looking for ideas for gift for friend...

hey... everyone... I would love to have a little fun with this thread.. sometimes the holidays.. are a bit lonely for me..

sooooooooo... I have a very good friend.. of 29 years... who really is like a sister... we "do" Christmas every year... and this year... we did too... it is getting harder.. lol.. I try so hard... I have very limited funds.. and she well has very unlimited funds... so we try to match... what I can do..

here are her restrictions.....
no knicknacks
no clothes
no pictures
no Christmas tree ornaments or other Christmas stuff
no food
no homemade cookies.. candies.. no nuts
no knitted scraves or mittens
no gift certificates
no costume jewlery
no plates.. or cups... or such
no flowers.. bulbs... or such
no more painting stuff... like paints or brushes
no make-up
no purses
no yarn

soooooooooooooooo... for next year.... can you give me some good ideas of what I might get???

would love to come up with something creative... and make it even if it took me all year..... would be fun.. would love to surprise her....

sooooooooooo please... ideas.....

what about books from a second hand store, you can put a good collection togeather for limted money and are helping a charity

gooood idea.... she loves humming birds... and birds in general....

Not even cookies? Well, I'm fresh out of ideas.

Is there a particular charity that she donates to? How about a donation in her name to that charity?

How about tickets to a show that you would both enjoy attending together? (start saving today LOL)
Or a movie pass for both of you?

That's all I can come up with for the time being...sorry.

Hugsss
sabby

How about making a "coupon" to give to her, for something to redeem on in the future? Like a "favor" or a "free lunch" or whatever!? Sounds like fun!

Believe in Him or not --- GOD LOVES YOU!

Want to share your Christian faith? Click HERE

Freewill,

Through World Vision you can buy a chicken, or a goat, or a cow for a poor family in another part of the world in the name of your friend.

EJ

Tell us what she does like/want now that you've told us what she doesn't want?

Sounds like she likes art so I'd make her a really "professional" collage/shadowbox of your 29 years together and nice frame, etc. That could be fun for you as you'd be able to collect "things"/pictures for many months as you plan out what you're going to do. If you feel that comes under the category of "picture" then make a 3D model in some way for her desk? Not quite a knicknack since it would be personal? If worse comes to worse, put together a "scavenger hunt" of things you want her to see, hear, touch, feel, smell :-) throughout the town that are reminders of your relationship together and have the last one be you all's favorite high school hangout/restaurant with a pre-arranged, pre-paid meal (and only give the "address" for that clue so she probably won't know it's that restaurant). Maybe look for some school teachers or other old friends to invite to a little party?

I've gotten lots of ideas by "reversing" things. What if your memory was wiped and she was under a magic spell and you had to find the "key" to lifting it but all you knew was that she was a good friend of yours; no clue what she liked or what your friendship was based on, etc. You'd have to figure out what sort of friend you'd like to have based on what sort of person you were! For example, I have a good sense of humor so my friend probably would too. I like music and secretly feel badly about my singing "ability" (or lack thereof :-) so a friend who sang well, liked good music like that would comfort me (I'm basing this analysis on playing the "game" myself with a specific friend in mind) and obviously if this is a good, longstanding friend, she is loyal, loving, kind, pleasant to be with and thinks I'm great too :-) But just consider what you know of yourself and your abilities and what they call out in her and what you like in her, etc. Find "where" the attraction is and then look for what you can do with that?

She has money but she probably doesn't have or use her "time" well because she either is working to make the money or it's given to her and she can buy what she needs/wants and doesn't have to think about the "smaller" duties. So, she might want the contact/friendship/"time" with you? Can you figure out something to do together, a class or spa treatment or "trade" skills with another friend and learn how to do makeup or cut hair :-) some personal skill you could do for her? What doesn't she have time to do?

What would you want if you were her? What do you want her to give you!? Does she wish to have a yardsale or sell things online to get rid of them? You could plan that and make yourself a "kit" and give her her choice of dates, etc. for Spring 2009?

Does she have pets? You could create a notebook for possible pet sitters when she's away, pet stores in the area, vets, emergency vets and hours, etc. Or you could create another notebook of stores she likes, their addresses and phone numbers and hours; make a phone book for her cell phone for in the car? Emergency numbers, restaurants, all the stuff you can imagine she'd like/need; go take pictures of their outside :-) pretend you're her own OnStar :-)

One friend of mine is creating an mp3 player with music already on it that he knows his other girlfriend likes. He's technical so has set up the whole "system" with headphones and music, etc.

Could you get together with another family member, steal her loose photographs and put them in nice albums? No one has time to do that anymore? Organize something she doesn't have time/inclination to but which could be "fun" for you because it isn't yours.