Graduation Sleepover?

Birthday Present? Graduation Present? Birthday-Graduation Present?

• My youngest sister is graduating high school on her nineteenth birthday. Gift ideas needed! I've got a budget of $150-200. Should I get a birthday gift and a graduation gift, or one big gift for both? About her: -- OBSESSED with Jack Skelington/Nightmare Before Christmas. Her room is entirely decorated as such and such ephemera has been her most requested for years worth of gifts. -- Pagan. I was the first in the family she told and the one who took her book/supply shopping when she was too young to go by herself, so gifts in this spirit would be appropriate. -- Animal lover. At last count, she had two dogs and two cats. She's always had pets. -- Loves to bake. Is considering culinary or pastry school. She got new cookie sheets and cookie cutters for Christmas. -- Regularly babysits our neice (age 4) and nephew (age almost 7). -- Has gone above and beyond in helping to take care of our mom, whose health has been declining over the last year or so. -- Not very "girly". Might wear nail polish and occasionally makeup which tends toward light-goth. Has piercings including earlobe, cartilage and tongue. Is planning a tattoo. She really isn't the type to enjoy a "spa day" (I've offered, she says it sounds utterly boring.) -- She drives a non-descript two-door sedan and is always looking at seat and steering wheel covers and other accessories. -- Has been dating her boyfriend for a couple of years. The family and I all really like him. He's very good to and for her. Maybe a gift of an experience they can share? My family is really bad at expressing desires, especially for gifts, so of course when asked, she responds with, "I don't know" or "Nightmare Before Christmas stuff" or "baking stuff". I'm afraid I've exhausted all of my ideas for the latter two over the last few years of birthdays and Christmases. I'd really like her birthday/graduation gift(s) to be more awesome than that anyway. When asked if she'd rather have one present for her birthday and one for graduation, or one big one for both, her response was that she really didn't care, but knew my and other "Christmas baby" disappointments of combo-presents. I will be driving back to our home town to attend her graduation on her birthday, but will likely only be able to stay a couple of days. She's in the Corpus Christi, Tx area and I'm in the Austin area, so ideas specific to either location are also appreciated. I don't think any graduation or birthday parties have been planned yet, as we're still a few months out, but I like to plan gifts, especially big important ones, way in advance. Sorry this is so long, I've never been quite so stumped on gifting before. So I turn to you, because you're awesome at this. Thanks much.

• Answer:

  Congrats to your sister! One of the best presents I ever got was an emergency "http://www.sunshineproductsusa.com/index.cfm/d-Mini_Cash_Can_Cash_Stash_24.htm," a tiny capsule that holds a single bill and fits on your key ring, with a hundred dollar bill to go inside. It's a great coming-of-age present. I received mine from my boyfriend when I was eighteen. I've used it a couple times in the past four years, luckily never in any serious situation. I'm very glad I have it. Every time I see it on my keychain, I remember that someone loves me and wants me to be safe. Side note: If you decide to go with this "cash can" idea, don't give it to your sister with the bill already inside the capsule. She has to have the annoying experience of trying twelve times to get the bill into the capsule before it finally somehow works. This will encourage her to only use the money in the capsule thoughtfully, since it's such a pain to refill.