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When giving a gift to a new friend do not be generic. Think about what drew you to the person in the first place. It was probably not a mutual love for scented candles, guest soap, or hand lotion. (Unless you host parties in your house to sell those items.) Chances are, if you have an occasion to give someone a gift soon after meeting them, something about their personality immediately struck you. Since you may not know their specific tastes, following are gift ideas for different personality types.

The Cooks
If your new friend sleeps with the Williams-Sonoma catalog under her pillow, and so do you, sign up for cooking classes. Specialty grocery stores, continuing education programs, and Williams-Sonoma all have classes. Cooking together will allow you to get to know one another, and meet more new friends along the way.

The Bookworms
You met in the bookstore over the "New and Noteworthy" table. She was looking at the new book by Irne Nmirovsky, author of Suite Francaise, and you discover you are the only two who own the book, and have actually read it. Get her a Borders gift card, or better yet, a gift certificate to your local, independently owned bookstore. Also, let her in to your book group. You will then be giving her the gift of new friends, by sharing her with yours.

Tech Junkies
Neither of you go anywhere without your iPod, blackberry, cell phone, and GPS system, but you both like to golf. Round up two other similarly connected individuals and schedule a tee time for the four of you. Nobody else will put up with the office calling in the middle of a swing. Head out for lunch afterwards and pick up the tab.

Sports fanatics
Your wives both dread Sundays and your single-minded pursuit of watching six games at one time. His car is parked in the driveway because his practice putting green takes up his car's space. Yours would be too, but you don't have a garage. Take your new buddy to a ball game-any ball game. Foot the bill for outrageously priced, watery beer and overcooked hot dogs.

Fashionistas
After fighting over the only pair of size 8 1/2 Marc Jacobs shoes in the clearance aisle at Saks, you called a truce while someone else ran off with them. Get your new friend a yearly subscriptions to Vogue and In Style, and get together to read the weekly fashion magazines over skim, de-calf, soy lattes.

No matter what your shared interests are, you can find something to gift that is suitable without being overly personal. Integrate some together time with your gift, and you give yourself the gift of spending more time with your new pal.

Learn more about this author, Katherine Elzer-Peters.
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