Amazing & Astonishing Awesome Gift Guide

So this  year I'm really frustrated trying to find things I think my friends & family will like. No one will tell me what they actually WANT for Christmas. I usually like to do my shopping online. Today while perusing the interwebs I found the following cornucopia of dazzling items to share with you. (Note to husband-if you're reading this-this is NOT my wishlist-just a general gift guide. kthxbai.)

First we have the Barack OBuddha Candle

Note the lovely inscription "om yes we can om". The Barack candle can be purchased here.

Next up we have the Artist Series Tampon Case:

I like the sugar skull version. This would come in handy to protect the ladysticks. These can be purchased here.

What about a Matryoshka Peppermill?

Available at Plasticland. They have some great stuff actually-I'd love to get the butterfly dishes, butterfly canvas prints and the birdcage photo holder. Freakin Xmas. Gets in the way of my personal shopping.

For those afraid of the dark, a magnificent Luchadores Nightlight:

The nightlight along with tons of other great Mexican inspired kitsch can be purchased at Scarlette Dove.

Finally, a home gift for the antisocial. Thinking of getting this for the mother-in-law. The Come In/Go Away Doormat:

At first it appears to beckon you in but flip this puppy over and it clearly says Go Away. Sold at Unica Home.

I hope you've enjoyed my gift guide. As the saying goes, there's an ass for every seat. And a gift for every ass on your list.

Shoes and more shoes

Back in 2006  my now-husband and I took a week long trip to London. One of the highlights was finding affordable shoes at Office. I had forgotten about them and then today when searching for Chie Mihara shoes, their website came up in a search. Wow! I found about 10 pairs of shoes I would love to own.

Here are some of the styles I liked-the "Rythym of my heart" shoe in purple (also available in black), the Dollie Day (also in creme and in black), and lastly the Magnetic Force boot, which I actually caved and ordered. Yeah, I know, the first two are whimsical and colorful and vintage-y and the last pair is more biker and tough but what can I say? I'm all over the place style-wise.

You can buy all of these shoes at Office UK. They ship to the US and shipping is a flat rate of $25 so it's worthwhile if you're buying two or more pairs. The sale section has some hidden gems for 15 and 20 pounds as well. I can vouch for the quality of the shoes I purchased from Office 4 years ago-they're still in style (black pointy 80's style ankle boots with back laces) and I've gotten a ton of wear out of them.

On My Wishlist

I have quite a few Anthropologie items on my wishlist lately. First of all is this Hit The Mark Strand, by Chantal Bernsau. It's rather costly at $398.00. I've been waiting about 3 months for them to mark it down and it's still full price. Random. An online search of Chantal Bernsau brought me to her website. She's based in Chile and works a lot with horsehair. Very unique stuff!

Another great piece is the Badminton Bangle, also by Chantal Bernsau, also full price. $298.00. I have expensive tastes.

These Plum Lacquered heels by Rachel Comey are covetous as well. I've seen these on other websites but not in this awesome plum color. Anthropologie's great for getting up and coming brands, sometimes in exclusive colorways that you won't see anywhere else. $338.00 and sold out in almost every size. Recession? What recession?

Tatty Devine

This necklace is a collaboration between Tatty Devine and UK artist Rob Ryan. I absolutely love it. A few years ago on a trip to London, I got the chance to visit the Brick Lane Tatty Devine store. Rob Ryan's artwork can be found on Etsy and lately it's been popping up all over the place. I'm reading this amazing book called The World To Come and part of what drew me to the book was the cover art by Rob.