It's time for the 2012 gift guides, where I go catalog and online shopping for gift ideas that would work for all the avid readers you know. I have a lot of fun building the gift guides, especially when I find something like the Lowood Lacrosse tshirt and so many people go, 'HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS MUST BUY CLICK CLICK.' It's a relief I'm not alone in these things.
I've got a file of a few ideas already, but I wanted to put out a call for submissions. If you have a gift that works wonderfully for romance reading book loving folks in your life, I would LOVE to hear about it. Please email me at SarahATsmartbitchestrashybooksDOTTYcom with “Gift Guide” in the subject line, and tell me about it!
You are welcome to tell me about your Etsy store, your line of handmade fountain pen inks, your knitted slipper business, or your friend's boutique. But please make sure that there is a reason what you're sending to me would work as a gift for a book loving person, and that I can link to examples online.
I may not use every submission, but I will do my best to include your gift suggestions in this year's gift guides.
Let's get started – and keep reading because there's a giveaway at the end!
Classic Literature Board Books
Speaking of Jane Eyre, Carrie S sent me an email with a link which said, “How is it possible that I don't have this???” I replied, “OH MY GOD THERE ARE MORE OF THEM WANTWANTWANT.” What were we talkign about?
Classic literature board books.
Awwww, yeah. If there are new babies and little kids in your world, you can get counting primers based on Jane Eyre or Romeo and Juliet, or Pride & Prejudice. There are color primers based on Alice in Wonderland, too. These are counting and colors books, so it's not as if they're toddler-retellings of the books themselves, but if you're friends with readerly parents, these might be a very appreciated gift.
Sidenote: while we're talking board books, there is a Pantone™ Colors boardbook, too.
And I totally want a set for myself, even though my kids are no longer toddlers.
Leather Ereader Covers and Pewter Jewelry from Oberon Designs
Moving on: I've talked about my love of Oberon leather covers for ebook readers (and am sad my Oberon cover doesn't fit my new Kindle, so I've started saving up to buy a new one). This year, Oberon is trying to get more of my money, as they have leather cuff bracelets and pewter cuffs as well – in addition to the really beautiful tooled leather ereader and iPad covers.
They also have jewelry like scent amulets, necklaces of pewter charms on leather cord, and earrings. And hairclips, too.
Yeah. I'm sorry.
Multicolored Set of Disposable Fountain Pens
If you like pens, or know someone who does, here's a very simple gift that's great for a coworker or stocking stuffer or one of those nights of Hanukkah where you're not sure what to get someone because you've got 7 gifts and you just need one more – not that this has happened to me (Every Year) (ahem): the Pilot Varsity Disposable Fountain Pen set.
It's $15-$20, and features fountain pens in red, blue, balck, green, purple and pink. I have two Pilot Varsity pens on my desk (I have a little thing for fountain pens) and I love mine. It's lightweight and doesn't make my hand tired (I have one fountain pen that I bought on clearance that I could use to build my biceps, it weighs so much. Probably why it was on clearance) and it doesn't dry out easily, either. And they last a long-ass time.
So if you know any Pen People, or People Who Obsessively Buy Blank Notebooks, this might be a fun gift for them.
BookBoxes!
And here's your chance to get a gift early! I'm not usually the type to get excited about tchotskes, but I like hiding stuff (especially from myself, like when I put something in a special place so I won't forget, and then promptly forget) and I love hiding stuff in plain sight.
Misiu from BookBoxShop contacted me awhile back about doing a giveaway, and I wanted to save the idea for the holiday season. I think these would make a spiffy gift, especially if filled with candy, lip balm and tissues, or book gift cards. (Question: is a stack of bookstore gift cards the equivalent to a stack of books? I get the same rushed-heartbeat thrill at both, honestly. So much possibility).
The boxes have different themes, such as music or religious imagery, and some are really breathtaking.
Misiu has offered a box to give away, winner's choice, so if you're interested, now's your chance! I'm adding a $25 gift card to the bookstore of the winner's choice, so you get books in a book! Want to win? Leave a comment and tell us what you'd put in the box (aside from your junk, obviously) and you're entered to win.
Open to international residents. Must be 18 or over and near a bookshelf to win. Void where prohibited. Do not cut a hole in the box, no matter what Justin Timberlake tells you.
I'll be picking the winner at random on Friday, 23 November. Good luck! And happy Thanksgiving to all of you consuming turkey this week.
I’d keep receipts. Ones you have for potential returns, or for tax/reimbursement purposes. I’m terrible about leaving them scattered around my house!
I love boxes and these look beautiful. I’d probably put notes and things from my husband in it – my current box of husband memorabilia is about full. I don’t keep everything he gives me, but I keep a collection of funny post-it notes, ticket stubs, and heartfelt cards – including a couple notes “written” by our cats demanding food.
I’d probably store more collection of kept ticket stubs, and/or my bookmarks (I have a million bookmarks, but never seem able to find them when I need them).
Though the skull one shown here makes me think it would be a perfect birthday gift box for a couple of people in my life who think skulls are cool.
I’d put my unpaid bills in it, so I could pretend they weren’t there. Just kidding (I think). But, I love boxes and I’ll more than likely put money in it to save for my next vacation, which, by the way, is going to be to San Diego at the end of January ‘13 to see my oldest grandson graduate from Marine Corps boot camp. I think about him everyday and I am so proud of him as he is taking the first step towards defending our country. Hoorah!!!
I’d put photographs and other mementos in there.
You have to give gifts every night of Hanukkah, thereby fulfilling the mitzvah of causing anxiety and exceptional guilt. 🙂
Gosh, those look gorgeous! I’d probably use it to store my jewelry. I have way too many earrings.
I love all these ideas! Especially the fountain pens 🙂 The boxes are gorgeous! I would probably put special jewery there right next to my bed 🙂
The first thing that pops into my head—Id keep my stash of dark chocolate in there.
I would put all my bookmarks in the box. I have some very pretty ones, and they need a better place to live than their current plastic basket.
I would put my kids’ baby pictures in there.
The one pictured in the post obviously requires treasure to be put into it.
So, perhaps actual coins that I’m saving, or a wish list of books I’d like to get, or the lock of hair that needs a better spot.
My collection of silver rings.
My friends and I have taken our pictures together in a photo-booth at the Santa Cruz boardwalk every year since second grade. It’s such a precious collection of photo-strips, and they’ve sat loose on my bookshelf for years. I’d love to have a place I could keep them safe and tucked away…but still on my bookshelf!
I ADORE Oberon. I used to work at a store that sold thier stuff and every year I’d do a run of their things (bookmarks one year, checkbook covers, whatever) as my go-to gift for everybody on my list.
I need a good box like that. I’m planning to have a Croning on my 60th birthday in a few years, and one of the things done for a Croning is everyone writes down the things that they appreciate about you and the influence you have had on their lives and puts them all in a box for you to keep. This way I could keep it on the bookshelf by my desk and look through them whenever I want. Don’t know that I’d want the skull box for that, though. 🙂
All those little loose things that sit in front of my books because it’s the only “somewhere safe” that I can still find the stuff after about 5 minutes.
I’d use one of those to store all my bookmarks, at least in the beginning. It could quickly build a secret life…
I’m thinking I’d probably hide money and my diary in there (yep, 21 and I still have a diary). That way I wouldn’t be as likely to spend it all and actually save something!
I have a stash of author trading cards and bookmarks. Some are signed!!! I would put them all in one place for safekeeping. I KNOW some of them will be worth millions when the authors become famous. 😉
My mad money that I keep around.
I’m still upset that Oberon stopped doing Sony Reader covers, as the beautiful leather cover for my old, now broken Sony PRS-650 doesn’t fit my new T-1. So sad.
Those boxes are amazing, I like the idea of hiding my chocolate hoard in it. Or possibly some of my many blank notebooks with awesome covers that I keep picking up.
I love the book box! I’d keep my book plates in one.
my wild stash of bookmarks …
Those book boxes are beautiful! I would take one to work (the library – how appropriate) and store tea (and possibly ibuprofen) in it in my office
Question: is a stack of bookstore gift cards the equivalent to a stack of books?
I think the gift cards are even better – no duplicates or books that you would never want to read! (Although almost all of my book budget seems to go to my son now – I just can’t stop buying the little man books – and boy does he love books)
I would keep all of my Kindle and iPhone/iPod charging cords in it.
Bead projects: I have four repairs that I’m supposed to do for co-workers—some of which are a couple of years old—that I never get to because my beading area is so disorderly. Maybe if I had a box of projects & fixings in my reading area, I’d actually do them!
I would like to have one at my desk at work for my ‘oh shit’ kit—lotion, nail file, spare change, tampons, bandaids, floss, etc.
I would keep all my beautiful bookmarks in it. I have collected bookmarks for 30 years and have a huge collection that I treasure. 🙂
I love the idea some others suggested of putting greeting cards in there. I like to save some of them but they are stashed in several drawers around the house. It would be great to have them in one place!
I love that book box….but all I can think to use it for is to stash all those “naughty” things in it so my kiddo doesn’t happen upon it. So in essence…it would be a sex book box.
I would hide a secret store of emergency chocolate in my box. Just in case. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’d either keep my spare checkbooks in it so I’d stop losing them in my desk, or all of my anime convention ID tags, along with my ticket stubs from my trip to Ireland, Boston, and Baltimore and other little mementos from trips gone by.
I love book boxes! I think I would have to hide my book money in there…I need to save up to buy a new nook cover, my old one is literally disintegrating in my hands!
I’d put stationary in it. I’ve always wanted to splurge on personalized stationary but I’ve never bothered because I always lose it. If I designated the book box for it, then I could also get pretty stationary to go with it!
While I love the book boxes (so cool! so pretty!) I would love to give one to my Daughter so she could put all her pens and small notebooks in it. She wants to be a writer and this would be just the thing to keep those handy but neat.
I might store my receipts or maybe some cash.
I’d store all my ereader/iPad cords and accessories. It would be perfect for my kindle light and all the usb plugs.
I would put letters in the box. I have a letter that my Grandmother wrote me when she found out she was dying. I also have letters from my other Grandma for various life events and pictures of me and my Grandpa (who died when I was young and don’t really have any non-hospital memories of)
I would put my jewelry in it. Thanks for the giveaway!
Memorabilia from hubby – pictures, those mushy cards from when we were dating, concert stubs, honeymoon itinerary…that kind of stuff.