Presents

I love presents! I don’t get them anymore, but oh well. Tonight I wanted to write a post on presents. I don’t think I’m a tough cookie to shop for. Not that I get gifts or expect them at this age…but just in case! I think it’s great when people have a wishlist on Amazon. Then I know exactly what to get them. No shitting around, buying something that will go to waste. So here is my brain dump on stuff I like and dislike.

I love scarves. Wonderful, colorful, big scarves that I can wear as a dress or a strapless top. I can wear them to work with my suits. They are the perfect gift for me and my personality. Fun-loving, spirited scarves.

Music is so personal. I think getting someone music or CDs is a waste. Same with clothing, make-up, books, or food. Unless you’re getting me a fruit basket sans the fruit but filled with Dorritos and chicken strips…don’t bother.

You know, back to the clothing. I do think clothing is personal, so again, don’t bother. But I love colorful tights and leggings. And I’m pretty easy to shop for when it comes to size: petite zero or XL from Gap Kids. Colorful! I’m talking bright fuschia and neon aquamarine.

While I end up tossing a lot of the jewelry people buy me, I’m a fan of bracelets or bangles as long as they fit. I have really small wrists and most bracelets fall right off. Any color, thin, thick. Whenever friends go to India, I always ask them to bring me back hundreds of bracelets they can purchase at the market for a few dollars. When I worked at a startup, Patricia bought me some kids jewelry that was so cute I wore it everywhere. Thoughtful. I love shit like that.

Speaking of thoughtful, you can’t help but adore the personalized stuff. Conrado rocks in this department. The Price is Right book. Books on building vocabulary. Conrado knows me well so he’s one of the few who can buy me books. I still have the toothbrush that he gave me with my name on it. A dark green toothbrush that says CATHERINE in big bold white letters. I use it to brush my eyebrows into place. No joke. I’m not tossing that. I love it! It’s with all the rest of my makeup brushes. And Therese got me the restaurant and nightlife Zagat guide for Christmas which was exactly what I wanted. That’s intuition right there.

I used to handcraft gifts for people. God know they’ve all been tossed: personalized pillows with puffy paint, albums, notebooks. But that stuff is the best. Tara bought me ‘Vixen’ wine for no special occasion. Just saw it when she was wine-tasting and up and got it for me, along with chocolate that brought out the flavors of the wine. Unexpected personalized gifts? That’s the bomb!

I’m going to wrap up as I’m getting tired. So here’s a last finale paragraph on stuff I love. Insects. Real or fake. Any paraphernalia with insect designs. Pinned up butterflies. I swear I had an orgasm when my ex-boyfriend bought me a pair of dead, pinned up, and framed beetles for Christmas. Crosses and rosaries. Paintings. Plants. Flowers. Real or fake. Mirrors. First editions or illustrated versions of my favorite books. Belts. Oh, I love the rainbow-colored purse that Lizzie got me for my birthday. Anything vintage: typewriters, cameras, purses, gloves.

Any present is a good present and always well-received, but best when personal. It shows that you know the person and cared enough. The best presents of all are unexpected…like Burning Man. Stickers and necklaces from Burning Man. Random acts of kindness 🙂