LA Holiday Gift Guide 2011: Top Stores Give Us The Inside Scoop On What Gifts To Buy This Holiday Season (PHOTOS)

We can't deny it; the holiday season is most definitely upon us.

Magazines, newspapers, websites and blogs jump at the opportunity to help you, the loyal reader, pick out the most unique gifts (or at least the most fool-proof ones) for co-workers, family and friends. They include gifts for the outdoorsman, the cook, the gamer, the spa-goer, the homebody.. and the list goes on.

This year, HuffPost Los Angeles has gone a different route.

We have hand-picked a small group of our very favorite LA stores and asked the owners to curate five items each for the 2011 list.

A+R is a required stop on Abbot Kinney Blvd. in Venice. Specializing in new modern design from around the world, A+R has some of the most eclectic and chicest pieces for the home that we see in this city.
The MOCA Store in Downtown LA brings us eclectic, colorful, pop-worthy pieces that are designed hand-in-hand with world-renowned artists.
Surfas is a chef's paradise in Culver City were top LA chefs rub elbows with masters of the home kitchen. A family-owned business since 1937, Surfas is a candy store for the culinarily-inclined (or challenged).
The Library Store stocks its incredible Downtown space with author-themed and literary-tinged merchandise which is carefully curated by the owners to create a world of fun and liveliness. Plus, you're not just shopping; a portion of your sale supports the Los Angeles Public Library.
And Still on La Brea brings us vintage sportswear, insanely hard to find t-shirts and is even equipped with a miniature boxing ring right in the middle of their store. What more does a sports fan even want?
TenOverSix opened its doors on Melrose in 2008 and caters to creative cats in town who appreciate their mix of designers as well as their slightly off-kilter aesthetic.

So without further ado.. here are their choices, in their own words:

Comments

[bgofca]

07:03 PM on 12/21/2011

shop local at small businesses and galleries. pay with cash when possible to save the small business the swipe fees. a good place to shop in the la area is cactus gallery in eagle rock.

[T Burton]

05:43 PM on 12/15/2011

That A+R fishbowl is pretty great.

I work with the LA Phil, and for me, holiday gift-giving is about spending time with my family and creating amazing memories...usually around music. There are a number of wonderful music-related gifts/concerts to share in LA! Notable is the holiday programming at Walt Disney Hall (including the Holiday Sing-a-long which I will be attending this weekend!), ice skating in Pershing Square to holiday favorites, and many other reasonably priced selections at our local art institutions. Give the gift of memories!

[CTDFalconer]

12:16 PM on 12/14/2011

Nice stuff, but kinda pricey. Not much room in my budget for these things...maybe some pencils, but those are expensive pencils.

I have to say that iPhone handset is ridiculous. "I sure do like my handy-dandy li'l phone! I just wish it were less convenient to use!" It's big, it's clunky, it's a hassle to lug around, you look like an utter tool using it and you can't even slam it down on the phone to hang up (Well you could, but just once.).

[djdeleon]

09:16 AM on 12/09/2011

I like it

[socalcde]

08:59 PM on 12/01/2011

The Jackie O skateboard is one of the strangest things that I have ever seen. I'm not sure who it's for because I can't picture any skate rats wanting it.

[fridakahlofan]

06:45 AM on 12/02/2011

Marilyn Monroe would've been cool, Jackie, not so much.
The photograph from Ash for $2,500 is absolutely ridiculous in this economy, you could donate that to the homeless and feed a family of 5 for 5 months.

[CTDFalconer]

12:05 PM on 12/14/2011

You could make that argument about pretty much anything on this list. It's easy to find a watch for much less than $250 and a jacket for less than $150 and X-mas ornaments for less than $35. At the same time, you can also find all of those things for much, much more than that.