2013 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE: STYLISH GIFTS ON MY LIST FOR SANTA THIS YEAR

Presents for others are supposed to delight and inspire. Every Christmas, when my family asks me what I would enjoy, I have such a hard time thinking about what I would really use as well as need. Gifts usually revolve around something to spiff up my apartment, and then I usually say something like, "I could really use more black flats, I have worn mine into the ground." This never gets me very far.  I spin a lot, so some Lululemon capri's have hit the spot in the past. Maybe a new rug would be nice?  I might spend two more years deciding which pattern and color combination best suits my scheme.  Then there is that Westie I always wanted. A busy schedule prevents this from being a real possibility; it might be hard to give the dog enough quality time outside.
 I do not know what Santa has planned for me this year, but I did tell him my Equinox membership is becoming outrageously expensive, and after over 20 years of membership, it just keeps on climbing. Here are some hints for him, so I am hoping he takes notice. This list has a little bit of everything, because thats how gifts usually go. Call it a grab bag of sorts, and  I hope you will find inspiration in the wide-ranging assortment I have gathered.  A girl can dream, right?

Photo courtesy Zinc Door

As some of the most stylish candlesticks I have seen this year, Rablabs mixes brass and hand polished semi-precious stones in a striking pairing.

Photo courtesy of DwellStudio

You just can't have enough drinking glasses because they tend to break from time to time. DwellStudio's version, with an etched malachite pattern is so vintage chic, they will be a great addition to my brass-accented bar.

 Photo courtesy of West Elm

Salad servers dressed up in a rose gold finish over durable stainless  from West Elm make cooking and serving an event. I have a LOT of serving pieces, it is a thing for me...

 Photo courtesy of Arteriors

I have had my eye on this brass and marble tray since Arteriors launched it. Ok, so it is a tad heavy to move around, but it is the epitome of the mixed-materiasl trend.

Photo courtesy of Haute Papier
If it is customized,  there is a high probability I will love it even more. Haute Papier is known for their wide array of brightly colored fonts available on their stationery. Their White on Bright Notepads are so bright, it is impossible to ignore that to do list.

Photo courtesy of Mark and Graham

So maybe I am going overboard on the trays, but this combination of Acacia wood and gold lettering is so rustic/sophisticate. From Mark and Graham, who pretty much nails it with everything monogrammable.

Photo courtesy of Chappy Wraps
Where is my old Fair Isle sweater I wonder? Why can't I get one as well made as the one I had in 5th grade? If you often wonder the same thing, I have an easy substitution, one that you can enjoy all winter long. With the same linear pattern as a classic Fair Isle, Chappy Wrap's festive throw has reindeer and snowflakes dancing across it.

Photo courtesy of Hachette Book Group
What goes well with a warm blanket? A can't-stop-reading-it bestseller, like The Goldfinch, of course. Whenever Donna Tartt comes out with one of her beautifully-written books  I devour it.

Photo courtesy of Potter Style

An encyclopedic take on the most lasting decorative details of today and yesteryear, Jennifer Boles of The Peak of Chic blog  has created a charming watercolor-filled book detailing the various design elements with Potter Style's  In With The Old. I will be sitting down with my copy over the holiday break, reveling in my favorite decor moments.

Photo courtesy of Biscuit Home

It is a bit jammed in there, but I still have some room left in my linen closet for these soft cotton sateen ikat patterned Amber boudoir shams from Houston's Biscuit Home.  Bailey McCarthy, also blogger of Peppermint Bliss, does a great job with her bedding prints.

Photo courtesy of Aloha

Like most people, I do not drink enough water. I will try and rectify the situation by asking for green juice packets from Aloha called The Daily Good. They are filled with powerful super food nutrients and greens like Spirulina. Mahalo to you.

Photo courtesy of De Feet

And for my stocking... crazy socks are having a moment. De Feet creates some of the craziest, and I like that I know they are party socks, but no one else in my spin class can tell.  Plus, they are wool so they dry quickly and wear well.

Photo courtesy of Gorsuch

If it is going to continue to be in a deep freeze in Manhattan,  I could use a pair of fur gloves. Designed by two stylish ladies that attended my high school, these Glamourpuss gloves come in a wide variety of poppy colors.

Photo courtesy of Tory Burch
I am headed South for Christmas, so maybe Santa will get me something to wear in the tropical climate. Tory Burch's embroidered Amira dress reappears from the archives from time to time in new colors, I love it in orange or the navy and orange combo. 

Photo courtesy of Barneys

Like fresh cut flowers delivered every day, Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower fragrance is a heady mix of every gorgeous white flower imaginable. I know a guy that wears it, but hey, that's cool, he too knows a good thing when he smells it.

Photo courtesy of Bobbi Brown

Santa knows I like a shimmery eye every now and again, and every season, Bobbi B comes out with a covetable assortment of shadows.  Bobbi Brown just gets what colors look natural with the subtle look, and her Sequin palette does not disappoint. In fast, it usually sells out..

Photo courtesy of Asha by Adm

From eyes to ears, I want to sparkle aplenty! I have an Asha chain link necklace that I wear all the time, so these new Asha New York Quinn dangly drop earrings with quatrefoil cut-outs and rhinestone pave detailing would mesh well with other baubles. They remind me of sunflowers, and I could see them earning their keep easily transitioning from day to night.

Photo courtesy of Addison Weeks

I have a collection of evening clutches that I like to rotate. I have yet to acquire a metal one as interesting as this brass and stone stunner from Addison Weeks. Not only do they make evening bags encrusted in semi precious stones, they also make killer decorative boxes.

Photo courtesy of Anya Hindmarch

But since one is never enough, I know I can always count on Anya Hindmarch to come up with a showstopper in time for the holidays. Her malachite printed satin clutch is bold without being too too.

Photo courtesy of Cycle for Survival

And last but not least, I believe we are getting closer to finding a cure for cancer. In the meantime, I am hoping for a Christmas miracle: that my friends and family whose lives have been affected by cancer will help me to give big and give back to cancer research. This March, I am riding in my 3rd Cycle For Survival fundraising event here in New York. The event, which raises funds to benefit rare cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is the most fun event of its kind, with over 300 people on indoor bikes at Equinox, turning and burning for charity.  This year, I am riding to honor my late father and my recently diagnosed friend, Amy on Team Amy's Amigos. So far, I have raised $1700 towards a goal of $8000. I am going big on this ask, and hope that you will give what you are able, be it anonymously, or share your story with me on my page. Together, we can make a difference fighting cancer.
Of all the gifts this year, this one would make me the happiest.