Well it’s that time of year again. Marked by heavy drinking and gift giving, two things that are staples of the SRO staff diet. And, since we realize heavy drinking is an easy skill to master, we decided to once again guide our loyal readers to the ideal gifts for your friends and family this season. You don’t have to be a hipster to shop here, our gifts transcend all monikers and classifications. So don’t hesitate, read up and then get out that web browser and start shopping.

Also, if any of you out there have some killer ideas to add, leave us a link in the comments and we will entertain adding them to the list if they delight us. With credit given to you of course. So let us know what we missed that you love!

Nerdcore 2008 Calendar

For every cool kid, there’s always a bit of a nerd lurking somewhere in the depths. What we’ve done is found something to take that inner dork and turn it into something prideful. In our travels, we happened upon Nerdcore, a company that takes our favorite geek qualities and turns them into delicious art, albeit somewhat risqué.

Last year, they took to video games and their accessories and draped them over some of the sexiest models around. Then they got famed photographer Cherie Roberts and designer/artist Jason Adam to take those images and concoct a calendar out of it. This year, they’ve gone and upped the ante with a new geeky theme, Heroes and Villains, and boy, did they outdo themselves. Loading 2008’s calendar up with former playmates in an oversized 12×18 layout, dressed (or undressed) in their skimpiest get-ups, the playa’s over at Nerdcore also added important dates to the months as well, such as:

- The Morning Oceanic Flight 815 departed
- Quentin Tarantino’s Birthday
- San Diego Comic-Con
- The day Marty McFly went back in time
- Movie release dates for Indiana Jones IV, Dark Knight, Speed Racer, Iron Man and more

Note: For best results, snag that two pack of calendars, which includes not only this year’s calendar, but last years as well, for the low price of $40. That’s the deal we’d go with, and that’s our ultimate recommendation. Being nerdy was never supposed to be this cool.

Cost: $25 (1 Calendar) – $40 (2 Pack)

[Nerdcore]

The Watchmen

Last year, we told you to watch out for 300. As of now, it’s grossed over $210 million.

Earlier this year, we warned you about Superbad. Last checked, it topped $121 million and became the Halloween costume of the year.

What will you do now, when we tell you that one of the most fucked up Graphic Novels ever written is being filmed as we speak by the forces responsible for 300? Does that sound like something you might be interested in? It fuckin’ better be.

If your dear hipster friend doesn’t already own a previous version of The Watchmen or has no idea what this is, it’s your job as a friend to bestow this upon he/she. If they are a true socialite and do own a copy, hit them with the hardcover version, as an ‘upgrade’ for style points. If they dare question it, tell them that it will be their favorite movie in the year ‘09. Tell them that it was so good, Time Magazine placed it on their All-Time 100 Novels list. And if it’s a girl, tell her that the movie will star Denny from Grey’s Anatomy (or Judah from Weeds) and Russell from Almost Famous.

Cost: $47 Hardcover

[Amazon]

Cost: $14 Softcover

[Amazon]

Knock Knock Store

You’ve probably already seen some of Knock Knock’s amusing gifts at stores like Urban Outfitters (like their Slang Flash Cards or their Personal Library Kit) but if you haven’t browsed their site you’re missing out. They have lots of cute ideas for stocking stuffers etc. The best of their offerings? This Multiple Choice Correspondence kit has over 43 different multiple-choice letters for a variety of occasions. Just find the right letter, check the appropriate boxes, tear along the perforated lines, and mail it! (No need to grab an envelope-each page is a folding self-mailer.) Genius. It makes old-fashioned mail so easy.

Cost: $25 – MC Correspondence

[Knock Knock store]

Cost: $15 – Slang Flash Cards

[Knock Knock store]

Cost: $25 – Personal Library Kit

[Knock Knock store]

Decemberists Embroidery Kit

Find yourself up late, unable to put that needle down? Unable to turn off that Colin Meloy? Well, do we have the gift for you. Decemberists Embroidery kit. Yup, for a measly three dollars you can get your fix on and still worship your favorite band, the Decemberists. My suggestions would be to make some killer pjs with a custom stitching job so that indie girl/guy knows you mean business on sleep-over-sundays.

Cost: $3

[the Decemberists]

Final Cut Express 4

Still saving up for that copy of Final Cut Studio 2? Well here is a hint — quit saving and go buy Final Cut Express instead. Then take all that money you just saved and invest in some proper lighting equipment instead. I guarantee your project will take on new beauty with this small but simple step. Final Cut Express offers all the options you might need as an up-and-comer in the world of music videos, so don’t worry about missing out no anything. Seriously, invest in lighting first, and then somewhere down the road you can upgrade to that Final Cut Studio if it makes you feel better. Just a tip!

Cost: $199

[Apple]

Esquire Magazine Subscription

Thinking outside of the box is something we pride ourselves on when it comes to gifts for the people who meet our standards. One such gift, is a subscription to our pre-approved and/or favorite magazine. In this case, it’s Esquire. Sure it’s tailored towards men, but every supermodel that stops by the SRO Labs, can’t help but flip through it to size up their competition, comment on many of the suggestions, or agree with the “10 Things You Don’t Know About Women.” This is the Gentleman’s Maxim. Want to show the ladies (or parents) that you’ve grown up, keep these around the house and see how your game steps up. Here are just a few other features to whet the appetite:

- The Sexiest Woman Alive
- Chuck Klosterman’s America
- The Big Black Book: The Style Manual for Successful Men
- 10 Things You Don’t Know About Women
- What I’ve Learned (By celebrities such as The White Stripes, Jack Nicholson, David Bowie, Homer Simpson and God to name a few)
- Women We Love

Cost: $8 – 1 Year Subscription (12 Issues)

[Esquire]

ReadyMade Magazine

Already on their 31st issue, ReadyMade magazine is still filled with fresh, ingenious ideas for DIY crafters. I received a subscription to this magazine a couple of years ago and have loved it ever since, so I can assure you it’s an excellent gift. Want to do stuff like turn pillowcase into a skirt, bake a vegan gingerbread house, or create a coffee table out of chicken wire, 1000 piece puzzles, and twine? Perfect. This is your kind of magazine. And it’s much more than just a crafter’s how-to magazine. They have inspirational features on artists, designers, and architects and all other sorts of fascinating pieces pertaining to the creative lifestyle. For example, in the current issue you can read about three live-work collectives from Philadelphia, Oakland, and Los Angeles, find places for affordable art, take a crash course on rewiring lights, and learn how to create a mesh fruit bowl from orange construction fencing. Awesome.

Cost: $19 – 1 Year Subscription (Six Issues)

Cost: $30 – Gift Kit: 1 Year Subscription (6 Issues) + a ReadyMade American Apparel t-shirt + a Surprise Gift

[Ready Made]

Tank Classic Novels

Trying to quit smoking but been too busy reading Kafka? Then check these little wonders. Probably the coolest literary invention, short of the Kindle(joke), I’ve seen in a long time. Actual unabridged fictional classics that fit inside of specially designed Cigarette boxes. The brainchild of Tank — a London design firm — and apparently available by phone order only. Supposedly they are making their way across the pond sometime next year, so if you want one now, get out your Google skills or make that call.

Cost: Unknown

[Tank Book Literary Classics]

Mimobots: Flash drives

Techie or not, they would love one of these cute little mimobots. Why? Because they’re awesome! Mimobots are designer USB flash drives that look like charming little characters. They’re quite a few different collections, including popular ones like Star Wars and Halo. Personally, I love the Artist Series that features different artists who design their own. The King & Queen mimobots are my top pick. Designed by Undoboy, an uber-hip graphic designer/advertising art director, they come preloaded with the Mimozine digital magazine and there’s even an optional hoodie-keychain accessory for them to wear! If you’re interested, you should by them quickly though. Most of the mimobots are limited edition and sell-out completely.

Cost: $49.95/$69.95/$109.95 — 1GB/2GB/4GB.

[mimobots]
[Star Wars]
[Artist Series]
[the queen & king mimobot]

Albums worth your money

Nikki McClure

If you’re trying to make an impression with this year’s gift, and you’d like to stray away from the naked-models-wearing-capes variety, Nikki McClure is who we’re gonna send you to. A staple of art that everyone at SRO whole heartedly adores. Here’s a little info about her from her site:

Nikki McClure of Olympia, Washington is known for her painstakingly intricate and beautiful paper cuts. Armed with an X-acto knife, she cuts out her images from a single sheet of paper and creates a bold language that translates the complex poetry of motherhood, nature, and activism into a simple and endearing picture.

Our recommendation to impress any friend or family member lies with the calendar. You get 12 pieces to last the year, each of which is titled with one word. What does the word mean? What does it have to do with the picture? How does it pertain to your life? The key is to make your own questions and your own answers for that whole month, after which, you get to start anew! Art that not only inspires but makes you earn it, now isn’t that what good art is supposed to do? You can even be proud to display it when your parents stop by, or hell, give it to your parents instead. There’s nothing better than not only being cool yourself, but making those around you just as stylin’.

Cost: $16 – “Things To Make And Do” Calendar

[Buy Olympia]

Cost: $3 – $25 Various Artwork

[Buy Olympia]

Knife Set

Really want your knife set to send a message. Message being, “If you sleep with my roommates I will stab you in the heart”, then go pick up this little number over at Think Geek. Such a website is chock-full of all kinds of gift ideas, but make sure to bring home that knife set for someone special. Give them something to think about.

Cost: $70 – $100

[Think Geek]

Tokyo Flash Watches

My watch laughs at the inferiority of your watch. Think you are balling with that ridiculous piece of time on your wrist? Well step to Tokyo Flash, home of the most unique time pieces around. The best part about it is that they actually are reasonably priced. I guarantee you’ll be the only kid on the corner with one of these.

Cost: $90 – $250

[Tokyo Flash]

Various Films

Taking into account for the current technological war on our hands, each of these films is represented in each high quality format; DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-Ray. Of course, true gangstas would never be caught dead in anything but Blu.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (30th Anniversary Collectors Edition): Believe it or not, back in the day Steven Spielberg didn’t fuck around. He aimed high and made no apologies, nor did he pull any punches. His works now-a-days, while still tip top, lack the guts he had back when he was writing his own shit. Even now, when asked recently, whether he would have changed the ending to Close Encounters to make it more family friendly, he said yes. Thank god this release is all hopped up on digital steroids today, so we can continue to pretend he’s still a rebel.
[Amazon Link]

Blade Runner (Ultimate Collectors Edition): Ridley Scott’s 4th film comes at us again in ultra atomic mode. Warner Bros. basically pimped Scott’s ride with 3 versions (Theatrical, Director’s, and Ultimate) plus extras on 5 discs. So hardcore it comes in a silver “Deckard” briefcase and includes a toy Spinner car. More people need to own this, if not to get schooled by Harrison Ford vs. Rutger Hauer, then so I can dress up as Raff for Halloween without having to explain myself.
[Amazon Link]

Stanley Kubrick Directors Series: 2001. A Clockwork Orange. The Shining. Eyes Wide Shut. Platoon. In High Def? Oh Shit, You Craazy Jesus![Amazon link]

Superbad: After what we said earlier this year, did you really think we’d leave this off? Come now. [Amazon link]

Kurt Hasley

Is your girlfriend always coming home with loose change? I know, mine does too. Well this is the perfect way to get that loose change to a saving location. Give her a cloud bank from Kurt Hasely. If you don’t know Mr. Hasely, he does some great work so check out his other stuff over at his site. I really like his prints, but they are hard to get ahold of — so good luck on that. He does have these though — adorable stationary. And we all know cute stationary is how you get sex! You heard it here!

Check out some of his other stuff too!

Cost: $20 – Bank

[Urban Outfitters]

Cost: $5 – Stationary and Stickers

[Hasely.com]

Demetri Martin

Demetri Martin is the funniest man on stage these days. With little press and not the over the top success of Dane Cook, Demetri has been making people laugh for years. Did you know he was a writer for Conan O’Brien? I know you didn’t. Maybe you saw him on the Daily Show, maybe you didn’t. Either way do yourself a favor and hook up with his cd/dvd combo for These are Jokes or his hour long special Person. “Every fight is a food fight, when you’re a cannibal.” There is also a moment in Person that will take every guy to the floor. Thank us later.

Cost: $15 – Person

[Amazon: Person]

Cost: $13 – These Are Jokes

[Amazon: These Are Jokes]

Flight of The Conchords

Two New Zealand bandmates travel to New York to become the biggest band in America. Trials and tribulations follow. None of that is important. What’s important is that somewhere in the show, the band breaks into the greatest music video parodies the world has ever seen. Every thing is included; Flashdance, Bowie, Daft Punk and everthing in between. If you missed the first season on HBO be sure to pick it up today and if you read this blog it’s a must.

Cost: $30

[HBO store]

Exotic Chocolate

Girls love chocolate. But if you’re out to impress a girl with a cultured, artistic palate, Hershey’s just won’t do. So meet Vosges, a Chicago-based chocolatier that’s one of the premier companies specializing in chocolate couture.

Their Exotic Truffle Box is a globally-inspired collection featuring some of the most outrageous flavor combinations. The Black Pearl, for example, is a dark chocolate truffle with hints of traditional Japanese flavors: ginger, wasabi, and black sesame. The Indian-inspired Naga features milk chocolate paired with coconut and sweet Indian curry. The sweet and spicy flavors of Mexico combine in the Oaxaca truffle: two kinds of chilies, dark chocolate, and organic pumpkin seeds. My favorite pick would have to be the Woolloomooloo, though. Named after some crazy suburb in Sydney, this truffle mixes Australian macadamia nuts, coconuts with a milk chocolate. Delicious! The collection is such an imaginative exploration of global flavors; it makes the perfect gift for the adventurous.

Cost: $25/$39/$73 — 9/16/32 pieces

[Vosage Chocolate]

Small Things Jewelry

If there’s one thing that’ll make a girl be nice all year long (or naughty, depending on how you look at it), it’s the hope of receiving something shiny for Christmas. And you know what I’m talking about: jewelry! But beware, because all jewelry is not created equal. Ugly jewelry –even though it’s jewelry– is still ugly.

I was delighted when I came across Small Things last year. Their jewelry is adorable and truly reflects the meticulous care that is put into it. Artist Teresa Robinson designs, cuts, and solders each individual piece by hand. And because each piece is made to order, you can customize the piece you want by choosing from different designs, shapes, sizes, and colors. There are four collections to choose from. Bits and Pieces is Robinson’s newest. The necklaces, bracelets, and rings are adorned with charmingly simple everyday items like a love letter, cupcake, or telephone. Her Originals collection is my favorite. Delicate images of birds, flowers, skulls, and stars are cut in sterling silver and laid over cut glass in your favorite color.
They’re perfect. Just make sure you order soon for Christmas. Since they are handmade, it takes approximately 2-4 weeks to receive your order.

Cost: $45 – $105 depending on the collection and size

[Bits & Pieces Collection]
[Originals Collections]

Everyone Loves a T-shirt

Every hipster needs some cool new threads to wear. Here’s a quick rundown of some of our favorite shirts and places to find them.

Cost: $19

[Panic Goods]

For everyone who loves what we call music.

Cost: $20

[Cottyn]

What’s cuter then a rabbit? A fat rabbit. Check out the farm!

Cost: $22

[Fat Rabbit Farm]

The Design Town

If you’re looking for something truly unique for that special hipster, stop by The Design Town. Let me give you the skinny, every night at midnight (EST) a new item becomes available to buy and when it runs out or turns the next day, that’s it. That’s all you get. You saw something yesterday you wanted, better luck next time. That item will never be on the website again. This website guarantees two things; loyalty and uniqueness. Buy a loved one something unique today because you can guarantee no one else will ever have that item. Just don’t buy something we want.

Cost: Various

[Design Town]

Joe Leobetter Prints

Joe Leobetter. Helped create one of the greatest music videos George has ever seen. WATCH IT. You can buy prints of the characters or other shit he has from his site. Get on it!

Cost: $40-$100

[Joe Ledbetter]