Blushing Dames: Linda's Gift Guide: Boyfriend/Husband/Brother Edition

It feels like everyone has gotten into the Christmas spirit early this year (sooner than usual, if that's possible), and their excitement is contagious! I'm festive! I can't wait to wrap presents for my loved ones, choose the perfect Secret Santa gifts, laugh my butt off during White Elephant exchanges, and see everyone's face light up when they uncover the mystery in a box!

This year the spirit has got me and I have tons of gift ideas. I wanna share them with you! I'm going to do a weekly gift guide on what to put under the tree for your nearest and dearest.

First up: Boyfriends/Husbands/Brothers

This J. Crew chambray tie is a little pricey at $83, but I'm a J. Crew groupie, so deal. I'm sure it would be easy to find an alternative at a cheaper price.

Williams Sonoma has Star Wars cooking everything! I love the Star Wars Spatula Set and Pancake Molds. I also found this here Star Wars toaster. What dude doesn't like Star Wars? Cooking has never been so fun. $10-$30

Blu-ray DVDs. Yeah, so impersonal, right? But you know that little PS3 they bought? They like to play with that shit. They want every chance to say things like "picture quality" or "1080p" and other terms that I don't care about. Blu-rays are that chance. And you know what? Half Price Books has them [in-store] for about $10. I suggest something like I Saw the Devil.

The Moment Watch in Gun Metal (Mesh) by Flud. Just because it's sleek. $80

Guys really like knives. Nobody really knows what they do with them, but it's a rite of passage. Maybe he'll let you hold it. $25

A cool Paris print. $19

Or maybe a Thom Yorke print. They even got the wonk-eye correct. $20

Telescope!!!!! You never walk into a dude's place, see a telescope, and cringe. NO! You stick your head in the eyepiece and say, "You're a bad-ass and I want to have your scientist children!" $35

This solid wood iPhone dock amplifies music naturally, so that means no cords! For a person that hates cords, I love this. Downside: they're no longer able to ship holiday orders. But! They'll send you a card to give to your loved one on Christmas so they know it's on its way! Mini and iPad versions also available. $70-$90

Such a simple yet dope Batman money clip. $40

Sometimes knick-knacks are acceptable. Such is the case with Cubebot. $35

And there's no reason to break the bank, either. Put some time, effort, and lovin' into your gifts.

DIY suggestions:

Make him a crochet bow tie. (I would be highly jealous if you did this.)
You can create a 2012 calendar along with a corresponding mixtape (one song for each month). Maybe for August, your anniversary month, you can decorate your calendar with a picture of when you first started dating and include the song you first made out to on your mixtape. For a fancy effect, you can get your calendar bound at any office supply store. And don't forget to circle important days on the calendar! He'll have no excuse for missing special days!
But if he still manages to miss a special day, you'll forgive him with this Get Out of Jail Free card. You can give him one to use during a fight. Fine print optional.