It's not too late to find a great gift, even at the last minute. Chassie Post, contributing style editor for Domino magazine, has scoured the stores and the Web to bring you some presents that don't look like you picked them up at the 7-11 on the way to the party. All of the gifts on this list are in-stock and able to be shipped Friday for Fedex delivery Saturday.
Paperwhite Bulbs in Glass Vase An easy and inexpensive “homemade” gift that keeps on giving. The bulbs are available at Smith & Hawken (59 retail stores in 23 states nation-wide). They offer a bag of 12 bulbs for $12 or you can buy the bulbs separately for $1.25 a piece. Then pick up a modern glass vase Vases at IKEA, the Container Store, Crate & Barrel, or your local florist or craft store.
Pet Silhouettes
These adorable silhouettes are perfect gift for the pet lover. The site allpopart.com has 35 designs of “ready-made” animal silhouettes - from Chihuahua to Labrador, poodle, to schnauzer, to a cat, to a parakeet - for customers to choose from and buy immediately. “Silhouettes-to-Go” can be printed on paper or canvas (starting at $40). They will offer (to the first wave of customers) personalization of their “ready made” silhouette with their pet's name. Orders must be called in by Friday at 5 pm ET for Saturday delivery. Framing is also available. Want to make it even more personal? If you send a photo your dog, child, grandparent, parent or boyfriend, the site will guarantee a gift certificate to arrive via overnight delivery and they will put a printable version of the gift certificate up on their site. (www.allpopart.com)
Picnic Trunk
This is the most refined picnic set we've ever seen - kitted out with all the details and surprisingly well-priced and it even comes with a table! The trunk is available from Halls, a high-end department store in Kansas City, Mo., which is the "big brother" to Hallmark Stores. Halls was opened in 1914 by Julian Hall as a mercantile store - he then went on to found Hallmark, the greeting card company. The trunk comes in 3 colors, khaki, green & black. Overnight Saturday delivery is available by calling the store. (Halls $149.95, 800-624-4034)
Dish Towels
Dish towels make a great “drawer” gift and are appropriate for anyone - from your boss to your best friend. These fun and fancy dishtowels will make a mundane task like doing the dishes feel oh-so-luxurious! (Anthropologie, $18)
Fine Soaps
Soaps are the ultimate drawer gift. Savon de Marseille makes olive oil soaps in hand cut blocks. (Frenchsoaps.com, $6-14), The modern apothecary Malin & Goetz in NYC offers super cool packaging - not too feminine, not too masculine, making this a perfect gift for anyone. The “Mojito” set, like the drink, has three all natural soaps made with real rum, lime and peppermint. (malinandgoetz.com, $30). Neiman Marcus offers a fantastic colorful vintage-y Euro looking packaging of yummy Portuguese soaps from Claus Porto that make a perfect hostess gift. The soaps are available in stores and online with overnight Saturday shipping if ordered by 3 pm ET Friday. (www.neimanmarcus.com, $15-$23)
Toms Shoes
An amazing gift that gives back. These shoes say French Riviera holiday—but with a conscience! For every pair of shoes sold, the owner donates one new pair to a child in need—it's that simple. 17 different styles for men and women. (www.tomsshoes.com, $38)
Altru Home Fragrance Soy Candles
Wife of pop singer Prince, Manuela Testolini Nelson heads a nonprofit called In a Perfect World Foundation (iapw.com) which helps at-risk children. Her line of home fragrances, Altru, pours more than 50% of its profits into the foundation. So, for every $55 candle you buy, more than $22.50 will go directly towards helping children in need. The candles are soy-based, smell amazing and last for over 70 hours and come in 6 different fragrances.They come in a copper votive and the packaging is so gorgeous there is no need to wrap them. (www.nordstrom.com, $55)
Timex Indiglo Watch
We fell in love with this uber-classic and elegant watch when we saw it on a super fancy friend of ours. We loved it even more when we saw the price! Great for a man, woman or sophisticated teen. The watch is in stock at Target stores nationwide. No Saturday delivery is available at Target.com so you’ve got to head to the store for this one. (Target, $22.49)
Handmade Puppets
These adorable puppets are crafted by artisans in rural Kenya using vegetable-dyed wool. The site has a healthy stock of all animals including zebra, lion, monkey, and elephant. Must order by 3 pm ET. (www.branchhome.com, $18)
Tins of Cookies
MORAVIAN GINGER-SPICE COOKIES Using a recipe that dates back to the 1700's these classic & delicious cookies are from the Salem Baking Company. The ultrathin gingersnap cookies come in festive shapes like Christmas trees, stockings, bells, snowmen & ornaments all inside a classic red tin that can be used again & again.CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIE MIX IN BRIGHT RED TIN This all natural sugar cookie mix comes with enough to make 10 dozen cookies. Comes with adorable tin that you can put the cookies in after you make them – a fun activity with kids of all ages. Items must be bought in the store. (Both at Williams Sonoma, $20-$24)