whatever your holiday, have a wonderful one. i’m off until the new year….i’ll be thinking of you as i lie poolside, sipping tropical drinks with little umbrellas in them

oh, and a very special happy birthday to A….have a wonderful day, and congrats on a truly fabulous year!

….baby, it’s cold outside! hence, my recent obsession with all things cozy and warm. in that spirit, i first spied a shearling-lined hoodie in a men’s magazine a month or two ago, and i thought it looked like the coziest thing on earth….and have been pining for a women’s version ever since. lo and behold, jcrew has answered my christmas wish. this shearling hoodie comes in all sorts of fabulous colors, and is exactly the thing for those morning walks to starbucks with my puppies. best of all, at $69.50 each, you can afford to get one in a couple of different colors. personally, i like the oxford grey…but the heather oatmeal is lovely too

i predict they’re going to sell out fast, so i’d pick one up today! get flat rate $4.95 shipping with code FLS-EP1, or $20 off a $100 purchase with DC-449.

and if you’re looking to add a little something to your order to hit that $100 mark & save $20, i’d recommend these yummy shearling moccasins to match your new hoodie…only $59.50 for a pair that looks and performs an awful lot like those ugg slippers, but for $40 less. what a deal! and the ‘dark camel’ color is the clear choice, here – that almond color is great, but would only lead to heartbreak, as all light-colored suede footwear does.

so, much as i hate uggs from a fashion standpoint, i have to admit, after trying on a pair of their slippers the other day, that they’re just about the most amazingly cozy thing i’ve ever had on my feet. that said, they’re still completely fugly, for the most part. but, miracle of miracles, i’ve found a pair of boots by them that i don’t hate! amazing, i know. of course, i probably just like them because they look nothing like uggs, but still. i think these would be the perfect boot for the winter – the suede upper and buckle details make them feel luxe and polished, but the fact that the suede is nowhere near the bottom of the shoe means they’re actually durable and won’t be ruined the first time you step near a puddle.

they’re 20% off at shopbop.com right now, plus you can get an extra 10% off if you sign up at ebates.com, i believe. that brings them down from $250 to $175…not bad to keep your toesies nice and toasty warm this winter.

get 50% off on ella moss tops, lauren merkin clutches, cynthia vincent dresses and paige premium denim this monday only – the entire stock at summerblu is 50% off with code “monday*“.

happy hunting!

i swear, i would host parties every day of the week….if it weren’t for the after-party cleanup. but really, do you want to spend hours prepping a gorgeous fete, only to serve your handmade olive tapenade bruschettas on chinette?

um…no.

enter a new line by tord boontje, a fabulous designer whose wares are now being featured at (where else) target! for a mere $11, you get a set of 10 coordinating large plates, dessert plates, napkins and cups….and best of all, they’re disposable, so your house can be back to normal in mere moments, instead of the 3 days it took me to recover from my last party.

scoop some up now, and invite me over for a cocktail

run, don’t walk…net-a-porter.com is having its annual designer sale, and there are some serious deals to be had. chloe boots for $400, paddington bags for $1000, christian louboutin wedges for $300….talk about merry christmas!! also, don’t miss the chance to score some jimmy choos for less than $300…or a marc jacobs stam bag for under $800.

if there were any way i could shove my huge feet into those louboutins, i’d be a truly happy woman. happy shopping, everyone!

oh, and PS – free shipping on any order with code ‘HOLIDAY’

the designer of the day today is someone i’ve had a little design crush on for at least six months now: lori yohe of understated designs). she does beautiful work & specializes in finding really lovely quotes to incorporate into her pieces, which isn’t a new idea, but i think she does it better than anyone else.

my favorite is the ‘lovers’ pendant, which is a gorgeous hammered gold (or silver) circle with two different chains, diamonds set into the circle, and a quote by elizabeth browning, which reads “i love you not only for what you are, but for what i am when i am with you.” it’s very high on my christmas wish list.

if you ever need a really sweet gift for a mom or grandmother, she has some gorgeous pieces that would fit the bill beautifully. i love the ‘naomi’ pendant, which reads “a mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary.” just think of all the brownie points you’d make with a gift like that!

or heck, buy one for yourself. lori also designs custom pieces, so you could do something like a cuff bracelet (not yet available on the website, but pictured above) with a line from your wedding vows, or put a quote you’ve always loved onto a pendant.

understated designs is offering a 10% off promotion right now as well (or 15% off if you order 4 or more pieces). if you buy directly from lori, her pieces range from about $200-500…depending on the type of metal (most are available in silver or 14K white/yellow/rose gold) and whether there are any gemstones on the piece.

if you want to order for christmas, lori needs custom orders by 12/6…but items in stock wouldn’t have to be ordered that early, i’m guessing. you can reach her at info@understateddesigns.com – just mention you saw the 10% discount here, and she’ll apply it to your order.

happy shopping!!

i don’t usually put personal posts here, but my sweet puppy passed away over the thanksgiving holiday after a very long life of being the best dog anyone could ever hope for. i’m sending him wishes for piles of dog biscuits and (in his case) lots of toilet paper and post-it notes to chew on….

*sniff*

i think these are the most creative and fun gift ever, and if i weren’t one of the few people i know with my sense of humor, i would buy them for everyone on my list. but a lot of people i know would just think i’m weird, so they’re not getting them.

each of the uglydolls comes with a great name and a story that would make it really easy to pick an uglydoll to match each of your friends. take chuckanucka, for example:

Need someone to worry all over you? A worrier yourself? Chuckanucka is your man. He worries about pretty much everything under the sun: What if the phone rings when I go out? What if the mail man tries to deliver my earmuffs when I’m in the bathroom? Hey, I don’t remember leaving the closet door open just a crack like that! What if I can’t ever stop thinking about my name over and over again? Chuckanucka has a pretty strange way of looking at life. Sometimes he wonders if this is all just a hologram, and on other days he wonders what’s going to happen if they stop making CD players… How will I play my favorite CDs??? I have over nine of them! Poor Chuckanucka. Ok, so maybe you’ll have to look after *him*.

come on, that’s darling! and for less than $20, it’s a creative and unique gift for that person you can’t think of anything else to give. if you know someone who would think these are as fabulous as i do, pick them up at calliopeboutique.com.