1. Dries Van Noten washed leather tote 2. Jack Spade mill leather dopp kit 3. Sonos Play 3 4. Tiffany & Co. silver men’s I.D. bracelet 5. Style Zeitgiest Vol. 1 6. Diesel DZ1496 Watch in Army 7. Comme des Garçons Homme belt 8. Kiehl’s Ultimate Man Collection 9. Field Candy tents 10. Creed Silver Mountain Water

By popular demand, a men’s version of my gift guide! I put this together without consulting my gay best friends, hopefully they approve :P I think that men can be both the easiest and hardest people to shop for.. so I hope this list would help spark an idea or two! I still haven’t figured out what to get for my man but I have some ideas that I can’t share because he reads my blog :P

#10 is a personal favourite of mine, it was something that perfumer Olivier Creed of House of Creed had created for himself that was inspired by “the exhilarating crispness of mountain air and the purity of cascading alpine streams” hence the name Silver Mountain Water. This is my all-time favourite scent because it is so crisp and clean and smells like Spring, and I’ve been using it for almost 10 years now. I tend to wear a lot of men’s perfumes – does anyone else do this? Be careful if you buy this online though, there seem to be a lot of counterfeit versions of Creed.

Please share your ideas with me if you have any! x

Last year I put together a list of gift ideas as well as a ‘how to’ shop guide, I think it’s worth a read if you are stuck on what to get a certain someone for Christmas – you can read the post here: Christmas Gift Shopping 101.

I don’t want to repeat myself this year, so here are some ideas that might hopefully help with your holiday shopping! If you do it online, just make sure you double check the shipping cut-off dates, postal service gets massively bogged down towards the end of the year and you want to get your stuff on time :)

#1 For the Fashionista
1. Dannijo Frances II Bracelet 2. DL & Co Naughty / Nice Journal 3. Diana Vreeland The Eye has to Travel 4. Day Birger et Mikkelsen Acapulco bangles 5. Carine Riotfeld: Irreverent 6. Alexander McQueen Elaphe and brass wrap bracelet 7. Alexander Wang Kirsten Satchel 8. See by Chloe Nutter squirrel key fob 9. Cire Trudon Nazareth scented candle 10. Zara City bag

#2 For the home
1. Future Perfect Shell round plates 2. Kate Spade Live Colorfully gift set 3. Wool and the Gang Snood Dogg DIY wool scarf kit 4. Missoni Home Kew embroidered cushion 5. Future Perfect DIY Coil Lamp kit 6. Modcloth delectable duo tiffin box 7. Future Perfect Mad Hatter set 8. Jil Sander Square leather cosmetics case 9. Design*Sponge at Home 10. Custom Cover Cook’s Books Set (includes - The Essential New York Times Cookbook: Classic Recipes for a New Century by Amanda Hesser; James Beard’s American Cookery; The Joy of Cooking, 75th Anniversary Edition; La Cuisine: Everyday French Home Cooking Everyday French Home Cooking by Francoise Bernard; French Feasts: 299 Traditional Recipes for Family Meals and Gatherings by Stephane Reynaud)

#3 For the tech savvy
1. Postalco Document Case 2. Lytro Camera 3. Alaia Perforated leather cell phone case 4. Arnsdorf SS11 Crystal Pattern iPhone Case 5. Helmut Newton Polaroids 6. Geneva Lab Sound System XS 7. Kenton Sorenson iPad Portfolio 8. Photo Fabric light-sensitive dye kit 9. Nikon 1 Camera 10. Marc by Marc Jacobs Supersonic python-print iPhone case

Happy shopping!

Is it that time of the year again? My inbox says yes. If you’re looking for some slightly less obvious gifting ideas, here are a few.

Also, do check out my other Valentine’s Day shopping post!

Readily available storage is always handy. Marc by Marc Jacobs Hearts 2GB USB Key Fob, approx $60.

Customise your own set of Moo cards with pictures, poems and pretty much anything you want, from $20

Have some fun with JimmyJane “The Win-Win” Form 2 + Form 3 set, $248.

Create new memories! Sony NEX-5K/S with 18-55mm lens, approx $999.

Get more talk time with David Turpin & Native Union’s Moshi Moshi MM01 Cellphone + VOIP Handset, from $30

For even more ideas check out my Christmas Gift Shopping 101 post!

Can you believe how fast the holiday season has crept up on us? Christmas is just over a month away and I’m already working on putting January issues to bed. The end of the year is usually the busiest period for me and while I try my best to sort out most of my Christmas shopping by October, this year I’ve left it a little late. By late I mean 2-3 weeks before the cut-off date for international shipping (approx. 2 weeks) as I do most of my shopping online.

I love shopping for other people – my gift giving philosophy is this: never give anyone something that I wouldn’t be caught dead with myself. Although some prefer the ease of gift vouchers, to me it’s just nicer way of saying “I couldn’t be bothered taking time to pick something for you” – it’s really not all that hard to shop if you…

1 – Plan ahead
Most people will have a rough idea when it comes to the people who are close to us, but it’s hard to shop for someone you don’t know all that well. So plan early if you know you’re going to need more time to find the perfect present – you can usually smell a last minute gift a mile away.

2 – Choose quality over quantity
Something functional and well-made will last a long time. While it doesn’t have to be expensive, remember that poorly-made dollar store gifts will most likely be casted aside after a while.

3 – Know your giftee
If you don’t know your giftee all that well – ask someone who does. If he or she is on Facebook, has a blog or subscribes to any other form of social media it’s usually pretty easy to get an idea of their interests and things they like. Photo albums are great place to take note of their personal style.

4 – Think practical
Don’t try to reinvent the wheel when it come to the obvious – if your giftee likes golf you have a theme to work with. Just stay away from items that weigh heavy on personal preference (ie. clubs) that people usually buy for themselves, unless of course you know they’ve been wanting a particular thing for ages!

5 – Inject your own personality
Are you always the fun and quirky one? or practical? Think about how your gift will represent you. I often try to buy gifts that I think would fit into my friend’s lifestyles while not compromising on the fact that I like unique and beautifully designed things.

6 – Don’t get intimidated by ‘the person who has everything’
It’s not really that hard to shop for the person who has everything. Think something on the lines of giving an ‘experience’ or something personalised. A hot air balloon ride or a skydive won’t really go wrong if the person is adventurous, or perhaps a pampering session if they’ve been flat out lately. If you’re still stumped, you can always donate to a charity or sponsor a dolphin or whale under their name.

7 – Know it’s the thought that counts
But if you can’t think, be prepared to spend! :)

8 – Have a plan B
If all else fails, buy a gift voucher.. :P

Here are some ideas!

The boys
Malcolm Fontier’s iMojito Minimalist wallet and iPhone holder, US$36; Kitson Minimergency Kit for Him, US$11.95; Imaginary Foundation Ink Bottle V-Neck, US$30; Personalised BBQ Branding Iron, A$19.50; Stainless Steel Portable Notebook Grill, A$69.95

The girls
Tord Boontje & Artechnica’s Charming Charms, US$16/set of 3; Obsessive Consumption by Kate Bingaman-Burt, US$13.57 (Amazon); Kate Spade New York iPhone 4 Cover, A$44.95; Haoshi’s Animal Necklaces, US$65 each; The little dictionary of Fashion by Christian Dior, US$20

The jetsetter
Lonely Planet’s Cities Hardback, A$39.98 and Travel Book, A$80; Jack Russell Malletier bags, from €150; One year of White Pages, US$39; Duct tape Passport Holder, US$12; Trace Me Luggage Tracker Tags, from £12.50

The party animal
Goody Gram’s Pewter & Glass Animal Shot Glasses, US$32 each; Alexander Purcell & Aprro’s Sake Bomb, US$98; Jimmy Jayne Contour M Massage Stone, US$25; Love my Sole Foldable Ballet Flats, A$45; Commando Matchsticks – Double Stick Tricks for Smart Chicks, US$10

The food lover
Royal VKB Boomerang Wok, A$174.95; Magisso’s Cake Cutter and Server, US$49.50; What to Cook and How to Cook it, S$59.95; Chickenborg Egg Cuber, US$6; Moleskine Passions Recipe Journal, A$22

The eco warrior
Mathieu Lehanneur & David Edwards & Le Laboratoire Paris’ Andrea Living Air Filter, US$150; Keepcup Coffee Cup, from A$12; KOR One Hydration Vessel, US$29.95 (Code KWS-12644 for 15% off); CB I Hate Perfume’s At the Beach 1966, from US$70; Strida Foldable Bike/Personal Transport, A$988

The Kris Kringle
1oz gummy shot glasses, US$12.95/set of 6; Equal Measure Jug, US$12.99; Cordies Cable Organizer, US$12.99; Glasshouse Amalfi Coast Triple-Scented Candle, A$34.95; Joseph Joseph’s Catcher Citrus Reamer, A$13.50

The one who has everything
Geza Schoen & Thiscompany’s Molecule 01, A$210; Miracle Frooties, A$30; The Anthology of Rap by Adam Bradley, $US23.10; Powershovel’s Blackbird, Fly 35mm Twin-Lens Reflex Camera, US$130; Personalised fragrance by Olivier Creed, Creed Perfume, US$20,000

Happy shopping!

Given that Christmas is a mere 46 days away, it’s just about time to start thinking about getting my holiday shopping done. This is where the awesomeness of the interwebs come in handy – with sites like Etsy you can find so many great little gift ideas and some sellers are even able to personalise them for you – in return you support the small guys. Win-win or what?

There are so many items on Etsy – these are just a handful I came across that I’m filing under my gift list!

Polaroid coasters (Available in various designs)

Garden herb markers

Personalized monogram stationery set

Small porcelain nightlight

Mini wooden snowflake ornaments

Personalized magnet set

Kate Spain Fandango half apron (Available in various prints)

Pair of lovebird bowls <3

D for Dessert Alphabet Ceramic Plate (Available in other alphabets, but mmm Dessert..)

Personalized handmade passport cover

Weapon of choice keychain (Available with other ‘weapons’ – but how cute is the camera? It’s my weapon of choice!)

French grain sack burlap pillows

New market alert! The Young Australian Designers Markets is on this Saturday November 13th at the Paddington Town Hall.. and will continue monthly through 2011!