Scarf Giveaway

Need a Christmas gift to keep for yourself, but without the guilt? Design Crush is giving away a French Pet Lobster Scarf from Xenotees. All entries must be received by December 18, 2009.

Smitten With: Clothbound Penguin Classics

I am fortunate to have grown up with a mother who enforced in me the pleasure of reading the classics. My youth was filled with the stories of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen, and the earlier the editions the better. Even as a young girl I appreciated vintage and antique books; their colors, the uneven type, the smell of the yellowed pages.

I always imagined that when I got married and moved in to my first home, I'd have floor to ceiling bookshelves to display the pretty colored spines of my old books. So when I cam across Penguin's collection of clothbound classics (which includes some of my most beloved, like Tess of the d'Urbervilles) I immediately put them all on the top of my every wishlist (Christmas, New Years, Birthday, Groundhog Day). Each one is prettier than the next.



I imagine these would make any lady on your Christmas list smitten. The cat's pyjamas for sure.

Christmas Wishes: Newly Engaged

Christmas is the perfect opportunity to ask for items that will make your wedding planning a little bit easier. Being organized will take away some of the stress, and here's how to look pretty while doing it:

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Address Book: Consider this your best friend. Keep it in your handbag in case you run into a person you'd like to invite but don't have an address for. Love this one by Amy Butler.

Clothbound Classics: Nothing is more romantic than a classic British novel, in particular, Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen. Penguin Clothbound Classics offers a gorgeous, old fashioned cover.

Stationary: You don't even know how many notes and thank you's you are going to write. Traditional ettiquette states that the bride to be's monogram or initial be present on the stationary, like this letterpress set from Austin Press.

Files: Between the magazine clippings, contracts and scrap paper full of ideas, you're going to need a file system, like the vintage patchwork accordion file pictured from Wisteria.

Planner: This is a must. The ultimate organization tool. Know when to send out save the dates, keep track of receipts, appointments, and most of all, this handy dandy little book will keep you from pulling your hair out. Love Mindy Weiss's Ultimate Planner in pale blue.

Picture Frames: Everyone is going to want to take pictures of the happy couple, particularly during the holiday season, and you are going to want to display them. Photo albums you will also need, but most people like pictures in plain site (unless it's the one from last New Years Eve when I fell into a bush).

Smitten With: Vs. Mittens

I'm in one of those situations where the work I'm doing is taking WAY longer than I anticipated. I did, however, come across these adorable mittens last night. They are Predator vs. Prey and come in fish vs. whale (I think it looks like a shark), gazelle vs. lion, and fly vs. frog! Initially I thought they would make a sweet gift for my nephew, until I found out that they are for ADULTS!

If you have a friend or relative who still skips down the street (guilty), wears braids in her hair (guilty), and eats cookies for breakfast (guilty), I'm thinking a pair of these mittens would be a pretty awesome gift. From Uncommon Goods.