For holiday shoppers who are out of time, patience or ideas, we present our handy-dandy, cut-to-the-chase, Very Busy Person’s Last-Minute Gift Guide, a collection of suggested gifts with broad appeal (with the possible exception of the disc golf driver) compiled by actual former and present gift recipients with reasoned opinions, fine instincts and excellent taste.
Burlesque Soundtrack ($12) Pairing the unmistakable voice and delivery of the legendary Cher with the enormous range and vocal power of pop star/emerging actor Christina Aguilera, the soundtrack to the musical feel-good film of the season is a finger-snapping tribute to the saucy, playful and uber-glamorous spirit of burlesque. Filled with jazzy dance numbers, soulful swingers, heartfelt ballads and electro-pop tidbits, this is sure-fire sing-along fodder for any aspiring diva. (CJ)
Bonny Doon Farm Body Care products ($3-$77) From the small guest soaps in potent lavender, rose geranium or lemon verbena to the hard-to-find Uplands and Meehan’s Sandlewood colognes for men, Bonny Doon delivers high-quality fragrances in gentle, non-irritating formulas, all manufactured at an idyllic Santa Cruz Mountain farm. Soaps, lotions, body washes, hand salves, sachets, spritz waters—these products are available across the county at many, many locations. Of similar quality (and it’s no mistake; Mary Jessen started making soap for Bonny Doon Farm in 1992) are the perfumed soaps of Deerhaven Herb & Flower Farm. The White Flower actually smells like plumeria (no small trick) and the Spring Lilac is euphorically true to fragrance. For a list of fragrances and local retailers visit http://deerhavensoaps.com. (TH)
Cook’s Illustrated Magazine subscription ($35/six issues) Anyone even mildly interested in cooking will appreciate the high quality of the recipes contained in this quirky, ad-free bimonthly, since if you follow the admittedly complicated instructions, your food will be magnificent. The non-cooks at the recipient’s address, meanwhile, will be awed by the scrupulous attention to detail and sheer moral authority of the advice issuing from America’s Test Kitchen. These are starchy New England badasses beholden to no one; when they tell readers their favorite chef’s knife cost $23, that’s because they tested 15 of them six ways till Sunday and are telling you the God’s truth. In a world of glossy food porn, this is a sturdy, reliable Good Book in entertaining and informative installments. (TH)
DGA ProLine Hurricane Maximum Flight Driver ($18) The third sport in the Santa Cruz triumvirate of surfing, mountain biking and disc golfing has local roots—“Father of Disc Golf” Ed Headrick, who died in his La Selva Beach home in 2002, founded the Watsonville-based Disc Golf Association, which makes the Hurricane and a host of other colorful pieces of plastic that are fun to throw through trees. This, the newest DGA driver, is also the fastest; pick it up (or any other disc) at the white “deladisc” van in the DeLaVeaga disc parking lot. (JL)
Earwarmers/Headbands ($10-$30) Don’t get us wrong—hats and beanies of all kinds are great. But for cold-weather outdoor exercising (and especially for wearing with a bike helmet), headband-style earwarmers are the way to go, since they keep sensitive little earlobes and those heat-losing ear tops warm while allowing surplus heat to escape from the top of the noggin. Plus they’re a dandy way to avoid hathead, the fashion scourge of the season. In a variety of styles and materials at surf, snowboard, bike and other sporting good stores. (TH)
Eric Clapton’s 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD/Blu-ray ($22) Showcasing the songs and styles of a wide variety of guitarists, from Buddy Guy, B.B. King and Jeff Beck to John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Bert Jansch and of course Eric Clapton, the 2010 Crossroads Guitar Festival video is a four-plus-hour, no-miss gift for six-string-slingers of all makes. The two-disc set features on-stage performances and collaborations, behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews with some of the guitar world’s elite. (CJ)
Feather Earrings ($75) Nature-inspired jewelry is oh-so-fashionable, and feather earrings appeal to her hippie-chic sensibilities. Jade has a wide array made with with peacock, turquoise and rusty orange feathers, also adorned with blue crystals, made by local designer Sweet Eve. (JL)
Gift Certificates (your choice) Some people deride the gift certificate as evidence of an imagination gone missing, but we beg to differ. A gift certificate can be the perfect thing for a tough giftee, whether it’s for clothes, books or a favorite coffeehouse. A close relation of the gift certificate, the concert or season ticket is another way to go. Consider this special the Santa Cruz Blues Festival is running through Christmas Eve: 25 percent off last year’s price for general admission—that’s $54, or $90 for the Gold Circle. Nothing to sing the blues about there. (TH)
Growler of Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing Beer ($20) Now here’s a gift that keeps on giving: a jug of beer! Suds-loving cheapskates might shrink from throwing down $20 for a 64-ounce bottle of brew, but that includes the price of the reusable bottle—part of the gift, you see. When Friendo stops by SCMB’s twinkly little Westside tasting room and fills up selfsame growler with fresh, cold, delicious beer for $11, your generosity will be gratefully remembered. (TH)
Paul McCartney and Wings Band on the Run ($15-$100) The first title in a massive reissue project of all of Paul McCartney’s post-Beatles albums, the Grammy-winning, chart-topping album Band on the Run has been given an Abbey Road remastering treatment and reintroduced to the legions of McCartney faithful. Overseen in its entirety by Sir Paul himself, the album is available in a one-cd version, a two-cd/one dvd version packed with bonus tracks, and a deluxe, three cd/1 dvd set with mountains of (extra?) songs and a beautiful 120-page book. (CJ)
Peruvian Trading Company striped cat-ear beanie ($34) These hats, handmade in Peru from 100 percent virgin acrylic, have gained a cult following for their quirky designs—the black and gray striped kitty-ears beanie with attached scarf and earflaps is new this year—and top-notch craftsmanship. This one’s more subtle than some, namely the knit Bert and Ernie you can wear on your head. (JL)
Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk: A Modest Bestiary ($22) One of the season’s must-have books is a stocking-size compendium of fables as only David Sedaris could tell them, with a cast of vain and petty yet oddly charming characters stumbling onto some of life’s harsh little lessons and generally coming out a little wiser. Titles like “The Vigilant Rabbit,” “The Judicious Brown Chicken” and “Hello Kitty,” about a cat and mouse at an AA meeting, promise hours of chortling and, we’re guessing, more than a few sessions of reading aloud to someone special. (TH)
Santa Cruz Dot Hoodie ($40-$65) Nothing says “old-school Christmas” like a thick, cozy zippy hoodie with the classic red Santa Cruz dot. Instantly recognizable and eternally fashionable, it’s a no-lose proposition for Santas with a picky giftee to please. The pricier Sherpa variation comes with extra-plush fuzz and pile for those incomprehensibly cold mornings out at the Point, the Lane and every lovely local spot in between. (TH)
Smartwool Chevron Knee Socks ($21) Warm and stylish, the “gray heather” chevron socks alternate gray on gray and gray on yellow zig zags, while the “deep purple” alternates purple on purple with purple on orange. Both look cute poking out from the top of boots and complement different color sweater dresses on top, so get ‘em both for the fashionista on your list. (JL)
