The Guide to Gift Guides
One of my favorite parts of the holiday season (and there are many things I love about the holidays) is reading all the gift guides that come out.
I love everything about gift guides– the artful collage layouts that make everything look so appealing (have you ever noticed that everything looks better in a collage?), being able to find the perfect thing for each person on my list, and the interesting themes and titles given to the guides– “10 gifts for the drama-queen glamour-lover in your life,” “5 things your green-thumbed oddball uncle can’t live without.”
Doesn’t it make you wonder what guide someone would depend on to find a gift for you? Like “if you were a gift guide, which gift guide would you be?” That would certainly be a fun game.
So, instead of adding another gift guide to the blog world, I thought I’d point you in the direction of some of my favorites. The gallery of screengrabs from the various gift guides goes in the same order as the descriptions below, so you can follow along! (Just click the thumbnails to enlarge and then click the right arrow.)
Design*Sponge gift guides — The design*sponge guides are entertaining for the variety of categories– gifts involving monograms, gifts sorted by color (seriously), etc.– and for the fact that they all full of lovely, pretty things. Wonderful for design lovers.
Core 77: Zany things you never knew existed, plus other fun curiosities for people who are hard to buy for but enjoy cleverness.
Hollister Hovey: Full of off-the-beaten-path eccentric ephemera, just like her blog. Perfect for hipsters or old folks in your life.
Coco + Kelley: Pretty, girly things.
NotCot: They have thirty different guides. Thirty. 3-0. So if you can’t find what you’re looking for elsewhere, or don’t feel like sorting through the other guides, this is your go-to.
GQ: Plain old good ideas. Not too obscure, but special enough. However, I will note that their guide for what guys should get their girlfriends must have been written by a girl. One who wouldn’t find it weird to receive a vase from her boyfriend. I’m just sayin. There a lots of good ideas in there, but some would freak me out if I received it from a boyfriend. Sure, it’s good to be thoughtful, but there are certain categories of standard boyfriend-for-girlfriend gifts that are common because girls like them and they’re romantic.
Real Simple Magazine: Cute practical things. Great for finding things for moms.
And finally, Ginny Branch: Hers are the two in the banner image at the top, and she has more on her blog. I love Ginny’s because they feel so personal and thoughtful. They’re not necessarily things you’ve never seen before, they’re just great ideas you might not have thought of.
