It may seem strange to sound this alarm with Halloween still two weeks ago, but the winter holidays are coming. October 31 is almost here, and then Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and then bang – December’s arrived and holly and jingle bells are everywhere.

So when will you start your shopping? I’m actually really bad about procrastinating and have even developed a fond tradition of having Christmas Eve breakfast at the mall with my father and brother before the last one or two presents. Seasonal coffee in hand, I’ll buy my great aunt another brooch and my stepmother-in-law another woodsy piece of kitsch.

I’ve noticed, though, that I never wait until the last minute to buy gifts for the people who are most important to me – those presents I buy enthusiastically and early. I wrap them carefully with elaborate bows and I put them under my tree, enjoying throughout the holiday season the image that I get of the recipient opening each one. For me, the anticipation of showing those special people that I care is the most exciting part of the season.

We all have those kinds of people in our lives – the ones who we really enjoy giving gifts to more than we enjoy getting gifts from, and not because they’re such lousy gift givers; we just love them that much. And it’s for those same people that you might get the most joy designing a custom oil painting.

Does Grandma really need another sweater, even if it is a gorgeous one? Does your son really need that collector’s edition DVD he’s been talking about? Sure, in the immediate moment, they’ll love those gifts, but what about something more personalized – and I’m definitely not talking about something with an embroidered monogram on it! Instead this year, look through Grandma’s old photos. Imagine the look on her face when she sees an oil painting of her and Grandpa walking down the aisle sixty years ago, or her babies – all now grown with kids of their own – on the swing set in the back yard of their old house!

Selecting a photo for someone else’s custom oil painting allows you to show the person just how much you know about him or her, about what he or she values and in turn how much he or she means to you. They’ll love their painting, but what they’ll really love is the time and effort they’ll know you took to find the perfect image for them.

And if that’s too much pressure, picking the perfect picture for somebody who means so much to you, don’t feel bad about letting the recipient do the selecting. Even if they know in advance what image they’re getting, they’ll still get to enjoy seeing the painted canvas for the first time when they open their gift.

So start thinking about who on your gift list could get a custom oil painting this year! Remember that painting and shipment takes two to three weeks, and start selecting your photographs earlier rather than later. Order your customized oil paintings before Halloween and you’ll be able to enjoy your trick-or-treat candy, your Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, and your eggnog, all without ever feeling any of the usual holiday shopping pressure.