ARABIC MAKEUP PICTURES

32 gift-giving solutions
It's our third annual holiday gift guide, featuring a little somethin' somethin' for him, for her and for kids of all ages. Many of these one-of-a-kind goodies will be gone by the time Santa hitches up his reindeer, so you'd best get your favourite numbers wrapped up now.
Rita Sirignano, Calgary Herald
Published: Friday, December 04, 2009

1 The limited-edition Thumper by Kid Robot is the work of American urban artist David Flores, who uses his trademark "stained-glass style" for a fresh take on the Disney bunny. $65 at Group Seven, 203, 2115 4th St. S.W., 403-229-3117, groupseven.ca.

2 Android's lacquered jewelry case holds five watches, and comes with its own lock and key. The case is $228 and the watches, also by Android, range from $258-$398 each at O'Connors Menswear, 1415 1st St. S.W., 403-269-4996, oconnors.ca.

3 A hospitality gift need not break the bank. Bring along a value-priced bottle of Le Jaja de Jau 2008 sauvignon--a white even a red-wine drinker will like-- and accessorize it with an out-of-this-world bottle stopper. Le Jaja de Jau 2008 sauvignon: $16.95, at Britannia Wine Merchants, Britannia Plaza, Elbow Drive and 49th Avenue S.W., 403-287-3833, britanniawine merchants.ca.Cosmic stopper: $6.95 each (in a variety of jewel tones) at Crate and Barrel, Southcentre, 100 Anderson Rd. S.E., 403-278-7020,

4 A scapular is a necklace with two pendants--one worn on the front and one on the back--that are said to protect both sides of the heart. Francisca Botelho's white gold and enamel amulets feature symbols like the evil eye and Arabic hamsa (shown here), or personages such as the Hindu goddess Lakshmi and the Christian Madonna. $685, from a selection at Rubaiyat, 722 17th Ave. S.W., 403-228-7192, rubaiyatcalgary.com.

5 Made by Toronto's preloved out of recycled mittens, these mismatched mittens are the green solution to a single missing handwarmer. $35 a pair at Queen Boutique, 1109A Kensington Rd. N.W., 403-283-2227.

6 Face blizzards in style with a buffalo-plaid, fur-trimmed aviator hat by Crowncap, $48, and vintage snow goggles, $125, which were issued to mountain troops to prevent snow blindness. Both are available at Crown Surplus, 1005 11th St. S.E., 403-265-1754, armysurplus.com.

7 We're not sure who is going to be more excited-girls or moms-that lululemon is finally launching a junior line. You'll find the same high-quality, vibrant active wear at ivivva, but with some great twists, such as luon pants that can be cropped when a tween grows up instead of out and hoodies that come with emergency ponytail holders. Prices range from $35 for a tank to $79 for a hoodie. And if your darling daughter already has everything, check out the bright-fuchsia doubletime gym bag to carry it all in, $64, with a water-resistant inner compartment for smelly sneakers and wet swimsuits. Ivivva athletica, 3625 Shaganappi Tr. N.W., 403-247-3644, ivivva.com.

8 It's got reindeers, team spirit and an official VANOC endorsement: Kids' Canadian Olympic Team Lamb's Wool front-zip sweater, $75 (size 7-8, 10-12 and 14-16. Adult sizes are also available, $100). At The Bay, Market Mall, 403-286-1220 and four other Calgary locations, or order online at vancouver2010.hbc.com.

9 This adorable toddler's red wool coat trimmed with black velvet is available at an equally sweet price: $39 at Joe Fresh at The Real Canadian Superstore, 3575 20th Ave. N.E. and several other locations throughout Calgary, joe.ca.

10 Don't forget Fido. Your best friend will be wagging his tail over this down coat, $16.50, and chew toys, $7.50, at Old Navy, Chinook Centre, 403-319-0412, Sunridge Mall, 403-590-9501, and Market Mall, 403-288-8002, oldnavy.ca.

11 One suspects even some big girls would love to receive the Barbie Dolled Up Nails Digital Nail Printer. You just connect the device to a PC via USB and choose from thousands of nail designs or upload your own graphics. To "print," you apply a base coat and a white coat (both included), then insert your fingers into the device and the pattern is printed on your nails. You then finish with the included topcoat. $199.99 exclusively at Toys "R" Us, 2929 32nd Ave. N.E., 403-974-8680, Market Mall, 403-974-8683, and 10450 Macleod Tr. S.E., 403-974-8686, toysrus.ca.

12If only real grocery products looked this good! This set of Wooden Pantry Products by award-winning toy designers Melissa and Doug is $25 at Child at Heart Children's Store, Britannia Plaza, Elbow Drive & 49th Avenue S.W., 403-243-3070, childatheart.ca.

13 Natural Pod's Tree Branch Blocks are made in Vancouver from kiln-dried, locally sourced alder. A 2009 Top Ten Eco Toy Winner, each set is unique and comes stored in a handmade muslin sack. The sets come in small ($35), medium ($48), and large ($80) sizes at Riva's Eco Store, 1534 17th Ave. S.W., 403-452-1001, rivasecostore.com.

14 However will you choose between these 18K yellow-gold signet-style cocktail rings desig

True story: to say that my mother was skittish about discussing anything that had to do with the human body or its functions is a gross understatement. The woman got edgy if someone mentioned that we were out of toilet paper.
When I was in middle school, we had a class called "Health" in which the poor, beleaguered teachers were pressed into service to explain the details of the reproduction process. There was no co-ed mingling for this class, and I assume that both boys and girls received the same information via a generalized short film on the subject, but the segregation must have made it easier for all to manage such a touchy topic. Each gender could feel free to ask questions about his or her own set of reproductive equipment and/or discuss problems and concerns with said equipment amongst "friends" of the same sex.
In the girl's class, we were given a little booklet about what to expect from your "changing body", a sample of Kotex pads and an elastic belt which held the pads in place (it really was the dark ages where menstrual products were concerned, and before the welcome advent of adhesive pads that stuck to your underwear). I brought this bounty home and promptly hid it in my underwear drawer until it became necessary to put any of it into service.
My mother was fond of looking through our drawers on occasion (just to keep herself current with our private doings, I imagine) and of course, came upon my little stash of period preparedness. No words were spoken about this, of course, but a day or two later, a small book was on my pillow when I came home from school. It was called "From Teens to Marriage" or something along those lines and it was written by PAT BOONE. I suppose he considered himself something of an authority on the subject because he had produced quite a few daughters in his day. Whatever the case, the "information" in the book was sketchy, cloudy, vague and punctuated with many references to God and Jesus, which further perplexed me. This book went right into the drawer with the rest of the stash until further notice.
And then came the day when my period started. Just one day, I was minding my own business and there it was. I was not startled, but rather resigned to the fact that I now belonged to the "Secret Sisterhood" (as our Health teacher mysteriously referred to those who had started their periods) and must begin "taking care of myself in a different way" as Pat Boone instructed.
I was so afraid to tell my mother (who had never, EVER broached any such subject with me and let it be known with various body language clues and tight-lipped comments that things like this were NOT appropriate topics) that I put it off for two days, using the sample pads and paper towels as backup until I could figure out what to do.
Finally, after much hemming, hawing, procrastinating and pacing, I came out with it. I had started my period! There! I told her while she was in the bathroom applying her makeup so that I wouldn't have to look her in the eye. After my announcement, there was dead quiet from the bathroom. My heart was pounding. And then this: "would you want to use a tampon?"
How the HELL does a tampon work and why would I want to use it? This was not covered in Health class (back in the day when they thought that tampons would somehow impair your virginity status)!
I said that, no, I was not....comfortable....with that idea. What else have you got?
This is where the story takes an incomprehensible turn. My mother, still without looking me in the eye, instructs me to TELL MY DAD to take me to the store for "supplies". WHAT?? Oh, the humiliation!
More uncomfortable silence while mother continues to apply her mascara. I slink from the room and find my dad reading the paper. I tell him that I need to go to the store for "some stuff". God bless this man for what happened next. Without any fuss at all, he puts down the paper, we get into the car, we drive to the store and he makes himself scarce as I scan the "feminine needs" aisle for...something.....
And there is the Kotex box. Ah, this was familiar! So I picked one up and also got some antiperspirant and shampoo so as not to make such a glaring statement at the check-out. My dad paid without any weird comments and drove us home with no mention of anything uncomfortable or embarrassing.
My mother and I never discussed that day's events (or anything else, really). If I needed for her to purchase supplies on her weekly trip to the grocery store, I would write it on the list without remark. The box of pads would then appear in my bathroom as if by magic.
My daughter knows this story by heart. I told her all about it when it came time for her to attend Health class. There was never a kid more prepared than she was for the onset of her period!