Unusual, Unique, and One of a Kind Holiday Gifts

"The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value."
Charles Dudley Warner (1829 - 1900), 'Eleventh Study,' Backlog Studies, 1873

A Christmas Story 50" Deluxe Large Leg Lamp

Are you trying to find a rare first edition signed copy of Alice in Wonderland for an avid book collector? If so, Alibris is the best source. Alibris is a company that brokers books from the independent owners to stores, and individuals. They have thousands of unusual books in all price ranges and categories. It is fun just to search their site.

Chocolate is a staple in many people's lives, for cooking, baking, and for eating when your boyfriend dumps you or you are fighting with your best friend.

One of my favorites to recommend is Endangered Species Chocolate because they donate 10% of their profit to help support species, habitat, and humanity. But there are other great chocolate companies. Below are some that I recommend.

Luxury Chocolate gifts from Hotel Chocolat


zChocolat.com

Artists are always in need of art supplies in whatever field they are in. The problem is, they know much better than you what art supplies they need. Art supplies are expensive, too, so they are the perfect choice to give as gifts to help alleviate the cost to your friends and family. There is a wonderful solution to this dilemna, and that is to give a gift certificate to Dick Blick's. Dick Blick's is the ultimate in art supply stores for professional artists. They have EVERYTHING! So you can feel confident in purchasing a gift certificate from them.

There is nothing more comfortable than a perfect pair of jeans. And here is one place that really follows through on that promise. Get a pair of jeans that you will never want to give up or buy a pair for your sweetheart that you will love to watch them wear. Each pair of jeans is custom made to fit your order. And the site walks you through the process.

I had to include this gift because it makes me laugh every time I think of it. What a fun gift for a friend for the holidays. Jones Soda comes up with holiday gift packs every year and here are the soda flavors in the Chanukah pack and the Christmas pack. Of course, you can choose whatever flavors you like, they don't have to be just these.

Chanukah Pack
Latke Soda, Apple Sauce Soda, Chocolate Coins Soda and Jelly Doughnut Soda.

Christmas Pack
Christmas Ham Soda, Christmas Tree Soda, Egg Nog Soda and Sugar Plum Soda.

No Kwanzaa Pack yet, but you can make up your own.

This book is a classic that has been revised and is now in paperback. A great cookbook for entertaining. A wonderful gift for any foodie or lover of great cooking.

New Elegant But Easy Cookbook
New in paper! Originally published in 1960, Elegant but Easy was a mixture of homegrown and imported recipes, liberally seasoned with butter, cream, and cheese (especially American cheese), with a generous helping of convenience foods. Now, almost forty years and 500,000 copies later, authors Marian Burros and Lois Levine have written a completely revised and updated version of the classic cookbook that set the standard for entertaining. The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook reflects the way we cook today while keeping the concept behind the original book: recipes that can be prepared ahead of time so the cook can enjoy the party instead of hovering over the stove. We all know that stirring risotto in the kitchen while your guests are gossiping in the living room is no fun. That's why all the recipes in The New Elegant but Easy Cookbook can be prepared in advance and refrigerated or frozen until your party. While sharing all-new recipes for delectable dishes like Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese, Mediterranean Couscous Salad, Michele's Corn Pudding, or an astonishing Prepare-Ahead Chocolate Soufflé, Burros and Levine have also included 50 favorites from the original cookbook, like Sherley's Parmesan Puffs, Baked Imperial Chicken, Green and Gold Squash, and Lois's Original Plum Torte (the most requested recipe ever reprinted in the New York Times). To make your life even easier, the book has new features, like an ingredients list with mail-order sources and lists of recipes for specific needs and occasions. Best of all, there are ten foolproof menus, from an Old-Fashioned Casual Dinner for 6 to a Brunch for 16 to Cocktails for 24, each with a shopping list and a two-week count-down game plan that will take the fear out of entertaining for even the first-time host.

Gaiam is a great source for healthy, green and organic housewares and clothing, and they are well known for their yoga gear. This is a great place to browse for anyone who is into the environment. And their items are really well made and beautiful.

"And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more." ~Dr. Seuss

"Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas." ~Kin Hubbard

My niece and nephew just love to dress up and play make believe. And they have an entire closet full of costumes and props to help. One minute they are pirates, and the next they are knights in shining armor. This is a great place to start for costumes and props.

There is nothing more fun than opening a box of candy from when you were in high school. I recently got one of these as a gift and I remembered so many friends that I used to share the candy with. Do you remember Now & Laters, Lemonheads, and candy cigarettes? Funny how small things like that bring back all sorts of memories.

If you know someone who collects unusual ties, there is no better place to get them than Zazzle. On Zazzle, artists can create ties from any design they wish. Below are designs from two artists.

Red Silk
by

dndartstudio

Indoor Dreams--Customizable colors
by

purrprints

Design a Necktie With www.zazzle.com

It is great to be able to have some small gifts for friends, housewarming gifts, or a thank you. For those people on your list that you have to get something small, there are great choices here.

Or just lay out in the yard on a hammock whiling the day away under the blue and cloudless sky. . .(okay, I added that to the song)

We all know wine lovers that are wine experts. It is always tough to buy them a gift of wine because we don't know enough to choose. Signature Wines offers us the chance to personalize the gift of wine for the individual. Great for corporate gifts too.