‘Tis the season and the start of the holiday gift buying madness. I personally love hunting for the perfect gift, so I thought I would kick off the holiday season with a series of gift guides over the next week covering everyone on your shopping list. With the short season already in full swing, I thought we should start with personalized gifts so that you can order them right away and they are set to arrive on time. Here are some ideas to make your loved ones feel a little more special by giving them a little something made just for them.

1. Loyalty & Blood Letter Tote bags $22 {I gave these to my bridesmaids at my wedding} | 2. Zodiac charm necklace $70 |  3. 14K Gold initial pendant $250 {I have the gold plated version and wear it all the time} | 4. vintage blue personalized book plates $15.95 | 5. Lucite trays $200 {For the hostess who has everything} | 6. Modern Alchemy Zodiac Candle collection $18  {this is such a lovely gift with bonus gift box} | 7. Classic Terry Monogrammed Robe $69 | 8. Silver plated breakfast tray $79 | 9. tiny text bowls $22 | 10. Bright leather luggage tags $23 {Your black suitcase will always stand out from the crowd} |11. Zebra Initial Melamine Plate $22 | 12. Jonathan Adler Zodiac Pillows $98 | 13. Floral Monogram Cards $18 {Check out all the other beautiful personalized items from Rifle too!} | 14. Monogrammed playing cards $55 | 15. monogrammed mugs $6 | 16. Custom perfumes by CB I Hate Perfum, contact for price | 17. monogrammed sachets $18

Preserving photo memories tops the list as the most treasured gift to receive. In the past few years, I have made my loved ones very happy using these companies to make everything from cards, calendars and books. The process is very easy: just upload your photos, use their streamlined templates to design your item, and order away. The finished product has always impressed me. Here are my favorite sources for all your photo gift needs:  1. Make your own photo books with Blurb $12.95-$83.95 {I have made several books using Blurb including a Wedding album} | 2. Photo books, cards, and calendars from iPhoto by Apple | 3. Tastebook cookbooks $29.95+ {If I have time this year, I want to make one of these!} | 4. Silver plated engravable frames $29-$49  | 5. Set of 2 frame ornaments $7.90 {So simple, yet people love these every time} | 6. Photo book by Lulu $44.95