I disagree. If you surprise her by taking her to a shop and saying "which one do you like?" that's ok.
The question is also how much you want to spend. If you have lots of money, well, diamonds are a girl's best friend. If this is someone you pal around with, you might go for something a little less costly, like a stuffed toy animal.
If the girl lives with her parents, then gifts for the house are kinda no fun, unless it's something special for her room. If a girl lives on her own, then house gifts might be nice. If she likes to cook, try to catch her ogling kitchen gadgets. I'm dying for one of those fancy mixers (Kenwood or KitchenAid).
An MP3 player or digital camera might be nice, if she's the type for it and doesn't have one. Again, it's a matter of budget and of who the girl is...
And if it's me, I'd like a car please...