50 Gifts Under $50: For Her (#1-10)

Do the words "Holiday gift giving" make your palms sweat and your knees weak? Not anymore! This week I will be featuring my picks for 50 gifts under $50. There is no reason not to find great things within a reasonable budget so you can spread plenty of Holiday cheer. 10 great Holiday gifts will be posted each day which fall into the categories of Her, Him, Home, Eat/Drink, and Mixed Bag.

So, here are my qualifications for a gift to make my coveted list:

• It can cost no more than $50 before sales tax.
• It must be something fairly luxe and fall into the category of an item that the recipient may wish to have but out of practicality would never spend their own money on.
  
• It must be relatively easy to find (either online, national retailers, or adequate substitutes are available).
• Finally, it has to be something I would love to receive or would personally give to a friend or family member. I would never recommend something I wouldn't pony up for myself.

Here are 10 wonderful gift ideas for her (girlfriend, best friend, sister, mom, etc.):

Let someone you love play Cinderella.

Rent the Runway giftcard - $50 for one designer dress rental

Who doesn't want nice-smelling underpinnings?
Lavender sachets - $28 for three

If you can't have a quilted handbag, go with the hands.
Chanel nail polish - $23 each

Say sayonara to your legs in Leggs.
Wolford Velvet Deluxe tights - $42


The cream of the crop from root to tip.
Mason Pearson hairbrush - $50

Unlike Holly Golightly, we all can't keep losing our key.
J. Crew crushed glitter minaudiere - $49.50

Glam up her morning mirror time.
Sonia Kashuk Twist of Fate 6pc brush set @ Target - $19.99

Keep winter skin at bay with the ultimate moisturizer.
Kiehl's Imperial Body Balm - $42

We all know the best part about going to the salon is having someone else wash your hair.
Blow NYC giftcard for almost two blow outs - $50

A fabulous guide to staying chic and shopping smart.
The Style Strategy by Nina Garcia - $14

Day 2: For Home
Day 3: Mixed Bag
Day 4: Food & Drink
Day 5: For Him

I am Thankful For....

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This year has been a wild ride, so I am just going to take a minute to reflect on what I am truly thankful for.

1. Family & Friends - This one is obvious, and they are purposefully on top of the list.
2. The two open networks I pirate internet from at my apartment. Thanks Apple Network f2d1f3!
   
3. The Cut - My favorite blog on NY Mag's website. I read this every day and relish in the snarky comments I can leave. It is my total guilty pleasure.
4. Lady Gaga - I don't know about you, but she has really spiced up my year. I was getting bored with Beyonce, Fergie, and Rhianna, and Gaga is a force to be reckoned with. About 18 months ago she performed on the roof of my friend's apartment building for no more than 20 curious onlookers. Today she is doing duets with Beyonce and SNL skits with Madonna. Just shows you how quickly life can change.
   
5. Technology - My dad once asked me if I had to do without a computer or a cell phone what would I choose. Of course I said the computer because I could use the internet on my phone. We live in an amazing time where any piece of info from celebs behaving badly to the lifespan of a dung beetle is at our fingertips. Amazing.
   
6. Cajun Chicken at Le Bilboquet - Best dish in New York City. My mouth waters just thinking about it. Dipping the fries in the sauce is pure heaven.
7. Conde Nast for not shutting down any more of my favorite magazines - Keep you toes crossed Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair! RIP Domino.
   
8. The High Line - The west side is reinvigorated, and this is my favorite spot to run in the morning. It may be packed on the weekends, but it is deserted at 7am on a weekday. Pure bliss.
9. La Esquina Brunch - Anyone up for this tomorrow? The most decent Mexican food I have found in this city (including great margs).
10. This American Life - If you aren't downloading the podcasts do so immediately. This is storytelling at its finest.
    

Now it's time to go back to deciding which leggings I should wear to dinner (elastic waist haha).

GQ's 15 Dress for Less Rules

While I love watching the videos on GQ's website (well-dressed, handsome men are always a sight for sore eyes), and for their 15-day Dress Better for Less countdown you must watch 15 videos at 2-3 minutes a pop. So, 30 minutes later you may feel like you are best friends with the two hosts, but you have lost out on a half an hour of your life. I have taken the grunt work out for you, gentleman, and have put myself through a grueling session of 15 back-to-back webisodes to bring you GQ's quick and dirty 15 tip to dress better for less. Just in time for the holidays....your family won't know where this stylish young man came from and where he hid his former frat boy.

1. Give a dark suit more mileage (and a more casual, updated look) by mixing in a printed button down shirt. GQ loves the plaid. Just make sure there are collar stays so it doesn't look sloppy. Pair with an un-busy tie in dark colors. This could be an amazing Holiday look too.

2. The camel coat is a versatile, practical, and sophisticated topper on cold days. Wear over a suit or on the weekend with jeans.

3. Add striped socks --- Ah, the Brits will love this one. Don't get crazy with awful Santa socks or four-leaf clovers. Stripes in subdued colors. Simple. Whatever you do, though, ditch the athletic socks.

4. Incorporate a pocket square into your suit life. Love this look. There are two ways you can go: 1) If you are a pocket square virgin stick with with white and straight across so you see a sliver of white. So Don Draper. Yum. 2) For you more adventurous types, and for a more casual vibe, look for vintage squares in patterns at thirft shops or even places like J. Crew. Just make sure you fold with a straight edge at the top so it doesn't look like a handkerchief.

5. Tweed Jacket - The perfect in-between from the sweater to the top coat on moderate fall days. GQ recommends Uniqlo for the tailored, slim cut....an unbeatable price.

6. The down vest can go so wrong so easily. Too puffy and you look like you belong in a rap video, too bright and you may as well be on mountain patrol or picking up trash on the side of the highway. GQ loves the vests at Lands End for three reasons: They are not bulky, they come in sophisticated colors (like gray), and it is under $30. Love this.

7. Sneakers + Suit - Leave your Dunks at home. When rocking the sneakers and suit be sure to go with classic sneaks in neutral colors. Also, if you have been tromping around the city in your shoes forget it. Clean and new-looking please. Adidas Originals styles work really well.

8. Great suit for under $500? Yep, find it at Banana Republic.

9. Getting a little chilly now that it is the end of November? Add a scarf to your sweater, blazer, or top coat. Cashmere is uber expensive, so go with a ribbed wool scarf in a neutral color. They usually have nice options Gap or Marc Jacobs. Guys, if you don't know what ribbed means you haven't been getting laid enough.

10. Incorporate a merino v-neck sweater to your suits. Is it is as cold in your office as it is outside? At one job I actually kept a blanket under my desk so I understand. Merino is a warm, thin, well-priced alternative to cashmere. The v-neck is perfect for wearing a tie. Go with neutral colors that won't clash with your suit (camel, gray, navy) and be sure to get slim fit so it isn't blousy.

11. Dark, straight-leg denim - Forget all this destroyed, whiskered crap. It looks so 5 years ago and is a telltale sign that you are from either Long Island or New Jersey. The Gap has great jeans from its 1969 collection that look so Marlon Brando or Johnny Depp. Wear with boots and roll them up a bit. And, unless you are gay or a hipster don't do super skinny.

12. Wingtips are the shoe of the fall, and they are classic so you can enjoy them for years to come. Don't spend an arm and a leg: Head to J. Crew, Florsheim, or Johnson & Murphy and go with brown.

13. Striped oxfords from Club Monaco - Nice slim fit, and a great mix-up to solids.

14. Skinny tie - www.TheTieBar.com.

15. Plain, black rolling suitcase - Do not keep using that awful duffel bag. GQ and Shitty Chic recommend the one from Muji. I bought this after seeing it on the video, and I love it. Great pockets, great price, and plain black with no logos. I am a convert to the four wheel roller. Love it.

OR, if you would like to watch the vids click here.

Richard Haines' Portrait Sale is ON!

Get in on this ASAP!

Richard Haines' Holiday portrait sale is happening right now. From now through December 26th get a black and white sketch of one person for $50, two people (lovers, friends, enemies, frenemies, you name it) for $100. This is a great holiday gift, and I LOVE the one I had done of Toddy and me the last go around. Send in your photo or venture to Bushwick for a oh-so-fab sitting.

It's ON People, the B/W Portrait Sale is Back!

Ring in the Holidays with Doyle & Doyle...pun intended!

Come with me to celebrate everything Holiday--especially lovely, sparkly things--on Thursday December 3rd from 6-9 with Doyle and Doyle, my favorite jewelry spot south of 56th and 5th (Harry Winston). In addition to having sweet treats and the requisite bubbly, they will have a "Downtown Dressing Room" where you can try on amazing antique and vintage jewels hand-selected by the Doyle sisters and staff. Love it!

Be sure to RSVP to lauren@doyledoyle.com ASAP. See you there!

Doyle & Doyle
189 Orchard St.
www.doyledoyle.com

Best Sites for European Villas on the Cheap

With three of my best friends (you know who you are, you lucky bitches) gearing up for their annual Thanksgiving mecca to St. Barts, it has started me thinking about getaways to exotic places complete with villas, breathtaking scenery, and amazing food. If you are traveling with a group and plan to stay in one place, renting a villa is the way to go. For one, you can forgo the "never-really-relaxing" vibe I get in most hotels (you always feel like you should not be hanging in the room), and with a villa you can also explore local cooking, cocktails, and just plain vegging out. Now, there are villas and there are villas. I am obviously not talking about some $30k a week luxury palace retreat, but something of more humble origins while remaining sophisticated, of course. Here are four companies featured in Travel + Leisure that offer European villa rentals at a great value.

Ville et Village - villeetvillage.com
With over 250 properties in France and Italy, Carolyn Grote, the founder, says the best bang for your buck is in Provence. For example, La Ferme, a four-bedroom villa outside St.-Remy is going to for $3,488 a week in July. That boils down to $125 a night per bedroom.

Spain-Select - spain-select.com
The "Great Deals" section on the website features properties that are no more than $130 per person per night during high season. A three-bedroom seaside villa called Torre Blanca on the Andalusian coast is just over $1600 per week.

RentVillas - rentvillas.com
Based in California, RentVillas has over 1,600 properties throughout Europe. A huge bonus is that they can connect you with previous renters for their unbiased opinions. Imagine this: five-bedroom Villa Bodamia in Islamir Turkey with views of the Mediterranean for $1,294 per week. Ya, getting my passport renewed immediately.

Dream & Charme - dreamcharme.com
Dream & Charme rents both luxury villas and those a bit easier on the wallet. They recommend Umbria and Pugila in Italy which are 20-30% less than Tuscany. Definitely filing away that gem of info for when the times comes. A five-bedroom, five-bath villa in the Umbrian countryside rents for $4,265 a week---that's right, it's $121 a night per bedroom.

It's not too early to start planning for this summer!

My Favs: Ani Lee

Ani Lee is one of my favorite Los Angelenos. She is the designer of two clothing lines: Ani Lee and Ani Lee Oveture which features reproductions of amazing vintage fabrics. Ani creates vintage-inspired dresses that transcend seasons and trends but still have a modern and very "now" look. If that weren't enough to fill her plate, she also owns the Los Angeles boutique Jane Doe John Doe which carries men's, women's, accessories and shoes. Needless to say, the woman knows her fashion and has a taste level that is sky-high. Enjoy!

Beauty Products

Lipstick day - Shiseido Rouge Irise

Lipstick night - Love bright red or pink during the evening - Nars Funny Face
Shampoo - Davines
Moisturizer - Kate Somerville for face, Malin + Goetz for body
Hair Product -Bain de Terre shine serum
Perfume - Creed's Spring Blossom for day; Comme de Garcons - Odeur 53 for evening
Toothpaste - Go Smile
Nail-Polish Color - Essie's E Live on the Red Carpet for fingers, Essie's Fuiji for toes
Where do you get your hair cut - Byron Williams at Byron and Tracey Salon in Los Angeles

Clothes
Jeans - Ernest Sewn
Underwear - Hanky Panky
Sneakers - Creative Recreation
Watch - Homemade: White Freelook face w/white porcelain Swatch Watch band
T-Shirt - Bootleg Buddhist Punk's House of the Gods tees
Day Dress - Vintage
Day Bag - Balenciaga City Bag in Pebble
Evening Bag - Vintage Clutch
Favorite Accessory - Aztec Calendar Pendant
Favorite Designer - I have so many! Tom Ford, Vivienne Westwood, Phillip Lim and Stella McCartney are at the top of my list.

Home
Where do you live: LaLa land
Favorite Art - All over the place with art.from Frieda Kahlo to Mario Testino to Os Gemeos to Thomas Gainsborough!
Sheets - Sateen
Coffee-Maker - Cuisinart - but I never use it!
Stationary - Legal Pads
Flowers - Sunflowers and White Orchids
Gadget - Blackberry
Neighborhood restaurant - Manis Bakery
Drink - Whiskey sour
Dessert - Apple pie with vanilla ice cream

Inspirations
Discovery - Ibiza
Who inspires you - My grandmother, my mother, Anna Wintour, Tom Ford, Dianne von Furstenberg, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, Marion Cotillard
Necessary Extravagance - Traveling, especially weekend trips to Palms Springs with my girls
Favorite Charity - LA's Best: Any charity that benefits children
Favorite Movies - Love foreign films...Bella, Jeux d'enfants (Love me if you Dare), La Mala Educacion (Love Pedro Almodovar!), The September Issue, Happy-Go-Lucky, Bend it Like Beckham, Vicky Christina Barcelona

Favorite Vintage Store - Jet Rag
Favorite Hotel - Chateau Marmont
Favorite Colors - Black, Cobalt Blue, Crimson Red and Emerald Green

www.Ani-Lee.com

Jane Doe John Doe Boutique

8478 W. 3rd Street, Los Angeles

Hearing Loss is Not Chic

For anyone who is a slave to public transportation, this next post is going to ring true to you all.

For heaven's sake people, turn down your ipods! You know the scene in the movie The Graduate where that guy has one word for Benjamin "Plastics!"....well if that movie were to be filmed in 2009 that word would be "Hearing Loss!" (actually two words). It doesn't have the same ring to it (har har), but judging from the number of people I see, and unfortunately hear, on the subway each morning, becoming a hearing loss specialist is the career money tree of the future. We are going to have an entire generation of citizens saying What? and Huh? so brush up on your sign language now. Yes, I understand that you love your Pokerface at 9am, but the rest of us just aren't ready. This morning the gentleman across the car from me was listening to some type of death metal which might signal mental illness at that time of day (in which case he should visit a hearing specialist and a therapist). Regardless, please recognize that your choice of tunes in the a.m. might not be what the other 30 people in the subway car would like to start their day with.

Lesson Learned: If you pull the ear bud out of your ear and you can still hear it....well guess what, so can everyone else. Please, do your ears and ours a favor and turn it down.

Your $5 Savings Plan

I am a horrible saver, so thank God for automatic transfer into the savings account because it's the only thing that keeps me doing it. I was reading a back issue of Self Magazine last week about personal finance, and they had a really great trick to help you save a little mad money for a rainy day....or a few days somewhere fabulous and not rainy at all at the rate I am going.

So here is how it goes: Every time a $5 bill crosses your wallet you have to save it. Put it in an envelope, stick it in a jar, whatever. Easy as that.

I use cash to pay for most things, so I have saved about $100 in six weeks which is much more than I anticipated. But, I can imagine if you are constantly swiping the plastic it will be slower. It is almost a little fun (am I sick for saying that?!) in that it is totally out of my control what type of change the cashier gives me. Now, when she slips me that fiver it is like it's my destiny to save it.

Reporting you live from the Bolt Bus!

I am heading to DC today, and I am reporting to you live from the BoltBus. I would compare it to the Jet Blue of bus services, so exchange Direct TV and unlimited snacks with free WiFi and leather seats. I have taken the Chinatown bus a few times to bounce around between NYC and Philadelphia and Washington DC, but it sucks because 1) You have to go to Chinatown to catch it, 2) The cast of characters is usually pretty amusing (aka werid), and 3) Did I mention you have to catch it in Chinatown? BoltBus is completely different. I booked my ticket online (tons of departure times throughout the day), and showed up at 33rd and 7th Ave 15 minutes before my departure. It is much easier to get to than Chinatown if you are taking the subway, and you can't beat the price: instead of the Bolt price of $40 round trip, Amtrak was over $150.

Bolt Bus has service between NYC and Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Easy online booking, reserved seating, and convenient pick-up location makes this a no brainer. Extended leg and leather seats make for a comfy ride. And, most importantly----free WiFi. 4 hours has never gone by so fast....We are almost there!

www.BoltBus.com

Moo Mini Cards are a Must

I just love MiniCards from moo.com. Here is my top 10 list as to why everyone needs to have these.

1. These are not your run of the mill business cards. I use them for my personal info: cell #, email, blog so I don't get anyone calling my office or emailing me at work. Let's try to keep business and pleasure separate as best we can.
   
2. When I am out and about, the last thing I want to do is pull out my phone to start typing in names and numbers (and what if you don't remember their name, God forbid). Too many times have I had to type in "red shirt guy" or "glasses girl" and hope to high heavens they don't see me do it. Since you just slip them your card, no awkwardness.
3. Phones get lost in cabs and occasionally dropped in toilets, so it is nice to give out things in hard copy.
4. They are little and cute.
5. In this insanely digital age it really sets you apart from the pack when you pull out your little card.
   
6. You can choose from tons of motifs OR upload your own pics! I am won over.
7. Publicize your website, your business, yourself, give your number to hotties, give fake numbers to not-hotties, there are a million things you can do with these cards.
   
8. You get 100 for $20 + shipping. Love that.
9. The website is moo.com. Have you ever played the game "Hey Cow!"....probably not if you aren't from Texas.
   
10. Finally, whenever I hand one out the recipient always says, "Oh my God, this is so cool". Yes, you are right dear sir, it is.

Check out the mini cards from moo.com here.

Jamie Drake's Tips for Decorating in a Dash

Weekend guests? Hot date on Friday you hope to be bringing back to your place? Waiting for your $5 million dollar condo to finish construction while you count the days until you can leave your "luxury rental" purgatory? The New York Times online spills Jamie Drake's best kept decorating in a dash secret.....

"“Shop at home — and extend your concept of home to include that of old boyfriends and storage units.”

So really, what does this mean? Switch up furniture or art from different rooms, if you have a friend who is redecorating go "shopping" at their place, and remember anything you may have hidden under the bed or in the back of the closet.

Charlie the Tuna: Revisited

I have become sort of a cooking/gourmet food nut over the past year. I think it is because I can always rationalize the purchase of food (one has to eat, right) and, it is much cheaper to jaunt off on my own culinary adventures than to pay a restaurant to do it for me.

I normally bring my lunch to work since eating out for lunch every day is a monstrous waste of money. But, I still want something a little less pedestrian than PB&J (though I do love it on occasion with the honey roasted peanut butter from Whole Foods). My newest indulgence is tuna fish. I am in no way, shape, or form referring to the Chicken of the Sea or Starkist variety. I am talking about Italian canned tuna packed in olive oil. Seriously, it will change the way you think about tuna sandwiches. The taste is so spectacular and exponentially better than the other stuff that it seems adulterous to add mustard, mayo, or even bread. I do a quick drain and eat it straight up. Yes, it is more expensive than the regular, but it is like comparing Kraft Singles to a deliciously aged cheese from a cave in France....life is too short to eat crap. Out of all the lunchtime school cafeteria staples, the tuna sandwich finally gets its just desserts. This is a mini splurge I can completely get behind.

Rent the Runway--Netflix for Designer Fashion

Sorry to be too Gossip Girl, but OMFG. I just read about Rent the Runway in the New York Times, and I don't think I have been so excited about anything clothing-wise online since I figured out that I can get a $25 credit for referring friends to Gilt Groupe....thank's for the free shirt, guys!

Think Netflix, but Barneys-style. What do I mean by that? Let's say you are going to a wedding next month. You want to look fabulous, but since a ton of your friends will be there and you are going to be photographed in what you are wearing, your dress will most likely have a shelf-life of 3-4 wears. If you are looking to buy something even quasi-designer this can run you at least $350...which comes down to roughly $100 per wear. That is not a saavy shopping move.

With Rent the Runway you can rent a dress from $50 to $200 for a four-night loan. Perfecto for your weekend wedding. Search through the online inventory to find your one-night-stand of a dress, pick your size & reserve the dress for when you need it, and it arrives at your door complete with prepaid package to mail it back. I'm sorry, but this is just genius for when you want to look extra special....or if you are one of those people who gets invited to tons of events and would be mortified to show up on Patrick McMullan wearing the same dress twice.

Sign up now for the waiting list. Just like any venture (or hotspot) worth its while, overcrowding ruins the experience for everyone.

www.RentTheRunway.com

Instead of Champagne and Beer, it's Chanel and J. Crew

Remove the stripe, gingham, and overly layered mess that has become J.Crew's signature style, and they have quite a few pieces that scream Chanel to me. Maybe it's because they incorporate black and cream, or maybe I can just picture Uncle Karl digging into the Chanel archives to pull these ready to wear looks for modernization. Put this together with matchstick black jeans and flats or a black skirt/ shorts and opaque tights with ankle booties, and you will look like you just stepped out of Lagerfeld Confidential.

Wool herringbone professor blazer - $198

Silk frances cami - $88

Crystal thornbush necklace - $135

Abby toe cap ballet flat - $128

What Should I Be for Halloween - Part Deux

When in doubt go with Marilyn. A little bubbly goes a long way...just don't mix with any pills or you could be a real Marilyn!

Blonde Marilyn wig from Ricky's - $40
Jordan Sparkes' magic fingers to make said wig presentable - Priceless