Your time is up bitches! But you know I wouldn’t leave
you hanging without another gift suggestion! Today’s advice – shop the GAS
STATION! It’s always open and can be an amazing gift resource!
·
Like I mentioned yesterday, go for the gift
cards!
·
Lottery tickets and scratch off tickets
·
Our local gas station that I’m obsessed with
(ask Brady about my drunk adventures there), has FLOWERS! The perfect gift!
·
In some areas, 7-11 sells wine! Yes, wine!
Oh and this picture? Look at the fun things that you can
get in CVS! (circa 2009)
Still have someone on your list to buy for? Well shit. At
this point, I almost don’t even know what to tell you. I mean I’ve been trying
to help you for 23 days now!
Here’s all I got left for ya:
·
Gift Cards: Everyone sells them and a lot of
places are open through tomorrow.
·
Malls are still open tomorrow. But I don’t
recommend going there unless you have something in mind – maybe gloves, a hat,
scarf, etc.
·
Food: Cookies, candy, liquor? etc.
My brain is FRIED. I’ve got my sequins on and I’m out
readers ; )
When in doubt, buy liquor. That’s one of my go-to’s. I
always feel like one can’t have too many bottles on hand for an impromptu
celebration or party.
Here are some fun suggestions!
·
Original Gangster Brandy: I mean,
this one is a must for any Shot of Brandi* fan! While Brandy isn’t for the
faint at heart (lol), I just love the name of this one! I like to think my rapping skills (or wrapping skills this time of year LOL), can earn me the title of OG. I also love the XO on the
bottle (totally a Chi Omega thing!)
·
Disposable
Flasks: LOVE this idea from Restoration Hardware. Why didn’t someone think
of this earlier!? You can sneak the flask into the game and then throw it away!
Genius!
·
Layer
Cake: I don’t know if I’m ready to talk about how I got my days mixed up and
missed Reader Meg’s cookie exchange and have 72 chocolate chip covered oreos in
my fridge. And how I would have got to see Reader Molly. UGH. I teared up,
drank wine, laughed, and then ate a cookie. I digress. This is the bottle of
vino that I was going to take to the party. Maybe I should have just gone in my
sweats!? LOL. Anyways, Layer Cake is a
good dessert wine!
·
Swanson
Vineyards: They have the cutest names – Lucky Night, Thrilled for You,
Expensive – so cute.
From Vintage Shot of Brandi*:
(source)
We are in red (and green) alert! 3ish days left to shop!
Today I want to highlight some DIY gifts that you can
whip up if you are just sick of the stores.
·
CD of
Music: Each year my special VIP readers anticipate the release of the
Brandi*’s Holiday Favorites CD. Back since maybe like 2005, I’ve been burning
holiday jams onto a blank recordable CD. I create a fun label and tie it with a
bow!
·
Baked
Goods: Cookies, truffles or cupcakes. Enough said.
·
Framed
Pictures: Easy, right?
And some ideas from past SOB posts:
(source)
Four shopping days left!
Here’s my best advice. Don’t go to the mall without
having something in mind before your trip. It’s a waste of your time and a
waste of parking spot for others if you are just going to “hang out.” (that
means you 14 year-old-girls at the mall on Sunday).
So what does that leave left to buy if you didn’t benefit
on one of those last minute online delivery deals?
What about a subscription? There are a lot of fun ones
out there in which you can just print the certificate. Some examples:
- Stationary - I LOVE this! From Merci Beaucoup, you can join a monthly stationary club
·
Magazines
- you can print subscription certificates via Magazines.com or Amazon.com.
I actually went to Barnes & Noble to buy one of those magazine
subscriptions as a gift (maybe for a reader!) and they don’t sell them any
more, so online is the best way to buy them!
·
Wine
Club – You can do a 3-month membership through Williams-Sonoma OR PA
Wine & Spirits. Note that the Williams-Sonoma club doesn’t deliver to PA!
Darn Control State (aka the state controls the liquor)
·
Candles:
How cool is this – Yankee Candle
Company offers a candle of the month club! (It looks like the link isn’t working right now, but stalk or call this
site if you are interested!)
I also joined a new monthly club awhile back and I can’t
wait to tell you about it soon!
So here we are. You have five shopping days left until it’s officially Christmas Eve.
Or if you live in Pittsburgh, you basically have four days because the Steelers
are on at 1:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
There are still some sites that are offering guaranteed
arrival by the 23rd, so here are some gifting options from who’s
still shippin’!
·
Best
Buy: You have until 10 a.m. on Tuesday to place an order from Best Buy. May
I suggest an iPod Shuffle? They are awesome for working out and are under $50!
·
Nike:
This one is fun – Nike knows its dude customers and is offering guaranteed
delivery by Christmas Eve if you order by Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Coupon code:
SWOOSH. Oh and someone on my list may or may not be getting this shirt ; )
I’m at that age where Facebook has become Babybook.
One thing that I’ve seen in a number of nurseries is this
adorable, personalizable chair form Pottery Barn Kids. It comes in a number of
colors to match your favorite tot’s room.
While it may be a little late to get one of these made in
time for the holidays, it’s good inspiration for baby showers, births and
birthdays.
Oh and as an extra bonus – I’m going to a baby shower
today and part of the gift is THIS book – Piggy Goes to Prada! This beautifully
illustrated book is filled with fashionable nursery rhymes like “There Was An
Old Lady Who Lived In Her Choos.” LOL.
(source)
I’m doing a bit of traveling today, so I was
thinking – what are some things that I use while traveling that could be good
gift options.
·
Luggage
Tag: I remember when I went on a hunt for a luggage tag and ended up
disgruntled that they all cost like $15-20. So I printed my address on hot pink
paper and took it to Office Max and got it laminated. Now that I’m a big girl
business traveler, I think it’s about time for an upgrade. This Tiffany
blue tag is under $100 and bright enough to make your bag stand out on the
luggage carousel.
·
One
Night Roller Bag: Flying from Pittsburgh means you are more than likely
required to connect in another airport before reaching your final destination.
That also means small planes with small overheads. To save time and space when
you are only traveling for one night, a small roller bag is a necessity and
something that I’m in the market for. It helps free my hands vs. traveling with
a duffle. This Vera
Bradley is the perfect size, but not the perfect price. ( I’ll wait for a
sale!)
·
Computer
Bag: I LOVE my computer bag. It’s by a brand named Belkin, which is kinda
funny because it sounds like he high end Birkin lol. This thing is so fab
because it isn’t a heavyweight like other computer bags out there and it’s easy
to get your computer in and out through the security line. Oh and the price!? Unbelievably
cost effective! (PS – I bought mine at
Target – I wouldn’t normally encourage Walmart shopping, but this is the only
place I could find it online.
While the name Laurence King Publishing may not
mean much to you right now, after you read this post you will realize that this
London-based publisher produces some of the most stylish books on the shelf.
If you are looking for a gift for your fashionable
friend, look no further to the books produced by Laurence King. Here are some
of the popular titles that make great coffee table books (p.s. I know shopping time is ticking so note that you
can buy most of these in book stores and randomly I’ve seen some at places like
Urban Outfitters and Anthro).
·
As the book summary says “A visual feast of 400
dazzling images.” Do you even need more?
·
This book explains how some fashion trends were
invented. This kinda reminds me of how I recite that scene from Devil Wears
Prada where Meryl Streep tells Anne Hathaway that she is wearing an ugly
turquoise sweater because it was on runways years before.
·
This book encourages creativity with
illustrations
·
This is my fav! A game that allows players to play
iconic clothes off against each other.
For that cocktail-ista on your list, how cute is this Lilly
Pulitzer Shaken N Stirred necklace? The 36 inch chain features three charms,
including a lime and martini glass. This is also another option under $50!
Last year a colleague gifted our staff with a box of
salted caramels. I don’t discriminate when it comes to sweets, but let me just
say that I was skeptical about the combination of salt, caramel and chocolate;
however, I became an addict at first bite.
Salted caramel is totally my flavor of 2011. Thank you to
Starbucks to furthering my addiction.
Today’s gift is the candy that started it all –Salted
Caramels from Edward Marc
chocolates based right here in Pittsburgh. Shop local my friends!
I
swear. Every time you log onto Facebook this time of year, someone new is
engaged. It’s like November starts engagement season!
If
you are looking for a gift for that newly bling wearing friend, may I suggest
the Going
All The Way Romantic pallet from Too Faced. This collection features pretty
eye shadows with cute names like “I do,” “cut the cake,” “honeymoon” and “ever
after.”
Monday, December 12, 2011
Gift-a-Day: Hello, Hello Baby, You Called?
I remember one of my favorite Christmas gifts growing up.
It was my own phone line. You see, I thought this was the coolest thing ever.
If that phone in my room rang, I knew it was for me – and not my parents. I had
my own answering machine. My friends wouldn’t need to worry about how early or
late to call. It was like getting a mobile phone before they existed.
I miss those days of talking to my friends on my Lego
phone (Yes. This phone). It’s nice to have that phone receiver.
So naturally, I’m a fan of one of the hot electronic
gifts out there. It’s a mobile phone receiver. They come in some pretty rad
colors and are under $50!
(source)
Did you ever think about the fact that almost all silverwear
is silver? I mean I guess that is where the name came from, but it’s a simple
item that has really never changed from its basic design. Yeah, there are some
new handles and the spork, but the knife, spoon and fork are the same. (I’m
talking the real deal here and not plastic).
Well via the Sweet Thing Blog, I discovered GOLD
silverwear, or rather in this case utensils! From Cambridge SilverSmiths, this goldwear comes in a fancy case - and
they are currently on sale. How festive would this be at your holiday table?
As you can imagine, Sue
has been hitting the holiday party circuit. While dining with some colleagues
at The Cheesecake Factory, the group decided that a red velvet cheesecake
cocktail would be delicious. So after some web searching, Shot of Mom realized
that someone beat her to the bar with this recipe.
Red Velvet Cake
Martini
·
1 1/2 oz 3 Olives Cake Vodka
·
1/2 oz vanilla vodka
·
1/2 oz dark creme de cacao
·
1 tsp Hershey Choc syrup
·
Splash of creme.
·
2 drops red food color.
Mix all in shaker with ice. Drain into
chocolate drizzled martini glass.
Sue says, “HAVE YOUR CAKE AND DRINK IT TOO!”
(Shot of Mom found
this recipe online, but altered it a bit so I don’t have a source)
One of my favorite gifts to give is that of a board game! I
feel like you can never have enough. They are the perfect way to pass the night
with a group of friend. The games keep the conversations going and the alcohol
flowing!
I haven’t really seen any new games out, so I thought
today I would go with three of my favs.
·
This game I simple. You roll a die that reveal a
letter and you need to come up with words in different categories that match
that letter.
·
So.much.fun. Ask reader Brian how excited I get
about Outburst. Basically there are 10 answers to a category. You need to
answer as many as you can. For example, name Disney movie characters. I like to
turn this into a drinking game and you need to sip for the number that you don’t
get!
·
WARNING. When I tried to find this on the net,
all these CRAZY high prices kept coming up. I think my mom got her’s for like
$20.
·
I recently played this game and it was a ton of
fun. You get a word and you need to give clues until your team can guess the
word. You keep passing the plastic thing around and the person who ends with it
loses!
Friday, December 09, 2011
The Nutcracker: Act Eight – Spanish Hot Chocolate, Chinese Tea, Russian Candy Canes
Oh now we’ve come…to the end of the road…haha. This the last
day in the annual Shot of Brandi* gift guide. However, I’ll still be blogging a
gift a day until the 25th.
Today is a three in one option -– Spanish Hot Chocolate, Chinese
Tea, Russian Candy Canes.
SPOILER ALERT! So in the play, Clara becomes a heroine.
She saves the prince from that bastard Mouse King. That calls for a
celebration, right? Well they throw an around the world party of sorts. There
is Chocolate from Spain, Tea from China and Candy Canes from Russia. So today, that’s what I will feature!
HOT CHOCOLATE
·
This Mexican Hot Chocolate kit from Dean
and Deluca is the perfect option. You know, Mexican Hot Chocolate is the
original hot chocolate. It was enjoyed by the Mayans and Aztecs (for realz).
·
You all know that I’m obsessed with Dylan’s
Candy Bar. So for those who want some original hot chocolate, you gotta go
with Dylan’s. It’s too cute and so tasty!
TEA
·
I’m an everyday tea drinker, so of course I love
this adorable Tea
Forte gift set! I stick to an iced venti unsweet black tea on the week
days, but on the weekends I brew at home and experiment with some different
flavors.
·
Shot of Mom is a big hot tea drinker, so we
brought her back some English Breakfast Tea from London. She is now obsessed.
We purchased the tea from Harrods
and you can buy it online here.
CANDY CANES
·
So I did some searching to find the best candy
canes and all that came up was Hammond’s.
They are either really that good OR have good search engine optimization (i.e.
their name comes up first!).
·
Going to be away from family during the
holidays? Why not send some flowers to your loved ones! I like this candy cane
arrangement from 1-800
flowers.
Well readers – that’s it for the annual Shot of Brandi*
gift guide! I’ve heard some feedback from you all that this may have inspired
some gift ideas! I hope that it does. And just think – when you haven’t any
inspiration, brainstorm outside of the box. By forcing myself to think in these
categories, I have some ideas that I wouldn’t have thought of for people
otherwise!
Cheers!
Earlier this year, Missoni made their popular chevron
designs very desirable and attainable for us average Janes with their Target
partnership. (FYI – there are a few home items back on sale here).
Clutch bags are a fashion staple and I LOVE this option
from Hammocks and High Tea because it is reversible! Its kinda like a mullet - business on the front, party inside! If you are wearing a basic black
dress – spice it up with the chevron side. Looking to go a little classier –
try the metallic. Also – the bags are made in the USA!
Thursday, December 08, 2011
The Nutcracker: Act Seven - Sugar Plum Fairy
I like all of the characters in The Nutcracker, but this
one may be my fav - the Sugar Plum Fairy! It’s one of, if not THE most popular song from the
play.
·
Reader Amy is a big fan of Baked
by Melissa cupcakes. Well, Melissa has really stepped things up with her
chocolate-covered cupcakes. Yes, you read that right. And they are deliverable!
Order. Now.
·
Like I said, The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies
is one of the best songs from the play.
Why not buy a CD of the music to get you in the festive spirit. Here’s one from
the Boston
Ballet.
·
After watching Toddlers & Tiara’s tonight, I
decided that moving forward I will rename Christmas, Glitzmas. For that person on
your list that loves some bling, wrap your gift in this Sugar Plum Fairy
stocking from Target.
·
Cupcakes include sugar and you know I love
cupcakes (I had to work this in here somehow!) so how awesome is this cupcake
time from Fred
Flare! Amazeballs.
·
While putting this post together, I started
wondering – what the effe is a sugar plum. Google searches (and Williams
Sonoma) tell me that they are a “legendary symbol of everything sweet and
delectable…” – sign me up! They also contain Brandy ; )
·
There is also a company out there called Sugar
Plum Chocolates. Seriously look at what they sell. This is the Chocolate
Everest (they also have the Chocolate Kilimanjaro). After a base of
chocolate, this thing contains popcorn, chocolate dipped potato chips, peanut
butter cookies, chocolate dipped Oreos, chocolate dipped biscotti and chocolate
dipped pretzels. Wowza.
Oh and since it is Thirsty Thursday, here’s a delicious
looking cocktail called Sugar
Plum Dreams. I’m dreaming of this drinks…
FYI - Tomorrow is my FINAL Nutcraker post. That will make one reader happy that told me that all the posts were too difficult to keep up with. Bah Humbug!
Okay seriously. This angel stuff was totally more
difficult than I anticipated. Let’s just say after my searches for this post, I
can’t get images of freaky angels made from yarn and ceramic out of my head. Creepy.
·
Sadly, when I think of angels, I think Victoria’s
Secret. Buying bras and undies for the women (i.e. friends and lovers) can be a
bit awkward…you don’t want to get them a big size to imply that they are large
lol. That’s why PJ’s are safe. Here’s a cute Angel
sleep shirt from VS.
·
One of the most talked about (and advertised) perfumes
right now is Thierry
Mugler’s Angel. A star freak, I love the bottles
for this collection!
·
I LOVE the idea of stuffing stockings with nail
polish or buying some as a hostess gift with a mani gift card. This Essie
shade is called Angel Food. Yummm.
·
Okay so
not all angel décor was freaky. I thought that these wooden angels from
Etsy were cute! And totally DIY-able!
·
Via Nordstrom
is this cute angel necklace. The card behind it reads: “Make a wish and put on
your necklace. You’re never alone on the journey of life…wear your necklace as
a reminder that your angels are with you for every twist and turn.” Sweet for a
family member of friend!
Don’t get too excited out there – it’s clearly not any feet of a Smithkowski
kid. After last weekend the only thing I’m birthing is like three bottles of
wine (maybe more like four or five). BUT if there was ever some patter around our
pad (via the stork), I’d hope that kid was wearing these awesome Trumpette shoes.
Trumpette, the maker of those adorable kid socks does it
again with these super cute Silly Soles. What kid wouldn’t want to prance
around in patent leather polka dot shoes!?
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
The Nutcracker: Act Five – The Mouse King
Of course today’s gift options are going to revolve
around one thing – a pet mouse. HA! Just kidding.
Did you know the play was originally called “The
Nutcracker and The Mouse King?” Yeppers, it was! That’s because the Nutcracker
and the Mouse King battle in the play. I won’t tell you what happens in this
fight of food and kitchen utensils ; )
It’s around a mouse’s favorite food (and mine) – CHEESE.
·
Of course Crate & Barrel has a number of
cheese accessories that make an awesome gift. Some options include a cheese
board with cutter, cheese
markers and an individual
slicer.
·
I discovered Magnolia
Lane in Nags Head earlier this year and I just love its adorable, painted
dishes. How cute is this festive cheese tray!?
Oh you know you remember it...
Gummy Bears! Bouncing here and there and eveywhere.....
That theme song was one of those awesome ones that got stuck in your head all day. Actually, while searching for this song and watching the video, I was able to recite the whole song still!
Well for a child of the 80's or someone that just likes candy, today's gift is a set of scented headphones shaped like Gummy Bears! Yummm....
Gummy Bears! Bouncing here and there and eveywhere.....
That theme song was one of those awesome ones that got stuck in your head all day. Actually, while searching for this song and watching the video, I was able to recite the whole song still!
Well for a child of the 80's or someone that just likes candy, today's gift is a set of scented headphones shaped like Gummy Bears! Yummm....
(source)
But wait - there's more!
Ironically today I also saw these adorbs Mac Jacobs heart shaped ear buds. A perfect price point to give a gift of a bit of luxury!
(source)
In college I dated a police officer. This is so illegal, but he'd always let my friends and I fool people with his badge. We'd play undercover cop at the bar. Oh, not to mention we were 20.
Well things got even more out of control one night when we borrowed his breathalyzer. Let's just say that we found out the batteries weren't working when sometimes unnamed reader was "legally" able to drive after drinking a bottle of whiskey.
After our failed breathalyzer experiment, we all kind of wondered why you shouldn't just buy one. So when you went out, you could test yourself before driving.
Well, that has happened. And crazier, the device is sold at...TARGET! I stumbled upon this twice today in gift guides! I give you....The Alcohawk!
I mean this is a totally random, weird gift, but I just had to share it!
(source)
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