Everyone else is doing one...

One of my favorite things about December is all the holiday gift guides in the magazines and on the blogs. I really enjoy shopping for gifts for family and friends, when I have the time and money and can really get something suiting and thoughtful and fun. Usually the whole money thing gets in the way though so don't get your hopes up with this guide. None of you are getting these things from me. You're getting handmade crap.

All these gems come from one of my favorite online stores, The MoMA Design Store. Now that I'm a tea drinker, I've had an eye for tea accesories. This Tea stick infuser ($24) looks like James Bonds' tea infuser. These are awesome for the paranoid. I obsessively shred all credit card applications and those stupid checks our credit cards always send us hoping we'll do a balance transfer with them at the low low rate of only 26%! These Shredder scissors ($18) would take care of them well.
Ooh so pretty! I love nesting bowls. And the colors of these are so nice. A gorgeous gift for anyone I'd think. Pebble bowls ($95).
This thing just makes me smile. It's a Pig cooking lid ($18)! Steam comes out of his little snout! I think he's brilliant.

Another tea accessory! We lose on average one travel mug a week. I have a feeling there is a moldy travel mug cemetary in the backseat of the Tacoma. In addition to losing them, we never have good ones that fit nicely in my cupholders. I've seen these I am not a paper cup ($20) at Paper Source and they have a really nice matte ceramic finish and cool silicone lids. The MoMA store also sells additional lids in black and white, I guess if the one that comes with it ever ends up in the backseat of the Tacoma. Is it ridiculous to have a leather kangaroo cell phone holder ($38) for your desk? No.
This Oskar humidifier ($150) would be for my sniffly sneezy allergic Jeffy. Well, and me. Jeff would buy a Spongebob Squarepants humidifier from Target if it were left up to him. I would steer him towards this modern minimilistic non-humidifier looking gem.

When we go and visit my grampa in San Mateo, he makes us super strong espresso and it always inspires me to go home and make it for my guests. And then I remember that I don't know how to use my espresso maker yet and I make coffee. But how sassy to come out of the kitchen with this Espresso set ($45)?
I would give these elephant bookends ($30) to anyone but I think they'd be especially cute for a baby's room. It could also be a great doorstop.

These Chemex coffeemakers ($120) are in every mid-century modern home and with good reason. Smart functional design.

This was fun! Thanks for the suggestion Lynne! I'm going to do more gift guides. Stay tuned.