We’re getting down to the wire with LESS THAN A WEEK TILL XMAS. But there is so much we can offer just by being there. Yes that sounds incredibly cheesy, but it’s also true facts. So if you still haven’t figured out what to give, why not use your biggest commodity. You.

Here are some ways to spend your time doing something useful:

* babysit * clean * house sit * take care of animals * send a blogger some guest posts to give them a break * be a chauffeur * garden * sew * give massages * give a lesson on that annoying computer related thing your family keeps asking you to do *

If you really must give something physical then feel free to make up and print some redeemable vouchers.

And if you really must spend money then pay for some of these. There are plenty of talented individuals out there ready to help. At a pinch you can pay for these last minute gifts as well:

* blog hosting * domain names * the power/phone/gas bill * phone apps *

Extras for experts: A plain silver or gold chain is perfect even for people that like wearing colourful pendants and plastic charms. Reuse that “VHS your Aunt sent you” and share one of your favourite TV shows or movies. Be romantic and give someone your favourite book.

I’ve gone with the generic ‘pictures’ because lots of people are scared of art, or aren’t interested in photography, or are scandalised by the thought of rasterbating. But really everyone likes looking at nice images, you just need to find their style.

If you’re good with a camera offer your photography skills and take some family photos that aren’t staged in a boring studio; make a scrap book of you with your person; blow up your favourite image onto a canvas.

If you’re an artist create a masterpiece featuring your person’s fur babies or copy a favourite photo of your coupled friends onto beautiful paper.

If you know an artist or photographer you could buy them tools of their trade, or better yet, buy them vouchers from their favourite art supplier so they can choose exactly what they want. Or pay for a year of their flickr subscription.

Even if you think you have no artistic talent you can give the gift of art. Just take a quick peek at Etsy and you will find over a million pieces! If your friend is an artist then get a frame made for one of their works. If it’s a teen in love with their reflection print photos from their facebook page for their bedroom wall. If you’re an instagram addict head over to printstagram and get a poster, or mini prints made. If it’s an animal lover needing some love surprise them with a full wall of kitten printed using rasterbator.

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Everyone loves food. Delicious home cooked food is even better. Delicious home cooked food that mixes in all the best ingredients – best ever!

A pretty parcel of salted caramel cookies tied with a bow. Chocolate mixed with berries and chilli set into the shape of unicorns. Pint sized rainbow cakes in mason jars (if you do it right they will keep unopened for AGES so you can make them well in advance). Mini pulled pork or bacon and egg pies. Olive and rosemary bread. Jars of bacon infused whisky. The possibilities are endless and interesting.

However.

You could go one better for your people that love to cook.

Instead of making them something how about giving them the recipe and ingredients. Hand craft a fancy recipe card from card stock, doilies, and fat felt pens – you could even laminate it so the butter and flour wipes right off.
If it’s cookies or cake you could layer the dry ingredients in a jar. All they need to do is tip it into a bowl and add eggs and butter.

If you’re super amazing (and have lots of time) think about making a collection of your favourite recipes.

If you’re like me you’ve got recipes bookmarked all over the internet, post its in your cookbooks to mark pages, and print outs that people have emailed you. Type them up, scan them, or work on writing them out over the course of a year. Print them in a book. Stick them on themed recipe cards and present in a wooden box. Hand out card stock to everyone and get them to write up their favourites.

If you go the recipe card in a box option make sure you include a few blanks for them to fill in later. Note the size of them down for yourself and you’ve got xmas and birthdays sorted forever!

Boom.

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.

Oh yes, we love our tuberculosis jokes in the Cupcake Factory (see: The Boy always shortened to TB on twitter).

I’m not actually suggesting you try to kill someone by infecting them with TB I’m making a very grown up suggestion (again) that you stop cluttering your friends and families houses gift shop trinkets and candles because you really had no idea what to get them. Instead you should be gifting consumables. Great gifts that will leave nothing but memories in the end.

Even in a recession many childless couples and singles are in a position to buy themselves whatever takes their fancy, they don’t need to wait for gifts or an increase on their credit limit, they just buy. But if they’re anything like me they’ll be buying chocolate, but never a box of the really good ones; the wine but nothing above $20; and the only foliage in the house is plants, not flowers. You see where I’m heading with this?

There is only one week till giftmas day! I know right, I have never been this disorganised before leaving on holiday in my life. I have 2 days to clean all my clothes and pack up my life for three weeks.

Just in case you’re a slacker like me this year here are some ideas for last minute gift buyers without a clue what to grab.

• Hampers Great for food lovers, fill a decorated box (easier to get rid of, and cheaper, than a wicker basket) with chocolates, olives, nuts, and sauces.
• Alcohol Be a gracious guest this holiday season and provide some lovely wine to drink. It doesn’t have to be too expensive, your host will be stoked that you appreciate them.
  Or if you have 17 year olds in your life you’ll go own in history as the best sister/aunt/mum ever if you provide the just under ageds with something that will get them wasted.
• Subscriptions Magazines, dvd rentals, cheese of the month. It’s the gift that keeps on giving!
• Cleaning I would LOVE someone to come scrub my kitchen and bathroom – unless the recipient is a clean freak that doesn’t need a break in that department I wouldn’t worry too much about offending.
  Or you could offer to clean mum’s house in preparation for guests, she’ll really appreciate your help!
• Homemade treats Chinese takeout boxes can be bought for cheap and filled with homemade treats like sugar cookies, truffles, and fruit mince pies.
• Lessons Cooking lessons (available at every price point), language, dancing, photography. Won’t clutter the house but will stick with them for life!
• Tattoos What could be more special than paying for a much wanted permanent artwork that your recipient will carry for life? I say nothing.
• Body care While usually an intensely personal item if you know your recipient well, or spend a lot of time in their bathroom, you’ll probably know what products they use. Buy those. Moisturiser can be expensive yo.
• Geek stuff If you’re a geek you could create your bestie a site of her very own. Buy your travelling friend a subscription or renewal to Flickr so you can keep an eye on the snaps. Surprise your internet buddy with her very own .com so she can get rid of the blogspot part of her address.
• Vouchers If all else fails vouchers of any kind trump incense and ceramic kittens. Make it personal by giving a voucher to their favourite clothing shop, a meal at their favourite restaurant, or iTunes money for your music obsessed little brother. Other great vouchers include food, spa treatments, movie tickets, and those booklets from your boyfriend that you can use at any time and he has to do what it says.

What’s your favourite consumable?

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?

Dunkin Donuts – The boy happened to be in Auckland yesterday for work and remembered me when he spied the Dunkin Donuts counter at the airport on the way home. We don’t have Dunkin Donuts in Wellington so it’s always a treat, a once every one or two years treat! Yum

Paul Henry – He is one of the hosts of TV Ones Breakfast show. He’s cynical, mean and sarcastic, but I can handle it because he makes me laugh every morning. Even when he’s praising something he sounds like he’s making fun of it.

Wishlists – It’s good to dream and aim big. And creating wishlists means you have a goal when you step out into those crazy crazy shopping strips!
I’m loving reading everyone’s lists at the moment, gives me lots of ideas.

Buying presents – Buying presents and giving gifts fills me with joy :]

Miso – I always keep some soup sachets in my draw at work, I love the taste of miso and it’s great for an afternoon wake up when you’ve already make yourself sick on sweets at lunchtime (a common occurrence in my world). Just squeeze the paste into a cup, add hot water and voila!

Presents – OK, so Em is cuter and better at drawing than me, but I love sending and receiving packages too! How come she gets all the cool shit :[ Am I being punished by God for not believing? Teehee.

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.

Today I turn 23, and I’m sick!

We had builders pulling down a wall at work yesterday and the dust gave me a sore throat and a headache. I’m feeling a little better now though. Just in time to go to Strawberry Fare for dinner! Deserts galore :D




Before I show you what the boy got me I have to give you the background story.




We were walking home a week or so ago and passed a gallery on Featherston Street. There was a painting of licorice allsorts in the window which I cooed at and just then the boy seemed to have an aha! moment and claimed he new what he was getting me. I made sure it wasn’t going to be the $650 painting and he assured me it wasn’t.

So I spent the next week trying to guess what it was. I knew it was reasonably large so he was keeping it at work…

And here we have it, in all it’s 1m x .5m glory (approximately :])











He trawled flickr for a photo that was sharp enough and big enough, got it printed on canvas and mounted it himself. He even lied about how someone at work needed a staple gun so he had an excuse to take it in, and then said he wanted to walk to work just so he could go to the hardware store on the way to get staples.

Isn’t he sweet!

He also gave me a “voucher for 24 million dollars”. A lotto ticket for New Zealands biggest ever lotto draw.

It’s my birthday in exactly one week. Scary!
I’m going to be 23 this year.

So here’s my birthday wishlist. I don’t expect to get any of this stuff (well maybe cake) but I thought it would be fun to list expensive stuff too.

Sigh, here comes my friend narcissism again.

1. Digital SLR camera – I know nothing about them except they take great photos. I want one, even though they’re huge and I don’t know how to use it. Oooo and a remote so I can take pictures of myself. :]
2. CUPCAKES – Yea, I love cupcakes. Y’know, just in case you didn’t get that yet.
3. A laptop – I’m currently using one borrowed from a friend who is overseas, or I’m stealing the boys one. I can’t customise either of them because they’re not mine.
   Deciding what I’m going to get is hard, I don’t want a Mac and I don’t want Vista, so that leaves me NO choices. I think the best I’m going to be able to do is get my programmer friends to make Vista useable and just roll with it.
4. Roadtrip! – I haven’t been on a roadtrip in ages. We just got a new (to us) car and it’s so much prettier and cleaner than our last one. I’m really keen to go on a roadtrip and get away from work. Super Summer Starter will be my saviour in November. Details on that will be shared as soon as I have any.
5. Femme Sud Diary Bag - I saw Gala sporting one of these and fell in love with it. So cool! Way out of my price range.
6. Pink pretty stuff - Pictures are indicators only. Anything pink, black or light blue (or a combination) will get the thumbs up.
7. Glasses – My ears are really wonky and my glasses are starting to annoy me because they are constantly getting bent out of shape.
   I’m ready to embrace the glasses once again and be uber geekay/designer cool with a statement pair. Finding ones that fit my face, look good, and don’t scare me with the price may be hard to find. Maybe when I’ve got my wear out of the $400 lenses I’m currently wearing (note that is only the lenses, not the frames).
8. A haircut – I’m in desperate need. I don’t get my hair cut at a salon, I get the boy to cut it in a straight line. So I have no excuse to let it go verylong without a trim.
   I’m a disgrace.