Gift ideas for 14 yr old girl

[pianojazzgirl]

I need to find a small Christmas present for my friend's 14 yr old DSD.  I was out shopping today and had some ideas:

journal (very cool - by local graphic artist)

locking diary (is she too old for this?)

cool water bottle

t-shirt that I think she'd really like (but is about $10 more than I wanted to spend and we're on a tight budget).

some sort of soap/bodywash or similar gift set

Here's what I know about her: she wants to move to Montreal after highschool (the t-shirt I saw was made by a local Montreal artist and is a funky print of a montreal scene).  At least when she was a bit younger (it's been a couple years since I've seen her) she was into Anime and comics (thus why I think she'd like the journal with the cool illustrations that I saw).  And, since last I saw her, (though raised by non-religious parents) has become born-again Christian.  Besides that has always come across as a very sweet, caring girl.  Loves her new baby (half) sister.  Does not strike me as the super-trendy-dressing, make-uppy, etc kind.

I know the usual advice is a gift card but I'd prefer not to go that route because I have honestly no idea what kind of gift card she'd like. 

So - thoughts about my ideas?  Any different/better ideas? 

TIA!

[amnesiac]

My dd loves journals but not the locking type. My ds's gf is really big into anime stuff & she draws so I know she'd love a journal or portfolio type thing. Not make-uppy exactly, but it seems like most girls I know like smell good type stuff - bath stuff, body sprays etc. I probably wouldn't go with clothing unless it's someone you know very well except for maybe a cool scarf or gloves. My dd & ds's gf also like canvas tote bags, knee socks & shoe laces in funky colors or patterns.

[pianojazzgirl]

Oh funny you mentioned knee socks... I forgot I also saw some really cool ones from Japan at one store I went to.

So far I'm leaning towards the journal I saw...

[mtiger]

Journal is cool. Not the locking diary.

Cool water bottle is good.

Tshirt with Montreal scene? Maybe, maybe not. That's kinda iffy, so I wouldn't.

[Kirsten]

I like the journal idea, but not locking.  My 14 year old dd likes aluminum water bottles with cool scenes on them.  She loves iTunes gift cards!  Gift cards to local movie theater or bookstore chains are always good.  I agree with a previous poster that clothes are really tough to call unless you know someone VERY well. 

[ollyoxenfree]

My 14 y.o. DD would like any of the gifts you listed. For soap sets, she likes the Body Shop and Lush. 

Following the water bottle idea, she's been carrying an old-fashioned lunchbox to school lately. It has a Harry Potter scene on it.  Somehow, it's ironic cool and geeky fandom at the same time. 

A new bag or purse is always welcome. 

For gift cards: iTunes or the bookstore 

Are there any graphic novels set in Montreal, along the lines of Scott Pilgrim in Toronto? She may like something like that. 

[whatsnextmom]

Yes, old-fashioned lunch boxes are cool again. My DD is in high school and she has a little metal Beatles one. I'd nix the shirt. Kids are picky about what they wear. No locking diary either but a notebook might be nice. Girls like smelly lotions and stuff at this age like the cookies, vanilla, cupcake, ect. I'll add big comfy socks for like bedtime. Those mix and max socks are popular too even with my daughter who stands outside most pop-culture. They match color scheme and style but have different patterns. Scarves are popular and useful too.

[pianojazzgirl]

Thanks for all of the thoughts and ideas!  :)

I need to get whatever I'm going to get tomorrow (a friend from here is bringing all of my presents with her when she travels to where my other friend lives and she leaves in 2 days), so I think I'll probably go with the journal since that seems like something most of your 14 yr olds would like, and it will be fast and easy for me to go pick it up instead of having to do a bunch more shopping around.  However, if I do happen to spot a retro lunchbox when I'm out tomorrow I might get that instead.  I really like that idea.

whatsnextmom - the mix and match socks were something I thought about too when I was out shopping the other day!