The Thing That Goes Doink

I've decided, that when my friends get their own places, I'm going to get my friends something to welcome them into their new homes.

Ideal gift: a cook book.

Admittedly, a few friends already have a stack of recipes or family cook books that they're taking with them, but I've decided that everyone needs a copy of the , which I have deemed the Kitchen Bible. Seriously, my grandmother has one, my mother has two, and I have one.

I have the Pink edition, the one that is slightly pricier than the standard Red and White edition, but part of the inflated price goes towards breast cancer research and education. Plus they've included bonus recipes from celebrity chefs and additional appetizers, desserts and sides. As to the main part of the cook book, it's the same as the Red and White edition.

(As an aside, my mother has two copies of the cook book because she has the Pink edition, but I also got her the 1953 reprint a few years back which as all of those wonderfully fattening 1950s recipes and entertaining tips.)

Anyway, it's just an idea. If my friends don't want that and would rather get a plant, I can do that, too.

So with travellyr graduating and Father's Day a week after, I now find myself scrambling for giftage.

I already know what to do about Father's Day. I'm going to make prints of some of my photos for my dad, and then order a candle from the Newport Bay Candle Company for my step-dad. I've gone through the site for the Newport Bay Candle Company and have picked out the more masculine scents that all happen to be dark green in color that I think he'd like. Coastal Shore Pine, Emerald Sea, Fireside Inn, and Through the Woods. For my dad, it's just a matter of getting onto Walgreens.com or Walmart.com and uploading my photos, selecting a size that I want (most likely in the neighborhood of 8x10) and then sending them to him to frame and place as he chooses. Probably selected from my prints available at devART.

Trav is where I'm running up against a brick wall. It's between making her smell good or making her room smell good. Not sure which though. Since I'm already ordering from the Newport Bay Candle Company for my step-dad, I figured that I could also get her something from there as well. The gel candles aren't over-powering in scent, but can fill a whole room without it being like walking into a wall of scent. Plus there are some great original scents, of which I'm sure Trav can enjoy. The second option is goat's milk soap from Indigo Wild. I love this soap, and I keep thinking that I need to order more. I still have a bar of the lavender-rosemary that I've been reluctant to use. Best of all, they have an excellent scent guide to help someone select which ones they want.  Which means that I have sent Trav an email asking her to look at the scents and make a selection and report back to me for both the candles and the soap.

I just hope she gets back to me ASAP, or else she might have to wait a while for her gift.