Gifts

London is swinging again thanks to bride and princess-to-be Kate Middleton. Millions are hanging on her every move — where she shops, where she primps, what she eats and drinks. Although the couple live (part of the time) in a rented farmhouse in North Wales, Middleton and Prince William will likely move to London's Kensington Palace at some point in the future. And Middleton certainly spends a lot of time in London — especially now that the wedding is a month away — mostly in the swish neighborhoods of South Kensington, Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Mayfair, all of which are in close proximity to Hyde Park and the Buckingham and Kensington palaces.

Re "Why USC, Dr. Dre?," Opinion, May 21 Proving that no good deed goes unpunished, Dillard University President Walter M. Kimbrough says that Andre Young (also known as Dr. Dre) should have considered donating the $35 million he gave USC to a historically black college such as his. It's sad that Kimbrough would intimate that race should have played a factor here. USC has a great history of developing the next generation of creative people in the arts, so it's natural to have music industry leaders challenge the university to develop the next line of producers, editors and artists.

Janet Jackson is married to Wissam Al Mana, and we're pretty sure our invite got lost in the mail - because the ceremony happened last year. "The rumours regarding an extravagant wedding are simply not true," the couple said in a statement to Entertainment Tonight. "Last year we were married in a quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony. " Last year like in December, or last year like a whole year ago? Alas, no more details were forthcoming from the 46-year-old singer and her über-wealthy Qatari husband, 37. Us Weekly reported at the end of December that the couple was engaged, suggesting plans for a lavish spring wedding.

Our favorite gift shop is in the heart of Tremezzo, Italy, on Lake Como. Items include custom jewelry made by the owner and handbags by her mother. There's also a selection of Murano glass. Nice selection and moderate prices. Fleur de Lis, 4a Via Portici Sampietro,Tremezzo; 011-39-0344-41212. Jade Kemble Rancho Bernardo

If the men in your life are into outdoor sports, Christmas gift-giving just got easier. Until recently, says Douglas Brooks, author of "Going Solo: The Art of Personal Training" (Power Books, 1988), exercise fashion was limited to uniforms. But "uniforms don't flatter or make anyone feel special." And most people don't feel good about working out until they look good. For that reason, he continues, men involved in outdoor sports are now eager to make a fashion statement.

When 5-year-old Yolanda Roman finally smiled, it was no hesitant little grin. It was a full-blown smile of delight that stretched her wide face to the limit. The little girl, one of 13 children in an impoverished family, had been given a pair of panda slippers. She wore them a full five minutes before the astonishing truth hit her--they were hers to keep. Yolanda's moment of joy took place one recent Sunday in the rain on a muddy hilltop in a part of Tijuana that tourists seldom see.

George Bao felt like a rich man the first time he flew back to China from America. He had so many gifts for his family and friends, he was lugging eight cardboard boxes in addition to his suitcase. That was in the 1980s, when flights weren't crowded. The airline didn't even charge him for the extra luggage. As for what the gifts were, the memory makes him laugh. He had brought secondhand clothes scavenged from yard sales. "My father was so happy," said Bao, who watched the elderly farmer put on his first Western suit, beaming even though it didn't fit well.

Are you buying a gift for a traveler who has everything or wants nothing? Step away from the neck pillow and look for something fun, unusual and/or handcrafted at UncommonGoods.com. What's hot: Once someone is labeled a traveler, that person inevitably gets gifts that are never used. Spare your traveling friends (or yourself) and head to UncommonGoods.com's Travel section for gifts that are both humorous and handy. I found pop-up towelettes ($12), a solar-powered backpack ($230)

Re "Romney remarks unsettle his party," Nov. 19 Who was it who received gifts from the government to coax them to vote for President Obama? It must be those in states that received more from the government than they paid in taxes. These states, however, usually vote Republican. How ungrateful. John Harding Palm Springs It's been more than a week since Mitt Romney said that Obama supporters voted for him because they wanted gifts. I'm still waiting for UPS to knock on my door.

Looking for affordable, made-in-L.A. gifts with a handcrafted touch? We picked up these earthenware bowls by Lori + Koop at an artisan show last weekend at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. The larger flower bowl with glossy glazed interior and hand-etched matte rim was $35. The smaller bowls with matte white interiors and subtly striped rims were $25 apiece. All are microwave and dishwasher safe. Lori + Koop ceramics are the latest additions to our holiday gift galleries, which we're updating regularly: Gifts with a handcrafted touch Gifts for the home Gifts for the indoor-outdoor gardener Gifts for under $50 Gifts for $50 to $100 Gifts for $100-plus

LAS VEGAS - He was just a kid from the neighborhood who never had much. Mature for his age, the eldest of 11 children, Marcos Arenas always knew his blue-collar father was just scraping by. So the iPad was precious, a gift for his 15th birthday and the Christmas before that and all the other birthdays when he never got anything. For the natural athlete who sang in the school choir and wanted to be a Marine and maybe a pro boxer, it was the first really nice thing he ever owned. His father bought it at a pawn shop.

I was in Detroit preparing to give a speech last week when the news came across my Twitter feed: "Dr. Dre and music producer Jimmy Iovine donate $70 million to USC to create new degree. " As one of the first university presidents from the hip-hop generation, I had to stop and read the story immediately. The two music moguls and co-founders of Beats Electronics - recognizing that they needed a new type of creative talent for their growing music technology business - are funding a four-year program that blends liberal arts, graphic and product design, business and technology.

Skylar Diggins got a new car as a gift after graduating from Notre Dame this weekend. Big deal, you say? Probably lots of recent college grads got the same thing? True, but she got a Mercedes. Well, maybe some kids with rich parents had one of those bestowed upon them as well. But did any of those other kids get their sweet ride from hip-hop superstar Jay-Z? Didn't think so. Diggins, the former standout guard for the Fighting Irish, signed with Jay-Z's new sports representation agency, Roc Nation, after being drafted third overall by the Tulsa Shock in the WNBA draft.

Robert Griffin III and his fiance are just like many other soon-to-be-married couples in that they registered online for their wedding gifts. Unlike those other couples, however, this one just happens to have the superstar quarterback of the Washington Redskins as the groom. Some of his crafty fans discovered the registry of Griffin and Rebecca Liddicoat on the Bed, Bath & Beyond website and decided to send some pre-wedding gifts -- lots and lots of them. Check out the photo RG3 posted on whosay of himself in front of a big ol' pile of boxes from BB&B.

We got another dog right away. That wasn't the plan. But back in March, less than two weeks after Rex died and when I still had faint bruises from digging my fingers into my forehead amid uncontrollable sobs, I signed us up to "foster" a Saint Bernard mix that had been rescued from a crack den. It was a classic rebound move, but the unbearable silence of the dogless house was too much to take. You don't realize how much a dog's presence defines the contours of your home until, in its absence, the walls seem to relocate themselves.

The first time my mother made leg of lamb, she never connected the two events. The second time, she thought it was a coincidence. The third time, she knew it was a curse. Every time she prepared leg of lamb, my father was laid off a few days later. The first time it was for a few weeks; the second time for a few months; the third time for more than a year. My father had a union job at a film-processing lab, and layoffs - and eventual rehirings - were common during the 1960s. He was laid off a few more times, but never after eating leg of lamb.

Facebook is opening its Gifts feature to all U.S. users, the social network said Tuesday. Gifts is one of Facebook's big attempts this year at creating additional streams of revenue to complement its advertising sales. The feature capitalizes on the birthday and congratulatory wishes people send one another via Facebook by giving them a quick and simple way to purchase someone a present and have it sent to them. Users can also use the Gifts feature to send an another gift cards or donate to charities and nonprofit groups.

See how long it takes your friend to discover you left behind a sweet and surprising hostess gift with HingeHeads, tiny decorative accessories that attach magnetically atop standard door hinges. Founded by architect Michael Schubach, the Pasadena company has more than 150 designs in three finishes: antique pewter, antique brass and antique bronze materials. A new summer collection includes a dog, a peace sign, a skateboarder, a ballerina, a hula dancer and a palm tree. Custom designs are available too. The designs are hand-sculpted and cast in limited editions in Los Angeles.

Mother's Day is only a couple of days away but -- wouldn't you know it? -- you have no gift, no card and no time! If you're just now scrambling to put something together and trying to make it work, remember, Mom deserves better than that. After all, we love our moms -- and yours too. To improve the gift-giving experience, we have a few “tech-centric” sentimental ideas to help save your Mother's Day. Put your smartphone to work and use it to make Mom feel extra special this Mother's Day. Cards : The first thing every mom needs is a card.

A "May miracle" of almost perfectly timed, above-average rainfall helped firefighters battling the large Springs fire in Ventura County and guaranteed that Los Angeles would not break a dubious record. The city was on track to having its fourth-driest year since 1877. But with about 0.70 inches of rain falling in downtown L.A. just before noon, that is no longer the case. For firefighters trying to mop up the 28,000-acre wildfire that broke out last week under blistering temperatures, the rain couldn't have come at a better time - even if Southern California's fire season still looks to be an ominous one. PHOTOS: Springs fire Tom Piranio, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, said it didn't rain enough in the actual perimeter of the blaze for people to need an umbrella, but it was more than enough to help firefighters slow the Springs fire's momentum.