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"__An Interview With Mario Buatta__\\n\\n\\n\\n*Buatta is an interior designer who has worked with Mariah Carey and Barbara Walters. He also designed the White House guesthouse.*\\n\\nI never give anything that I wouldn't be thrilled to receive\u2014which rules out ties, sweaters, and candles. Giving a great gift is about being creative and funny, not clich\u00E9 and ordinary.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __ Don't be boring.__ When you give a gift certificate, it's like admitting that you didn't put any thought into your gift. If your friend always talks about a specific restaurant, take her to dinner there. If she has a favorite spa, set her up with specific treatments. I love mailing sterling-silver postcards from Links of London. The recipient's name, address, and your message are all engraved, and it can be used as a paperweight for years. And I recently gave someone a few hours of chauffeured car service in New York City. It was something she never would have done on her own.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __ Go the extra mile.__ A picture frame can be a beautiful gift as long as you put a photograph inside it. I prefer the photo to be something humorous, an inside joke. The same is true of books. Unless you write something meaningful on the inside flap, the recipient could have easily bought it himself. Monogramming and engraving are also great ways to give things like robes, towels, jewelry, and frames a more personal quality.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __ Don't forget pets.__ People who have everything usually have pets. Buy them something special like gourmet dog treats or a beautiful collar.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __ Shop year-round.__ If you start shopping for holiday gifts in December, you're too stressed to be creative\u2014and everything is picked over. Instead, I keep my eyes open all year. If I spy something unique that would please several friends, I stock up. One year, I discovered fur-covered water bottles\u2014they looked like little mink coats, and people just loved them.\\n\\n\\n\\n\u2022\u00A0 __ Price isn't everything.__ The best gifts are often inexpensive. I recently gave out Dame Edna wigs and glasses\u2014they were real conversation starters and everyone got a kick out of them. And magazine subscriptions are wonderful because they show up in the mailbox every month for a whole year.\\n\\n#### See Also\\n\\n- [How to Buy Fragrance For a Guy](http://www.allure.com/beauty-products/gift-guide/2010/womens_guide_to_buying_fragrance\\\\#slide=1)\\n\\n\\n- [Our Top 5 Products For Giving&amp;mdash;And Receiving](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2009/12/our-top-5-products-for-givingand-receiving.html)\\n\\n\\n- [5 Brilliant Hostess Gifts](http://www.allure.com/beauty-trends/blogs/daily-beauty-reporter/2009/11/5-brilliant-hostess-gifts.html)"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.allure.com/story/how-to-give-a-personal-gift>