By Laura Hine
EDITOR IN CHIEF What do teens want? To be 21! A new car! In my house, the answers to “What do you want for Christmas?” are serious fantasies. So bringing them back down to earth, but still delighting them, is a challenge. Here are some of my best ideas for the most difficult group to buy for—the North Shore teen.
The Gifted Teen
HOLGA CAMERA Yes, he has an iPhone and 10 other techno gadgets, but the really hip kids are going retro with 35 mm film and a Holga camera that makes odd, streaky photos that look like they’re from the ‘70s. $48, Urban Outfitters, 921 Church St., Evanston, 847492-8542, urbanoutfitters.com
TORY BURCH METALLIC BOW CUFF Wrap bracelets are all the rage, and with a little designer insignia, even better! (Also, it’s Tory Burch at a somewhat reasonable price point.) $95, Tory Burch, 45 E. Oak St., Chicago, 312-280-0010, toryburch.com
Make It PING PONG TABLE Better readers Cool in NYC, thanks to Susan get a 15% Sarandon’s place, Spin. Table discount! tennis gets them up and moving for a study break and gives a group something non-electronic to play. Even my husband admits giving our kids a ping-pong table was one of my best ideas. $600 and up, Games & Things, 2043 Tower Rd., Glenview, gamesandthings.com
IPAD SLEEVE Lilly seems to be fading among the high school fashionistas, so show you’re hip and give Jonathan Adler instead. This neoprene sleeve looks great and will keep her iPad or Kindle from getting banged up. $30, Notice, 2112 Central St., Evanston, 847-905-0947, notice-this.com
LEGO ARCHITECTURE SET For a teen who always loved building toys and then outgrew them, LEGO now makes a grown-up version of architectural landmarks. I love the Frank Lloyd Wright Robie House. $200, The LEGO Store, Northbrook Court, lego.com
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DECEMBER 2011
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