Surely you are still exhausted from your girlfriend's knitting-club's Tofurkey Thanksgiving costume party, but it's nearly Christmas and you have to find something she'll like. But whatever could that crazed (in a positive way), crafting philosophy major want for Christmas?

That may have sounded somewhat sarcastic, but let's get serious: quirky girls are the hardest to pin down, at least that's my opinion. So, congratulations on the victory of finding your counter-culture boo, but it's shopping time, and Ferndale has the perfect assortment of indie-sheik boutiques to bring a smile to your snowflake's cheeks.

Here are four spots in Ferndale to find a gift that might make your girl put down her Sylvia Plath poetry book:

Mother Fletchers is a retro playground owned and operated by Eric Fletcher. The name of the store comes from his mother who collected antique and vintage clothing her entire life. Fletchers has been the go-to store for vintage clothes-hounds, performance wardrobe stylists and theme partygoers in metro Detroit for years. "We embrace everybody," said Fletcher. The place is filled to the brim with clothes, jewelry and accessories from every decade. You are certain to find something unique, and the staff members (referred to by Fletcher, sarcastically, as "circus freaks") are prepared to help you with your holiday sale.

Cross the street and you will find Naka, which means "beautiful" in Shona, a language spoken in Zimbabwe. Owner Kelly Pettibone opened her shop in September 2005 and has since refined her boutique to attract anyone with even the slightest penchant for soft and subtle artistic beauty. Inside, you can find stationery, candles, jewelry, Ferndale and Detroit-centric gifts, winter accessories, original art and baby gear from local indie artists like Ferndale's Glass Action as well as national and D.I.Y. artists. It's definitely a spot for locally made gifts -- and let me tell you, snowflake probably loves all-things local.

A few doors west is the Ferndale Arts Building and inside, on the lower level, is the Candle Wick Shoppe. Burn some money on a few candles and it's sure to be money well spent. Votive, soy, beeswax, paraffin, and Skeem products line the shelves. "International candles are our specialty, but we also make a wide variety of mood candles right here," said manager Laura Herzog._ This place is great if you are looking for a 3-foot tapestry featuring the Hindu God Ganesha or if you just need some Nag Champa to hide the smell of the coffee, which soaked into her clothes while hanging out at the coffee shop.

For your last stop, try John K. King New and Used Bookstore on Woodward Avenue, just south of Nine Mile Road. If your lady is smart enough to realize you're a catch, she no doubt has some great books on the shelf. "There are so many books in this place, you have to take a literary examination just to work here part-time," said associate Sara Hanlon. It may seem overwhelming to traverse these isles, but the John King staff members are happy to serve as Sherpas on your journey to the top of this book mountain for the love of your life, or month, or whatever. From crafts and cooking to yoga and metaphysics, John K. King has all the right words to stimulate your girlfriend's mind and maybe score you a few points along the way.

After all that shopping in the cold, your feet will be hurting, but your bags will be filled with some dynamite alternative sugarplums.

Your lady is going to be more excited about your gifts than if Leonard Cohen were her own personal Santa Claus.

Well, maybe not. But good job!