Holiday Gift Guide
This holiday gift guide is an eclectic mix of unusual, unique, and one-of-a-kind gifts.
I have chosen these particular gifts because they are not the kind of thing that you can find just anywhere, nor would they necessarily be the first thing a sales clerk would suggest.
Some of them are made by hand, some of them are books on interesting topics, and some are found in out of the way places.
I have also given you links and leads to other places to look for interesting gifts for yourself, your acquainances, and your loved ones.
As you browse this lens, imagine yourself stepping into the doorway of a quaint little shop just packed to the brims with gifts of all sizes and shapes just waiting to be wrapped up and taken home.!
Enjoy the journey!
Featured in the Giant Squid Community Showcase
Yay! Featured on Tuesday, October 7, 2008

A List of the Rare, Unusual, and Somewhat Strange Gifts
A Fun Browse

- Featured in the Giant Squid Community Showcase
- This Guide is Stress Free Shopping
- How Do You Shop for Gifts?
- For Fans of a Christmas Story
- James Bond Theme Songs
- Rare, Used, or Out of Print Books
- The Four Agreements
- Chocolate Gifts
- Slippers--A Cliched Gift or Is It?
- Do You Have an Artist on Your Gift List?
- Dare to Be Different
- Custom Jeans for the Jean Perfectionist
- Never Enough Jewelry
- Jones Soda Holiday Packs
- Kosher Gift Baskets
- For the Cook in Your Family
- Soothe Those Aches and Pains
- A Source for Green, Organic and Healthy Gifts
- Recycled Bottle Dishware
- Help Others During the Holidays!
- The End to Boring Gift Ideas
- Autographed Items from Neautograph
- Does Your Child Just Love to Dress Up?
- Do You Know a Collector?
- Do You Know Someone into Eastern Thought?
- Great Gift for Music Lovers
- Take a Stroll Down Memory Lane
- Got a Groove on for the Seventies
- What Do You Prefer?
- Looking for the Bizarre?
- Curioser and Curioser
- My Little Toads
- Search for Your Own Unusual Gift Items
- For The Avid Reader
- Unusual Ties
- Personalized Stocking Stuffers or Favors
- I Predict. . .
- Do You Like to Swing on a Star. . .
- Lake Erie Artists Gallery
- Adorable Purr Prints
- Jessica's Bizarre Gifts and Toys
- Toys from the World of the Strange
- Help Young Chidren Live a Better Life
- More Sources for the Unusual
- The Wine Lover
- Having Trouble Choosing a Gift?
- Other Gift Lenses by Paula Atwell
- Use Images for Free
This Guide is Stress Free Shopping
No Sweat for Your Holiday Shopping This Year
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"The excellence of a gift lies in its appropriateness rather than in its value."
Charles Dudley Warner (1829 - 1900), 'Eleventh Study,' Backlog Studies, 1873
How Do You Shop for Gifts?
Procrastinate Until the Last Minute or Plan Ahead

For Fans of a Christmas Story
The Leg Lamp Makes a Perfect Gift

The movie A Christmas Story has become a classic to many fans. In Cleveland, Ohio where I live, the Christmas Story House that the movie was filmed in is a HUGE attraction. But the absolute most favorite item from the movie is the Leg Lamp. This is a must for any serious A Christmas Story fan.
James Bond Theme Songs
For the fan
Rare, Used, or Out of Print Books
Alibris is Your Best Source
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.
The Four Agreements
A Wonderful Book for Friends, Family or Acquaintances
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, A Toltec Wisdom Book
Amazon Price: $12.21 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and it reads in a voice that you would expect from an indigenous shaman. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. It's the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering. --P. Randall Cohan
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Chocolate Gifts
For Unique Gourmet Chocolate Lovers

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
Slippers--A Cliched Gift or Is It?
These Are Not Your Mama's Slippers (well, I guess they could be.)
Do You Have an Artist on Your Gift List?
There is nothing better to give an artist, than art supplies.
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.
Dare to Be Different
Do You Stand Out in a Crowd?
Custom Jeans for the Jean Perfectionist
Fit to the T
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.
Never Enough Jewelry
My motto

Small Square Bright Earrings
$45.00
City Style Earrings
$65.00
Simple Jasper Necklace
$35.00
Amber Crystal Necklace
$45.00
Amber Silver Necklace
$45.00
Baby Leaf Earrings
$25.00
Pearl Drop Earrings
$30.00
Mother and Child Necklace
$45.00
Square Earrings w/Pearl Drop
$55.00

Jones Soda Holiday Packs
Great for a laugh for Chanukah or Christmas
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.
Kosher Gift Baskets
For the Cook in Your Family
A Revised Classic
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.
Soothe Those Aches and Pains
Gifts to Comfort and Relax
Relaxation Wrap - Aromatherapy Hot/ Cold Therapeutic Wrap - Microwaveable Heat Pack - Moist Heat Herbal Wrap
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
A Source for Green, Organic and Healthy Gifts
Gaiam
Recycled Bottle Dishware
A Gift for Someone Who Has Everything

These dishes are made from glass bottles that are recycled from bars and restaurants here in Cleveland, Ohio by a local glass artist, Deby Cowdin. These are a set made from Grey Goose bottles and are available in lemon (pictured), orange, or plain (grey). The set comes with a flat cheese tray and a dish, accompanied by beaded utensils to match.
Price is $65 plus shipping.
To order, contact me.

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
"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
Help Others During the Holidays!
Give a gift of love

The End to Boring Gift Ideas
Fresh Trends
This blog--Fresh Trends--is constantly giving unique gift ideas. This is fun to read, and even more fun to shop.

Fetching RSS feed... please stand byNot what we give,
But what we share,
For the gift
without the giver
Is bare.
~James Russell Lowell
Autographed Items from Neautograph
Here is a great site for autographed posters and more

Celebrity Autographed Movie Posters and Memorabilia
"Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas." ~Kin Hubbard
Does Your Child Just Love to Dress Up?
What is More Fun Than to Pretend With Real Costumes?
Do You Know a Collector?
This Box is a Wonderful Home for Small Collections
Do You Know Someone into Eastern Thought?
Incense to Help Your Meditation
Great Gift for Music Lovers
Need to Find Something Different
Vintage Vinyl LP Record Coasters - Set of 6
Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Take a Stroll Down Memory Lane
Give a Box of Candy from Your Growing Up Years
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.

Christmas - Candy you ate as a kid® 4 lb.- 70s assortment with personalized box top message - $ 34.99
Wax Lips, Fizzies, Slo Pokes, Wax Bottles with flavored syrup, Candy Cigarettes, Necco Wafers, Candy Buttons on paper tape, Sugar Daddies, Mary Janes, Chiclets, Zagnut, Chunky, Abba-Zaba, BB Bats, Sen Sen, Chick-O-Sticks, Teaberry Gum, Kits, Sugar Babies, and many more candies from the 1970s... still available after all these years.
Got a Groove on for the Seventies
Here are Some Music Classics to Bring Back Memories
Top Hits of the Seventies: Chart Toppers
Amazon Price: $16.97 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Usually ships in 24 hours
What Do You Prefer?
For Holiday Gatherings, Would You Rather Give Gifts to Everyone or Just Enjoy the Company?
Fetching blurbs now... please stand byI Love Giving and Getting Gifts!
Intuitive says:
I've always loved picking just the right gift and/or making one.
Posted November 12, 2008
Jewelsofawe says:
I grew up giving and getting gifts with my family so I do tend to enjoy that and also company
Posted November 11, 2008
lilbabycakes says:
I have always believed in giving to receive. I enjoy holiday time with my family and friends.
Posted October 19, 2008
TraderGirl says:
I would enjoy both. If I had the money, I would like to give gifts, things people would enjoy. If not, fix everyone a nice meal and enjoy their company.
Posted October 19, 2008
Angelina_Howard says:
I love giving and giving. But I do enjoy the company because that is what memories are made of.
Posted October 13, 2008
It is Too Much Bother! Let's Just Relax Together.
dustytoes says:
I'd love to just have all my kids together in my house! With everyone spread out all over the country, that would be my gift!
Posted October 27, 2008
naturegirl7 says:
Actually, I'm in the middle. I like to give small, handmade gifts or food items and also relax and enjoy each others' company.
Posted October 08, 2008
awelldressedbullet says:
When I was a wee one, the gifts were a big part of the holidays, now (that I am waaaay older) I rather enjoy sitting around with family and good friends
Posted October 08, 2008

Looking for the Bizarre?
Something Strange and Wonderful
Book of the Bizarre: Freaky Facts and Strange Stories
Amazon Price: $11.21 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Usually ships in 24 hours
Curioser and Curioser
Gifts for Curiosity Seekers
Dead Men Do Tell Tales: The Strange and Fascinating Cases of a Forensic Anthropologist
Amazon Price: $10.85 (as of 07/05/2009)![]()
Usually ships in 24 hours
My Little Toads
For Babies and Moms to Be--A Touch of the Unusual
Search for Your Own Unusual Gift Items
Don't Like My List? Search for Your Own
For The Avid Reader
Amazon's Kindle--Carry Your Library With You
Unusual Ties
For The Tie Collector
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.

Indoor Dreams--Customizable colors
by
purrprints
Design a Necktie With www.zazzle.com
Personalized Stocking Stuffers or Favors
Customize a Gift
I Predict. . .
Holiday Predictions
My prediction:
lakeerieartists, at 12pm on October 3, 2008 predicts:
I predict that your gift giving will be more creative this holiday season.
Reader predictions:
Fetching predictions now... please stand by
kiwisoutback, at 12pm on December 5, 2008 predicts:
I'm having trouble thinking of gifts for some people, but this lens gave me some ideas. Thanks!
dustytoes, at 3pm on October 27, 2008 predicts:
That we will have a white Christmas in NH again this year!
Rajays, at 2pm on October 25, 2008 predicts:
I say that you are right. The world of possibilites just opened up.
knowgodnow, at 1pm on October 16, 2008 predicts:
I will sell my paintings!
WhitU4ever, at 10pm on October 8, 2008 predicts:
I predict you are right!
Fetching predictions now... please stand byDo You Like to Swing on a Star. . .
Carry Moonbeams Home in a Jar. . .

Here's my favorite link:
Adorable Purr Prints
Wonderful Gifts for Cat Lovers
Christmas brings enormous electric bills. Candles are used for Hanukkah. Not only are we spared enormous electric bills, but we get to feel good about not contributing to the energy crisis. ~KOACH Humor, "Holiday Distinctions Finally Explained" (KOACH College Outreach is a project of The United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism)
Jessica's Bizarre Gifts and Toys
Great for Gag Gifts and Things That You Can't Find Anywhere Else
If you are looking for the unusual, hard to find toy or gag gift, Jessica's is a great source. I mean, who doesn't need these. . .
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by"Gift giving is tough--I want to give something special this year!"
Toys from the World of the Strange
I am Not Sure What to Say about This Toy
Help Young Chidren Live a Better Life
Give to others during the holidays
More Sources for the Unusual
How Unusual is Your Gift Recipient?

Uglydolls from Calliope Boutique
- Uncommon Goods
- Unique accessories and other gift items.
- Mable's
- Novelty items.
- Vat 19
- Curiously awesome products.
- Etsy
- The source for all things handmade.
- Calliope Boutique
- Live exuberantly.

The Wine Lover
Signature Wines
Having Trouble Choosing a Gift?
Or Have Something to Add to this Lens?

TheFishCatcher wrote...
The Christmas Story lamp has got to be my all time favorite
Rewards4life wrote...
Nice things, the rubber ducks are brilliant. I am a, Procrastinate Until the Last Minute man but like to have it all planned out, not sure why but that's just the way... You have some really good books on here, I know what I'll be putting on my list. 5*
Intuitive wrote...
Is it possible to have too many goodies in one lens? I thought I wanted the jeans, but I love the little toads (even though I don't have kids), and there was something else, what was it... ? :) 5*
Other Gift Lenses by Paula Atwell
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Green Baby Gifts
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Babies are so precious. They are tiny and helpless. It is our job to nurture them so they can grow up in a wholesome and healthy environment. How better to create this environment, than to teach our children to live a green life from the start. This...
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Unique Christmas Stocking and Stocking Stuffers
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When I was a child, my mother would hand sew and personalize our Christmas stockings. She loved to add her personal touch to our Christmas stockings. She would sew a new one for each of us every year. Mom would find special nice Christmas material a...
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Magical Sesame Street Abby Cadabby Christmas Gifts
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What child doesn't dream about becoming a fairy and flitting and flying around the house? Bring some magic into your home this Christmas with Sesame Street's newest resident Abby Cadabby and save 10% on all orders over $50 at the Sesame Street store....
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A Christmas Story's Leg Lamp: The Wackiest Christmas Gift
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The Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story is one of the most iconic and recognizable movie props of all time. Replicas of the leg lamp have become prized "Major Awards" for fans everywhere. A Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd was inspired to create the...
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Cool Unique Art Gifts That Stand Out
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Do you want your gift remembered? Well, then you should be buying your gifts from artists. Their products are one of a kind, and stand out. Anyone can purchase a set of sheets from Target, but you won't remember where they came from. Art is different...
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