for your fashion forward friend, i love this gorgeous scarf by alena hennessy. made of super-soft knit jersey, it's thin enough to layer, but still sure to keep her warm all winter and into the spring. pick it up for $28 from hennessy's website.if she's more into jewels than jersey, i just can't get enough of this darling little hedgehog necklace from the curiosity shoppe - he's $20, and is sure to make any girl smile.
if she's a paper freak like i am, she'll love this gorgeous set of stationery by british designer cath kidson.
kidson is known for her over-the-top designs that manage somehow to make country into chic. the set includes 30 sheets of paper, mix-and-match envelopes, and a gorgeous gift box...all for $15.
or, if your paper freak friend likes things a little more refined, this letterpress calendar by decoy lab is one of the prettiest i've seen. buy it for $28 at their website, which is definitely worth checking over.
for the right-brained artist in your life, i just adore this little notebook by little otsu. it's divided into three sections: the first is designed for to-do lists, but each has an origami pattern printed on the back, so she has incentive to check off those errands. the second section is made of blank pages waiting for her random sketches...but each page is pre-printed with a frame, so her impromptu artwork has a proper setting. and the third section has a mix of all sorts of different note-taking pages, so she'll never get bored with the same old straight lines. nab it for $14, and shipping's free!
if she's a tea drinker, she'll love this tea-for-one mug from urban outfitters - the two pieces match up to make a gorgeous peacock, and you can nab it for $24. or, if she's more of an afternoon "coffee and snacks" person, i love this cafemug by shinzi katoh. it that comes with a little mini dish that's perfect for packing with your afternoon ration of m&ms. there are a few different designs, but i love the birdcage best - how can you resist something with the word "gazouillement" (chirping, in french) printed on the side? grab it for $18 at three potato four.
good things come in small packages. i think just about every girl out there can use another mini purse to organize her life - i know i could. my favorites these days are vintage-style frame purses, and the best i've found are over at etsy. for well under that $30 mark, you can pick up some really gorgeous options from sellers like oktak, absoluut (who makes hers using vintage fabrics - so cool!), and takae. throw in an accessory, like a cute lip gloss (i love these cocktail lip glosses by not soap, radio) or a mirror, and you have a gift you know will keep on giving all year long. just remember, these are all handmade, one-of-a-kind items...so shop early, and allow a little extra time for shipping from these crafters.and if none of these ideas work for you, shopbop has a lovely "under $100" list up right now. sure, it's not as good as "under $30," but we can't all be rock stars.
ooh, and please, feel free to comment with any other ideas...i know this time of year i'm always scrambling for fabulous gift options, so share and share alike! after all, it's better to give than to receive. (wait...that's so not the motto we live by here at shoppingsmycardio...)
