gifts for the kitchen

You can't go wrong with kitchen gear. It's a solid, platonic gift, good for people who cook and encouraging to those who don't. Here are some things I think would be nice to have around!

I've only used one of these once, but I really liked it! Very quick for chopping parsley, or anything, and so zen. Or maybe tao? I like this model, from the Nigella Lawson line, but it's proving pretty hard to track down. But of course there are plenty on the internet, just google mezzaluna or ulu knife. 

These tiny rubber-dipped wooden bowls are adorable! And you can put anything in them. Spices, dips, small snacks... Anything! I like this marbleized set of four, but she offers them in lots of colorways and combinations. Starting at $8, Wind & Willow. 

Speaking of adorable, how sweet is this little hedgehog potguard! Also available in moose or owl. $7

I checked this out from the library some months ago and I really loved it. It includes plenty of tasty and not-so-tricky recipes for things like salty chocolate sablée, Rose gelée, and how to make your very own sea salt. Equally appealing is the inspiration: author Caitlin Freeman is head pastry chef a the Blue Bottle Cafe at the top of the San Francisco MoMA, and all of her desserts are modeled on works of modern art featured at the museum. I loved the Kudless smores, and of course, the Thiebaud cakes! This book is for anyone who appreciates sweets, art criticism, and the challenge of negotiating two distinct media in order to create a cohesive work of art. Starting at $13.87

To serve up their resulting creations, why not this adorable glass pie plate? Something they almost certainly don't already own. $35.90.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: dishtowels are a good gift! Considering their visible and quotidian presence in one's life, it only makes sense to get the most beautiful ones you can find. I like the selections at Huset, Zara Home, and, if you're lucky enough to live in the UK, of course Liberty London. 

Plants are nice to have around, especially if you can use them in your recipes! A rosemary tree is festive and seasonal, and will make any kitchen smell amazing. Aloe plants are nice too, and easy to care for! $49.99. 

Do they have a butter bell? An olive jar? A honey pot? Probably not, but how sweet and wonderful! Or what about mustard jar--just the thing to hold a batch of this delicious tart cherry mustard I made for thanksgiving that I just wanted to tell you guys about because its real easy to make and so tasty! Le Creuset accessories, around $30 each on Amazon.   

How handy is this cookbook/tablet stand? I especially like the splash guard, it would make me feel a lot better about using the ipad in the kitchen. $24.99

Finally, they may truly have everything they ever need, but you can never have too much salt! $16

gifts for the little ones

For a more exotic alternative to your run-of-the-mill building blocks, how about this pyramid set, complete with a smiling sphinx? So mystical. Find these, as well as Japanese, Russian, or Middle Eastern block sets, $45 each at Acorn Toys. 

This is a classic. Their parents might hate you for it, but what little scoundrel wouldn't love one of these old fashioned sling shots? $26, Atomic Garden. 

Little girls will love this cuddly Lapin bunny bag. It's the perfect size and so so cute! $34, Catbird. 

These DIY drums are so cool! Using the kit, you make them, then you play them! Truly fun and educational. Plus there are far noisier and more annoying things they could be playing with. $45, Poketo. 

Kids of all ages enjoy playing with fake food, and there are plenty of good quality felt and wood products out there. This breakfast set is my favorite--what better way to start training them to bring you breakfast in bed? $16.93, Amazon. 

When it's time for real food, it's nice for children to have their very own dishes (it's one more way to get them excited about mealtime). These melamine sets with their compartmentalized trays are a good choice for the fastidious feaster, and come in two super cute patterns. $30, Husset. 

Fact: kids love shoes. Or at least, every kid I've ever met does. Zara has an especially gift-worthy selection--I wish I owned a lot of these, myself! Get them a tiny version of something their mother/father would wear, and they'll feel so grown up! Starting at around $30 at Zara. 

Can you even imagine? $59.99, Target. 

You can't go wrong with legos, and this deluxe Parisian Restaurant is the stuff dreams are made of. See the tiny roast chicken? The croissant-shaped molding on the roof? The man about to propose with the most ridiculously oversized gold ring Ive ever seen? There's even a little rat out back by the little blue dumpster! (I've spent way more time than is reasonable looking at this... I wish I could live in the studio apartment upstairs!) $149.99 (eep!) at the lego store. 

But if, like me, you're reluctant to gift a little one who already seems to have an excess of toys, books, and nicknacks in general, my friend recently shared a good idea: buy them a trip or membership to a local museum, science center, botanical garden, anything! The children's museum here in Pittsburgh is supposed to be really cool; we're going next week, and I'm excited! 

giving the gift of organization

Don't weigh people down with useless clutter! Instead, give them something that's as practical as it is attractive. Organizational gifts work for the tidy people who will appreciate them, and for those who could use a little help getting it together. 

These Vacavaliente desk organizers, made in Argentina from recycled leather scraps, are sweet, stylish, and useful. I found the black dog at a junk shop some months back, and I love it, but this blue kangaroo might be my fav. Find them in a range of colors and shapes for around $35 each, all over the internet.

This chalkboard tablet would be so useful in the kitchen, for making to-do lists, or leaving notes for people around the house. And so masculine, with it's reclaimed wood and leather accents. $25, Atomic Garden. 

For on-the-go list making, this O-check weekday calendar makes an affordable gift for anyone who doesn't rely on their phone to organize their life. $12, J.Crew

Speaking of which--am I out of touch? Do people even use paper stationary anymore? If you ask me, they certainly should. There's something about postal correspondence that you just can't get on the net. This set of all-occasion cards contains three each of five useful greetings, including the thank-you's they'll be needing when christmas is over. $30, Kate Spade. 

This oak twine stand, featuring its own built-in cutter, or string tidy, complete with stainless steel scissors, would make a good gift for the cook/gardener/crafter in your life.  $22-$24, Atomic Garden. 

I've always wanted a bento box! They're practical, eco-friendly, and so cute! These are microwave-and-dishwasher safe, and come in the sweetest, shiniest colors. If they routinely take their lunch to work or school, this is the perfect thing. Throw in some adorable japanese sandwich molds if your recipient is young and/or appreciates The Cute. $32, Leif. 

This bicycle bag, made of waxed canvas, leather and suede, would be a thoughtful, super-useful gift for the cyclist in your life--you must have at least one! $48, Poketo.

If they travel frequently by other modes of transportation, this reverse denim dopp kit is a nice idea. Another thing you don't think of needing until you're busy packing and it's too late. I like this one because it's modern and gender-neutral, but seems like it would age well. $30, Everlane.

This Nest Nine stacking set, featuring two mixing bowls, five measuring cups, a strainer and a colander,  is the perfect gift for anyone new to having their own kitchen (think recent college graduates) but I think anyone would appreciate how neatly these nestle together. $50, MoMA Store. 

A linen-lined lacquer jewelry box is nice on its own, but becomes even more gift-worthy when filled with sparkly baubles and trinkets. Just an idea! $24, West Elm. 

giving the gift of gold

Topping my list this year are a sewing machine, a soda stream, and a $1,000 Sephora gift card--but I understand this won't work for everyone. So let the gift-guiding begin!

It's hard to name a better palette than white and gold to capture the holiday spirit. It's warm and familiar but appropriately magical, so hot and cold at the same time. Spot on from Thanksgiving through New Years Eve. Black and gold makes for an elegant, if somewhat less jolly, combination, but really it doesn't matter as long as you've got some shine. These gifts are festive, but will look striking all year long. Because how could one possibly tire of gold? It's immortal.

Firstly, I'm obsessed with these golden menagerie objets! Any one would make an impressive, unexpected host gift--more masculine than soap or candles, more permanent than wine. $35, Dwell Studios. 

 For a more useful host-gift option, how about this set of gold plated cheese knives? Most people don't have knives just for cheeses, but I'm pretty sure if you did, you'd use them all the time! $29, West Elm. 

These tiny gold-dipped porcelain spoons toe a similar line between function and frivolity. Tied on a beautiful silk ribbon, they're a sweet and portable hostess gift, which is useful if you're traveling. Also, good DIY-inspiration, no? $20, Leif.

  This golden quilted Boysy backpack is a little pricey, but so Ashley Olsen. $68.97, Asos.

Is it stupid to gift a phone case? But people do "need" them, right? These ones are pretty cool, I think. They're made from deadstock charms and broches from the 60's and 70's, set in lacquer-like phone cases in whatever shape and size you require. Obviously, I recommend choosing their zodiac mascot for a more personal gift. Very Charlotte-Olympia-for-Pandora, right? $13.99, Case Cavern.

Like tea towels, stationary, and serving trays, this desk set may seem a humble suggestion. But people don't realize how easy it is to stay organized when you have the right materials. And if those materials are so beautiful you can't help but hold them, you're considerably more likely to use them effectively. Everyone needs someplace safe to keep their important documents, and who couldn't use a beautiful notebook or two? This entire collection, sold as a set or individually, is functional and gorgeous. $6-43, Poppin. 

Same goes for these Tracey Tanner leather pouches. You may not think you have need of something like this,  but once you get one, you'll wonder what you ever did without it! $35-45, Catbird. 

Or instead of gifting them what they don't know they need, and give them what you know they want: A gold-and-brown box of chocolates from Goumas Confections, of course! Hand-made sea salt caramels, english toffee, peanut butter fudge, chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows... the list goes on! Find gifts for every price range in white, milk or dark (and even sugar-free!) at Goumas Confections.

Don't forget the little ones! Everyone deserves a little glamour in their lives. A golden rattle can run you several hundred dollars (I looked into it) but these golden lambskin maryjanes are the sweetest things I've ever seen. Yes, it's a little silly to spend so much on something that will be worn so briefly, but come on--it's Christmas! $40, Acorn Toy Shop. 

Finally, a little logo goes a long way. These various golden Marc Jacobs studs make a seriously glam gift, with a surprising price tag. $42-48, Marc Jacobs. 

candy girl: an informal, prada-themed gift-guide debut

Candy--the promotional film by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola, starring the impossibly delicious Léa Sedoux alongside two dreamy moptops--is so good... how did I miss it before?

 I love how the boys keep switching back and forth. All in all, it's the perfect fragrance campaign--who wouldn't want to be Candy? Way more than Miss Dior, or even Chloé--those girls barely get out of bed! On Candy's behalf I make my first gift suggestion, of course the namesake fragrance. I sampled it recently in my december vogue, and it's pretty sweet, you guys. You know... like candy! Expensive, tasteful, Italian candy. Plus the bottles are so perfectly giftable.

More recently, I also enjoy this other short, Prada-comissioned Wes Anderson film, though it doesn't seem to be promoting much of anything (besides being Italian)

It does, however, inspire my second gift-idea, this time for the little ones: 

This little red speedster from the Acorn Toy Shop in Brooklyn may be a repeat suggestion on my part, but it's so luxe and adorable, I can't help it. How could anyone resist? You'd have it for years--maybe even generations--to come, perhaps justifying the $115 pricetag, especially if you're going the 'one big gift' route, instead of buying a bunch of junk. If you're not, this little Bonnie Race Car is an equally gift-worthy and considerably more affordable (and portable) option for the young moto-enthusiast in your life. 

More gift ideas to come! Shop me, shopper!

happy holidays you guys!

So, Thanksgiving went off without a hitch, and now Christmas Season is in full swing! I can't tell if I'm really in to it or if I'm faking it for Felix, but either way, I've got spirit! Christmas carols are on soft rock radio twennyfourseven in the kitchen; I've seen three cars topped with giant plastic menorahs driving down Murray Ave in the past five days; and I can't stop thinking about this blue-eyed beauty, star of Oscar de la Renta's Children's Holiday Collection 

She's the one ♥

That bow is nowhere to be found on the internet, btw. Find it for me!!