See the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis.. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love. In this sense, during the dating process,…

plus, that gives you an afternoon free with the boys.

don’t forget to compliment her on the shade of polish either. and than take her to go buy a pair of strappy heels to show off the pedi.

if all else fails, diamond studs or an expensive bag works.

Asking for outside female assistance is a must, I agree. As my natural tendency is to buy something she needs, not what she wants.

As for clothing, I think taking her on a shopping spree and sitting quietly, smiling, holding her purse and saying everything looks great, lets buy it all is a good way to go.

Never buy anything at Victoria Secret unless you’ve already received a green light and/or it’s *your* birthday.

For surprises go with shoes, or boots. It’s a lot less complicated with the sizes and a friend of hers can easily tell you what she’d want.

For something memorable that will be around and used for awhile and frequently. I recommend a hot pink (or other favorite color) iPod Video Nano or iTouch that’s engraved with something romantic or just between the two of you. With only room for two short sentences on the back, it takes a bit of thought, but it turns that couple hundred dollar gift (with free engraving) into something with more umph.

The biggest thing is to keep notes throughout the year of items she’s mentioned, or pointed out. Then when it comes time for a birthday, Xmas, or whatever - you get her something she wanted. She thinks you weren’t paying attention about at the time and the being a sweetie points just go through the roof.
For bonus points, make a note of something she was wearing or what you were doing when she mentioned the item. That way you can say you remembered 6 months ago when she was wearing that stunning “Al Castle Rocks My World” t-shirt that she had pointed out she wanted whatever the item is.

It’s a bit hard, when they don’t give you any clues or hints then you have to rely on a friend of hers, who most likely doesn’t like you anyways. Always a tricky one. In which case go with expensive.