Holiday Gift Guide: Scoop neck top

C & C California always has well-made, stylish, and comfortable clothing for women. This scoop neck top is currently half price, and the berry/coffee color combo is good enough to eat. Great gift for a sister, girlfriend, or fashion-conscious friend.

$44 at CandCcalifornia

Holiday Gift Guide: Campfire candle holder

This no fuss campfire is the perfect gift for the urban dweller or the camping enthusiast. The candle is powered by an on/off switch, so there's no messy wax to deal with. The price makes it a great gift for a friend, coworker, or neighbor.

$20 at fredflare

Holiday Gift Guide: Flying Alarm Clock

Maybe the most annoying but useful gift you can give that late riser in your life. The propeller flies off the base and the alarm doesn't turn off unless it's retrieved and returned. Ingenius and infuriating.

$29.99 at firebox

Holiday Gift Guide: Sun and Moon jars

Store up some sunlight with these solar-charged glow lamps. Beautiful, simple, and batteries do not need to be included.

$29-35 at thinkgeek.com

Holiday Gift Guide: Nixon watch

Give a watch gift that's far from boring. A gift for a guy whose hard to shop for.

$219 at dogfunk.com

Holiday Gift Guide: Recycled clutch

A clutch made from recycled candy wrappers, food packages, soda labels, and newspapers. And it's hot! A huge assortment of recycled gifts on the ecoist site.

$60 on ecoist.com

Holiday Gift Guide: The World of Ornament

A splurge gift for the designer, art lover, or book lover in your life. Featuring the most beautiful patterns in history, this book is a feast for the eyes. Maybe the best coffee table book gift out there.

$200 at Taschen

Holiday Gift Guide: Organic Wood bowls

These dramatic and rustic wooden bowls are technically serving bowls, but they can function as centerpieces or pure sculpture.

$39-69 at Pottery Barn

Holiday Gift Guide: Sound blocks

These ingenius wooden picture blocks only make their sounds when they're matched correctly. A great gift for that little someone in your life.

$18 on warmbiscuit.com

Holiday Gift Guide: Gold necklaces

Erica Weiner Handcuff Necklace

This necklace doesn't inspire the same fuzzy feelings as interlocking hearts, but it does have a little something extra. A gift for a loved one, a partner in crime, or an edgy fashionista. Also the perfect gift if your loved one is in law enforcement.

$65 at Erica Weiner Jewelry


Shell necklace

This gold-plated shell necklace is studded with onyx gems and pearls.

$260 at Max and Chloe

Fall River necklace

Stunning, interesting, elegant, and unbelievably affordable.

$37 at Madame Bijoux

Holiday Gift Guide: USB gifts

Great for the cubicle dweller, the young myspacer/facebooker, or the constant websurfer- these gifts take advantage of of the power source at your fingertips.

USB cup warmer and chiller
If you need a gift for someone who spends way too much time in their cubicle or office and are not blessed to have their own coffee-fetcher or are just too far from the communal kitchen, then this USB powered device will solve all beverage problems. Great gift that I would have loved in my corporate days. Keeps cold things cold and hot things hot. Chills and warms.

$24.99 at Thinkgeek

USB Basketball hoop



A present for basketball lovers when they need a break from the small screen. Plug into the USB port and play. A gift for the basketball fan or athlete.

$24.99 at perpetualkid

USB George Foreman igrill


For the snacking websurfer, this George Foreman igrill can cook up hamburgers or steaks without a trip to the kitchen. A gag gift for the overworked, perpetually hungry, or just plain lazy computer user.

$99 at thinkgeek

USB Heated slippers

These heated slippers provide cold feet comfort for drafty offices, cold bedrooms, and the winter blues. The perfect gift for the perpetually cold. Gloves are also available.

$25 at usbgeek

USB Desktop Aquarium

Adds a little (in)human touch to the workspace or the desk of an always connected student or teen, the USB Desktop Aquarium is the perfect gift for a coworker, friend, child, or parent.

$9.95 at x-treme geek

Holiday Gift Guide: Flipbooks

These ingenious flipbooks are great gifts for grandparents who haven't yet mastered youtube or even the world wide net. But it's not just for kid's videos, it's also perfect for wedding video footage, surprise parties, and any other moment you want to convert to print. All you have to do is upload a video, choose a book size, and you're done- the people at flipclips do all the rest.

$8.99 at flipclips.com

Holiday Gift Guide 2007

The best gifts for the season. Gifts for her, gifts for him, gifts for kids, gifts for friends, gifts for everyone one on your list. Stocking stuffers, gifts that break the bank, and unique presents for all. Suggestions for gadget gifts, home décor gifts, clothing gifts, jewelry gifts, food gifts, wine gifts, gag gifts, novelty gifts, paper presents, beauty product gifts, charity gifts, green gifts, and gifts and toys for kids. Avoid the madness of the malls- all these gifts can be purchased online.

Nightstalker watch

Soft leather band watch with the LED display built into the band.

$157.95 at Zappos even though they suggest it for "those who creep at night". Ignore that part, because it's slightly alarming as far as product descriptions go.

A portrait you can hold in your hand

... or set on a pedestal. Turn Your Head makes wooden statues that fill the space between two opposing views of a profile. Next to a wall, the shadow cast is a clear silhouette of the face.

$149.95 at Turn Your Head

Porn for Women

I googled this title to find a better image for this book, and whoa, it's a world WIDE web out there. Anyway, one of the images in this book has this caption: "Look, the NFL playoffs are today. I bet we'll have no trouble parking at the crafts fair."

$10.36 on amazon

Rear view computer mirror

It's always good to know who's peeking over your shoulder, whether you're at work or at the coffeeshop. then alt tab away......

$13.95 at the Spoon Sisters

Little Joseph Candle

Don't wait for Halloween to freak out your guests.

$79 at Gnr8 (generate)

Sodafine shoes

Seriously SO FINE, these sodafine shoes.

On sale for $202

Bowl of stones

Natural stone is always popular for its beauty in the home, but polished marble and granite don't exactly channel the great outdoors. This river stones bowl actually looks like rocks in nature- the pebbles in resin replicate their "native underwater appearance".

Only $155 for a bunch of rocks

Alexander McQueen tulle dress

The dress I would wear to my wedding, if I was getting married in 2007. My time has already come and gone, but this McQueen tulle confection is frothy, delicate, and glamorous.

Now only $3,312 on net-a-porter.

Floating Round Settee

Inflatable paradise.

Now $79.50 on Frontgate

Louis Vuitton bubble ring

I try to avoid most logo gear so most LV accessories are out, but this cute bubble ring only has a discreet "Louis Vuitton" inscribed into the base. The two balls sit on the hand like floating bubbles, one topped with a flower and the other with a crystal.

$125 at eluxury

Loft couch

I don't think it's available for sale yet, but the design is sadly perfect for our couch potato culture. I'm always the one hanging off the couch angling for more cushion space, so I appreciate the non-cuddle room to spread out.

as seen at the coroflot show

Staple-free stapler

Huh? That's what I said. But I'd like to believe that we've found a way to put it all together without refills. Paper joinery, if you will. It's en route to my house of empty staplers, so I'll let you know how it turns out.

$6.95 at cb2

Flash drive bracelet

Minimalist, clean accessory and flash drive rolled up in rubber bracelet. Smart jewelry.


$24.99 at shopimation

Couch to 5k in 8 weeks

Get off yer arse and enjoy this gorgeous Spring weather. If you live in a place that has this type of weather year-round, then you're probably one of those pilates, yoga, jogging, smoothie-drinking, and health conscious people that carries 2 gallons of water with you at all times. This guide is not for you.

For the rest of you, THIS GUIDE is an EASY way to run a 5k (3.1 miles) in 2 short months. The hardest part is lifting up those cheeks.

Flip flops with pockets!

Yes, this title deserved an exclamation point. I'm one of the last people to give up open-toe shoes in the fall, and one of the first to pedicure for them in the spring. And I love flip flops. And by now you all know that I love hidden drawers, pockets, passageways.

These Reef flip flops with stash pocket are perfect for the beach and other carefree summer days. I don't like to lug around my bulging shoulderbag in the summer, because it adds heat and takes away from that fresh free summer feeling. So that means sometimes I'm left carrying my wallet around (annoying, unsafe) or tucking it into a friend's bag (annoying for them, guilt-inducing). So when I saw these flip flops on Popgadget for the first time, I fell a bit in love.

$46 at EMS

Stormglass Weather Forecaster

My husband is always complaining about the poor track record of our weather forecasters. His running commentary seems to suggest that these meteorologists are merely guessing. So this weather predictor, used since the 18th century, will be his next gift. Supposedly in tune with the electromagnetic changes in the atmosphere, there are 5 crystal formations which predict whether changes.

$155 at the Monticello store

Layover in Philadelphia? What to do....

I have very little tolerance for long layovers. It seems that I hardly ever have to stop over in an interesting place and if I do, I don't have long enough to make the long trek from the airport to the good stuff.

Philadelphia is the perfect city to enjoy a long layover. It's vibrant, interesting, fun, and accessible. The airport is extremely close to the downtown area and the grid is easy to navigate. There's something for everyone in Philly.

stash card- the secret drawer for your laptop

I love hidden things- secret drawers, camouflaged safes, and anything slightly mysterious. My dream house would not be complete without a secret passageway.

Now you can make use of that unused PC card slot on your laptop with this secret stash drawer- it seems like it'd be a good place to store money when you're traveling. Unless your whole laptop gets stolen, but let's hope that doesn't happen.

On sale for $7.95 at wireless garden

Still life bowl

You no longer have to be an artist to create a still life for your room. A bit tongue-in-cheek, the still life bowl designed by Barnaby Barford and Andre Klauser frames your fruit and other produce into an immediate work of art.

$79 at generate

J. Peterman Victorian lace camisole and pantaloons

Perhaps more than any other catalog, I love when my J. Peterman arrives in the mail. Filled with hard-to-find and specialty items of clothing and accessories, the catalog is full of elaborate and sometimes random stories to describe each piece. This camisole and the pantaloons paired with it live on a page that describes a fictional "Miss Lillian" who: "became an outspoken suffragette, eventually... collected four husbands along the way, plus squads of admirers like Diamond Jim Brady, who gave her that extravagant bicycle and kept his fingers crossed." Everything in it has a romantic past, full of Gatsby and Hepburn references and swanky cocktail parties. Like the olden days, all the items are illustrated in watercolor and pen. Nothing is photographed, even on their website.

$68 for the camisole

Saggy balls

Catchy blog titles aside, these ceramic bowls look like deflated basketball and soccer balls in need of a good pump. Ahem. Fruitballs are a great buy for the sports lover in need of a new chip bowl or for cubicle dwellers in need of a catchall for their desk.

$59.95 at firebox

5 best weekend brunch spots in Greenwich Village and eating tours in NYC

I've been writing NYC guidebook copy for a long time, so I've never had the chance to take an official tour of Manhattan. I'm used to seeing the double-decker tour buses around town, and have always wanted to take a ride. But I'm constantly pounding the pavement for the real deal, so it has always seemed a little too time-consuming and ridiculous to pay for the bus ride.

But I have purchased this Big Onion multi-ethnic eating and walking tour before as a gift, because an eating tour sounds like the best way to do it. The tour is done on the Lower east side, which is where I often find myself these days, as it's now 'the neighborhood'. But alongside the newest restaurants and shops, this neighborhood is still home to some of the best food from Italy, China, Eastern Europe, and the Dominican Republic.

If you want to hit the pavement yourself and you find yourself in need of sustenance (solid and liquid), then here are my picks for the 5 best weekend brunch spots in Greenwich Village.

accessories of war

The tank U bud vase comes in white, silver, gold, and a particularly precious floral. A little statement for peace to dress up your home.

$90 at A + R store


This necklace brings together a floral garland and brass gun for a little jewelry juxtaposition. A small dagger hangs off the delicate chain for good measure.

$36 at Chocosho

Umbrella for two

More practical than the bicycle built for two and potentially just as romantic, the umbrella for two comes in fire engine red or basic black. A great invention for this month of many showers, this umbrella makes sure that no one gets dripped on.

$44.50 on umbrellastand.com

kapoosh UNIVERSAL knife block

Thousands of rods shift and rearrange to make room for your knives and other big utensils, whatever their dimensions or brands. I'm guessing that the counter-space-stealing-slot-based knife blocks will soon be a thing of the past.

$49.99 on amazon

Girl Scout cookie ice cream

I don't know how to get my hands on Girl Scout cookies since I left my old company and I can't buy through the children of co-workers.

So I was excited when I heard about Edy's Girl Scout cookie ice cream. Only available during the "season" (January - April), Edy's makes Samoa, Tagalong, and Thin Mint flavors. Check your local supermarket for the limited edition tubs, because the only thing better than frozen Thin Mints is frozen Thin Mint chunks in ice cream.

World's Tallest Roses

A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose, as Gertrude Stein's famous phrase goes. But I doubt Ms. Stein ever saw these roses, which are over five feet tall. The rose heads are 3-4 inches in diameter. They are sure to make a BIG impression, and hopefully the recipient appreciates the grand gesture and ignores the slightly sci-fi feel.

$249.95 on organicbouquet.com

One of the best coffeetable books

Even if you've never stepped foot inside a church and never intend to, Church Signs across America will capture your attention. Hilarious and whimsical and sometimes even reverent, this big old book bypasses alot of the fire and brimstone for the funny and brainy. Did you know that 'seven days without prayer makes one weak'?

I've seen this book in action, and it's brought forth laughs from a certified agnostic, born-again believer, and a secular Jew. That should be enough to make it one of the best coffeetable books out there.

$13.57 on amazon.com

Green is the new black

Sustainable fashion is in. I have no idea where you might buy this gorgeous dress from the new green line from Sans, but their show was the buzz heard round the fashion world. So I imagine it will soon be available somewhere for some price.

For something more everyday and only a click away, this grape zipped jacket only weighs in at $66.

floating bed

Just looking at this bed makes me drowsy. If the gentle rocking of a boat or a hammock puts you to sleep, then the floating bed is for you. If those same motions make you want to puke, then it wouldn't be your cup of tea. The site also tells us that you won't like it if you "go to bed extremely intoxicated on alcohol." So it's not for fall-down drunks.

But the makers promise that the floating motion will give you the most restful sleep of your life. For someone who suffers with major insomnia, this bed is mighty tempting. I feel the shopping cart itch to click, even if it is a few Gs and the website could use a serious facelift.


$3,195 for the queen

water sculpture

Don't groan, because this water sculpture is absolutely maintenance-free. There are no liquids involved. It doesn't claim to hold Zenlike properties or any feng shui power. A modern sculpture by Pennsylvania glassblower Gary Guydosh, it will transform any surface it touches.

$45 at uncommongoods

Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Extraordinary Book of Facts: And Bizarre Information

Fun information for everyone's favorite reading room. All things weird and wonderful are covered in this volume of Uncle John's collection.

From Uncle John's daily calendar: You Are What You Eat, February 15, 2007

Fruit bat soup. This delicacy from Micronesia is made from the meat of a fruit bat (also called a flying fox), simmered in water, ginger, and onion and topped with scallions, soy sauce, and coconut cream.

Chia pet salad. This dish features the edible sprouts of Salvia columbariae- related to the sage plant. The "fur" the grows out of the ceramic cow, frog, hippo, puppy, or whatever is stripped from the pottery and tossed lightly with peppery nastutiums and beanlike tulip flowers.

$12.21 on amazon.com

Stretch mark cream reviews

Let's just be honest here. As of the date of this writing, there is no miracle cure for stretch marks. There is no remedy out there today that will make your stretch marks disappear completely. If you're blessed with miraculous skin, then maybe. But if you're human, then nuh-uh. Sorry. So be very very suspicious of infomercials or ads for ANY product that claims to remove the battle scars. It's a lie. But I know that you knew that already, at least in your gut.

The good news is that there ARE remedies out there that will help improve the appearance of stretch marks. And depending on your skin, the results can be quite good. A year ago, a few friends and I did our own market research study, testing out some of the stuff out there. For three months, we massaged the lotions, gels, and creams on our stretch marks. Some women even used two different brands, only applying one to one side or their body and the other to the opposite side. We all took before and after shots. (I recommend taking before and after shots because sometimes the results are subtle and you won't remember the original marks.)

We all saw some improvement in our before and after photos and even to our own eyes, using both the cheapest and priciest gunk out there.

Here are our results:

Emu oil. Lots of people sing the praises of the oil from this animal and it definitely made a difference on my friend K___, who had some pretty severe stretch marks on her stomach. You can find this online, at some health stores, and as an indredient in some stretch mark lotions.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter. Medium results for my friend T, who is olive-skinned and had some not-too-bad battle scars from pregnancy. I used this with plain olice oil on my belly during pregnancy and didn't get stretch marks there.

Mustela. Love this brand for their baby products, but probably the least visible results of the group. Also used on the least visible stretch marks, so that probably skewed the outcome some.

Mederma. First formulated as a scar treatment, this showed good results after a few months. Two women in our group used it, and one found that it irritated her skin a little. Oh well.

Stri-Vectin. Expensive but effective. Definitely seemed to improve the shape and visibility of the stretch marks. Dermatologists often say that this product and RetinA can improve the tightness of skin.

We all saw some improvement using the above products, which range in price from $5 to $140. The difficulty with testing these types of skin products was clear with our group. It's impossible to know how any person's skin will react to the complex blend of ingredients in any stretch mark lotion. Too many variable to name. The good news? Even the worst results showed some subtle improvements. Without before and after shots, we wouldn't have caught the difference. So remember to take photos.

A few key things to remember:

Sooner rather than later: One of our testers used the cream on 10-yr old stretch marks as well as her more recent baby stretch marks. She noticed a big difference in the newer marks using the Mederma than with the older ones.

Overall health and the sands of time: It's impossible to test how effective stretch mark lotions are because dermatologists say that ALL stretch marks fade over time. By 9 months post-partum, most women's stretch marks will have faded to a few shades lighter than their own skin tone. Yes, even if they've done nothing. But keeping your skin and body hydrated, taking vitamins, and staying fit will help your skin in any circumstance. So dermatologists do recommend doing those things to aid in healing those stretch marks.

Skin massage: Massage may also be a key component of the effectiveness of stretch mark lotions. If you massage your skin 2-3 times a day, your skin's appearance will improve over time regardless of which cream you're using. There is a whole cellulite treatment based on this theory called endermologie.


When buying a stretch mark lotion, there are too many choices out there. But here is a list of some of the most popular ingredients found in effective stretch mark lotions:

Shea butter
Cocoa butter
Emu oil
Aloe
Sweet almond oil
Vitamin E
Glycolic Acid
Collagen
Olive oil

Happy Shopping!

noose necklace

Disney couture? The phrase may make your head spin round and round exorcist-style, but the jewelry is shockingly hip. The line marries nostalgia with contemporary trends, and the tinkerbell and Alice in Wonderland lines are pretty tempting. This noose necklace from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection is macabre-chic. You don't have to be goth to show a bit of your dark side.

$80 at jestjewels