GIFT IDEAS FOR BOYFRIEND

Dear Jellybean,

My boyfriend's birthday coming up soon and so far, i'm stressing myself out on what to get him for his birthday. Me and my girl friends have come up with a bunch of ideas, but i don't know if those gifts suit him. He's kinda like me, into music and art stuff, he's smart and is really nice/soft. He also smells really, really nice....I'm kinda confused. He loves science fiction stuff, but the stuff that he likes, is way too expensive...i really need help.
-Hopelesly hopeless

Dear Hopelesly hopeless,

You've given me some good clues, so here are a few ideas for your boyfriend's birthday gift.

Does your city/town have a major art gallery? If so, look them up online or give them a call, to see if they're having any interesting exhibits in the next little while. A pair of tickets to a cool show, like the paintings of Picasso or the art of the Renaissance, to give random examples, would be a very unique gift, and right up your art-loving boyfriend's alley. Plus, you get to enjoy it with him, and you can go for coffee/tea afterward and discuss what you saw.

Do you know what his all-time favorite band or musical artist is? Search their name on ebay and see if there's any cool memorabilia floating around. You might be able to find a CD import with awesome cover art, a poster your boyfriend doesn't have, or even signed stuff by the band, at a surprisingly low cost.

Ebay is also a great source for comic book collections and graphic novels, if your boyfriend is into that sort of thing. The artwork in some graphic novels is truly amazing and you can often get copies for not that much money. Check out Wikipedia (click here) for a list of some award-winning graphic novels, if you're not sure which ones your boyfriend might like.

Since he's smart, your boyfriend might also enjoy a subscription to an interesting magazine. There are tons of publications out there to suit every interest. The best way to find a good one for your guy is to visit a large bookstore or news stand, and browse the mags to see if any jump out at you, as ones that might appeal to your boyfriend. Look in the art section, the science section, the politics section, and wherever else potential mags for him might be lurking. A subscription is always a great gift idea, because you can wrap a copy of the mag to give your guy on his birthday, and then he'll keep getting the gift over the next several months - and stay reminded of what a thoughtful girlfriend you are!

It's quite adorable that you mention your boyfriend smells nice. Any idea what cologne he's wearing? A bottle of his favorite scent could be a good gift, as it's always nice when somebody else buys this stuff for us.

Those are just a few notions to get you started. As you can see, I started with your boyfriend's personal tastes, and riffed on those. You know him way better than me, so if the ideas above aren't quite right, keep thinking about who he is, what he likes, and what makes him happy. In the end, a gift given with love is going to be the right one. It's definitely about the feeling behind it, and not the money spent!