The is nothing more appreciated than a helping hand during the holiday season. Let the staff of Icon Vs. Icon help you plan your shopping list with our annual gift guide. We’ve chosen some iconic brands, some up and coming brands, and a few items that will allow you to think outside the box to create or choose your own special gift. Items range from a few dollars to several thousand, but most are geared towards people like us: regular working stiffs who just want to give a great present that won’t break the bank! Start making that list, we’ve got the best roundup of gifts that everyone will enjoy! The second part of our series is “For Her!” — Get a look at some unique items for the holiday season that may prove to be the perfect gift for that special man in your life! Whether it’s your boyfriend, husband or father, we have something for them all!
The Sauce Goddess
When I whip up a new dish for my husband, I’m creepy. I place his plate on the table and stare at him. Why all the suspense? I’m waiting for that look. You know which one — the mouth agape, the shocked expression, the “this-is-so-good-I-don’t-want-to-swallow.”
A mouth so full of delicious goodness, all he musters is a thumbs up, a wide stare and an expression of ecstasy. He swallows enough for another bite and lets out a, “This is awesome,“ before getting down to business!
To ensure this phenomenon in your house, you need expert help from the goddess herself at www.saucegoddess.com. She’s got sauces and spice rubs to bring flavor to every meal — whether you love meat, fish, veggies or need a gluten free alternative, she’s got it all! Also check out the yummy Moroccan Caramel Corn!
The carnivore in my life and I love the award winning Sweet & Spicy Grill Glaze, the Moroccan Twist Spice and the BBQ Sweet Heat Spice Rub!
The website goes one further, offers unique and delicious recipes to make your next home-cooked meal mouthwatering!
In the words of the Sauce Goddess, “If you don’t lick your fingers, someone else will!” I know my meal was good when my husband finished his plate, looked up with puppy dog eyes and said, “Is there any more?”
Fret Light
Raise your hand if you’ve tried to play the guitar.I have. Years ago, I got myself a bass guitar, an amp and some chord books and tediously went about learning to be badass! I wanted to rock like my favorite musicians! However, after a few weeks of difficultly I gave up! I wasn’t surprised to learn 80% of all beginners quit because it wasn’t any fun! My dreams of being on stage before a crowd of screaming fans, rockin’ out on my guitar and being totally awesome dissolved back then but I found a way to get them back!
Fretlight Guitar — www.fretlight.com — makes it easier to learn to play. The concept is simple. It’s not a toy or a game, it’s a real guitar. However, to make it easier to learn to play, to make sure you are playing the right tune the first time and every time, the Fretlight guitar will light up the first chords and songs right under your fingers, right on the neck of the instrument. You can even slow the song down so you can get the hang of it before going full speed ahead!
Fretlight guitars come with free software — PC or Mac — to learn chords and scales, play songs or learn to improvise a solo!
So, whatever the level — beginner, advanced, pro — check out Fretlight Guitars for the budding rock star on your list this year!
Dive Bar T-Shirt
Every man out there likes T-shirts. Combine this admiration with a fondness for bars and you’ve got the Dive Bar Shirt Club — divebarshirtclub.com. Nicknamed “The Best Bars You’ve Never Heard Of,” this club offers a different T-shirt every month from interesting and unusual dive bars across the great U.S. of A. A new bar is featured every month and then, after the month ends, the shirt is retired forever.
And that’s not all folks. Along with the brand new T-shirt with unique design, members receive a bit of information about the watering hole featured. I proudly wear my T-shirt featuring Buckhorn Bar in Laramie, Wyoming!
Maybe a monthly commitment is too rich for your blood. You can also pre-pay for a 3, 6 or 9-month membership!
Supertooth Disco
Does your boyfriend, husband, or good friend love to listen to music a lot but always has headphones or ear buds on, leaving you to sit in silence on the sofa wondering what he’s listening to that’s so engrossing or empowering you to rip those buds right out of his ears? If so then the Supertooth Disco is your gift!
Aside from having a rather bad ass name, the Supertooth Disco has the distinction of being the most powerful Bluetooth A2DP speaker currently on the market. It can be used with any Bluetooth compatible device, so basically any iPhone, iPad, the iPod Touch, PC’s, and MP3 players that support A2DP. It’s also supplied with a Jack 3.5 cable so you can stream music from non-Bluetooth devices. Of course it’s rechargeable and has a built-in subwoofer, it also comes with a sleek carrying case and only weighs a couple of pounds. Imagine yourself now, sipping some drinks while lounging beside the pool, tunes coming out of the Supertooth Disco and being able to have a conversation at the same time…because there are no ear buds in the way! You can find this gem at this location and it will set you back around $149.00.
The Sharper Image Digital Camera Binoculars
I love The Sharper Image, they always come out with stuff that makes you say “That’s EXACTLY what I need!” and “Why the heck didn’t I invent that?!”. Their 10X25 Digital Camera Binoculars fits the bill of the latter. Everyone has a photobug in their life, and when they’re stuck in nose bleed seats at a concert or a sporting event conventional binoculars are always a great thing to have. The problem that always arises from that situation is when they want some photos of the event, and realise that when they take them Eddie Vedder is going to look like a little person with a bunch of other little people around him on a large stage with a bunch of bright lights. Not exactly the Kodak moment they were hoping for. These binoculars will allow them to zoom in on the action and take up to 16 MB of photos, the amount they can store will depend on the resolution size they choose to take the photos at. The binoculars have UV coated optics which allow for glare free photography, perfect for outdoor nature shots. Photos are easily downloaded onto a computer with the included USB cable, and editing software also comes with this set for the small price of $49.99. A neck strap, batteries, a lens cloth, and a tripod mount are also included when you buy from The Sharper Image.
Prydebar 5 Piece Interchangeable Hammer SystemI admit I saw this on QVC and thought, “I want that.” With that said, this item would make a great gift for any man (or woman!) on your shopping list. Of course the handyman in your life would love it, but I believe once someone starts using this and sees the endless possibility, it will become their tool of choice. The system comes with a 4 pound hammer, three interchangeable heads, and two locking pins. The 16 ounce hammer head is for framing and any heavy duty job, the 8 ounce trim head would be great for removing and installing base board, and the 6.4 ounce utility head can aid in removing staples, carpet trim, and prying upholstery tacks. The best feature is that the heads are adjustable 180 degrees so you can tilt it at any angle. How cool is that?! There is a lifetime limited manufacturer’s warranty and the heads have steel construction. Find this item for $29.86 (best price on the web) at www.qvc.com.
Jason Price founded the mighty Icon Vs. Icon more than a decade ago. Along the way, he’s assembled an amazing group of like-minded individuals to spread the word on some of the most unique people and projects on the pop culture landscape.
