Cheryl Shops

I had totally grandiose plans for a multi-part gift guide, but, well, that didn't quite happen. So this gift guide, while not thorough, will at least hopefully give you ideas for everyone on your list. In other words, this is not one of those "gift guides" that's really just directed toward you and thus causes you to spend the first two post-Thanksgiving weeks shopping for yourself. Um, not that anything like that happened to me. But if you, like me, suddenly realized that Christmas is two weeks away and you haven't bought any gifts for anyone and you started to panic, well, then this one is for you. (But not really for you--stop shopping for yourself! Wait till the after-Christmas sales!)

For Mom, who has everything
My mom is always the hardest person on my list to shop for, a situation not made easier by the fact that she rarely gives me any gift suggestions. But I think I can beat her at her own game with the DKNY cozy, an ingenious cardigan that can be worn so many ways, it has its own iPhone app to show you how.


For Dad, who loves gadgets
He has a phone, an iPod, a GPS...and sometimes he forgets to charge them. This handy power pack and case features a device that charges nearly everything, perfect for the frequent traveler (or just the technologically challenged).


For the tween girl Twi-hard
Because she likely already has the Edward sheet set, get her these journals, which come in a nice tin box. They're mostly blank, but contain quotes from both the Twilight books and the works of literature that inspired them, so perhaps your tween will feel inspired to write her own epic romance, hopefully one in which the heroine is not passive and caught in an obsessive relationship with an emotionally manipulative 107-year-old. (That said, Team Edward!)


For the tween boy, a future hipster
Toddland makes quirky, colorful vinyl wallets with a definite ironic bent; this "I just want to ride bikes with you" model will give your tween a cool place to stash his allowance.


For the college girl, who is all about conformity
It's ok--when I was in college, I wore a uniform of North Face jackets and black stretchy pants, just like everyone else. For college girls nowadays, it's all about Pink, from Victoria's Secret. While I can't, in good conscience, endorse anything with "Pink" across the butt, I think these convertible gloves are really cute (and practical too, if your recipient is a stealth smoker, like many college girls are).


For the college guy, who's the life of the party
When he throws his umpteenth house party, your college guy can stay (somewhat) out of trouble by playing DJ for the night with this really cool mixer, which holds two iPods (or other MP3 players).


For your sister, who works too hard
Rebecca Minkoff is best known for her chic Morning After bags, but, little known fact: She also makes cute laptop bags, such as the Virginia, so your sister can at least look chic while traipsing to and from the office.


For your brother, who's working on being responsible
He has a cell phone with a clock, yes, but a watch will make him look a little more adult. And if he's traveling all over the country for his new consulting job, the dual-face design lets him keep time in multiple zones.


For your aunt, who's waspy but eco-friendly
Lily Pulitzer's coral necklace is chic enough for the ladies at the country club, but proceeds support SeaWeb's Too Precious To Wear campaign (which discourages designers from using actual coral), so it's the best of both worlds.


For your uncle, who has a wacky side
I have a family member who, every year, hands down, asks for underwear or socks. And while he prefers the basic white variety, I think he'd really like these Paul Smith striped socks, which are just fun enough.


For your cousin, whom you see once a year at Christmas
When you have to get a present for someone that you don't know terribly well, I feel like you can't go wrong with a candle, especially one from Laduree's new line. It's the next best thing to hopping a plane to Paris and marching yourself straight to Rue Bonaparte for some macaroons.


For little kids, who like to get silly
Their parents are going to kill you (hyper singing, dancing children are always so much fun), but to the lucky recipient of the Yo Gabba Gabba DJ Lance Dance Hat, you are going to be the coolest aunt/uncle ever. Hey, if it's good enough for the Brangelina clan, it's good enough for yours.


For your grandma, who's still elegant
Scarves are making a resurgence for younger folk, but for women of a certain age, they've never gone anywhere. I think Grandma would love to update her look with a lovely new scarf, such as this one from Judy Ross.


For your grandpa, the original Don Draper
Your grandpa was wearing a fedora before it was ironic to do so, and if he's anything like mine, he's probably still wearing a hat that he bought in 1964. So treat him to a new style, like this one from Bailey Barr.


For the grab bag at work
If I had to make one blanket statement about my coworkers, it's that they like to eat. Seriously, whenever anyone brings in food to share, it's gone in about 3 minutes. So encourage your coworkers to create something new to share with this so-gross-you-know-it's-awesome bacon chocolate chip pancake mix from Vosges. Yes, I said bacon chocolate chip.


For your boyfriend, who claims he's not metrosexual
MW likes to blame me for exposing him to the finer things in life, but I think his GQ-reading self always had an underlying appreciation for the good stuff. I might have introduced him to Steven Alan shirts, but I have a feeling he would've eventually discovered them on his own. Needless to say, I do not know one man who does not love these shirts. They are pricey, yes, but they wear incredibly well and they have that effortlessly cool look that guys are always after.


For your girlfriend, when you are a guy
This entry is for my limited number of male readers. Now, you may think that women want jewelry, or perfume, or lingerie, but I can tell you, what women really want are handbags. Specifically cute, somewhat petite ones that we'd never buy for ourselves because they're not really practical. I fell in love with this studded baby ball bag from Olivia Harris, which is Joy Gryson's lower-priced line; I have a feeling your lady will too.


For your best friend, whom you never see enough
Part of the appeal of Sex and the City, for me at least, is that Carrie and her girlfriends are always together for cocktails, brunch, shopping...and when it comes to my friends, sometimes it takes a month of coordinating schedules in order for us to meet for dinner. The real luxury is being able to spend quality time with your friends, so I suggest getting your bestie a gift certificate to Swarovski Crystallized, and then you two can spend an afternoon making sparkly jewelry (ask for Courtney to help you--she's the best), then perhaps retiring to the cafe in the back for a cappuccino. When you're done, you'll have some brand-new bling and, more importantly, the satisfaction of having spent girl time together. And isn't that really what the holidays are all about?