There is a particuarlly good story in David Sedaris' collection of shorts When you are Ingulfed in Flames [a glorious book I recommend you spend some time with] called Memento Mori. And in this short there is mention of a certain list that Sedaris made a habit of compiling in his daily going-abouts, a list of gifts, "not things I might give to other people, but things they might give to me".
At first I found this a bit indulgant and selfish, but on second though it made perfect sense. I'm the kind of person that is described as "hard to buy for" simply because I am not of the persuasion that one should have to ask for a gift. I am more inclined to the notion that a gift should inspire the giving, and you should not have to hunt for the perfect object simply because it is customary that you provide some sort of gift.
Either way, here is my list; short, and ever evolving, but it's a start. So if you do feel so inclined as to gift me something, pay close attention;
Triumph Bonneville
It may be a bit of a surprise how much I want a motorcycle, it's dangerous, it's sexy, it's absolutely everything I'm not. Really, it shouldn't be all that surprising- I'm a big fan of exploring, of "being out in it" [I couldn't figure a way to make that not sound corny], and a fan of how absolutley beautiful these bikes are.
A Giant Jar of Nutella
Story time: a couple of months ago my Mom and I were wandering around North Beach in San Francisco after a particularly delicious dinner at Figaro’s [I recommend the stuffed pork chops and tiramisu if you ever go] and we were looking for a little treat to end the night. There are plenty of bakeries, patisseries, gelatorias and other European-sounding delights in this part of town, so we knew it wouldn't be to hard to find something delicious. Little did I know that I would discover a patisserie with a wall of giant Nutella jars [heaven?]. When I asked the owner if they were really [ I considered the possibility they were merely props] she said "Of course! We get them sent in from Europe"
Reason # 475 I would like to go to Europe: GIANT Nutella jars. Yum : ]
Jonathan Adler Pottery
I actually had this on my christmas list this past year, so my mom got me a vase. From Adler's collection for Barne's and Noble. It's lovely, but the real thing is gorgeous, in a really strange way. I am a big fan of the Utopia collection.If you want to browse through Jonathan's work, I also recomend the needlepoint, and pretty much everything he does.
C.O. Bigelow Lip Care
My lips would thank you greatly. The first is the minty-delicious and makes your breath tasty. The other is always with me until I melt it in the wash [which i did a few months and unfortunatly have yet to replace]
Miroslav Sasek Prints
My favorite illustrator, he produced the a series of books in the 60's about various world cities [San Francisco, Paris, London, etc.] and they are all beautifully illustrated. These are the books I will read to my children. See his lovely work here.
A pair of Christian Louboutin Pumps
Momma always said, "Don't buy cheap shoes", and boy was momma right. Shirts, jeans, bags, get 'em cheap. But cheap shoes are a vicious breed, and your feet will thank you for the extra dollar spent. I own a lot of cheap shoes, and my feet [and back] have paid the price. Queue these classics, a pair of shoes so artfully crafted, there is a pair in the collection at the Smithsonian. Come to momma.
Good Sturdy Luggage
Like an old LV Steamer trunk, or something of the like. Because the way I see it, the ratio of time I spend hauling the luggage through the airport vs. time I spend looking at the luggage as it sits in my room vastly leans toward the latter. Plus, i'd like to return some glamour to the airport, I'll spend the $.75 to rent a cart to take my trunk to the plane, thank you.
Prism London Glasses
So maybe it's just that this girl is abnormaly beautiful, but I love her glasses. And no, it's not for hipster purposes [entirely], I actually have awful eyes, and am really tired of the same frames being duplicated over and over [and over and over and over....]in every optometrist’s office and lenses crafters for as far as the eye can see [le pun]. I am particulaly attracted to the pale grey Paris frames, which I can only imagine wearing on a pale grey day in Paris... lovely.
So there you have it, my list of gifts that I may someday be able to gift myself
As for now, a girl can dream...
“… [I] recall thinking that the computer would never advance much further than this. Call me naïve, but I seemed to have underestimated the universal desire to sit in a hard plastic chair and stare at a screen until your eyes cross.” David Sedaris
