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Issue Date: November 30, 2008
Holiday gift guide goes small, gadgety, tech, hot and cool!
Dear Santa: iCarly's Miranda Cosgrove breaks out her little Christmas wish list.
By Lola Ogunnaike
When it comes to gifts,"I'm not a good secret keeper."
Tell us: What was your worst Christmas gift?
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If actress Miranda Cosgrove had to buy a Christmas present for Carly Shay, the tech-savvy character she plays on TV, she'd head straight to the nearest Apple store. "Carly always has the newest gadgets," Cosgrove says. "She would definitely love the new iPhone."
Cosgrove, 15, is the star of Nickelodeon's hit series "iCarly," which follows the life of a young girl who produces webcasts with her friends. She's the perfect cover model for this year's gift issue because, for starters, standing at 5-foot-5, she understands that great things don't always come in oversize packages. And like her alter ego, Cosgrove loves tiny gadgets, although the actress is quick to admit that she's not nearly as plugged in as Carly is. In fact, her gift list this year is as analog as they come.
She'd like Santa to bring her a baby grand piano and a beagle puppy. "I've been asking for another dog for years," says Cosgrove, who is already the proud owner of a poodle named Pearl. "But she's so jealous; she even hates it when I pet my cat. My mom is totally on her side, so she won't let me get another dog."
Plus, it's not like Cosgrove's time isn't already stretched as thin as dental floss. In addition to her show and the demands of high school, the Los Angeles native is working on a pop-rock album due in 2009. Its sound, she says, will be reminiscent of early Avril Lavigne, with just enough edge to titillate her tween fans but not scare off their parents. Her weekends are primarily spent in recording booths, but she isn't bitter because "all of the songs are really upbeat, and it's fun."
Cosgrove is used to hard work. She began performing at 3; since then, she has appeared in dozens of commercials as well as films, including 2003's hit comedy School of Rock as Jack Black's band manager. At 8, she was cast as the pesky baby sister on TV's Drake & Josh. On Dec. 5, she'll rejoin the cast in a two-hour Nickelodeon movie, "Merry Christmas, Drake & Josh." A week later, she'll have her own special holiday episode: "iCarly Christmas."
It's no surprise, then, that the holiday season has been on her mind lately, so much so that she already is salivating in anticipation of her family's annual Christmas dinner. "Every year, my mom makes Cornish game hens and stuffing with corn bread and wild rice," she says excitedly. "The stuffing is awesome. It's so good, I eat it while she's making it."
When it comes to gift buying, Cosgrove prefers the slow-and-steady approach rather than a frenzied last-minute shopping spree. She has been known to buy presents months in advance, which presents its own interesting dilemma. "I'm not a good secret keeper," the actress confesses in a voice that's equal parts whisper and giggle. "I'll want to talk about the gift so badly. I'm just so excited."
Cover story photograph by Bonnie Holland for USA WEEKEND
Hair: Gio Campora, The Wall Group; makeup: Kiki Benet, Tracey Mattingly; styling: Annie Jagger, Margaret Maldonado Agency
Cover clothing: dress by Karen Zambos, shoes by Sergio Rossi, jewelry from Diavolina in L.A.; Inside clothing: shirt by Ivy @ Intermix, jeans by J Brand, boots by Fornarina, gold necklace from Diavolina in L.A., silver necklace by Jules Smith from Lisa Kline in L.A.
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