Holiday Gift Guide: For the Hostess

A rare Sunday post today, since I know you are all probably shopping in earnest this weekend. (Keep an eye out for my massive list of Cyber Monday deals tomorrow morning!) With all the sales going on, I want to give you plenty of inspiration for holiday gift shopping so you can be prepared. Today's gift guide is for the hostess with the mostest who deserves something special this time of year... because wine is just so expected.

For your next holiday soiree, pick up something sweet (drunken chocolate figs), something fragrant (Tocca soaps), or something sparkly (a crystal wine stopper) for the host. Have a family member whose door is revolving during the holidays? A gilded quartz serving platter will make her hors d'oeuvres table shine. And design types will love Erin Gates' stunning coffee table book or Jonathan Adler's Muse candle.

Check out my other gift guides and my Pinterest board for more inspiration, and be on the lookout for more holiday gift ideas throughout the week.

13 Modern Rooms with Wood Burning Stoves

[via ideasforho.me]

Sure, it's Black Friday, but it can't be all shopping all the time. Hopefully, you're spending at least part of this holiday weekend curled up with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and you're loved ones. If the room happens to look like this, all the better.

Here are 13 modern rooms warmed by cozy wood burning stoves to get you in the holiday spirt. (And, if you still want to shop the Black Friday deals, check out my Holiday Gift Ideas Pinterest board and the shopping section for inspiration!)

Holiday Gift Guide: For the Snow Bunny

Ready for all the madness that is Black Friday? Or will you be hiding under the covers and shopping the Cyber Monday deals like me? Either way, I figured I'd help you get a jump on your holiday shopping with the first of several gift guides. And, with the storm we're expecting in New England, what better giftee to start with than the snow bunny?

Sperry Top-Sider® for J.Crew boots ($160) will keep feet toasty and dry in any weather, while cashmere pants from Theory ($365) are the ultimate indulgence for warming up by a fire. The Chateau Parka ($365) is a classic, perfect topped off with leather and knit convertible gloves ($90) and TopShop's faux fur earmuffs ($22). If choosing a size is a problem, there's Diptyque's "Winter" candle ($34) that smells just like, well, winter.

I went a little crazy this weekend with my Holiday Gift Ideas Pinterest board, so check it out for other great finds. More gift guides are in the pipeline over the next couple of weeks... stay tuned!

Baubles and Bling from JewelryStorm

clockwise from top left: Amalda Necklace ($42) / Marble Spike Cuff ($32) / Curved Double Bar Pendant ($30) / Endless Arrow Midi Ring ($28) / Crystal Aztec Drops ($36) / Fluted Columns Midi Ring ($26) / Looped Nail Bracelet ($32) / Blooming Glam Drops ($28)

I like my costume jewelry to be two things: sparkly and cheap. JewelryStorm, a homegrown company run out of Boston, hits both those marks. Falling right in that sweet spot between BaubleBar's low prices and J.Crew's high quality (with prices to match), Jewelry Storm offers  the same type of glittery, trendy baubles as both retailers.

The team at Jewelry Storm was kind enough to send me a couple of pieces to try out, and I've so far worn the Amalda Necklace ($42) to a Boston Ballet performance of Swan Lake, to dinner and to work, and I was lauded with compliments each time.

Also on my wish list  are the vintage-y Crystal Aztec Drops ($36), the Blooming Glam Drops ($28), the Endless Arrow Midi Ring ($28) and the understated Curved Double Bar Pendant ($30), as well as a couple of bangles.

Worldwide shipping is free, and JewelryStorm is now offering 15% off the entire site when you create an account. Happy shopping!

Gifting: Watermill Center x illy Art Collection Cups

True coffee lovers are never easy to shop for, what with all the pour over/shade grown/single origin/[enter ridiculous hipster phrase here] options you're faced with these days. But if you've got a caffeine snob on your holiday gift list this season, illy has you covered with its latest Art Collection.

Produced since 1992, the illy Art Collection is a series of coffee cups by such contemporary masters as Marina Abramović, Julian Schnabel, Robert Rauschenberg and Jeff Koons. Now, Robert Wilson and five other artist from the Watermill Center have put their spin on things.

Infographic / 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' Heads to London

[top image via Victoria and Albert Museum / bottom courtesy of Farfetch]

Our friends across the pond will finally get the chance to see the lauded Alexander McQueen retrospective that first appeared at New York's Met back in 2011. Set to open at London's Victoria and Albert Museum on March 14, Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty will be the first and largest retrospective of McQueen's work to be presented in Europe.

In anticipation of the opening, Farfetch has created a stunning infographic that details McQueen's most memorable runway shows. From "Highland Rape" to the designer's untitled final collection, it's a reminder of just how great a talent we lost. See the infographic in full below.

Cobogó armchair by Roque Frizzo for Saccaro

[all photos courtesy of Saccaro]

Brazilian furniture brand Saccaro celebrated the launch of its newest piece last week, designed by architect and furniture designer Roque Frizzo. While the new Cobogó armchair is interesting enough in its own right, the inspiration behind the luxe-looking chair is even more fascinating.

Google Tel Aviv Office and Some Really Big News(!)

Google Tel Aviv office designed by Camenzind Evolution, Setter Architects and Studio Yaron Tal
all photos by Itay Sikolski/Camenzind Evolution [via From the Grapevine]

Why these photos? Well, here it is: I'm moving to Tel Aviv! My husband managed to get transferred with Google, and this will be his new workplace. Not bad, huh?

Shop The Well-Appointed Catwalk's Favorites

Happy Monday, lovelies. Just a quick post today to introduce you to a new feature that lets you shop all of my favorite things—from items high on my lust list to old favorites that I can't live without. Just click on the SHOP tab under the banner to view it all.

Of course, I had to get this feature ready in time for the holidays so you'll know what to buy me. I kid, I kid! But you'll definitely find some great gifts here for the stylista in your life.

So far, it's all fashion, with a few favorite beauty products thrown in for good measure, but let me know if you're interested in shopping my favorite furniture/home decor items as well. Your wish is my command!

Blurring Indoor and Outdoor Living Space in Brazil

all photos by Tony Chen [via Architizer]

In the midst of a crisp New England autumn, it's easy to forget that there's anything lacking in this part of the world. But the sort of breezy indoor/outdoor living space seen here just doesn't exist in these parts, nor would it make sense in a region that essentially hibernates for a third of the year.

In the more temperate climate of Brazil, though, architecture firm Jacob, Assiz & Annunziato Arquitetos Associados have created a home that flows seamlessly from the inside out.

Midweek Covet: Salvatore Ferragamo Ninfea Pumps

Good god, these are stunning! With a calf hair upper and a metal and lucite block heel (you know I love a good block heel!), these Salvatore Ferragamo Ninfea pumps aren't your standard black shoe.

I found them while perusing the Bloomingdale's Friends & Family sale, and while Ferragamo is one of the many designer exclusions, these babies are marked down from $795 to $556.50 through Monday.

Still pricey for shoes I don't really need, but I'm thinking of buying this Kate Spade pair, which is 20% off with the Friends & Family discount, as a consolation prize. What do you think?

Whistles London Comes to Dress Boston

Kumiko faux fur coat ($450) / Shina embellished skirt ($325) / Milla backless shoe ($300)

Pieces from the Whistles holiday collection will be arriving at Boston boutique Dress any day now, making Dress the only independent boutique in the country to carry the fabulous London line. While the local Bloomingdale's now carries plenty of Whistles, it's far more pleasant to shop Dress' well-curated picks with the help of it's lovely sales staff.

Why am I so excited about Whistles, you ask? Well, from what I've experienced, the clothing fits like a glove, and it's rare to find such quality at this sort of price point. (The number of $300 ill-fitting tops out there is appalling!)

Read on to view more from Whistles' A/W '14 lookbook to see what Dress might have in store. And, if you aren't in the Boston area, you can shop Whistles online here.

A New Breed of Animal Shot Glasses & Bottle Opener from MollaSpace

MollaSpace and Taiwanese design studio biaugust have collaborated on a new breed of their classic animal shot glasses and bottle opener for a design that's even more modern than the original. With sleek, faceted cuts, the new collection of wilderness beasts appears almost pixelated and evokes a truly wild night.

Burberry's New Christmas Campaign Starring Romeo Beckham is Absolutely Stunning

Too early for Christmas ads? Most definitely. But Burberry's new holiday video, From London with Love, is the most beautiful campaign I've seen in a long time! Featuring stunning choreography, a sure-to-be hit by Ed Harcourt and celebrity bébé Romeo Beckham, this is pretty much all I need to get in the holiday spirit. Christmas in London, anyone?

16 Sunrooms to Brighten Your Newly Dark Afternoons

[via Off Some Design]

Well, we've set the clocks back, and now we pay for that one extra hour of sleep with a winter's worth of darkness. To brighten the dismal days of 4 pm sunsets, here are 16 gorgeous, light-filled sunrooms to remind us that longer days are ahead.