A: This is a common question, so know that there are others out there who can appreciate your angst. I have some ideas that you may like, or that might at least give you some fresh ideas.

There are some new and slightly offbeat items that might make great gifts. For example, chemical engineer Elizabeth Pyshnov created Pure & Petal, a line of alcohol-free and silicone-free hair perfumes fortified with provitamin B5 and silk protein. Four four-ounce scents, including Heavenly Clean and Sublime Citrus, are $48.99 each at purepetal.com.

Pampering products are always a safe go-to. The Olive Leaf Exfoliating Body Scrub ($28) and Wild Ginger Whipped Body Cream ($32) by Thymes are nothing short of decadent (check thymes.com for local availability), while Philosophy's three-piece, peppermint-scented set of bath gel, body scrub and lip shine comes in a striped hatbox for $35 at Sephora and philosophy.com.

For lounging, perhaps monogrammed Turkish-cotton red pajamas ($85) at RedEnvelope.com, where there also is a luxurious chocolate-leather jewelry box ($295) for her to store her best bling.

For total practicality, Isotoner just introduced the ultra-compact "Jingle 'brella" in 20 colors and fashion prints. It's $20 at Sears, JCPenney, Boscov's and Bon-Ton.

Finally, there are many fashion and beauty books in stores, including some great launches this year that also make nice coffee table additions.

High-fashion meets user-friendly in "Harper's Bazaar Great Style" by Julie Levin ($24.95). There's also celeb-of-the-moment Victoria Beckham's style-advice tome "That Extra Half An Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything in Between" ($19.95) and a tres chic hardcover by Jonathan Walford titled "The Seductive Shoe: Four Centuries of Fashion Footwear" ($40).

Another novel choice is "Snowpeople" ($16.99) by Rick and Ryan Zeeb, a short tale of a clan of snowpeople whose search for their personal identities takes them from Antarctica to New York City. Published by Harper Collins for Saks Fifth Avenue, the limited-edition hardback celebrates what makes individuals unique and is wonderfully illustrated by Trish Burgio. Saks is donating $2 from the sale of each book to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

And a follow-up note: In last week's Q&A, I directed a reader to local furriers to help get her coyote coat altered.

By identifying Briskin Furs in Aspinwall as a place that could make alterations on the premises, it may have been inferred that all other local furriers outsourced their work.

That is not the case. Local furriers such as Carl W. Herrmann also do alterations on the premises.

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Send your questions about fashion, style, or etiquette to fashion@post-gazette.com or mail them to Post-Gazette fashion editor LaMont Jones at 34 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, Pa., 15222. Please include your name and a daytime number where you can be reached.