Holiday Gifts

A birthday present that puts you to sleep.

My husband noticed the sense of serenity oozing out of me. The price tag on those beds is over $3000. Needless to say, owning one of them - even the cheapest model - is out of the question. To buy one wouldn’t be a matter of mere extravagance, but one of financial irresponsibility. The pillows, on the other hand, wouldn’t require taking out a second mortgage on our house. So when my husband offered to buy me one as a belated birthday gift, I didn’t even hesitate.

Related Products: Visit our store

Read more from this blogger: Lapse of Luxury

A fun look at wines that make great gifts, and better drinking.

Whether it’s an exquisite antique or super limited-production bottle of wine, a rare thing is a glamorous thing, without a doubt. In terms of rare wines, there are few more hard-to-find (or afford) than top Bordeaux from the superb 1961 vintage. Few mere mortals will ever have the opportunity to sample the wildly rare 100-point-scoring 1961 Château Latour Pauillac, a brooding Cabernet Sauvignon-based beauty that prompted Wine Spectator to rhapsodize, “Got to love this…Will it age forever?”

Related Products: Visit our store

Read more from this blogger: Guest Blogger: Courtney Cochran of HipTastes on Glam Wines

If you're buying a special wedding gift, try to order early!

I also had a customer call wanting to order a book for a friend’s wedding that was about a week away. She thought that it would be a great wedding gift. We are, in fact, out of stock of the particular book she was seeking. When I broke the devastating news to her, she replied with “Well, you just ruined my life!” I almost couldn’t believe my ears. This one book that she wanted to get a friend, the wedding was a week away mind you, was not available and that just ruined her life.

Related Products: Visit our store

Read more from this blogger: “You just ruined my life!”

If you're looking for eco-friendly jewelry gifts, check out the Palma Collection.

I had the great fortune recently to receive two lovely eco-fashion necklaces from The Palma Collection. They are a small eco-friendly company located in San Diego, California that sells stunning and unique eco-friendly women’s accessories made from the nut of a rare palm tree in South America. The nuts (aka vegetable ivory) are harvested seasonally and only after they fall from the tree. They are also completely non-toxic. These necklaces are proof positive that green fashion can be beautiful and sexy.

Related Products: Visit our store

Read more from this blogger: Eco-Pretty Jewelry: The Palma Collection