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2011 gift guide: books

Amy Azzarito — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:00:47 +0000

I love books. I have a master’s degree in library science, spent eight years at the New York Public Library before joining Design*Sponge and have a relatively large collection of books at home. So each fall, I anxiously await the moment I can begin work on this guide. This year while traveling around the country, Grace would catch me sneaking off in bookstores, writing down titles to share, and I spent many a late night online looking at publisher’s catalogs. The great thing about books as gifts is that they ship quickly (making them the perfect last-minute gift), are easy to wrap and when you find the perfect title for the perfect person, there is nothing more personal. The downside is that it can be difficult to pick a book for someone else, and finding that perfect title can be a challenge. I’ve tried to help matters by only picking books that came out this year (most this fall), so there is a good chance your recipient doesn’t have these titles yet. There are 42 books on this list, so you should be able to match at least one title to a person. And if you can’t, there are now lots of options for your own wish list. Happy reading! — Amy Azzarito

Image above: 1. Nomad: A Global Approach to Interior Style by Sibella Court — One of the treats of this summer was tagging along on a walking tour of SoHo with Sibella Court. She is such a huge talent. 2. Design*Sponge at Home — OK. I have to admit momentary hesitation when it came to including the Design*Sponge book on the list. I didn’t want to play favorites, but then I had an internal discussion and realized that there is no book that I believe in more, and I’m proud to have been a tiny part of it. It is by far my favorite book of the year. 3. Gertrude Jekyll and the Country House Garden — I wrote earlier this year about this book, and it is definitely one of my top picks for any garden enthusiast on your list. 4. Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel — Diana Vreeland shaped American fashion and American taste; this book chronicles that journey. There were a couple fashion-magazine books this year: 5. Vogue: The Covers, perfect for studying the evolution of American fashion, and 6. Bazaar: Greatest Hits, perfect for a fashion or photography enthusiast. This book provides an insider look at some of the most memorable Bazaar photoshoots from the past 10 years. 7. Exotic Taste: Orientalist Interiors — Every year I keep my eye open for books that I think are must-haves for my design history library. This is one of my favorites this year.

Image above: 1. Cyclepedia: A Century of Iconic Bicycle Design — A sure-win for any cyclist on your gift list. This book is basically a tour through bike collector Michael Embacher’s 100 favorite bicycles. 2. The Pirate Handbook: A Rogue’s Guide to Pillage, Plunder, Chaos & Conquest — ‘Nuff said. 3. Pantone: The 20th Century in Color — From Harvest Gold and Avocado in the 1970s to colors inspired by Martha Stewart and Kurt Cobain, this book is a fascinating look at 20th-century color. 4. Farm Anatomy — I’m pretty much sold on anything to do with animals. A book that lets me fantasize about having a farm from the comfort of my urban sofa has my name all over it. 5. The World of Department Stores traces the history of department store shopping, beginning with 19th-century Paris shopping. 6. Money: Everything You Never Knew about Your Favorite Thing to Find, Save, Spend & Covet; 7. The Ceramics Bible; 8. Walls: The Best of Decorative Treatments — Learn how decorative wall treatment evolved from murals to wood paneling and stencils.

Image above: 1. The Toaster Project or a Heroic Attempt to Build a Simple Electric Appliance from Scratch — Thomas Thwaites sets out to build this kitchen staple by hand. 2. Wildwood by Colin Meloy (author) and Carson Ellis (illustrator) — This was Grace’s favorite fall read, sustaining her through many plane rides. 3. The Wilder Life — For all those Little House on the Prairie fans. Wendy McClure sets out to discover the real world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. 4. Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms; 5. The Swerve: How the World Became Modern — How the discovery of one ancient manuscript changed the course of the world. 6. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman — Last year, my favorite book was Cleopatra. This year, I’m completely engrossed by Catherine the Great, and realizing that I knew so little about her. 7. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On — I LOVE Marcel. It might not take as long to get through as some others on the list, but I was so excited to discover Marcel in this book by Jenny Slate and Dean Fleischer-Camp.

More books (including crafting & cooking!) continue after the jump!

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gift guide: for the flower fanatic

amym — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:00:44 +0000

Even nature fiends happily succumb to commercialized holiday commemorations. Since I launched my flower business this year and started writing a flower column for the site, I’ve got nothing but blooms on the brain. From a classic book by flower gods to rubber galoshes for morning garden runs and tongue-in-cheek gilded lily stationery, this list covers everything a budding floral freak could hope to find under the tree. — Amy Merrick

1. Flowers Rediscovered by Madderlake, $17; 2. Diego Urn by Frances Palmer, $325; 3. Glossy Garden Clip-ons by Kate Spade, $78; 4. Vivienne Westwood Rain Boots, $160; 5. Twine Dispenser, $15; 6. Monogrammable Gardening Gloves, $29; 7. Gilded Water Lily Notes, $29; 8. Catherine Hat by Eugenia Kim, $346; 9. Okubo Shears, $38; 10. St. Kilda Pansy Ring, $310

2011 gift guide: grace’s face must-haves

Grace Bonney — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:00:47 +0000

Early on during our 10 weeks on the road this fall, Amy and I started joking about starting a beauty blog. We both became obsessive about eye creams and face masks on the book tour in an attempt to cover up our lack of sleep and over-consumption of caffeine and sugar. Sadly this was nothing new to me, as I’ve been something of a skin-care lunatic ever since my first roommate in Brooklyn turned me on to the cheap student facials at Aveda in Manhattan. Since then I’ve managed to turn my quest for better skin into a full-fledged obsession and I’m always trying to find new ways to get rid of the years of damage I did to myself working at a tanning salon in high school (I know, yikes).

Image above (makeup), clockwise from top left: Nars Arabian Nights eyeshadow trio $45, Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (with SPF 20) $42, Ooh La Lift under eye concealer $22, Ilia Lipstick (in Arabian Nights, Shellshock and Bang Bang) aka- the best lipstick in the entire world, Susanne Lang Midnight Orchid perfume $50, Fresh lip balms in Sugar Rose and Sugar Plum $22.50 each, Nars creme blush in Cactus Flower $27

To say I’m a perfectionist is something of an understatement (I’m working on that…constantly), so when I fully commit to a face product, it’s the highest stamp of approval I can give. I sometimes mention my skincare obsession online and I got a decent chunk of emails this year asking if I’d include a roundup of skincare-based gifts in this year’s guides. So I decided to take a break from my normal online window shopping and include an honest look at the products that I save up and invest in on a daily, weekly or yearly basis. I put these on my face every day of my life (except for the makeup, which I only wear under duress) and can vouch that they are worth every penny. If you have someone in your life that is into beauty products, I hope these can help supplement other gifts, act as stocking stuffers or be just the ticket if you’re looking for something a little splurgy. Thanks again to Amy for putting up with my constant face-mask applying on the road. She never once made a joke about me looking like a green alien. xo, grace

*I couldn’t resist using ‘Grace’ and ‘face’ together in this post title because it always reminds me of this cartoon. It made me feel terrible about the way I looked when I was younger and people used to tease me with the ‘My name is Grace and my face is disgraceful!’ line all the time. Thankfully my crazy skincare regime makes me feel better now- no teasing this Grace anymore.

Image above (skincare), clockwise from top left: Farmaesthetics Complexion Oil $48, Farmaesthetics Lavender face cleanser $36, Exfolikate (worth the cost) $19-$175, Ina’s Restoratives Sleep Tincture $14, Bliss Oxygen Facial set (I love this) $75, 100% Pure Coffee Bean eye cream $19, Farmaesthetics Face Toner $28, Sonia Dakar Enzyme Peeling cream $85 (also totally worth it), Kiehl’s Hand Salve $13-$20, Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask (best mask in the world) $18, Clarisonic Face Cleaner $149-$225 (depending on style)

2011 gift guides: splurge-worthy finds

Grace Bonney — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:00:18 +0000

The time has come for the last of my gift guides, and I’m ending with something a little fancy, extra special and on the “splurge” end of things. But I’ll be honest — I don’t plan on doing much splurge buying or receiving this year. With all that’s going on with the economy and the job market, it seems like making something by hand or spending quality time with loved ones is more important. But since I’ve already covered some of those non-buying gift ideas, I thought I’d share some options for those of you who’ve been saving up to buy your loved ones something special. I’ve chosen a wide range of unique ideas — from keepsake boxes made of real hazelnuts to hand-carved leather bike seats. I hope you enjoy the list! xo, grace

Image above, clockwise from top left: Maple Dip Board, $118; Hand-Carved Leather Bike Seat by Kara Ginther, $325; Cork Knife Set, $398; Leopard Invitation Clutch, $198; Mercer Golden Tray, $290; Wicker Acrylic Tray, $275; Best Made Axe, $250; Waylande Gregory Dancing Horse Bowl, $765; Tablet Portfolio, $190; Hazelnut Box with Miniature Knife, $130

Image above, clockwise from top left: Wood and Stoneware Vase, $125; Candy-Colored Glassware Set, $420; Chevron Throw, $595; Lambswool Throw, $150; Quartz Topped Jewelry Box, $118; Metallic iPad Sleeve, $145; Thumbprint Earrings, $18 (Whoops! I labeled these as $180, so they ended up in this roundup, but they’re really $18. Yay!)

The full splurge gift guide continues after the jump . . .

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2011 holiday guide: modern menorahs

Grace Bonney — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 18:00:31 +0000

Every year when the Christmas decorations start to roll out in droves, I find myself overwhelmed with all the options. But when I talk to my Jewish friends, they often lament the lack of decoration options for Hanukkah. So this year I decided to turn on a marathon of The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon!) and hunt high and low for beautiful modern menorahs. Thankfully the options are much, much better than in years past (I remember looking for them in 2004 and coming up with maybe four or five), and I found a great range of options, from modern to traditional. I’ve included several high-end options for those of you looking to invest in something a bit fancier, but the majority are reasonably priced and will be wonderful to use for years to come. If you have any favorites (or DIY menorah ideas) that I missed, please feel free to share them in the comment section below. xo, grace

Image above, clockwise from top left: Teal Peacock Menorah, $125; Ascalon Menorah, $275; Capsule Menorah, $600; Relief Menorah, $98; Roost Modern Menorah, $52; Cast Iron Menorah, $150; Electric Menorah, $20; Concrete Menorah, $320; Golden Bouquet Menorah, $48

Image above, clockwise from top left: Manzanita Menorah, $29.99; Candle Blocks (come in small sizes with a set of 9 small candles to group as a menorah), $234; Cast Glass Menorah, $24.99; Matchstick Menorah, $240

Image above, clockwise from top left: Bold Menorah, $383; Stackable Travel Menorah, $125; Slide Magnetic Menorah, $24; Rainbow Cone Menorah, $225; Stanley Saitowitz Menorah, $395; Modern Iron Menorah, $115; Crystal Menorah, $129; Dachshund Menorah, $125; Olive Branch Menorah, $239

The full 50+ menorah roundup continues after the jump . . .

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2011 gift guides: food and entertaining

Kristina Gill — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:00:10 +0000

Like Santa, I’ve listened closely all year to friends and acquaintances as they spoke passionately about objects and experiences they really loved. What struck me most about their stories was that many of them never expected to derive such enjoyment, personal enrichment, and/or utility from the items/experiences they spoke about, such as a beautiful platter, a piece of artwork, a useful cookbook or a great food/wine course. This year I’ve compiled a gift guide of the items that made my friends and acquaintances smile from ear to ear. All are food related except one, and they range from $1.99 to £3000 in price, but mostly they are under $50! Happy Holidays! — Kristina

1. Something sweet from Gilt Taste: Holiday Cakewich Box, $56.95; 2. A cooking course for your favorite type of food: Pad Thai and Other Thai Stir Fries Course by Pim Techamuanvivit (photo by Pim), or try a course at The Cook’s Atelier during your next trip to France (check sites for availability and pricing); 3. Platter from Elephant Ceramics (see site for availability and pricing); 4. A wine tasting course: In New York City, try Harlem Vintage, or on your next trip to Italy, try VinoRoma (visit sites for availability and pricing); 5. Support your favorite gallery or museum: Commissioned Portrait by Bettina von Zwehl in support of the Photographer’s Gallery in London, £3000; 6. Platter from Fifty One and a Half (see site for availability), $42; 7. Original food-themed artwork: “Macarons” by Chris Chun, AU$3500; 8. Le Creuset Signature Oval Dutch Oven in Ocean from Williams Sonoma, $240

9. Paletas by Fany Gerson, $11.55; 10. Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson, $13.53; 11. Bill’s Everyday Asian by Bill Granger, £10.39; 12. Short and Sweet by Dan Lepard, £12.50; 13. The Inspired Vegan by Bryant Terry, $12.79 (released in January 2012); 14. A cooking app like Jamie’s Recipes ($1.99 per 10-recipe pack), Eat Fish with Mitch Tonks ($4.99) or magazine subscriptions for tablets, such as Donna Hay, Australian Gourmet Traveller or Jamie Magazine; 15. Indochine by Luke Nguyen, £15.50; 16. On A Stick! by Matt Armendariz; 17. Umbrashopper Made from Natural Rubber and Recycled Leather by Riesenthel, €24.90