I’m a calendar girl.

Not the kind Neil Sedaka crooned about. Oh, no. I’m afraid it’s much less sexy than that.

I simply cannot function without my daily planner, desk blotter, miniature desk blotter (with waterproof cover for unfortunate yet frequent coffee incidents), Bad Dog page-a-day calendar and, at home, my shoes-through-history calendar. I have a family calendar from the oil company in my pantry, and ShopGuy and I share a Google calendar. If they’re not all in sync, I’m sunk.

You see, if it’s not on the calendar, it doesn’t exist. Which leads to overbooking, double-booking, missed birthdays (sorry, ShopBFF), missed weddings, missed parties and – this is a real killer – missed deadlines.

I’d forget my own birthday if I didn’t write it down.

Since I’m a paper-and-pen kind of gal, PDAs don’t cut it. And I’ve tried those e-mail reminders. They don’t work for me.

So I’m always on the lookout for a great calendar. I would be inconsolable if I lost my leather-bound Scully planner, a generous gift from my aunt and uncle. And I don’t know what I’d do without my collection of blotters. But when it comes to decorative calendars, I want something that really stands out.

In 2006, the Fort Kent Lions Club gave me a fundraising calendar that featured local men (all Lions) in various stages of undress. That was a conversation piece, to say the least. The doctor – if memory serves me, he was Mr. July – was a favorite of our female visitors.

For 2008, I’ve short-listed some of my favorite locally produced calendars. And sadly, none features anybody au naturel. Maybe that trend is over. I haven’t heard anything about the bachelor lobstermen and lobsterwomen calendars, either, but if they’re out there, I’ll let you know about it on my blog.

This year’s lineup is tame but tasty. You can read all about the Queen City Kitties calendar below, but here are five of my other local favorites, in no particular order:

. “Love a Fair,” $12.95 at Rebecca’s in Bangor and The Grasshopper Shop in Bangor and Ellsworth, Bookstacks in Bucksport, Shirley’s in Hancock, Huston Tuttle in Rockland. If the winsome sheep on the cover of Nina DeGraff’s gorgeous calendar doesn’t melt your heart, perhaps we should stuff your stocking with coal and call you Mr. Scrooge. DeGraff, a photographer, author and graphic artist, lives on a small farm in Somerville, and her calendar lists the dates of Maine fairs and agricultural events. It’s lovely, and it does a great job of showcasing the state’s rural treasures. Plus, the entire thing was made and produced in Maine.

. “Imagining Maine,” $12.99 at Mr. Paperback (also online at Amazon); Terrell S. Lester, a prolific photographer from Deer Isle, captures the Maine people dream about. This breathtaking series of images is the perfect gift for a friend who moved away or a Mainer-in-exile.

. “Tones of Maine,” $10.95 at Mr. Paperback or online at www.coastalexposures.com. Ed Elvidge’s diminutive calendar gives a moodier, more nuanced view of Maine. His black-and-white photographs feel raw, real and utterly stunning. This calendar was also produced locally.

. “Dog Days,” $15 for 5-by-7-inch or $28 for poster-size, www.artforeveryday.com. Art for Everyday produces the popular poster-size calendars by Maine artists Kate Libby, Janine Moore and Erica Leigh. “Dog Days,” a new addition featuring Leigh’s artwork, is sure to become a collectible, too, with its adorable imagery of sweet, mischievous pooches.

. “Faces of the Maine National Guard,” $10 at all Bangor Savings Bank branches and many Irving Mainway Blue Canoe stores. They’re our friends, family, colleagues and confidants. Some will spend the holidays far from home, serving their country. Proceeds from the sales of this calendar, which features portraits of Maine Guard members at work in their civilian jobs, will benefit the Maine National Guard Foundation. The fund provides emergency support to family members of Maine reservists and displaced active-duty family members – everything from heating assistance to travel stipends. The calendars are produced in Gardiner.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.