Let me tell you a secret. Even though I love thinking about marriage and am crazy about all things pertaining to weddings, I am not one of those people who has to have a man on Valentine’s Day. Likewise, I am not expecting The Beard to present me with a ring tomorrow nor do I anticipate his making a “big deal” out of this Hallmark holiday.

That said, I can definitely understand how many people without singificant others can get a trifle peeved when subjected to the site of hearts, roses, chocolates, and cherubs for the six weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day.

So, for those of you ladies out there who are single and proud, here are some neat gifts you can buy for yourself to celebrate your independence.

Alice Steinbach is definitely an independent woman. In Without Reservations : The Travels of an Independent Woman, a memoir and travelogue, she bounces from city to city throughout Europe, making friends and learning about her inner self. Pair it with A Journey of One’s Own: Uncommon Advice for the Independent Woman Traveler and you’ll be primed and ready for your own journeys.

If you find your folks or your friends give you a hard time come tomorrow, point them to Even God Is Single, So Stop Giving Me A Hard Time by Karen Salmansohn. It’ll shut them up fast.

Forget the wilting lily act and get a double dose of independent womanhood by spending an evening with leggy yet bad-to-the-bone Lara Croft in the first two Tomb Raider flicks.

Finally, as Ben suggests in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, “frost yourself.” There’s no rule saying you have to wait for some man to lay out the bling bling.

Have fun tomorrow!

On the subject of not dresses but dressing, I’d like to say that there is no one in the world whose personal style I would most like to emulate more than Audrey Hepburn‘s. Audrey Hepburn was not only a absolutely fabulous dresser, but also charming, humble, and kind. For Christmas this year, if anyone I know is listening, I would like a stocking filled with the Hepburn style. If anyone on your Christmas list has aspirations of being not only glamorous, but also giving, engaging, and gracious, consider surprising them with one of the books, movies, or other stuff below.

How to Be Lovely: The Audrey Hepburn Way of Life is a tome of Audrey’s wisdom and philosophy.

Roman Holiday was Audrey’s breakthrough film.

Who could forget Moon River? Not me. Which is why I want the Music From The Films Of Audrey Hepburn CD so badly!

The Audrey Hepburn Deluxe 2006 Calendar has twelve months of Audrey!