because obviously, making this post in time for the holidays is just too USEFUL of me – and i wouldn’t want to be off brand, am i right? anyway, i am going to make a list of ~interesting~ gift ideas from the selection around my room. some, i would actually like to receive; some, i’d rather just keep theoretical (but feel free to make happen)!
jar of birdseed
FEED THOSE BIRDS. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO. take the risk of bird poop, and feed those starving little birds. bonus: get a bird book so they can identify the species that come peck!
idea: stalk through DIY blogs!
i know, i know, i shouldn’t be redirecting my readers to go read OTHER blogs (stay on mine, it’s fabulous!) but in this area, i think it’s best to leave it to the professionals. my favorite resource in the past has been rookie mag, but this teen-centric site is sadly going down soon 🙁 i’ve got a lot of nostalgia mixed up with this publication and we’re all feeling bereft. however, there are resources for DIY projects all over the internet! some are joann’s arts & crafts, as well as design sponge and vintage revivals! pls pls pls rec me any of your favorite crafts/DIY pages, because i’m always looking for more projects (the more unique + creative + DOABLE, the better)!
garden book
you know i’m all about that DIY, and if you have a retired neighbor, this is perfect! also if you’ve noticed their yard is in dire need of some care – this is kind of an aggressive hint (unless they’re oblivious, then i guess this is subtle)! when asked why, i’d suggest the reply, “well, i saw this help book and i thought of you!” then cast a fake pitying, but mostly strongly suggesting, glance over at their yard.
used paint palette
doesn’t matter if you’re bad at painting! you really don’t need to even paint! of course, if you’re like me, you can paint something then realize how bad it turned out and then decide the palette itself is probably prettier…. it’s a work in progress my friend!
gift bags
to help THEM give gifts to other people! who wants to BUY these things when they’re surprisingly overpriced for (decorative) paper bags? they’ll be on top of their regifting game (even if the first gift is MEANT to be for gifting)
participatory medal
so passive aggressive, but if they’re a medal collector, you’ve got a winner! bonus tips if the medal was one of your own from an outlandish event that you told no one about
mod podge
who does arts & crafts without mod podge? further more, who has mod podge and DOESN’T DO ARTS & CRAFTS? if they do own mod podge and manage to refrain from this delightful pastime, that is simply sacrilege and i do not want to know them ever. what a waste of a beautifully versatile water-based glue product….. therefore, if you gift mod podge, they are basically obligated to start arts-and-craftsing and then you will become best buds and bond over making decoupage projects. BOOM!
lint roller
tbh i feel like lint roller companies (lint pic-up featured) should sponsor me wow. their product hasn’t really been buzzed about lately at all, especially since those of us with black clothes & pets by now have mostly either a) obtained lint rollers or b) learned to suck it up and live with it because there are BIGGER PROBLEMS IN THIS WORLD. but also lint rollers make our first world problems a little less heavy. the sheer indignity of having fur on one’s clothing. *shudders*
daisy by marc jacobs
ok admitted this looks like a flex but it’s really not lmao my mom’s friend gifted me a trial size pack and these little designer perfumes are adorable!!!!!! their ad campaign was really alluring (kaia gerber, how dare you look like That) but i mean i KNEW daisy would not transform me into a sylph-like faery moodily billowing in a golden field somewhere… still doesn’t hurt to have nice things though?
alternatives: gift packages from sephora (check out their style section), little cute glass containers filled with flower petals, essential oils, urban outfitters $10-20 lifestyle section, small trinkets, jewelry (cute bracelets all over etsy!), old perfume/anything stylish from garage sales/thrift shops
[insert year] planner
i mean this one goes without saying, because it’s actually PRACTICAL. imagine that! get one at any random retail shop and there will be lots of designs to choose from and you may be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices but IT’S OK. none of them will completely be worthy of falling in love with, but they’re all disgustingly pretty so you can practically close your eyes and blindly choose at this point?
muscle roller
this will be a lifesaver to your athlete friend, your couch potato friend, really anyone that gets sore muscles!
face masks
DIY them, buy them, everyone loves a skin pump-me-up! especially in winter when the air is cold and dry…. good skin really helps everything!
music stand but actually it’s osmosis
OSMOSIS your friend the genius of a thousand musicians so they don’t have to practice their instrument over the holidays… trust me this is lowkey hell and unless they’re very avid about their instrument, holiday spirit will be DIMMED. so yeah. give them the gift of stopping their worries about this typa struggle!
candles, soaps, empty lemonade bottle
i acquired this DELICIOUS smelling cantaloupe-scented candle (on the very left) from the bee natural stand at the philadelphia reading terminal market and i have no regrets it smells AMAZING. the green flowery soap was a gift from my friend, who got it from her soap lady bernadette. hubert’s lemonade bottle – everyone loves that aesthetic, and now your friend can fill it with whatever they want! the sparkly cork one was a gift from my friend and the “too glam to give a damn” makes a STATEMENT. find one at a marshall’s near you! flea markets and boutiques in cities are also good places to find cute businesses that sell these ideas.
windowsill decor
ok, just look at her. LOOK. she’s really living her best life, and she kinda rubs it in your face. but still, we like to keep her around to embody that ideal ~vibe~. also the string legs are adorable!
sponge
and with that, this list has come to an end. happy 2019, folks!