Make your own cookbook

Know anyone who's ever wanted their own cookbook? My friend Paola sent me over this link from the New York Times about a new venture from Conde Nast and Kamran Mohsenin - Tastebook.com. Through this site, users can create their very own cookbooks, using up to 100 recipes from Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Epicurious, and other chefs. You can even add your own personal recipes - which is why I really like this concept. The book comes in a hardcover binder (you choose the front image and the title) and allows you to add chapters that are tabbed for easy access.

How much does all this cost? $34.95!

For gift-giving purposes, I suggest gathering up the family's favorite recipes and creating a cookbook using the family name (ie, The Smith Family Recipes) and gifting to all the chefs in your clan. This would also be great for showers, weddings, and office parties.

Thanks for the tip P!

Clapton is God

Although the early teen version of myself would kick my butt for saying this (c'mon, I know I'm not the only George Harrison fan with irrational hatred toward Clapton for stealing away Pattie Boyd), Eric Clapton ranks up there as one of the best guitarists around. And I guess I got over my irrationally hurt feelings because I can't get enough of Clapton lately - I even went to his concert last year ("Blaspheme!" says 13-year-old Cortney).

Clapton recently released an autobiography (read an article on his appearance on the Today Show here) and a cd, "Complete Clapton." It's gift-giving 101 people: book + cd = awesome gift.

Gift-list

For those of us who find inspiration for gift giving everywhere, here is the Little Gift Giving Book at Good on Paper. Now you can write down what your thinking whenever you have those light bulb gift moments, instead of wandering around the mall aimlessly the night before your mom's birthday. ($7.00, via Poppytalk)

The Drawer

Okay, own up! Who knows someone with that drawer in their kitchen where all the miscellaneous menus, receipts, phone books, etc live? Simplify their lives with this Take Out Menu Organizer from Spoonsisters. ($29.95 via Apartment Therapy)

Vintage Book Journals

I just saw these vintage book cover journals from Tyler Bender over at decor8. Not only are these journals incognito (this is a far better disguise than my pink polka-dotted journal with heart-shaped lock from childhood), but they're one of a kind! I love these journals so much, I think I might have to pick one up for myself as well.

Bachelorette-orama!

As mentioned in my previous post, I attended a friend's bachelorette party this weekend. Normally, naughty gifts like lingerie are gifted at bridal showers, but it seems that (in CT at least) bridal showers are dying out to wedding showers only, where gifts come in registry form. Personally, I agree that a separate bridal/wedding shower can be a bit much.

However, every girl needs at least a few nighties, so my friends and I decided to go shopping at Victoria's Secret. The girls that I was with found two very cute slip/pantie (eww I feel dirty just writing that word) combos, but all I could find were a bunch of short shorts with words on the butt (didn't that trend end a couple of years ago? I thought people were starting to realize that writing on your butt isn't flattering? No?). So, on to plan B: Anthropologie.

I ended up getting her this slip, which I thought was too adorable, and wearable on nights other than, well, you know, those nights. It was a steal---$38 bucks! I was going to get a book with love quotes/poems, but I saw this book by Lauren Child (whose website is ridiculously awesome) and thought "Now that's Lindsay." And what better occasion to give a book about a princess and her pea?!

The other bonus for shopping Antropologie---they have seasonal ribbon and gift tissue so I didn't even have to worry about the wrapping.

Petite Pattern Books

Mightygoods posted a blog about the Petite Pattern Book Series. The books come with discs filled with 140 patterns in EPS and JPEG formats. Think of all the uses for these patterns---wrapping paper, greeting cards, place cards, notebooks...Each book retails for $29.95 at Amazon.

Gifted Book

While shopping in Anthropologie yesterday to find (a) a dress for my friend's upcoming wedding, and (b) a gift for her bachelorette party this weekend (yay! More on this later), I saw a book, "Gifted: 1,000 Gift Ideas for Everyone in Your Life." The author, Sarah Weidman, provides "personality types" such as "The Mommy-Any-Minute" and "The Gay Hooray" and lists gift ideas, plus online sites and descriptions of each product. Why didn't The Gift Giver think of this?! You can search inside the book at Amazon.com. It retails for $11.16---not bad for 1,000 ideas.