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A. Absolutely! Hostess gifts are one of my favorite things to shop for. The trick is to stock up beforehand -- designate a little drawer where you keep small gifts and thank-you cards so you're never caught empty-handed and running around at the last minute.

Also, a few general rules of thumb: 1) A hostess gift is something that should require no extra work for the hostess, so forget about flowers. The hostess has enough on her mind than having to find a vase for your well-intended stems. 2) The item shouldn't be used at the party. You can bring something sweet like a cake, but the intention is for your hostess to enjoy it on her own time, not for it to be served to everyone at the party. Now, of course, if the hostess chooses to, that's by all means fine and dandy. Just don't expect or suggest it. 3) The gift should be small and thoughtful. There's no need to spend a lot on a hostess gift. Its intention is to acknowledge or thank the hostess for all of her hard work, not to buy her something so extravagant that she's writing you a thank-you note after the party. Instead, you should be writing her a thank-you note after the shindig. In general, an appropriate amount for a hostess gift is $5-$25. 4) Size matters. Refrain from buying something decorative like a figurine or something large for the home. Everyone has a particular style and it's hard to know what someone likes. You wouldn't want them to feel obligated to display something for the rest of their lives. Instead, buy something small and/or useable.

Now for the fun part: what to bring! For a BBQ bash, surlatable.com has a set of four fun curved kebab skewers ($9.95). Wrap a bow around them, stuff them in a gift bag and you're ready to go. A bottle of tasty BBQ sauce or salsa would be a fun addition as well. Or opt for wine bottle cork candles. Shaped like corks, they transform your empty wine bottles into elegant candleholders. Snag a set of four for $8 at plumparty.com. Plum Party is full of great hostess gifts, including a cool neoprene wine tote that holds two bottles ($16); a set of four mini torches in the shape of Popsicles ($8); and, a set of four bright mini cocktail shakers ($18).

Another great site to scoop up hostess gifts is amenwardy.com. Faves include cocktail candy, flavored sugars to rim your martinis and 'ritas ($12.95); White Trash, which is white chocolate-flavored bark stirred into a nutritious mix of crisp cereals, pretzels and choice nuts ($10); and, floating sandal candles -- perfect for summer shindigs ($17).

You can always score great gifts, hostess and otherwise, at wishingfish.com. The clever and funny takeout menu organizer ($24.95) is perfect for the hostess who's more takeout queen than gourmet chef. The already wrapped dolci dessert sauce duo ($19.95) -- a delicious duo of chocolate hazelnut sauce and milk caramel sauce -- makes irresistible gourmet dessert toppings for sundaes, fruit and cake. The jolly lolly lollipops ($2.95 each) are tongue-in-cheek sweetness. Featuring cute pictures and sayings, like Queen Bee, Funny Bunny, Social Butterfly and Pig Out, buy four or five, tie a pretty bow around them, and delight your fun-loving hostess.

Another site you should be adding to your "Favorites" list is uncommongoods.com. No matter the occasion, you can always find something here. For the card shark-hostess, the full house card dishes ($12) are just the trick. Each set of four includes a heart, spade, diamond and club, in red and black, and are perfect for serving snacks in. For the fashion-loving hostess, a set of mannequin soaps ($22) or a high heel cake server ($20) will have her in stylish stitches.

Got questions? We've got you covered! Send them to kelly@bussbuss.com and we'll hook you up. You can also catch Kelly's Klicks each week in Pink magazine.