A cornucopia of gifts.

Because you're very popular and have tons of friends, you probably have a lot of birthdays and other reasons to give gifts. Since you're trying to be frugal while remaining a good pal, you'll need to come up with some fiscally responsible gift ideas. I have a few ideas that will help you:

1. Just send cards. Rather than sending emails or weird e-cards or simply saying "happy bday" on Facebook, make a cute card. Remember construction paper and glue sticks? Or maybe you have a fun box of cards stashed in your desk. Use them! Stamps are getting spendy, but it's not so bad. Everyone loves to get mail. 

2. Photos. Do you have some great pictures that you can print and insert into a cute/cheap photo frame that you bought at a thrift store? Good gift!

3. Books. Do you have a stack of books by your favorite author that you've already read? And perhaps you have a sweet friend who also likes to read. Perhaps they would like an assortment of reading materials along with a friendly note explaining why you thought they'd like them.

4. Foods. Cook your friend dinner (and cupcakes!) Because you have all of this free time to learn how to cook you can cheaply replicate your recipe box and cook them some of your favorites. 

Here are just a few kinda obvious ideas. I think you can come up with more ideas on your own. Can you sew? Paint? Draw? Provide any kind of service? Go for it!

Pinata party.

This past weekend I attended a party which was themed "MEXICAN POTLUCK!" It was a great time and we ingested many delicious treats and a few adult beverages. Above you will likely see with your eyes a photo of a green person (s/he was slimed!) next to a beautiful bird. This bird is filled with candy, mini bottles of tequila and some other items for laughs. Some good friends jovially contributed him to the potluck, how did they know we wanted mini-candy for dessert?

I am telling you about this should you be interested in filling some of your free time dedicated to the creation of your own pinata. What could be more fun than supplying your friends with a few hearty swings? It was also discovered that it is great for the job-free to get out some of their angst and inner turmoil by swinging a stick maniacally at a paper bird whilst blindfolded. Here are your directions:

1. Inflate a/some balloon(s). You can use strong double sided tape to connect them in order to make a THORAX, if you will. You can add additional shapes like tails, noses, hats, arms, legs etc. with cardboard (paper towel innards work well!). Use not toooo much clear tape to bind everything together into a cute shape. Tie a string around one or the only balloon knot.

2. Before you start pasting, make sure you have a nice area covered in a tarp or newspaper. Don't want daddy (or mommy) to yell at you for accidentally paper mache'ing the floor.

3. Make some paste! In a big pot, mix 1 part flour and 2 parts water. Those parts can be quarts, pints, whatever you want. Whisk the ingredients together (you're not making soup!) and heat them on medium for about 3 mins until it's almost thick. Remove from heat and the pot and store in a large bowl. 

4. Start tearing newspaper into strips that are about an inch wide. You want to get these wicked goopy by "dredging" them in your paste. Have you ever made fried chicken? It's like that, but don't eat it. Instead, you want to cover the balloon beast with a thick layer of these pastey strips. You will want to do this methodically so you know for sure all three layers have been applied. Be sure you are keeping track of the string. Let it sit for awhile and get all dry and hard.

5. Decorate! It's fun to use that tempra paint stuff that they sell at Wallgreens. You can also glue crepe paper on it to make eyeballs and other stuff like that. Or you can make a generic newspaper ghost. Up to you, dude!

6. Using a serrated knife, cut a rectangular flap around the string/knot. Use this hole to fill it with candy, amazing treats, cute little thingies and anything else you'd like to include. Tape the flap shut when you're done. 

7. Now you just have to find a stick and a nice place to hang it by a rope. Then get friends to be blindfolded and blindly (obvs) swing at it until the contents dumps gleefully all over the ground.

Here's a video! I haven't watched it, so I hope it's accurate.

Art star.

+

=chic.

There is nothing better than a solid trip to a museum solo style to chicly occupy an afternoon. This is by no means meant to be San Francisco centric, but an example of an amazing way to spend your time without the crowds and annoying outfit people you find at formal museum gatherings. If you prefer an evening activity, most institutions have evening gatherings targeted at marketing towards "young professionals." I remember when I worked at a museum in the early millennium and this term was over used to the point of imaginary face punching. Young Professional was the Social Media of yore. Gross. Anyway, if you like gathering with your fancy peers (who probably have jobs) you can go to evening gatherings like this. The de Young in "Frisco" has a Friday night event with bevs, art and outfits. Right now you can see the Yves St. Laurent show and for some more bones (I think) some Warhol. 

Another museum related suggestion, at most institutions, for a few more bucks you can purchase a membership that will provide you access to a network of museums across the country. If you can swing it without eating hella ramen, think about it.