Home Made Gifts Part 1: The Mixtape.

I love mixtapes.

I love that they are totally cliché and 80's and and that it's impossible to give somebody one without seeming like a totally dorky seventh grader. I love how the good ones take forever to make and how evident it is when one has been carefully crafted and is completely heartfelt. And, most importantly, I firmly believe that there is nothing that will win over an arty, nerdy girl quicker than a good mixtape.

However, there are rules, you guys. None of this Put-Your-iTunes-On-Shuffle-And-Call-It-Good bullshit. The following is a list of guidelines, carefully collected during my teen years from snobby music friends, High Fidelity, Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List and personal experience

Clementine's Mixtape Code of Conduct

• Be careful of the tracklist. Start with a great song, one to engage the listener, and then top it. 
• While presentation is important, but a mixtape need not be on an actual tape. 
• Be careful with two songs back to back that are of different genres, make sure they compliment each other. 
• A good title is a must. 
• No two songs from the same band 
• Liner notes are not a must, but their omission is frowned upon 
• There should be a theme, or a driving point. If the mixtape is an attempt to woo, the relationship between you and the person you are trying to woo is an acceptable theme. 
• A good mix is like a letter, it requires drafts

PRICE: about 20 cents for a blank CD