: half-baked X :

No. This is not a pornographic half-baked, you perverts. Oh, don’t look so disappointed, it’s #10 in the series — you know, 10? X in Roman numerals? Sheesh, get your dirty minds out of the gutter.

I’m trying to get myself a little more organized here, what with the holidays breathing down our necks and all. Posting a bunch of fabulous and unique gift ideas will be completely useless if I put it off until, oh, March. So I did my browsing earlier, in order to streamline your shopping and planning. Of course, that’s only helpful if you like what I found. Not everyone does.

I had a friend who hated every gift I gave her. She was an art director with very traditional, very formal taste. Me? I love comic books and pop culture and funky stuff. I’m a sucker for unusual packaging and goofy design leaves me weak in the knees. I’m partial to silly. This friend? She was not amused. Not once.

I hope you will be. At least a little.

The Fun Stuff

Jewelry — How about a bracelet for that special someone? One bearing the symbols for nitrogen, erbium, and dysprosium? Made of aluminum, it adjusts to fit any wrist and ships in, oooh, a swanky black velvet bag. $20.00

http://redditgifts.com/marketplace/merchant/neurons-not-included/

 

Holiday Decorations — Turn on the charm with this whimsical holiday ornament. It’s aluminum permanently printed with non-toxic inks and includes a merry red satin ribbon for hanging. Perfect for the tree or, gosh, anywhere, really. $12.50

http://redditgifts.com/marketplace/merchant/neurons-not-included/

Other Stuff

The Blowgun Cubicle Defender — simply load the foam dart in the barrel, aim, and blow. Darts shoot up to 30 feet and stick to windows, computer monitors, televisions, and, sometimes, co-workers. A piddly $4.98  http://www.eggheadtoys.com/blowgun-cubicle-defender/

 

Hokey Pokey T-shirt — For the existentialists on your gift list. A terrific t-shirt guaranteed to start more than its share of fun conversations. Also available as a sweatshirt. Ships on 1.22.15

http://www.prettygoodgoods.org/products/68432-hokey-pokey-t-shirt 

A Couple Great Book Ideas

How to Sharpen Pencils: A Practical and Theoretical Treatise on the Artisanal Craft of Pencil Sharpening by David Rees

Do you love pencils? I love pencils. A lot. This guy, though, makes me look like a rookie. Not only did he write the book on sharpening pencils ($20), he’ll actually sharpen one for you ($40; shavings and a certificate of ‘sharpening’ included). Visit his website for details http://www.artisanalpencilsharpening.com/

Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple

Okay, judging strictly by the cover, I expected this to be Chic Lit. I don’t like chic lit, so I refused to even look inside. But then I got bored and ran out of books to read. I picked this up and didn’t put it back down, not even when I’d finished. I read it through one more time. It’s funny and smart and wonderful. You’ll love it, cross my heart. http://www.amazon.com

Well, there you go. I’ll try to get back before crunch time with another fine selection of peculiarities for the holidays. I feel like I’ve barely made a dent. The holidays are always more fun when they’ve got weird and unexpected things popping up. So I’m off … Feliz Navidad!

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