foodie. And I think you also have to like to cook. Anyway, I love candy and chocolate and cookies. And cheese and olives and nuts. If you’re looking for something easy and cheap get me (or make me) this!

Pencil skirts and capris – Great all year round but-as with everything that’s not in fashion-hard to find. I think a spot of op shopping will be needed in my holiday.

Reading light – A carry over from my birthday, so I don’t disturb The Boy when I want to read in bed.

Hip flask – I’m not a big fan of wine or beer. I’ll drink them, but mostly because it’s easy when visiting friends. I much prefer to drink spirits but there is no way I’d get through even half a bottle in a night. So I’m faced with a dilemma, do I take a whole bottle with me and hope it doesn’t get used by everyone else, or do I take a small amount in a drink bottle and look miserly? A hip flask totally solves the problem, I can be selfish (hey, we’re not exactly swimming in money these days!) and not look like a douche. In fact hip flasks are quite sophisticated.
Just make sure it’s a 6oz flask, I’d like to get more than one drink out of it!

Slanket – It’s the wrong season for this snuggly blanket, but come winter I’d be all up in it. A blanket with arms, who wouldn’t love one. And I have it on good authority (Princess Lasertron told me) that these are way better than snuggies.

Hair clips – They make me look as young as I feel!

Sock garters and fun socks – I never wear stockings so garters don’t seem to be of any use, I always wear socks though and I like them to have a bit of fun and colour. I have a feeling sock garters are going to become popular again in the near future, but I want them so my socks don’t fall down.

Glee soundtracks + Lady Gaga’s The Fame: Monster – These may have to be another present to myself so that I can sing them loudly on our holiday road trip. (In our new car that has speakers that actually work properly :D)

Tights – I am still in deep love with tights. I own 4 black pairs (2 thick and 2 thin) and a pink pair. I need more! It’s really hard to find any that are long enough so I adore my thin pairs as they have stirrups. I’d really like some summer tights that stop above the knee, and maybe a pair made of lace. Fancy.

In reality I don’t expect any of this (except maybe some candy, it’s my life blood). It’s nice to have, but I don’t need it. I’m more excited about taking a break and spending time with my family.

What are you hoping for this year?

Well, not so much a postcard as an adorable letter and gift.

Back in February (my how time flies!) the lovely simi of [the now disappeared] Postcards from Simitopia ran a tag giving five people the chance to receive a gift made by her. I was one of the lucky ones and I received my specially made gift yesterday wrapped in black tissue and a sparkly ribbon, with a letter addressed to the Cupcake Factory, a special Simitopia stamp on the front and the Simitopia deer on the seal. So cool!

simi is a crafty little lady and it really shows in the beautiful brooch she made me in my two favourite colours, pink and black.

Thanks simi! You’re great. :]

I like to call Xmas Present Day because it’s they day for presents and family and food. Celebration of a god I don’t believe in is insignificant.

These are the things I’m lusting after in a perfect world:

1. Petticoats – I REALLY want a big fluffy petticoat. REALLY!
2. Prettyfull sneakers – I already have these ones but I’m dismayed over the lack of pretty individual sneakers available. Note to shoemakers: Not all girls like wearing heels!
3. Loungefly bag – I love Loungefly gear. I especially love this bag though. I WANT it. Damn you exchange rate. I’m not really asking for this stuff but if someone got me this bag I would love you forever!
4. Marie Antoinette DVD – So I can play it on my computer and screen cap all the prettiness for inspiration. That’s going to be a whole lot of screen capping.
5. Camera – I don’t actually own a camera of my own :S I currently use the boys one that I bought for his birthday a few years ago. He uses it at work a lot now so I can’t steal it. What kind of blogger am I?!
6. Mindless Self Indulgence CDs – With the opening of JB Hi-Fi I have been lucky enough to score the CD Frankenstein Girls Will Seem Strangely Sexy. I’m keen to get the rest of the discography though.
7. Jewellery – Chunky jewellery, including this super cute baby bunny charm bracelet which I have the possibility of winning via Annie’s giveaway :D The site mentions an adult version but there’s no search function on the site and I can’t find it :[
8. Hospital bracelets – I love them, I’m refusing to take off yesterdays hospital bracelet. I’d like to style them like Tilda Swinton as Gabriel in the movie Constantine. She wears them with the extra length of bracelet left in tact and words like passion and hope written on them. A metal version would be pretty damn awesome too, I found a Ksubi version a couple of years ago but it’s not for sale anymore.
9. Labrets – Pretty labrets with attachments that are long enough. The pretty blue one I own now needs to be checked constantly to make sure it’s screwed on properly because the thread isn’t long enough. It’s fallen out more than once, luckily only when I’m sitting at my desk. It did come out in the shower once but I managed to save it just before the drain.
   Labrets need to have more than one twist before they fall out.
10. Darwin Fish – One of the little car plaques would be nice, but what I’d really love is for everyone to come to their senses and realise “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life”.
11. Glasses – Still need some scene glasses.
12. Sprout the life you love – Perfect for aspiring female entrepreneurs.
    Wreck this journal – I also REALLY want this. I think it’d be an excellent way to nurture my baby creative skills.
13. Tattoo – This is more about finding something I love enough that I will want it inked onto me FOREVER.
14. Glitter – I like sparkles so a glitter bar would be ideal :D

I’ve loved seeing everyone’s lists around! They’ve been my favourite posts of late. If you haven’t done one yet get onto it and leave me the link. Otherwise let us know what you want in the comments.