GIft Guide 2012 - Priceline Stocking Stuffers

This is part of a series of gift guides I am putting together and posting up until Christmas. Please be sure to check out the others Here! 

We're getting down to the last week now, and it's truly heading towards panic stations. Unfortunately you don't have much chance of receiving anything from overseas in time now, so it's into the shops we go!
Priceline has a great range of stocking stuffers, ideal for tweens, teenagers, women, and the odd surprise for boys and girls too. As far as I'm concerned, to make an gift a good stocking stuffer it has to tick a few boxes:

• Bulky - Does it take up a substantial amount of room in the sack?
• Suited to the receiver - Men won't often appreciate a Hello Kitty bathwash.
• Good item to price ratio - Gives you change from a $20? Good. Gives you change from a $10? Perfect.

Here are my current picks from Priceline - 

A - Models Prefer Hot Hair Styling Kit

B - Batiste Dry Shampoo Bonus Packs

C - Umberto Giannini Hair Styling Kits

I love how retro glamour is coming back, this curling tool kit will get you well on your way to getting perfect curls. The Batiste packs are awesome, for about the same price as a normal bottle they have released two varieties with useful hair tools: A hair towel and a shower cap. I may have bought a pair just for myself, (I was in the market for a shower cap anyway....)

With the Umberto Giannini packs, I'm not sure if they're available from all Priceline stores as I only spotted them at Carindale. However, if you see one, snap it up. I don't think you will find a cheaper way of purchasing the tools included, hair donuts, tail combs, velcro rollers etc. and last I saw they had buy one get one free ...

Have you nabbed all your presents yet? Who do you still have to shop for?

Gift Guide - Stocking Stuffers

This is part of a series of gift guides I am putting together and posting up until Christmas. Please be sure to check out the others Here! 

Admittedly, I've gone a little AWOL on my Christmas gift guides, time is just running out! There's just over two weeks until Christmas and most online shopping retailers are starting to call time on shipping.
However, here's part one of some last minute stocking stuffers to help nudge you over the line!

1 - Soap and Glory Soaper Heroes gift pack available from Mecca Cosmetica

2 - Kit Cosmetics Lip Balm available from Mecca Cosmetica

3 - Whisky Stones Available from Mighty Ape

4 - DIY Party Pom Pom Kit available from Sportsgirl

5 - Wall Mounting Jewellery Rack available from Sportsgirl

More coming over the next week!

Gift Guide - Homebody

This is part of a series of gift guides I am putting together and posting up until Christmas. Please be sure to check out the others Here! 

Homebody may be a slightly misleading description of this person, Houseproud might do it better! We all know someone who takes great pride in maintaining their home and filling it with gorgeous little knick knacks and treasures. Perhaps these might suit their style?

I don't feel like a house is truly a home without at least a few books kicking around. I don't care much for the new electronic reader technology, give me the smell of old books over strained eyes and something that feels utterly fake any day! Cute bookends add the finishing touch to any collection, here are a few goodies.

Vinyl Record Bookends from Typo

The End Bookend from Lark

People who love their homes often want to show them off, so why not give them some gorgeous servingware for the next time they're entertaining? (Gives them more reason to invite you over too!) Platters for me are something that are to be used to frame your food. What may perfectly complement a table full of colourful salads and BBQ cooked fare may not work as well for a more classy afternoon tea affair or even a make-your-own taco fiesta.

22 cm Hand drawn Lacey Serving Bowl by Yvonne Ellen

37.5 cm Fiesta Round Platter and 35 cm French Bull Melamine Platter both available at Peter's of Kensington

Another cute idea you won't find everywhere are these unique wire wall art Sculptures. I admit, my eyes may have done their little "dawwwww!" thing and widened when I first spotted the bunny sculpture. Each of them are handmade and differ slightly to others, so like hand blown glass no two are the same.

Owl, Bunny and other designs available from Life on Wire

Gift Guide 2012 - Foodie

This is part of a series of gift guides I am putting together and posting up until Christmas. Please be sure to check out the others Here! 

Shopping for foodies is probably one of my favourite things to do, there's always a new gadget, or book to look at and in my opinion food styles and hot items can change just as quickly as fashion! Cupcakes, Whoopie pies, Macarons, etc they've all had their moments recently and opened up the idea of cooking and baking being a worthwhile skill to have to a younger generation who otherwise may never have learnt!

Cookies are a great way to open up the kitchen to novices and the results are great for spreading the love, I found these cute cookie stamps, hopefully there's something for all kinds of bakers! Cookie stamps in a variety of cute, hipster, indie and creepy.

A - Baked with Love Stamp available from Portmans

B & C - Munchstaches and Gingerdead Men Stamps available from Mighty Ape

D - Home Made stamp available from Lark

An idea for someone who likes to play with cocktails and liquid concoctions would have to be this nifty Zoku quick pop maker. It has the ability to create icy poles in minutes! Imagine the possibilities, you could use it to make a nice cooling after workout healthy treat that freezes while you exercise, or you could turn all those favourite summer cocktails into frozen treats. Not only do you have treats in minutes but you know exactly what went into them. It comes in various types that can make anywhere from one to three Zoku pops at once (I think the three would be great for someone who has people over a lot!) and come in a range of colours to match various kitchen decors.

Zoku Pop makers in single, two or three

Unfortunately the official website only ships to the USA, but you can also buy them in Australia here or here.

Loving this week: Couture Nail Colour!

For the artistically inclined and nail obsessed person in your life (even if that's you,) I have found an awesome discovery: Customizable nail polish. You choose the shade, the cap, colour (!!), label (name it whatever you want) and box and have it shipped out as you wish, How cool is that for an idea? Personally I love the studded cap with Porchester Square polish, a gorgeous taupey grey. I love a good base colour that I can apply crazy nail art to. I also think this would make an awesome momento for bridesmaids thank you gifts.
Here's what I came up with.

Check it out at Nails Inc's Website here.

Bought! Bento Lunch kit

So it may come as a surprise to some readers that I am fascinated by Japan. I may not be obsessed like I used to be in my teenage years but I still harbour a real soft spot, Ironic since I've never been, but that's what we have the internet to be thankful for. I can find out so much, see so much, and BUY so much more then I ever could 10 years ago!
Bento is a traditional lunch style in Japan, consisting of compact home made meals. think of it as a Rice based (but not always rice based) lunch box and you're on your way there. You may have seen them in your local sushi store, those gorgeously presented flat meals in trays. Mega healthy normally too.
So playing in with my occasionally kitschy nature I spotted this cute as a button set on eBay and quickly snapped it up. Bright pink of course with a kitty theme, my inner twelve year old is exploding. The cute kitty ears that pop up when the bag is tied? Too good!

I plan on using it to tote around lunches that are good to eat either cold or at room temperature, I bought this from the seller littlejapanmama but as I only just bought it today I can't recommend her just yet. (I'll update!)

Easy how to make fabric bunting

This really is one of the greatest learn-to-sew projects I think there is, you only sew in straight lines, and you end up with something totally unique, cute and usable.
Bunting is a fantastic home decoration that is coming back into fashion, and it can be brought out on any occasion or just hung about your house year round, for me this will probably live on a huge blank wall in my kitchen.
So often people dive in head first and end up scared off because the spectacular frock they envisioned in their mind is nothing like the interesting ... thing they've created. It can be really disheartening so this is why I encourage simple projects to start off with.

Want to make some bunting? After the jump.

Bought! Cupcake memo pad from Dotti

Does anyone else go Christmas shopping and wind up buying for themselves as well? I'm guilty of it but I try to do it on a more 'one for me, one for who I'm shopping for' basis, but this was just too cute! I had to buy one, it was taunting me! But I know a friend who would love it just as much, So under the tree it goes.

Cupcake memo pad from Dotti

Christmas gift ideas: Fitness Fanatic

I've tried to come up with ideas that will work for both seasoned sports girls and the ones who are just finding their feet, encouragement is a great thing, but possibly the best thing you can give a newbie is to go with them!

Under $30:
As I've previously mentioned, I do quite like a fun slogan singlet, Asana makes some good ones if not slightly in your face a times, but like I also said back then, I look down on anyone who uses the word 'chockies' (I don't care if you earn them one step at a time... chockies is a stupid word!)

Slogan Singlets $29.99 each

Under $50:
A lot of sportswear comes with pockets for your gear but not all of them do, a bum bag is one of the ways you can carry your keys and ipod. Yeah, they are a little daggy but I like this Lorna Jane one, it's flat and fashionable in a way that won't date.

LJ Bum Bag by Lorna Jane $39.99

Under $100:
I thrash the crap out of my gym bags, and they only last a few months without something falling apart on me, so I'm almost always in the market for a new one, I look at them having enough room to hold everything, looking good, having a long over the shoulder strap and some pockets to hide little things.

adidas Clima365 Team Gym Bag $59.95

Christmas gift ideas: Girlie girl

For starters, I would assume that this particular friend of yours is partial to looking and keeping her house in a girlie manner?

Under $30:
This Bunny ring dish is adorable, it reminds me of Thumper from Bambi.

Ring dish $24 from Have You Met Miss Jones

Under $50:
I love this key hook and have it in my mind to buy it for myself too! don't think that renters can't put it up either, some of those temporary picture hooks will hold this up nicely!

Brass Key Hook $45 from Prue Trollope

Under $100:
The gleam of an Alannah Hill bag waiting in your hand is enough to make most girlie girls squeal. Alannah has a range of accessories that will do the trick nicely, I really love this belt, it will complete a simple dress perfectly.

Hello Sailor Girl! belt $99 by Alannah Hill

Christmas gift ideas: Crafter

The problem is with some crafty types that sometimes they stick to their niche and don't really stray from that. There are stacks of crafty activities; knitting, sewing clothing, scrap-booking, card making, crochet, quilting, pottery, even glass-work. So I'll try to come up with ideas that will cross a wide variety, but even then, you may end up poking them into something they love with a gift a bit to the left of what they're already into.

Under $30:
One major problem that I find that comes with being crafty is that it is damn messy! and I never have enough space to put everything, looking into what sort of craft they do and finding a suitable storage solution to what they already do will be infinitely appreciated. Little plastic sets of drawers are great for papercrafts, while storage portable suitcases are good for sewing, Even tackle baskets are awesome for sewing bits and pieces.

Under $50:
Updating your friends stock of tools she uses is another good idea. as I often don't even realize that the needle I've had in my machine is about 5 projects old, and I didn't even realize that I shouldn't use the same pair of scissors to cut both fabric and paper for a long time. Buying them a new set of scissors, a new crochet hook set (and roll to keep them in!) can prove invaluable.
Another idea is to book them into lessons in a craft that they have mentioned in the past, but this is a tricky one, you need to have listened really carefully, and maybe even stalked their google history!

Under $100:
This present can seem a bit nana-ish, totally get that but so can half of crafty activities when you think about it, I still get called a babushka for my willingness to sew my nieces and nephews presents (FFS! it's cheap and chips and really personal, what's wrong with that??) So I'm going to suggest a Cuttlebug machine, or if they already have one, some  stencils for it. It's worth hunting on the internet as they come in a wide variety of sizes, big shot are sturdy and can cut more materials, Cuttlebugs are your go to user friendly machine, there are other ones and if you're really confused, find yourself a shop assistant or online forum to see what other people think.

Cuttlebug 2

Christmas gift ideas: Fashion fiend

The ultimate for this and for all price ranges is to buy them a gift card for their favorite store, you let them choose, you know it will get used, and even better, they'll put it to good use during the sales! It's what I ask for every year.

Under $30:
A good accessory can make an outfit, and even better is when you get an item that looks expensive, without the redic price tag. Diva can be a little hit and miss, but if you have a sharp eye you can find some excellent buys, take this Diva cuff, it's perfect for summer, it will work for beachy, boho and ethnic looks and that's just off the top of my head.

Diva Cuff $16.99

Under $50:
What I love about this jewellery box is hat the clear perspex you can see exactly what is in there before you get into it, helping you plan your outfit in a quicker time.

Jewellery Box by ASOS roughly $50 AU

Under $100:
Magazines subscriptions are a great option when you're not sure if someone you are buying for will like what you buy them. Choose wisely, but luckily for fashionistas there is a wide variety, I would recommend Shop til you Drop in Aus, one of my favourites!

Christmas gift ideas: Make-up Addict

I'm a fond believer that when you buy someone a gift, it shouldn't be something they need so to speak, but something they want, or something they would never buy for themselves.

Under $30:
Case in point, I can't often justify buying MAC products when I know that a lot of cheaper products do the same job just as well (don't shoot me ladies, there are a lot of things MAC does better then anyone, colour variety in foundation for one?) But I do like to take care of my brushes, so I'd buy this as a special little something for my make up addicted friends to have on their counter so they can keep their brushes in top condition!

Brush cleaner by MAC $20

Under $50:
Had a moment at the baby shower last weekend where we had a game, and whichever group came up with 6 lip-glosses or lipsticks first won. I managed to win for my team in two seconds flat by emptying my handbag onto the floor. I thought everyone carried around multiple options??
Every Christmas a lot of brands bring out beautiful lip gloss kits (that I looooooove to snap up on Boxing day for cheap!) Here are my picks.
Benefit make amazing Lip gloss, its applies well, and doesn't stick your lips together. A set of six to last you forever? Yes please.

Benefit Glossytown $26 (on-line)

Not to be forgotten is Clinique's gorgeous set, SPF  15+, great colours, and a cue little pouch to keep essentials in your purse.

Clinique long last shine Gift set ($49)

Under $100:
If you feel like going all out for your make up fiend, my ultimate would be to buy them the Urban Decay Book of Shadows. Of course, it's a total pain in the ass because there are no stockists (that I know of) in Australia so you're stuck buying it on eBay. However, the response I got from a friend of mine last year when she unwrapped it, wow, her boyfriend was cut as because she squealed over my gift and not his! This year the palette is really wearable with a lot more neutral shades, if you're going to buy it, buy it now because you want to make sure it will ship here in time! It also features a powerful mini speaker keyring, and QR codes that link your phone up to demos on the shadows! High tech stuff ladies...

Urban Decay Book of Shadows IV $64 (USD) Additional speaker and phone not included.

Another option if you don't feel like dealing with online bullshit would be this brush kit by Napoleon Perdis. He makes fantastic brushes an the kits are a great way to buy them, also, note that  maake up fiend can never, ever have enough brushes!

Napoleon Luxe Ultimate brush set ($99)

Napoleon Luxe Basic Brush set ($69)

Christmas gift ideas: Foodie friend

It's just over a month away guys! It truly is the time to start feeling festive, get into it and start planning what you're going to buy for whom. Hopefully you have a little dosh up your sleeves? I certainly don't but it won't stop me from finding thoughtful gifts!
This post is for your friends and family who love to be in the kitchen, hopefully their repotior involves more then sandwiches?

Under $30:
I wish I could justify buying another set of measuring cups because these are too damn cute! Inside stacking matryoshka dolls, perfect use and display, they also come in owls!

Matryoshka Measuring Cups available from Typo

Under $50:
Ice cream machine have always been one of those frivolous items that cost too much to justify, so when I spotted this cute as candy red machine for $30, I knew I had to buy one! Or two... I can't see myself buying one to give and not picking one up for myself.

Licorice Ice cream Maker available at Myer

Under $100:

Yes, I am quite partial to Tupperware (I'm a retro housewife at age 24, sigh). This is one of their indispensable items, use it to obliterate anything that really needs to be chopped into tiny pieces. Minced onion? Done. Puréed anything? Give it a whirl. Easy dips? Yup yup! I gave one to my mother in law for Christmas last year, She wasn't impressed when she opened it, but once she used it, she raved about it!

Now because you are likely to require a whole Tupperware party to buy one, I'd suggest you just get on eBay and buy one instead.

TurboChef by Tupperware.

P.S If you have any other people genres for me to try and give ideas for let me know, I hope to do more then a few of these posts up until Christmas!