Ten Gift Ideas for your Best Friend

"One thing you can't get new is and old friend." This is one of my favorite greeting card quotes.

One way to figure out what your friends would like as gifts is to observe what they 'give' as gifts. I don't wear perfume, but one acquaintance gives everyone perfume because SHE loves it. It's a natural, human thing to do.

1. A vintage item that will bring back happy childhood memories. My best friend decorated her kitchen in a 1940s style and her Mother's chrome/porcelain kitchen table is her centerpiece. I searched the net and found several items; chalkware fruit wall décor and 1940s soup ladle with a green and cream painted handle. These gifts didn't cost a lot, but showed her I care and really think about her when I choose a gift.

Observe her likes and dislikes and keep on the lookout for special or vintage items all year long. Linens, kitchen utensils, pottery are all great gifts.

2. A Mystery day out. Surprise your fiend by planning a special day a week or a few days before their birthday. This way it will be a total surprise. Take them to breakfast at their favorite restaurant, then a little excursion to a place they'd like - an art gallery, museum, antiquing or a book store. Maybe purchase something they really admire or like for their gift. Then take them to a new (to them) restaurant, something different or exotic - Indian, Ethiopian, vegan, etc. I took my friend to our favorite little tea room in town. Or start with lunch and end with dinner, whatever fits!

More ideas for outings are:

Lunch and a 'girly' movie.

A trip to a special exhibit at an art museum and lunch.

A Dinner Train ride, or a Mystery Theater-dinner.

A garden tour and tea.

Share a day-spa visit

A wine tasting at a local winery

3. Order a rose bush or favorite shrub and then plant it for your friend when it arrives. You can do this for Christmas and give her a photo of the plant, this will give her time to find the perfect location for planting.

4. Give her a glamour photo session. Include a professional makeup session and maybe purchase a sweater or top in a color that looks great on her for the photo shoot.

5. Cook her favorite meal. Deliver it to her home and take a nice tablecloth and some candles and share it with her.

6. Theater or concert tickets. What’s nice about these is you can buy them far ahead of time and plan a dinner out as well.

7. A gift certificate for a house cleaning. I did this for my daughter (who is also one of my best friends) and it came in very handy when her in-laws announced they were coming to visit with only a three-day warning. She is a great housekeeper, but with four small kids she really appreciated the help.

8. A gift basket filled with her favorite beauty luxuries, or chocolates and a couple of magazines or a book she'll enjoy. Or put a note with a gift certificate for a subscription to a magazine.

9. Design personal gifts. A great place for this is zazzle.com, where you can make t-shirts, mouse pads, coffee mugs, aprons, calendars and even SHOES for your best friend. Simply upload a design or photo and click on 'create'. Its great fun and the products are reasonable and top quality. I made a coffee mug with a photo of us both taken by a friend and had “To My Best Friend” and the date on it. Have fun, and I hope this helps you find the best.

10. Bake her favorite cookies or make that special fudge or peanut brittle she loves. Place it in a pretty bowl or a vintage pottery pieces and wrap it in cellophane and a pretty ribbon.

The thoughtfulness behind your gift will show your friend you love them.