Wringing your hands over what to get the person who has everything? Biting your bottom lip about the right present to get the one who claims, “Anything will do”?
Enough.
Face it, these gift-recipients on your list are making shopping a chore, not a pleasure.
So instead of working your way toward a nervous breakdown, spiked eggnog-style, take some of the worry out of this. Put some fun into it by shopping for that conversation piece in decorative accessories for the home–those little odds and ends that they’d never buy for themselves but would enjoy having.
Once you adopt this attitude, you’ll be ready to shop–and what you’ll find lighting much of your way are candles.
Candles, seen as the “last affordable luxury,” are coming in shapes that are less traditional and more creative. No longer limited to square, cylindrical or tapered shapes, candles come shaped as houses, trees, pine cones, cranberry balls, angels, braids and knots.
At culturecounter, the gift shop at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., 312-397-4000, the traditional taper comes in the not-so-traditional braided or knotted style. The mini-versions (8 inches) are $3.50 each and a set of two in the standard 16-inch taper height is $26. The museum also has a menorah candle, $18 for the 9-inch-tall version, $46 for the 15-inch candle.
“They (candles) remain popular for the holidays, but they are not limited to the holidays,” says Jill Wells, a spokeswoman for Colonial Candle of Cape Cod in Hyannis, Mass. “You’ll find candles that have the holiday look and finish in gold and silver but more candles are being designed for their decorative presence throughout the year.”
Candles are also getting the star touch in design.
One of the newest candles is the Elton candle ($54) by Slatkin & Co. Home fragrance. Musician Elton John chose a mixture of his favorite flowers: hyacinth, freesia, jasmine and rose. The candle comes in a hexagonal-shaped frosted glass container that has Elton John’s autograph in gold. (A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the candle goes to The Elton John AIDS Foundation). The candle is sold at Neiman Marcus stores.
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If candles were on your list last year and you’re trying to avoid a rerun in your gift-giving, there are other decorative accessories that combine practicality, affordability and creativity.
When checking out the shelves at Marshall’s stores, the picture gets clearer when you come to the photo frames. You’ll find the traditional square- or oval-shaped frames in metal and glass, but there are also frames that come in the shape of wooden benches ($5.99) and those in the shape of a wire tea kettle ($4.99).
Looking for something slightly exotic and practical to hold photo memories? The Tangiers Photo Box ($26.95) is a winner at Crate & Barrel stores. Cherry-stained, it resembles a cigar box in size and displays photos in a lid that slides open to reveal a storage place for pens, office supplies or letters.
and if you’re shopping for a clock-watcher, there are plenty of time-keepers that do their job with style.
“People are looking for something that is a conversation piece in their home,” Nanette Mortell, a spokeswoman for Chiasso stores, says when asked about clocks.”They want something that is unique to them and that makes them go `wow.’ “
Chiasso, 835 N. Michigan Ave., second level, 312-280-1249, offers just that. There’s the Tower Clock, which looks like a house with its 12-inch rectangular block base with a rooftop on it. It sells for $110. Another is the 3-D Clock, a pewter time piece that sells for $95.
A clock that will surely keep conversation going is Chiasso’s Table Clock ($375), which comes in the shape of a cocktail or end table. Its top is a clock face, with a glass tabletop covering it on an aluminum base.
And at Viacom Entertainment Store, 600 N. Michigan Ave., 312-867-3500, the traditional round-faced cherry wood clock gives a nostalgic nod to filmmaking with movie production symbols replacing certain numbers (a camera instead of “12,” a director’s chair replaces the “3,” a megaphone in place of the “6,” and a typewriter where you would normally find a “9.”
Clocks get the Mickey Mouse treatment at the Disney stores. Selling from $15 to $28, they feature Mickey, Winnie the Pooh, the Dalmatians, or Ariel the Little Mermaid.
