Okay, I’ll admit it: I am a bit of a shopper.
I enjoy finding items, gadgets, books, etc. Not just high end items, but products that are fun, well designed, interesting or unusual.
If you have people on your list who are tough to shop for, here are some suggestions from me to you. (We did a few of these last year and they were well received. I can continue to post my favorite eclectic oddities if the crowd likes.)
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• Great Summit: The Master Takes: Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong: (1961) One of the all time great jazz recordings.
An overlooked gem, even by fans of Duke and Satchmo. This is one of my favorite jazz recordings.
($8.99)
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• Capresso 465.05 10-Cup Coffeemaker with Conical Burr Grinder and Thermal Carafe: The first thing I did after we renovated our kitchen (plaster dust was still in the air) was order this coffee maker.
This is the upgrade to the Capresso 455, which longtime readers might recall as the antidote to our infamous “Your coffee sucks!” post.
($212.36 )
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• Californication: The Third Season: Californication has become my favorite premium cable series, and the first 2 seasons were brilliantly written, slyly acted, and surprisingly funny.
If you don’t anyone who you can give this to as a gift, you can stream it for free on Netflix. (You’ll thank me)
$28
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• Billy Jealousy White Knight Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser: On a trip to Dallas, I stayed at the hotel Zaza. In the bath room, I found these samples of various Billy Jealousy men’s products — shave cream, shampoo, etc., but the stand out was the Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser.
For the metrosexual on your gift list
($20).
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• Bee: Melding art and science, photographer Rose-Lynn Fisher puts the electron microscope images to use to reveal the microscopic majesty of these natural wonders.
BEE presents sixty astonishing photographs of honeybee anatomy in magnifications ranging from 10x to 5000x.
Fisher’s photographs uncover the strange beauty of the honeybee’s pattern, form, and structure
Discover Magazine: “The bee is ready for its close-up. Remarkable”
($19.77)
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• Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World: This may be my favorite book of the financial crisis — of 1929. It tells the history of the great depression through the tale of 4 central bankers in the US, UK, Germany and France. Pulitzer prize winner.
(paperback is $12.24)
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• Gnome Be Gone! My wife loves these whimsical sculptures, (it was a a birthday present this year). They are simple yet charming, and come performing in a variety of mischievous activities
Prices range from $29 -139.
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• Etón SCORPION NSP100OR: This Solar or hand cranked LED flashlight has a digital weather radio has AM/FM/NOAA Weather Band, can play music from your iPod, and recharge virtually any cellphone via its USB phone charger. (Bigger version with siren: ARCFR600R)
The perfect gift for your favorite survivalist! ($50)
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Previously:
Snowbound Shopping (December 20th, 2009)
Last Minute Shopping Ideas (December 22nd, 2009)
Yes Virginia, Gift Cards Do Suck . . . (December 17th, 2009)
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