"A razor? What are you trying to say, honey?

Christmas is fast approaching. (Five days, but hey, who’s counting?) While I’m sure you’ve already picked out the perfect gift for everyone on your list, I bet you haven’t given much thought to what you’re getting this holiday season.

Well…I have.

I’ve taken my favorite Gleek’s (Brittany S. Pierce!) advice and made my Christmas list early and sent it on its way to the North Pole. But I know that even someone as prepared and as considerate as me (making it easy for my parents by adding what I wanted for Christmas to their Amazon shopping carts) will more than likely get stuck with a few bad Christmas gifts. It’s okay though, it’s a burden we all have to bear, so I’ll brave the post holiday madness and head to the return lines.

I just hope I don’t get anything quite as bad as these gifts.

10. Scented Candles. Not only do they more often than not smell like nothing more than a cheap imitation of what they’re supposed to smell like (Birthday cake? Sand castles? Ginger tea and honey?), but they’re also a bit of a fire hazard.

9. Useless gadgets. I’m sorry but I never have and I never will have any use for your vibrating slippers, your Bumpits, your BeDazzler or anything else that has AS SEEN ON TV stamped across the front of the box.

8. Socks. I don’t care if they are Christmas themed, personalized, or striped. I don’t care if they are toe socks, or fuzzy socks, or just plain, regular, everyday socks. They are not appropriate Christmas gifts. And I’m sick of people passing them off as though they are. Just because they come in lots of funky patterns doesn’t mean they make a good gift. End of discussion.

7. Anything from Bath and Body Works. I’m not even going to touch on the whole scented thing because that was already covered. But really, let’s think about this, when was the last time you used cucumber melon body splash? When was the last time you wanted to? Scented soaps and creams and antibacterial soaps that smell like a garden? My allergies act up just thinking about them. No, I won’t use the bath salts or those cute little themed baskets that just seem so perfect either.

6. Picture frames with a photo of the gift giver in them. First of all, the picture frame is almost always something ridiculous that you would never use and doesn’t match anything in your dorm. Second of all, you are not going to place a picture of this person next to your nightstand like you two are finally going steady or something. Moving on.

5. Anything that looks like you got it as a free sample. I’ve gotten these gifts before, and believe me I’ve been able to tell. Oddly enough, when you give someone who hardly ever wears makeup Clinique cover up it’s kind of a clue that you didn’t buy the gift for that person. Oh, hey, is that a complimentary tote you’ve got there on your arm?

4. Fruit cake. Yes, people still give these. And yes, the cliché is still very, very true. No one wants a fruit cake, even if it is homemade, because chances are, it’s not very good. As for a peanut butter cup cheesecake….that’s a dessert I can get behind.

3. Themed gifts. You know, it’s Christmas, so obviously any gift you give or get has to, in some way, be Christmas related.  Your Aunt Mary is going to get you a Santa sweater. And, oh wait, Aunt Sue got you candy cane socks to match. Now all you need is one of those headbands with the reindeer antlers and you’re all set. Thanks Dad!

2.  Homemade coupons. No, I don’t want your free hugs. Or your promise to do my homework. Because I don’t want to hug you and I wouldn’t trust you to do my homework for me. Ever. So if you’re going to get me a coupon, that coupon better be a gift card. And by gift card I mean one of those things that look like a credit card and works in a real establishment. (Like Starbucks.) That means you can’t use crayon to fill this one out either. Pity.

1. Self-help books. We have issues. We know. The holidays are not the time to remind us of them. So just buy us a drink and leave it at that, okay?

What are the worst gifts you’ve ever gotten?!

Have no fear my decorating minions, get your hot glue guns ready and lets get crafty!

Let’s Make… Picture frames! Posters are so…mainstream. Everyone has them. Why not hang your own pictures in personalized frames?

 This is an easy craft. You can find ready-made frames for cheap at any dollar store, walmart, or craft store. All you need to do is decorate with fabric, sequins, or little plastic accents…things you can again find at walmart or a craft store. Just apply them with your hot glue gun…and there you have it!

Let’s Make… Beaded curtains!  This project will take a little more time to finish, but it allows your mind to go to a zen-like place while you do it.

You will need: Beads! Fishing line and a tension curtain rod.

First measure your door frame and decide how thick you want your curtain to be. Thicker curtains call for more beads. Cut your fishing line to fit, and then start stringing your beads (this part takes awhile).

Once you’re done stringing all your beads,  apply them to the rod and hang. Put a dab of hot glue over the part where the beads are tied over the rod to keep the steady. There you have it!

Let’s Make… A bulletin board! Tired of all that random paper that you acquire but are to pack-raty to throw out? Make a bulletin board! You can do one of two things for this: buy a pre-made board and just paint the frame, attach some beads, or glue fabric to the edge with your hot glue gun — or, you can cover a piece of plywood with fabric (hot glue the fabric down) then crisscross ribbon over the fabric to stick notes and pictures inside.

The most important thing is to have fun doing these projects!  College can be stressful, crafting shouldn’t be.

[Crafty photo from craftzine.com]

Besides all the sucky-ness that moving has to offer, it does have on hell of a silver lining: DECORATING!That’s right ladies – whether you get to trick out a house, apartment, townhome or dorm, you get at least one special private room that will reflect your amazing style. Not only will your boudoir be your locale for sleeping (or not sleeping, wink wink!), it will be where you study, get ready, pre-pregame, watch trashy TV, and lie in bed doing nothing.

No doubt it will be as fabulous as you are, but in case you needed some help getting started, here are some of this years’ hottest decorating trends.

Robin’s Egg Blue on Chocolate Brown

This pairing of ultra-pastel and super dark is per.fec.tion. Aim for a super rich brown in a luxurious fabric (or one that looks luxe, for way less and pair with super soft, silky sheets).

The palest shades of blue look amazingly tranquil on your walls and expand your room, no matter how itty bitty it may be.

By mixing crazy textures or prints all in similar colors, you can add depth to these pretty, pretty colors.

For accents and decorations on your walls, stick with shades of bronze and gold to warm up the blue and play up your brown pallete.

A funky, intricate selection of accessories keeps these colors feminine–beware of going ultra-modern, because these colors can look masculine if left too bare.

Black, White and Purple All Over

Black and white is always classic, edgy and cool. Throw a rich, royal purple into the mix and you’ve got a sexy, lush vibe goin’ on.

For a sophisticated, urban look try a deep plum semi-gloss for paint (but only if your landlord gives you the OK);

For a more playful look choose a brighter purple like the one below:

Tip: If your room is tiny (as so many of ours are), experiment with painting only one wall, or adding an inexpensive chair-rail and painting only the bottom half.

For your bedding, stick with black and white so you don’t overpower the walls. The simplicity of this combo will pop against your vibrant walls, especially if you choose a great graphic.

For your accessories, choose sleek, contemporary designs in black, white or nickel. Keeping things like lamps and bedside tables simple keeps the focus on your sweet bedding with the gorgeous walls as the perfect back drop.

For finishing touches, keep a look out for bold picture frames and crystal finials or curtain tie backs to add some sparkle.

Sunny Side Up

Nothing can put you in a good mood like happy, sunny yellow. Choose a very pale shade (it will be waaay brighter on your walls!), because going too citrusy will make your eyes water.

You can use your bedding to determine which direction you want to steer your room’s theme. By picking an airy, frilly coverlet you lend an ultra-girly hint to this pretty pastel.

If you choose a buttery gold, your room will always look like it’s glowing and gleaming, giving it a bright, bold feeling.

Again, use your accessories to customize the look you want your yellow to take on.

The best way to score quality stuff without blowing your budget is to comparison shop. Check out Target, Walmart, and K-Mart. These stores all have great home departments with fabulous accessories at great prices. But don’t forget about discount retailers like Ross, Marshall’s, and Stein Mart; you’ll find expensive department store stuff at discounted prices.

No matter how you decide to decorate your humble abode, just keep a few simple things in mind.

1) Determine your color scheme

2) Find your bedding.

3) Match your paint color(s)

4) Personalize with accessories

5) Have your friends help – grab a bottle of wine and some friends for a painting party.

Happy Hunting, and enjoy your beau-ti-ful new room!