answer:There are really only two people I buy gifts for on a regular basis and one of them is on this site so I’m not giving away what I bought her yet. ;) I find that an excellent, unpredictable gift is that odd TV series that your friend or family member always talks about but can’t seem to find. For example, one year, I got my mother my mother a version of Pride and Prejudice that she had been admiring for months but could only find at this one store this was before I had the capability of ordering off the internet. It was a hit and I think she might agree that it was one of the most successful gifts I have ever given her. A gift idea I have often used for the writers and illustrators among my circle of friends is to find a really nice, unique journal for them to scribble in. As a writer myself, it’s exactly the kind of thing I would like. You have to be careful with this one though, because if they are a writer or artist, chances are lots of people buy them journals and notepads. My mother bought me an early ********* present this year. It is a lovely, sterling silver necklace with a garnet surrounded by tiny, blue opals. I don’t wear much jewelry so when she saw how much I liked this, she got it for me. If someone you are with likes a piece of jewelry that they would never buy for themselves, get it for them. Don’t guess on what kind of jewelry someone will like unless you know them very well. You can always buy consumable items also. This is especially god for the person who has everything or who goes through something really quickly. For example, my mother gets me loads of chapstick every year because I go through chapstick like nobody’s business. Some delicious gourmet food never goes amiss nor does something like gourmet coffee or hot chocolate. Ostensibly for women but actually for anybody ;) soaps and lotions are a great gift.