presents perfect: guys
I love the way The Art of Shaving
Sandalwood Essential Oil gift set smells. The handsome boxed set includes a sandalwood scented cologne and shaving cream, and is $40.
Bushnell has combined the distance-viewing abilities of regular binoculars and the image-capturing abilities of a digital camera in to one shiny gadget! The
ImageView binoculars lets you capture and save any sight you see through the magnification lense, and an LCD screen so you can view your images. And at $89, it's a total steal.
Trusted and true, the
MUJI Screwdriver set is one of the most useful gifts you could ever give a guy (or a girl!). No more rummaging around for the right-size tool when you're hanging pictures or tightening a screw. This pocket-sized set includes one handle and eight magnetic bits in a plastic storage case, and is only $14 at MoMA Store.
If his blank walls need some dressing, the
Allard Car stretched canvas by artist Kiddo Smith may be the perfect gift. The black on silver piece is stretched over a gallery frame and is ready to hang. It's $60 for a 26"x26" canvas.
Yes, it's karaoke. And yes, he will love it! When connected, Griffin's
iKaraoke sends the music from your iPod to your stereo without the lead vocals. A great gift for only $50.
Ah, cuff links. You can never go wrong with buying him a pair of good links. But if you don't want to drop serious cash on a set that may not suit his style, try these cute
Knot cuff links from Brooks Brothers for only $9 a set (or four sets for $20). Pick out a handful from their stock of 40 colors and patterns to dress his every mood.
If he's doing the cooking, let him really put his mark on dinner! These
monogrammed steak brands can be personalized with any two- or three-letter combos for $40. So cute!
— xxx —
presents perfect
These colorful,
plastic salad hands from Sur La Table are great stocking stuffers for your friends who love to entertain. They come in four colors (red, yellow, orange and green) and are only $8 a pair. Toss that around for size!
— xxx —
Now, who wouldn't love to get one of these beautiful holiday floral arrangements from
Flowerbud? They're so colorful and festive, and a nice departure from the traditional holly and poinsettias. And the best part? The blooms will last extra long (probably past the new year!) because they all arrive in bud form and will open up within a few days of delivery. Prices range from $60 and up.
— xxx —
.jpg)
These
glass chocolate and pewter coasters are so pretty! The ultra hip damask wallpaper design is covered by a thin layer of glass, protecting your coffee table and these pretty pieces from water. They're $18 for a set of four.
— xxx —
These
bitten gingerbread cookie cutters are the perfect gift for the baker with a sense of humor! Each little cutter has tiny "chew" marks in the mold, so the cookies will bake up with curious bite-shapes missing. Love it! They're $10 for three different appendage-less guys.
— xxx —
Your gift-ee may think this hand-made, screen printed
Atelier Lzc Matriochka Dishcloth is too pretty to use! The pink, orange and red winding tree branches, decorated eggs and Matriochka doll designs are really striking. It's $16 for a 20" x 26" cloth.
— xxx —
Susie Mendive for SUM Design has taken her beautiful wallpaper designs and reinterpreted the graphics on different objects, including this great black plywood
printed tray. It's $40 and also comes in brown and green.
— xxx —
jolly holiday!
Hey, guys! I'm so so sorry for being such a bad MIA-blogger for the last few weeks! Between the hectic holidays, work deadlines, business trips, blah, blah, blah ... you get it. Things have been busy. Anyway, I'm jumping right back on to the blogging bandwagon starting today, and I couldn't be happier to be back! :)
All this week, I'll be posting some last-minute gift ideas ... so stay tuned! But until then, here are my absolute favorite
holiday cards of the year. Happy holidays!
— xxx —
the next best ring
These
wood veneer napkins rings by Sarah Finn are really great. They look delicate, although they're quite sturdy. Finn uses very thin veneer in mahogany or white maple, and laser cuts them into two patterns of stars or small "s" incisions. I love the way they look wrapped around a while or cream napkin. For Thanksgiving dinner, perhaps?
— xxx —
bloom service
I love instant, give-them-as-they-are presents. That's why I love these
Bloemox gift boxes. Each mini hatbox comes with strips of biodegradable, plantable seed ribbons to grow your own flower garden. The silk flowers atop the box are replicas of the blooms that will grow from those seeds. They are also available in bulb and satchel kits. Not ready to start a garden in the middle of winter? No problem— the seeds will last until the season is right for planting.
— xxx —
feather weight
I love the intricate and rich designs of Tiffani Taylor's ceramic pieces—the
table lamp and
tea set are quite striking. Taylor, a former student at the Savannah School of Art and Design, paints scenes of flowers and nature and intermingles it with her poetry. And since each piece is made to order and hand-painted by Taylor, it's like getting an original, one-of-a-kind work of art. Her collection is sold through the
SCAD shop.
— xxx —
hanging around
Hable Construction's holiday wool
felt holiday boxes and
stockings are really adorable. I'm always a fan of their Hable-esque floral patterns, but I also think their winter character designs of snowmen and reindeer are cute too. (They even have pet stockings so you won't have to leave Fido out of the design fun!)
— xxx —
colin home
I have to say, I'm really impressed with
Colin Cowie's new gift line at Wal-Mart. (Yes! Wal-Mart!) Not only are the pieces chic and sleek, but also amazingly priced. Most of the items are below $25, but look far more expensive. The collection includes everything from silver ice buckets and hammered metal serving platters to 12-piece cheese sets and acrylic napkin rings. It'll be interesting to see how Wal-Mart shoppers respond to this line—hopefully really well. Fingers crossed!
— xxx —
dry goods
These Language face and hand towels from
Kate's Paperie are so cute—perfect for the guest bathroom or as a gift for the foreign language student. They come in French, Spanish and English sets for $48.
— xxx —
knit knacks
I don't know why, but I'm totally smitten with these
cable-knit pillows and throws from Williams-Sonoma Home. Maybe it's the cute buttons on the front, the soft silk/cashmere blend or just the cozy, cuddly feeling it gives me. Either way, I'm a fan!
— xxx —
letter perfect
It's like the Where's Waldo of monograms. If you look closely, you'll see the subtlest of letters adorning these trays, pen cup holder, journal and cards from
Superdeluxe. (From top: "R", "K", "T", "C" and "A.") I love the cool, graphic effect of the manipulated letters—perfect for the gal like me that's obsessed with anything personalized. You can pick from over 18 monogram designs and letters. (Sorry to all you, Frank's and Olivia's. Looks like "F" and "O" didn't make the cut.)
— xxx —
tray chic
These
decoupage rectangular trays by John Derian are truly lovely. He hand-paints borders over really old ledgers and letters, combines them into collages, and reprints them under layers under glass. They're each 10" x 13" and about $180 each. Stunning!
— xxx —
when nature calls
As much as I love color, we all know that food just looks the best on a good ol' white plate. So why not give your thanksgiving pumpkin pie as much tah-dah presentation it deserves by serving in on West Elm's pretty
Branch dessert plates and platter. Each organically-shaped plate is delicately embossed with designs of winter branches and leaves. Complement the set with matching
glassware—elegant tumblers and wine glasses etched with branch patterns.
— xxx —
mood lighting
The crackly, antique look of these
mercury glass votive holders from Z Gallerie is so festive for the holidays. Just casually cluster a few around the room or table, and voila—instant holiday glamour! And for $5 a pop, they're really a steal.
xxx
a little birdie told me ...
THIS IS THE CUTEST THING EVER.
That is all.
xxx
light brights
Pier 1 has come so far from their "I just got back from my safari" days! Case in point, these chic
silver links table and floor lamps, that totally capture that contemporary-retro combo that we all love so much. It's a fun take on the gourd lamp look of last season, but with a funkier approach. And they're affordable too—$75-$135.
xxx
true blue
I love the different ornamental patterns on the White Snow Blue porcelain dinnerware collection from
driade kosmo. The contrasting circle and line designs play off each piece so nicely. And although it comes in a five-piece place-setting, it would equally be chic to sub one (or more) of the pieces with your everyday white dinnerware.
xxx
oh, christmas tree
I'm totally into these sleek
mercury glass trees from CB2 ($5-$15). The minimal design and bold colors work so well together. I'd love to fill my chocolate bookshelves with a bunch of these guys in all different colors and sizes ... and not a pine needle in sight!
xxx
spice girls
I flipped (natch!) for Trudeau's super clever battery-operated, self-grinding
Graviti pepper mill. Thanks to this little gadget, there will be no more awkward wrist-twisting or two-hand maneuvering to get a few dashes of fresh ground pepper. Simply turn the bottle over and the mill grinds itself. Genius! No buttons, no fuss. It can also be used with sea salt crystals. It's $25, and comes in six colors, including stainless and brushed steel.
xxx
flower power
I first saw these
Design Ideas paper wall flowers at the New York Gift Show earlier this year, and immediately loved their bright colors and cheery designs. They'd be perfect for dressing up a nursery or children's play room, or even a family sunroom. Plus, they come in all sizes and shapes so you can mix and match the pieces to create the flower garden of your dreams.
xxx
holiday greetings
One of the first "welcome to New York" gifts I received when I moved to the city was a set of R. Nichols city-girl notecards. I loved them so much that I hoarded the set for years before actually sending one out. But since then, I've become his number one fan and pick a set up every few months. And this month, he has unveiled his new
holiday card designs, and they're as lovable as ever!
The New York line is available exclusively at
Kate's Paperie, but the other holiday designs are sold nationwide.
xxx
black beauties
Black is the new blue for Nigella Lawson, who is moving her
Living Kitchen line to the dark side. Up until this month, she's been sticking to the sweet, baby colors of powder blue and cream for her pieces, so this black line is quite a different path for her. The new extensions, which include measuring cups, salad plates, sugar bowls, etc., are all made of heavy ceramic with a licorice matte coating outside and a glossy finish inside. So chic!
xxx
coming up roses
The funky rose designs on John Lewis'
Tesica cushions could bring any bland couch to life. (It totally appeals to the girlie side of me that secretly loves anything with bows or flowers.) And since it's made of felt, they're durable for placing in high-traffic sitting spots.
xxx
head hunter
Keeping with the steed-theme I seem to be obsessing over right now, I am over the moon for
Vlaemsch's wood deer, stag and moose heads. How cute are they?! These takes on the old hunting trophies are made of plywood from sustainable forests, so your conscience can rest easy about mounting this little buddy in your home. They're perfect for hanging over the bed or even the fireplace to welcome Santa and Rudolph!
xxx
hanging around
Flocking is so the new tinsel! I love the pretty patterns and deep jewel tone colors of these holiday ornament discs from
Paperchase. They'd look great hanging from a silver or white tree, or even an ordinary green one. (Oh, and since it's the only time when I can let my steed-fetish run wild, I'm really into the modern reindeer ornaments too.)
xxx
center peace
These
glass gourd and pumpkin candle holders from Smith & Hawken are a chic way to dress up your Thanksgiving table, without sacrificing precious turkey platter space. Apparently, it takes up to five glass artisans to produce just one piece so each one is unique. It has a round, camo'd opening at the back to allow you to slip a candle inside, and a tiny slit at the top to release the heat. They're usually $14-$28, but they're on sale right now ($9-$19) just in time for the big dinner!
xxx
.jpg)
