Welcome back, friends! I hope you had a wonderful holiday weekend. And a special welcome to the stylish readers of Corporette, where I’m filling in for the lovely Kat all this week while she adjusts to life with a brand new, bouncing baby boy.

It’s the most wonderful week of the year, friends: my birthday week! Long-time readers will know I take my birthday pretty seriously, so this is exciting stuff. I get to spend all week hanging with friends and loved ones, eating junk food and plotting fantasizing about all the presents that will be waiting for me when the Big Day finally arrives.

As always, my wish list is long…not to mention aspirational. Still, what’s the point of having a blog if you can’t use it to indulge a few retail fantasies? These are just a few of the pieces I’m hoping will magically appear at my house this week.

Kara Ackerman’s pieces are always high on my wishlist…she just has a way with me. This year, I’ll admit I’m mostly dreaming of her amazing Audrey disc necklace (so, so divine!), but I’d be tickled blue to see that perfect turquoise bangle appear, especially with a couple of her Bamboo bangles to stack alongside.

{Kara Ackerman bangles, $50-150 each}

I’ve been wanting one of these Proenza Schouler PS1 pochettes since they first launched, but this limited edition for Fashion’s Night Out (at right) has me more determined than ever. Best event souvenir ever, don’t you think?

{Proenza Schouler FNO wallet, $195 – photo courtesy of Vogue.com}

I’m fully into fall boot mode already, and these chic little Austin boots from UGG, of all places, are going to be an amazing transitional shoe. That Navajo detailing on the collar makes them right on trend, and they look infinitely pricier than they are.

{UGG Austin boot, $200}

There’s nearly always something from Vince on my birthday list…they do fall like no one else. This year, it’s the bouclé fringe-trim jacket, which takes just a touch of inspiration from the Chanel I so idolize, but with an edgier, youthful vibe (not to mention infinitely more affordable).

{Vince contrast-trim boucle jacket, $395}

Every fall I start craving a new coat. This year, the color’s red. The DVF version I’m lusting after is almost certainly cost-prohibitive. But this updated peacoat from Talbots (who is really hitting it out of the park this year) strikes the perfect note between sporty and sleek, and that deep cherry red is exactly what I’m after.

{Talbots Marmount peacoat in red berry, $245}

Lucky girl that I am, I did get one pair of beautiful Loeffler Randalls for my birthday already (proof that obsessive pining works!). Could I possibly be lucky enough to score a second? These patent black wedges scream classic, but somehow feel as perfect for jeans as they do for trousers. I’d be so, so happy to add these to the Loeffler collection in my closet.

{Loeffler Randall Risa wedge, $395}

A set of custom calling cards has always been a dream of mine – especially a set from Rifle Paper Co. Honestly, I’ve spent so much time thinking about what custom illustration I’d have them do…I could probably have just buckled down at work and paid for the cards by now if I were smarter. But where’s the fun in that?

{Rifle Paper Co custom calling cards, starting at $135}

And, on the more reality-based end of the spectrum, these pieces from Deep Dark Africa (fast becoming a new favorite of mine) are unbelievably affordable, impeccably on-trend, and manage to do some good for people far away. But mostly, they’re just beautiful.

{Deep Dark Africa horn & brass bead necklace, $29, and bangles, $10.50 (for a set of 3!)}

It takes a lot for a photograph to impress me…I spend most of my days looking at them, and I have a very talented photographer for a husband. So, when I tell you I adore this photo of Paris, and am dying to have it on my wall, you know it’s something special.

{Paris is a Feeling, by Irene Suchocki, $125}

Who says I’m hard to buy for?

---