Sunday, December 28, 2008

Tequila!


It's such a cliche: everyone toasts the new year with champagne.  All those fizzy bubbles heading straight up your nose, the silly glass, the instant headache (and you're not even hungover yet). There must be some relief.

How about tequila?  And we're not talking that poison yellow Cuervo crud, either.  Present your New Year's Eve host or hostess with a bottle of Corvo Silver tequila.  First off, it's an excellent "sipping" tequila, so you don't have to worry about shots and salt and limes to suck.  Second, have you ever seen a prettier bottle? Seriously, it looks like a lovely New Year's ice sculpture.  So stylish on a bar.

It's available at fine liquor stores everywhere, for around fifty bucks (just try getting a decent bottle of bubbly for that price).  You can also order online at www.wallyswine.com.

The Two Faces of Time





Sometimes time flies and sometimes it drags.  Time's your friend one minute and your enemy the next.  And never is that more true than once you've had a baby.

The new moms in your life know this well. Baby time moves like a tortoise on Valium, yet
those babies grow up in an instant.  So here's a "baby" present that seems most appropriate for that new mom: two clocks for baby's room.

One angel clock and one devil clock, set exactly how mom wants them.  The angel can show the current time, the devil Bangkok time (or the devilishly fun venue of her choice).  They're both very cute and very affordable.

Spend some time online at www.smakparlour.com and check them out.  Because with this gift, time might really be on your side, after all.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Taurus, Toro, Bull


Another holiday season has just ended.  The candles have burned (maybe at both ends), Santa is taking a much-needed vacation at Club Med, and you're given the needle-strewn task of dismantling the tree and overloading recycling bins all over town with holiday remnants.  But it's not done yet.

You still have New Year's!  And hostess presents!  And yes, while a bottle of booze is always an acceptable gift, it's not the only one to proffer. How about a New Year's bull?

This sweet yet dignified bull bookend fits the year's end perfectly.  It lovingly supports all the novels and cookbooks your hardworking hostess received for the holidays.  It looks beanbaggy and friendly on the shelf.  And it adds that wishful longing for the coming year: a bull market.  You can definitely toast in the New Year to that.

Order him at www.thefutureperfect.com.  He might be a bull, but this gift sure isn't.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Baaaaaaa Humbugs


So it's Christmas Eve-- the zero hour and you're behind.  It's still not too late to give the gift that really will keep on giving.

Gift your yet-to-be-gifted with an e-card and donation from Heifer International.  This excellent non-profit organization gives milk, meat, and wool producing animals to very poor families in third world countries.  The result?  Through production of said milk, meat, and wool, the families earn extra income and nutrition, becoming self-sufficient in the process.

And, it's economical, too.  Heifer gives you tons of choices.  Give a flock of ducks or geese for 20 bucks.  Thirty smackers buys a hive of honeybees (the honey's great for the family, and the bees are just great for the environment).  Or, you can be a big spender and give a goat, a pig, and even a water buffalo.

This is a truly wonderful method of introducing the idea of charitable giving to children in a way they'll understand.  Heifer International sends them an animated card explaining what their gift does for families around the world, and you get to explain the importance of helping people everywhere.

Go to www.heifer.org for more information.  It's a way to give a gift with real staying power.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Ring In Your Sweetie with a Ball and Chain


At this late date, it's probably impossible to get anything shipped in time for Christmas, but what about New Year's?

Ringing in the New Year is a much honored (and hangovered) American tradition.  And you can get extra bonus points by giving your loved one a ring to ring in 2009.

Even better, this is a subtle, stylish, non-engagement type ring, so there will be absolutely no misunderstandings during Auld Lang Syne.  This gold bauble is designed just like one of those ball chains you used to use for your key ring (before key rings became a fashion statement and cost a mint).  And it really lets you know that she is, after all, your ball and chain.

It's also at a pretty decent price point (being, like almost all items on Find a Toad, under $200.  See it in all its glory at www.thisisauto.com.  And then spring for an honorary economy sized bottle of Advil to accompany your New Year's Eve ring of devotion.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Funny Bunny


Or maybe not so funny.  To some, this bunny cookie jar looks menacing and plotting, adding drama wherever he is.  

Here's what makes this bunny so special: as well as being ironic, it's a limited art piece.  

Designed by Japanese artist Momoyo Torimitsu, this bunny is a large scale object specifically intended as a commentary on Japanese small living spaces, a sort of size protest, if you will.  It's also an art multiple, meaning only 1,000 of each color was produced.  So once they're gone, they're gone.  This is perfect for the Japanese anime fan in your life, or a fledgling art collector.

He's also reminiscent, in U.S. circles, of the cult film Donnie Darko (one of my personal favorites).  And, he just looks great hanging around in just about any kitchen, spreading his lapinesque vibe.

You can find him just an online hop, skip, and a jump away at www.cerealart.com.
  

Friday, December 19, 2008

Take This Bag Advice



So I'd kind of sworn I was going to avoid the ubiquitous canvas bags that are so popular for environmental reasons.  You know, all those bags with their self-righteous "I am not a plastic bag" proclamations (often seen in malls stuffed full of plastic junk doomed for the landfill; at least it's all being carried in a politically correct fashion).

I do, however, like these canvas bags.  Emblazoned with a city map of your choice, the bag either proclaims a serious case of tourista or a definite amount of hometown pride.  Either is superior to the "who's the greenest of them all" contest.

Choose from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Chicago.  They're only $15, so they're great for a stand alone gift or one stuffed full of biodegradable products.  Or, stuffed full of cans of hairspray and oven cleaner.  Your choice.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Serve 'Em a Big Bowl of Cuteness


This is a super cute, multi-giftee sort of gift.  It could even work for your pets, although they probably won't appreciate it (unless your animals have an extraordinary aesthetic sense).

These are japanese rice bowls with just the cutest animal faces on them.  And I don't mean cute in a creepy, sexualized Hello Kitty sort of way (well, maybe the cat looks a little like an alien, but in a nice way).  I mean whimsical, sweet, adorable, how your favorite pet looks on its best day kind of cute.

This would be a wonderful gift for a little girl who loves foodie pretend play (go the multicultural route; it can't hurt).  It's great for any animal lover.  Or, you could just buy a set for yourself and your pack or pride.

Check them out at www.okstore.la.  

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Match Game

I'm about to divulge the greatest gift idea.  It's always gotten rave reviews.  It's personal yet funky.  And it's an idea I freely admit I ripped off from an ancient Domino magazine issue.

It's personalized matches.  Now, I know what you're thinking: "Ewww... nasty weddingesque favors."  But trust me, it doesn't have to be that way.

Foryourparty.com lets you design your own matches, from the size and type of box to colors, fonts, and print content.  It's surprisingly easy to do.  And it's so easy to "match" the style up with your giftee.  There's just one caveat: don't do a straight, conservative match box.  Mix up colors for a funky combination.  Pick a great font.  And keep the content offbeat (like, instead of giving an address, put just the apartment number, or just the city).  

This is an ideal hostess present for a weekend invite, or as a New Year's Eve bash extra.  Check out www.foryourparty.com for all your options.  And match them up with the gift of light for the coming year.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Self Creation


There are those who live to do projects, and those who run screaming at the sight of a hot glue gun.  This present is for the former.

Normally, I'm against giving personalized gifts.  They seem cheesy and lazy, not to mention looking disturbingly like something out of The Preppy Handbook.  But this personalized key chain is different.  It's really a project.

And no hot glue gun is required!  This needlepoint-it-yourself key chain kit comes complete with stencils of the entire alphabet, so your busy bee friend can label the thing with whatever letter. Completed, it looks cute and homespun in an Etsy way, not an annoyingly perfect Martha Stewart fashion.  

Order the handy dandy kit at www.curiousityshoppeonline.com.  And keep their idle hands needlepointing away this holiday season.

Sunday, December 14, 2008

A Slug of a Different Color


A slug of coffee, that is.  Or maybe tea. 
Whatever.  The graphic (arts), creative people in your life are usually wandering around with a mug of caffeinated beverage permanently attached to their hands.  With this gift, they can combine work with reinvigoration.

These mugs feature Pantone color swatches.  Pantone is the official color wheel of choice for virtually every graphic endeavor.  They're classic.  Bright.  Pretty.  Pleasing.  And the mugs are good-sized to hold a good supply of whatever good stuff the artist wants to imbibe.  And, until quite recently, they were only available in the EU.

Pick up the mugs at www.delight.com.  They also feature an espresso set in various Pantone shades of brown, really cute for the continental creative director in your life.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Prissy Little Cookies


There are two types of cookie lovers.  Those who love perfectly neat, tidy, often decorated cookies, and those who like cookies in any form, even if they look like tiny trash heaps.  This cookie gift is for the former.

The Japanese are known for many culinary delights, including sushi, soba, and skewers.  But who knew they were such fans of butter cookies?  And these are fussy butter cookies as only the exacting Japanese can manufacture.   Uniform, elegant and perfect, the cookies also beat the pants off the traditional "butter cookies" you get every year in that eponymous Danish blue tin.

Order them for your uptight cookie fan, along with a tea cup or two and maybe some tea.  All can be found at that tower of exactitude, www.takashimayany.com.

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Pretty, Golden, and Impossible to Lay


Obviously, you're not equipped to lay the Golden Egg, but you can at least be the person to give it.

This is a beautiful necklace.  It's made out of an actual quail's egg that's been coated on the inside with sumptuous gold, then plasticized on the outside for endurance.  It dangles delicately on a thin gold chain.  Frankly, it's unlike anything I've seen before.  So pretty and lovely in a fairy tale kind of way.

It's also at a decent price point for a golden item: about 200 bucks.  Give to someone special, perhaps your favorite Goose Girl.

Find it at www.aplusrstore.com.  It'll garner a gaggle of compliments.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Hanging Out with the Kids



Yes, Find A Toad has been a bit kid-gift heavy lately.  But, in case you didn't notice, it's the holiday season, which is presumably mostly about the kids (how many of you have written a personal note to Santa or Hanukah Harry recently?).

One item almost always present in any baby's room is the mobile.  Some are padded with quaint duckies.  Some squeal tinny music.  Most probably drive the poor baby crazy and are nasty for the adults to view, too.  

These mobiles are the exception.  They're very simple.  Very lightweight (in case the installer is sloppy and the thing plunges into baby's crib).  And rather abstract.  Sure, there are balloons and planes, but there's also silhouettes of seahorses or a whale with babies in its tummy.
Plus, they're inexpensive.  What a relief after all the high-priced stuff for a kid's room.  

Check out the enormous selection at www.designpublic.com.  It'll make hanging out with the kid just that much more esthetically pleasant.

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

A Mouse in the House


Normally, I'm not a huge fan of overly cute kids' furniture.  It seems like a wasteful expenditure with a limited shelf life.

But not so with this ultra-cute Mouse beanbag chair.  It looks comfy and cozy for kids, yet quirky and offbeat in a way that adults can appreciate.  It seems to seamlessly work with everything from modernist to traditional kid room decor.  Plus, it's easy to move from room to room, creating a nice little mousie "nest" anywhere in the house.  This is a great gift for your favorite kid who's still too young to succumb to the evil lure of the Nintendo DS.

I've only seen this special chair at Takashimaya in NYC, at www.takashimaya-ny.com.  It's on the pricier side, almost 200 bucks, but shipping is free.  

Monday, December 8, 2008

Compliments of Secret Santa


Ah, the annual office ritual of the Secret Santa.  What a beloved tradition: pull some random co-worker's name out of a hat, and get them a fun gift that costs under $15 (plus, it has to be office appropriate.  No fart jokes, no sexual innuendo, no profanity... you get the drift).

What to do?  Why not combine nostalgia with a little self-esteem building?  The Affirmation Ball is like a classic Magic 8 ball, but evolved for the deeply insecure.  Forget cryptic answers to pressing questions.  This perpetual happy face of positivity only gives good news, like "You have minty fresh breath!"  Stuart Smalley couldn't do any better.

You can find this happy (and cheap, just eight bucks) little item at www.wishingfish.com.  It's just Secret Santa's way of saying, "Yes you can!"

Friday, December 5, 2008

Animalistic Drinking Tendencies


It's definitely the drinking time of year.  And while many go for the civilized glass of wine or elegant cocktail, there are those who like their poison in one shot.  This is the gift for them.

Going on the animal trophy theme so popular for a few years, these shot glasses serve two purposes.  Upside down, they look like miniature pewter trophy heads.  Right side up, they rest on their heads and function as fabulously dark and dangerous deliverers of magic elixer (drinker's choice, of course).

The great thing is, these glasses look fabulous single or in multiples, so you can spend just a little ($36/each) or more.  Choose from an assortment of woodland creatures ranging from the typical (stag or moose) to the more exotic (an outraged rhino).  

Look up these pewter beauties at www.aplusrstore.com.  As a popular gift, it's a sure shot.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Lefty Literary Stocking Stuffer


Just when you think you're done with the holiday gift shopping, the reality of stocking stuffers hits you.  Yes, you'll need to purchase at least three more little gifts per immediate family member (not counting those Trader Joe's truffle bars thrown in as filler).

So here's a suggestion for the reader (probably female).  This dog tag style necklace can function as a pendant, or a key chain, or as a zipper pull on a purse.  And emblazoned across it (clearly visible in the picture) are the words "I read banned books."

The even greater thing about this gift is that it's handmade at www.etsy.com.  Look under the artist "JJ Backman."  If you wanted to gild the lily, you could even include a copy of The Catcher in the Rye.  

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Goy Toy for Christmas Joy




Admit it.  When you think "Christmas," you envision some Tudor home embellished with twinkly lights and graced with everything that is traditional.  But there are actually Christian modern homes aplenty.  With residents throwing holiday parties.  And you need to bring something cool.

Here's an idea.  Help them celebrate the big J.C. in a mid-century modern fashion with this ultra-stylish nativity scene.  The manger has a Hollywood Dome appeal.  The major players look a little like Weebles.  And it's small enough to display on the Eames coffee table instead of the front lawn.

If you really love the party throwers, throw in this literary extra: Lamb by Christopher Moore.  
Definitely the funniest take on the life of the Christ ever.  And an irreverent Yuletide accompaniment.

Find the book at www.amazon.com, and the nativity scene at www.fitzsu.com.  It'll make Christmas come alive.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Eat Them Up, Yum!





It's never too early to teach kids a lesson.  Especially when it comes to something as fundamental as natural selection.  Learning that the big guy can swallow up the little guy is vitally important, especially if you grow up in Hollywood or on Wall Street.

Take these Food Chain toys from that old classic toy purveyor, FAO Schwartz.  Sure, they're cute, fuzzy, and of unidentifiable species.  But they also teach, in a beautiful (and perhaps brutal) way, the order the eating game tends to go in the natural world.  

These ravenous co-dependents come in two lovely colorways, to fit any kid's decor.  You can order them at www.fao.com.  Then let the munching and lunching begin.
 

Monday, December 1, 2008

Client Nibble


Client gifts are tough.  You know they are, since every year you receive a mountain of 6 million calorie Mrs. Beasley's Muffins, a bushel of grease-covered popcorn, and enough cheese and salami that you couldn't hide it if you worked for the FBI.  

The holidays are working against you for sure, both in the clientele giving and receiving categories.  But in the case of female clients, anyway, there's a way to give something sweet without the collateral thigh dimple damage.

These super cute pendants are gold dipped representations of real snacks you might actually want.  You can choose from sweet (a cupcake) or salty (a pretzel), depending on your client's food fetish of choice.  And you can explain your gift choice in a witty card, while subtly putting down all those other food whores who went for the real thing.

Hop over to www.fredflare.com and order some junk food.  Everyone (thighs included) will thank you.

Friday, November 28, 2008

For Your Favorite LA Face


Yes, this is a geographically specific gift.  But it's such a pleasure and an indulgence, I felt driven to post it.

Stress.  Hormones. Gunky air.  It all leads to that unfair result: zits galore and a clogged complexion.  But I have the Los Angeles solution to lousy skin: Arielle at Club Prive.  Arielle is a facial wizard.  Her 90 minute treatment (in a dark, quiet room) will relax even the twitchiest of stressballs.  Not only does Arielle manage to cleanse every pore, she massages faces with hot rocks for what seems like a blissful eternity.  Her products are French and smell fabulous (and hey, those French women drink and smoke and still look wonderful, so they must know something we don't).  

Club Prive is in an extremely private location in Westwood. There's plenty of parking and it's NEVER noisy.  I vote it as the best facial experience in LA, and a perfect gift for a very special and worried friend.  Or, hell, for yourself if you can wrangle someone into giving you a treatment.  'Cause beauty costs.

Dial Arielle at Club Prive: 310-470-4708.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Fiddlehead Ferns On the Roof


If you live in a super urban environment like New York, you know that outdoor space is often at a premium, and is often in the sky.  The city rooftop garden is considered an ultimate apartment dweller dream come true.  In fact, they're so nice, even those of us with decks and yards envy hardcore urbanites their verdant aeries. 

Until now.  Check out this concept: a planter designed just like a lilliputian tenement, complete with its own rooftop garden. You plan your mini landscape.  You plant the plants or sow the seeds.  You can even add dollhouse deck furniture if you desire the diorama effect.  And then you watch your very own rooftop garden grow.

If this planter is too big or out of your price range, check out the drain grate planter instead (not as luxurious, but witty).  You can find both at www.mollaspace.com.  

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Boozy Bonsai


Ah, citified oenophiles.  They love a fine vintage, but live out of town.  You could send them a fine bottle or two, but that carries risk.  Temperature changes, sloppy shipping, and misplaced packages can turn the finest wine into unpalatable vinegar.

So maybe shipping actual nectar of the vine isn't such a good idea (and, god knows, these people have every glass and decanter known to man).  What to do?  Send them their own vineyard.

Well, on a micro level.  With this lovely grapevine bonsai, they can at least pretend they're residing in Napa (on their balcony).  This actual cabernet grapevine is not only adorably reinterpreted as a tree, come harvest time it'll produce actual wine grapes.  And what your boozy friends do with those grapes is their business.

You can find Bacchus's favorite gift pick at www.vivaterra.com.  It'll last way longer than any wine buzz.

Monday, November 24, 2008

NOT for the Birds


Usually Thanksgiving and holiday decor is fairly limited and lacking in wit.  There's the squat fake turkeys roosting on the dining room table.  Or twee miniature pilgrims gathering for their donated feast.  And don't get me started on the ridiculous gourd displays (why, god, why?).

One of the great things about Thanksgiving (and the holidays generally) in a warmer clime is having the outdoor space.  And I have the perfect decorative item for that mid-century modern patio or spanish hacienda courtyard.  Present your hostess (or yourself, if you've been tapped with bird duty this year) with a flaming birdhouse outdoor candle.

Available in a completely season appropriate autumnal brown, these flaming birdhouses on stakes will decorate your yard for the holidays and beyond.  They're a riff (albeit a tasteless riff) on the LA fire season.  They're also a reminder of your entree's noble fate.

You can find the flammable birdhouses at www.conranusa.com.  And if you're indulging in tofu this year, think of them as a turkey protest statement.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Excuse me while I rant...

... about magazine gift guides.  Yeah, ok, I know they're print media, and not online, and that they don't really matter.   But I like to gather and then disseminate information, so I try to read all the magazine gift guides anyway.  And sometimes, like in the cases of Lucky and Domino, the guides aren't too bad.

However, this is a rant about crummy gift guides, and I have two examples to share.  The first, in Elle Decor, should be called the "Recession Denial" gift guide.  Yes, I know that Elle Decor is a snooty interior design mag (although it pales in comparison to Architectural Digest).  But, really, does anyone right now want to buy someone a $4,500 Kelly Wearstler brass box (although it makes the Ralph Lauren $2,895 boxes on the facing page look like a relative bargain).  And the boxes are understandably empty, since ostensibly you've blown your entire gift budget on the one item, and can't even afford a pack of gum to grace the inside.
Here's some more Decor craziness:
  • Four Ikat place mats for $270 (that look like you could've picked them up at Anthropologie)
  • Photo cases for $7,400 (empty as well)
  • A very furry and purple Hermes clutch for $2,450
  • A panoply of lower priced items so generic, they could be given to any number of strangers rather than your friends.
Some guides specialize in items that will offend no one but won't please anyone, either. InStyle's gift guide is stuffed full of 'em.  Check this out:
  • A bright pink travel backgammon set (that's some gaming)
  • $300 Victoria Beckham rainbow hued sunglasses for that Oleson twin reject look
  • Lots of (again) empty boxes
  • Crappy fake sparkly jewelry, suitable only for little girls but with big girl prices.
Is any of this stuff worth giving?  Does any of it match up with anyone you know?  It's so uncreative, so hopelessly spoon fed to lazy editors by rabid product pr specialists.  God, I'd rather just resort to the (god forbid) gift certificate route.

Thanks for humoring the rant.  I'll be back with the real gift ideas tomorrow.
  

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Vegan Carry Out


I know what you're thinking.  You think this entry is about vegan food.  Nope.  While I was a vegetarian in college (with an occasional fall off the wagon for a carnitas burrito), I can't quite get with the vegan victuals.  It's food that constantly has to pretend to be something it's not.  Little soy strips masquerading as a Reuben sandwich seems pathetic.  Obviously, the soy strips can't stand on their own; therefore, I will go eat a real Reuben instead.  At least it knows what it is, for god's sake.

So you won't be giving the vegan on your list any Miso Mayo.  Fine.  There's a bunch of other restrictions, though.  No silk (those little worms work too hard).  No leather.  No fur (ok, I'm against fur and you'll never see a fur item on this blog).   There is a solution, though.

A company called Matt and Nat is making wallets, sans bovine, reptile, stingray, or any other member of the animal kingdom.  Instead, these wallets and clutches are made out of Japanese paper.   It's vegan trickery at its best, since, unlike the aforementioned soy strips, this paper mimics leather to an uncanny degree.  Plus, they come in lovely colors like muted purple and gray.

Check them out at www.noniboutiquela.com.  Then go get a carnitas burrito.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Italian Engineering


Nothing beats the Italians for ingenuity.  The art.  The food.  The churches.  The bras.

Yeah, you heard right.  That Italian penchant for building big, seamlessly, and ambitiously really pays off on the lingerie front.  I'm thinking of one brand in particular, a brand that's difficult to find in the states: Ritratti.  And their one bra in particular: the Star.
As you can see from the photo, it's built a little differently.  On first glance, it seems impossible that it could work (sort of like looking up at the dome of the Duomo for the first time).  But work it does, and even on a rack like mine, which is hardly Romanesque in style.

So, who do you buy a very specially engineered bra for, anyway?  I'm guessing that there might be a lingerie freak on your list somewhere.  Or a silly bridal shower to attend (you might as well inject some culture).  Better yet, a friend who'd like to have plastic surgery but never would.  The Star would definitely help her temporarily achieve her secret goal.

Get some uplift at www.barenecessities.com.  

Tiny World


Everyone has control issues.  But, for some, it reaches the point where they really need their own tiny world.  

Enter the Ecosphere.  These self-contained, fully operational ecosystems have been around for a while.  Inside a glass ball or sphere, you'll find sea water, tiny red shrimp, algae, rocks, and sticks for scenery.  Given a modest amount of sunlight every day, this tiny world will produce its own oxygen, grow its own food source, feed the shrimp, and keep everything at a comforting status quo.  The crustaceans can live for years in there, happily nibbling and frolicking in their shrimpy way.

Now, it's true that your dictatorial friend might not be able to control everything in his Ecosphere.  There's no critter control and no high drama.  But he can make sure the sun rises and sets every day, and that's pretty much as godlike as it gets.  

A caveat: these worlds are fragile, so don't let kids or pets near them (one good shake is an unnatural catastrophe).  
Mail order them at www.eco-sphere.com.

Monday, November 17, 2008

What's that smell?


I'll be the first to admit that perfume is a very tough gift item.  Perfume is personal.  It's individual.  It follows you through your everyday life.  And, most of all, it SMELLS.

Smelling, in and of itself, is not a bad thing.   But what smells like a field of flowers to you can smell like a whole heap of allergy to someone else.  My mother used to gasp for breath and roll the windows down in the car (cursing and muttering unmentionables all the while) when faced with a scent she hated.  Now, I believe I've found the possible exception to objectionable perfume: HEELEY.  And one HEELEY scent in particular: Menthe Fraiche.

Basically, it smells like moroccan mint tea mixed with a little sugar (maybe with a bit of lemon mixed in for kicks).  It's not a scent that hangs all over you like a shroud.  It doesn't have any synthetic musk notes that make 'em wheeze.  I wear it myself and I've given it to several people, all of whom love it.  Plus, it smells like food.  And men like things that smell like food.  The only scent that might be better than this one for attracting the opposite sex would be a perfume reeking of pepperoni pizza.

HEELEY perfume is available at www.luckyscent.com.  They'll also send you samples.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Lofty Luddite



It seems clear to me that if you're reading this blog, you're probably not opposed to technology.  After all, computers and mobile phones, high definition tv and internet dating, Bluetooth enabled cars and Facebook "friends" are all just part of your everyday landscape.  But what about the technological misfits?

You know who I'm talking about.  The stubborn people who still use a typewriter.  They still have their answering machine with its original cassette tape intact. Caller ID?  What's that?  And for them, the Internet is something someone named Al Gore invented to steal their identity, send them emails from African government officials and get them addicted to porn.  None of that newfangled technology for them, thanks.

They are the Luddites.  And you can't change them.  But you can give them something to make their rigid little hearts beat a little faster.  Designer Gary Gibson opened his loftlike showroom in Los Angeles partially because he loved to collect things.  And his collections are firmly
 rooted in the deeply nostalgic past.  Check these out:
  • How about an entire array of old oil cans (looking very much like a Tin Man tribute)?  
  • A set of much used wooden mallets (originally from the midwest)  
  • One of the more interesting old items I found was a display of old sprinkler faucet handles, which were everywhere in the 1970s but disappeared with the advent of watering timers.  
Everywhere I looked, Gibson's store harkened back to a past where Luddites still long to tread.

Gibson's web site (www.garygibson.com) shows off art, furniture and interior design too.  He gets in new old stuff frequently, so you can always contact him through the site for the newest goods for your oldest (or oldest-seeming) friends.

Friday, November 14, 2008

There's One Born Every Minute




Babies, that is.  Or at least it seems as though the little screamers are being born in my crowd constantly.  And I'm sure you have your own fecund group, demanding gifts for their newborns.

Of course, you're not buying for the baby.  The baby is barely beyond amoeba and can't even SEE what you've given it for months yet.  You're buying a gift for the parent.  While there's endless registry items to choose from, on occasion something more personal is required (anyone can charge a Bugaboo Frog).  Something that's unusual, quirky, and brings a smile to parent and baby alike.

Like a letter from artist Susan Arena's "Joe's Alphabet."  Originally a series of 24 paintings (one for each letter, duh) and painted in honor of her son Joe's arrival, Arena transformed her canvases into gorgeous, affordable prints for baby's room.  Arena's themes are mostly animals, but resonate with a sense of mystery and menace rather than mere cuteness (sort of like childhood itself).  Match a letter up with Baby's first or last name.  Frame it or don't.  They look great virtually anywhere; I have one (the letter "E," featuring a very demure and retiring elephant) on my daughter's bedroom door.  The only downside is you'll have to wait until you know the kid's name to make your choice.  But don't worry; the baby will never know the gift was late.

Go to www.susanarena.com to check out all the letters from A to Z.

Shrinky Dink



I think I'm probably limiting my gift-giving audience here, but this situation must apply to someone, somewhere: what do you get your shrink? My first impulse was to go for a plant.  Yes, a living green thing your shrink must display and tenderly care for, else it shrivels and dies.  Watch it carefully over the following months for signs of deterioration.  You know you're always looking for a reason to terminate treatment, and here it is!

But wait.  There's something so much better.  Try a Tank Book.  These shrunken volumes of gloomy classic lit are packaged just like a real pack of cigarettes.  It's so rare that you can give your shrink a gift so heavy with hidden portent.  The ciggie packaging symbolizes your addictive needs (and is a painful reminder to your doctor just how badly they want a smoke to ward off boredom and drowsiness during session).  And don't even get me started on the titles.  I'm torn between Conrad's Heart of Darkness or Kafka's double whammy of The Metamorphosis and The Penal Colony.  One of these tiny tomes gives your shrink endless opportunities for analysis.  This isn't just a gift: it's job satisfaction wrapped in cellophane.

Try going to www.tankmagazine.com.  Alternatively, go to www.tenover6.com.  They aren't on the store's site, but if you call or email, they'll gladly fill your order.  And did I mention they're only 15 bucks?

Thursday, November 13, 2008

So green, it smells like the lawn


I'll be perfectly honest here and say just how annoying the whole "green" thing is, particularly in Los Angeles.  Here we are, in one of the most polluted places on the planet, and rich people in the Hollywood Hills think that by purchasing a hand-plucked, humanely raised alpaca schmatte, they're somehow saving the planet.  It's consumerism at its most smug.

Still, there's nothing wrong with making a bit of an effort on the green scene.  Especially when there's always at least one person on your gift list who will be impressed.  You know the one. Never a close relative or friend, but someone who's involved with someone you're close to, a person who refuses to use Saran Wrap and starts their own compost pile... even though they live in a fourth floor walkup.  Compost, indeed.

That's why these mugs from www.uncommongoods.com are so perfect.  They look like corrugated cardboard, a renewable resource.  But, they're actually porcelain and dishwasher (or handwasher) safe.  Doubly renewable!  And, because going green should always involve sacrifice of some kind, these cleverly designed cups have no handles, adding a bit of digit warming risk every morning.  

Sending Home the Bacon: Smoke for the Foodie

Buying for a foodie can be a challenge.  Let's face it: they've already bought every kitchen gadget known to man, they're on all the food blogs and know all the latest food trends.  And forget about trying to treat them to a great dinner somewhere, since they've been there and done that six months ago.  Yeah, I live in Los Angeles, where this all might be a bigger problem than in, say, Peoria.  But I'm sure you have someone on your gift list with a food fetish.  Everybody does.

So here's the thing: forget super-gourmet.  It's a waste of time.  Go for some old-fashioned Heartland-of-America nostalgia factor.  Give them some pig.  And not just any pig.  After sampling my trayf-ridden way through plate after plate of bacon, I've concluded that Nueske's is number one.  Made in Wisconsin, it shrinks less (more swine for the table), and its smoke flavor beats all hell out of anything else on a Sunday morning.  Forget those "bacon-sampler" packages you can find online at various foodie sites, too.  While those packages may contain some Nueske's, I see no reason to waste taste bud action and shipping costs on anything but a box full of the real thing.

Go to their site at www.nueskes.com and design your own porky package.  Anything is fabulous.  Just make sure to include some of their canadian bacon, a sure-fire smoky addition to everything from frittatas to bean soup.  It'll make them squeal.


Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Welcome to Find a Toad

Welcome to Find a Toad, a blog dedicated to (hopefully) helping you find the right gift for anyone and everyone in your life.

First off, what does Find a Toad even mean?  I could give a long winded explanation (my blog, remember?) about a childhood nickname, reclaiming years of embarrassment in a positive light, and a fondness for a beloved kids' book.  All that's true.  But I thought it had a sort of memorable, funny ring besides.  Hell, we're always looking for princes in the worst places (sorry, all two of my straight guy readers, for leaving you out).  It's better in just about every case to find a toad.  Sometimes it might turn into a prince, but even an insanely useful, voracious insect eating amphibian isn't so bad compared to the schlock that's out there.  I'm on the lookout for toad-like gifts that magically transform into princes upon receipt.

So onto the gift concept.  Every magazine on earth has a gift guide this time of year.  Most of them are shameless examples of publicity at work: samples and "gifts" get sent to writers and editors, and they take the path of least resistance by writing about them.  Rarely do I see an innovative gift guide (InStyle is the guiltiest party for this kind of giveaway journalism); Domino and Lucky magazines tend to have the best gift arrays (but I'm suspicious of these as well).

I'm planning to divide giftees into categories.  Not just "He," and "She," and "Baby," but "The Best Friend with More Money Than God Who Can Buy Whatever She Wants."   After all, ANYONE can buy a baby gift (what's the tadpole going to do, complain?), but not anyone can buy the perfect gift for "The Perpetually Dissatisfied Mother-In-Law," or the "Friend's Wife Who Claims to Hate Materialism."  Hopefully, I can help out there.