Princess Bride wine YES THAT'S RIGHT
We haven't tasted these, but we find it INCONCEIVABLE that they will not be splendid. They were created for a promotion of The Princess Bride by the good old Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, where I have consumed many a bucket of beers (not in one sitting). The red is "Inconceivable Cab," and the other is "As You Wish White," and there are wine charms based on the characters ($25) and t-shirts ($25) to boot. No word on whether they plan to release "Never Go Up Against A Sicilian When Death Is On The Line Rose," or "R.O.U.S. Port Wine," but one can dream. Anybody want a peanut?
Price: $28 for the wine, $25 for charms (including a six-fingered hand!) and tees ("Who Is Right and Who Is Dead?" and Hello, My Name Is Inigo Montoya").
iPhone chargers
At Fashion Week especially, we are BIG proponents of having charged backup batteries to juice our dying iPhones. This only works if the person in your life is not about to upgrade to the new iPhone 5, which is apparently a totally different plug system; if that's not a danger, then LOOK! These are so adorable -- much better than the boring black or white ones I've seen in Apple stores.
Owl Mugs
I just love owls. Drinking out of their heads will make the recipient of your gift feel wise AND on trend. Some colors are ON SALE now, so don't dilly-dally.
Zoe Hart Style Bralet
For the Hart of Dixie lover in your life. You will have to supply your own Hot Shirtless Neighbor, sadly, but we have faith in you.
Price: $32, and also comes in pink, mint green, and cream.
Polka Dot Soup Bowls
I love me some polka dots and also some bowls. They call them soup bowls, but everyone knows bowls are very useful -- not just for soup and ice cream and cereal and pasta, but also to store your bracelets or binder clips, or... other smaller bowls.
Price: $12; available in navy, blue, yellow, and green.
Set of 14 Fabulous Pens
Iomoi is my go-to for super glam stationary needs, and title of this slide does not lie: It has the most FABULOUS pens. These are my favorites, but they have loads of other colors and patterns, and they all seem like pens you would use at the Palm Springs house that you will have eventually. Tie them in a bow for your friend who likes to write things down in that Moleskine book, or do a crossword in ink. (You'll need to scroll down the page to get to them, past OTHER DELICIOUS THINGS)
Chubby Brass Owl Bottle Opener
I told you I was into owls. This is a much chic-er way to open your beer bottle than with your teeth. It's only three inches big! It's so adorable, and booze-friendly.
MESSY
Obviously, we have to suggest that you purchase our most recent book, Messy -- even if it's just for yourself. (Self-pimpage is the hardest part of the job, but honestly, we are super proud of it and we think you'll really enjoy it.)
Price: $11.38, which is a steal for a hardback.
And the paperback of Spoiled, our first novel, is only $8.99. Buy them both so they can look so pretty next to each other on your shelf/in your purse/in the backseat of your car for emergencies when you don't want to be without reading material.
Naughty and Nice candles
Personally, I love getting candles. People never buy fancy ones for themselves, and they're all luxurious and whatnot. These are helpfully holiday-themed without also being red and green.
2012 Red Moleskine Daily Planner
This is actually the dayplanner I personally use every day and have for years. I call it, "MY BOOK" and I make no plans without it. It comes in all kinds of fabulous colors, perfect for the friend who really, really needs to write down everything or else will forget to show up to anything. We all have one.
Banned books mug
Thumb your nose at censorship by drinking out of a mug that pays tribute to banned books. VIVA SCANDALE!
Price: $12.95 at Gadgets and Gear.
Jonathan Adler
I LOVE Jonathan Adler -- last year, I put a pair of his salt and pepper shakers on this gift guide and then made my mother buy them for me -- and who doesn't need a hundred ways to happy chic his/her life?
Shoegazing
I got these notecards as a gift, and forgot to write a thank-you note. But I love them, so hopefully this will at least in part suffice to let the giver know how much I enjoy them. They're all shoe self-portraits taken by the readership of a design magazine in Calgary, and since I went to high-school there, this feels like a shout-out to a beloved place.
Enchantment Under the Sea Dance t-shirt
For the Marty McFly in your life. Because if he hadn't been there, then he would never have been there. You feel me. Comes in both men's and women's sizes.
J.Crew Heartbreaker Sweater
How cute is this? For someone so cold and dead inside, I really love me some hearts. It also comes in a lavender/burgundy.
Price: $98 from my lovers at J.Crew.
A to Z Melamine Coasters
These are another more expensive item, but consider that you're getting twenty-six coasters. Perhaps you have a very large family OR really like throwing parties, or you play the water glasses and don't want to ruin another coffee table. I wish I had a place to put these. In my house, with my beans, it's not one stack of coasters; it's twenty-six weapons of mass destruction.
Price: Price: $110 at Bob's Your Uncle.
Mini Mud pies
SOMEONE you know surely needs a tin of mini mud-pies.
LL Bean Alaska Duffle
This is the bag you buy for your dreamy boyfriend and it transforms him into a dreamy Colin Firth who takes you on fantastic mini-breaks. It's really not cheap, BUT sometimes you need a big-ticket item, and this is a lovely one; it's from LL Bean -- the more stylized Signature line, which is also where I bought myself some really insane plaid Christmas pants -- which means you can return it until the end of time.
Ebony Jaguar Cuff
OBVIOUSLY, I am going to suggest a big, insane bracelet.
<i>Furious Love</i>
Do not let Lifetime's Liz & Dick have the last word. This book is reportedly a juicefest, with TONS of pictures. And just listen to these one-star Amazon reviews! "I have never read such nonsense and threw this book in the fireplace agonizing through each page," and then this gem: "Great book, but ... [s]he is to be pitied. Those of you who disagree with me, well I can't do anything about stupid." YES. Loved the book, didn't like Elizabeth Taylor, ONE STAR. Those are worthy of the affair's drama, no?
Price: $27.99 for the hardcover (because of the pictures, it's worth springing for it instead of the e-book version).
Chunky Knit Turban
Speaking of Liz and Dick... TURBAN.
Fair Isle Cap
This is a man's stocking cap, but I think a lady could easily rock it as well. Also, I personally have a freakishly large skull and HAVE to wear men's hats. Don't forget the freakish headed on your shopping list.
Eiffel Tower Craft Scissors
I'm sure you know a crafty Francophile who would like a pair of scissors shaped like the Eiffel Tower. I first spied these on the blog vmac+cheese, which is always full of interesting tidbits and delights.
Crayola Nail Polish
Need we say more than CRAYOLA MINI-NAIL POLISH SET? I doubt it. Hello, how CUTE is this?
Wrap Watch
I don't know; I just thought this was interesting. Ours is not to reason why.
Hurricanes
These please me. They also come in light blue.
Mini-cashmere hand warmer
So cute. So snuggly. So perfect for people who don't live in this infernal temperate winter climate of Los Angeles. AND they're on sale right now.
Price: $10, formerly $20 (a bargain!).
Corkcicle
Members of Fug Nation recommended this -- and so did Oprah, so OBVIOUSLY, it must be tremendous. Basically, this helps keep your wine colder longer without needing the fridge, and/or can bring your warmer reds to room temperature. They have cork-colored ones, but you know me: I prefer something bright. As a bonus, it's very Basic instinct.
Price: $24.95 for neons like orange, pink, blue, yellow, and green, or $22.95 for an actual cork-colored one.
Throw Pillows
If you like a lot of cushions on your bed/couch/floor/office chair/glamping tent, then this Etsy store has a lot of fun prints. Hooray for small businesses.
Price(s): They vary; mostly $26-$30 for singles. The top one shown is $30, the middle is $36 because it's fancy, and the blue one on the bottom comes in a pair for $64. Use coupon code HOLIDAY at checkout for 15 percent off>.
Subscription Boxes
These have become really popular in the past year: Pay a monthly fee -- or, gift subscriptions are available for varying periods of time -- and get boxes full of gear to try, with varying degrees of customizability. First, the beauty boxes. At the top is Birchbox, the cheapest at $10/month, which is mostly sample-sized beauty products (but with the occasional extra that's keyed to the season); there is also a version for men. Next is Glossybox, slightly pricier at $15/month, with a similar idea where you sign up and fill out a profile so they can tailor things to your interests. Lord knows we love tiny things, AND things that make us prettier. We've never used this one but heard good things; the chief differences between the two seem to be price and product names, but feel free to weigh in on this in the comments.
And down below is the most expensive, the big ticket one: a Fancy Box, which is $30 a month for $60 worth of a broader range of products curated by the site's readers, in categories of your choice.
Gold crosshatch decanters
Pricey, but maybe good for whoever is your splurge person -- parent, spouse, BFF, etc. There's something so classy and Mad Men about serving your wine out of a bottle it didn't come in; there are more standard shapes available, but my favorite one here was the conical decanter, just because it's so unusual.
Price: $149, with free shipping.
Chalkboard Paint Decals
I've had a yen for chalkboard paint for a while now, but never pulled the trigger on it -- it's such a commitment, so if you don't like it, you're hosed. These nifty decals solve that problem; you can peel them off if you're unhappy, but if you love it, then YAY, you have a chalkboard on your wall.
Price: $9.99 for two 9x12s and $16.99 for four. Also, other sizes and shapes and colors are available.
Text world map
How cool is this? But it ships from the UK, so be SWIFT.
Price: $24.70, the rough equivalent of 14.99 GBP.
Dr. Who Cookie Jar
if I know Fug Nation, and I do, then there are some serious Dr. Who fans out there. And some serious cookie fans (or am I just projecting?). Time to marry your passions, y'all.
Messenger bag by Joy Gryson
For those days when a giant purse just isn't practical (like, say, a sporting event, where you need to bring your phone and ID and some cash and your pocket won't do -- something with which I have a wee bit of experience). This one comes in a bunch of colors. Since I made this slide, though, some of them have sold out; right now it's showing black, mustard, and a nice red.
Wine Sampler
For as cheap as $23, you can get red, white, or mixed tasting samplers grouped by a theme or curated by a pro. We did one of these last year and it was really fun to see if what we tasted matched any of the notes included with the set (spoiler: it didn't, but sometimes I suspect my palate has all the savvy of a neanderthal).
Price: Varies, but starts at around $23 and can go up to $40, depending on the wines; there are plenty of reasonable ones in the $30 range.
Flight 001 goodies
This is one of my favorite stores in L.A., full of quirky things to take on your travels. I own the bags in the bottom right corner -- for shoes, laundry, wet clothes like swimsuits, etc.; $16-24 for the individuals or $52 for the set -- and I might soon own the little travel bottles ($16 or $22), which are high-quality and reusable, nice to keep on-hand if you don't want to check luggage. The accordion snack box is too fun to resist at $8, and the neon travel adapters ($25, in green, pink, blue, and orange) are in here because, again, BRIGHT. I'm a sucker.
Cassette LED Nightlight
Look, kids today. They just don't know. TEACH THEM HOW IT WAS.
Ceramic measuring spoons
These would be as cute to hang on your kitchen wall as they would be to use.
target="_blank">Price: $18 at Anthropologie.
Photo-opoly
This is funky: A Monopoly game that you can customize with your own photos and text. Screw Boardwalk and Park Place; bring on Karl Lagerfeld Halloween Costume and any one of the hundreds of photos of my children with hilarious bedhead configurations.
West Elm Favorite Throw
My sister got my mother one of these for Christmas last year, and I can vouch that they are very pretty and very soft -- to the point where I'm shocked they are this inexpensive. They're also fairly light. It made me wish I needed one. I have too many snuggly things already, light AND heavy, which is bonkers considering that I don't live in a very snuggly climate.
Price: Regularly $29, with some shades on sale for $19, which feels like a total steal.
Kate Spade "Taxi" Mittens
These speak for themselves. Which is the point, I think.
Price: $49.99, Piperlime, which is in the Gap family of companies, meaning there are always rewards and coupon codes and free shipping scenarios to be had.