Icy Goodness

I'm a pretty big fan of Alexis Bittar's jewelry. His designs are a little whacked out and a little perfect. For winter, I'm especially fond of his frosted tapered bangles:

Because they come in a variety of colors, you can match your wrist candy to any holiday outfit, and because they have an icy look about them while still offering a pop of blue/red/purple/what have you, they are great for those snowy nights when you want to have fun but fit in with your surroundings. My favorite is the lavender; what's yours?

Buy through Nordstrom for $65.00 each.

Image via Nordstrom.

-Cate-

PS Merry Christmas, and a Happy (Belated) Hanukkah, plus any other applicable holiday greetings!

A Taste of the Tropics In Winter

I know today is not Thorsday/Thursday but Friday. Forgive me. I am in the middle of my yearly urge to bake delicious things. I cannot bake delicious things for all of our dear readers, but I can share the best store-bought lemon cake ever.

Behold!

 This, dear ones, is the Miss Grace Lemon Cake. I remember this cake as a special treat at my grandparents' house growing up. Lemon juice in the cake, lemon zest in the glaze...perfection. It even comes enclosed in a reusable tin that is just right for storing homemade cookies or other delicious things. The cake arrives frozen, and in my opinion is best when kept in the refrigerator.  Ah, my fingers are itching to order one right now!

Buy through Cheryl's for $29.99 .

Image via Cheryl's.

~Bonnie~

Spiked

If you have tons of money to blow this holiday season and need a great handbag to help you shine at a Christmas party, check on this, which literally sticks out:

The blush hue is neutral enough to pair with many party dresses, while the spikes at the ends provide a flashy detail without too much sparkle. Watch out if you gesticulate with your hands while you talk, though--don't go and stab your boss accidentally!

Buy through Net-a-Porter for $1295.00.

Image via Net-a-Porter.

-Cate-

Luddites, Lawrence of Arabia, and Quentin Tarantino

I am no Luddite. What's a Luddite? Dictionary.reference.com defines a Luddite as someone who is an "opponent of industrial change or innovation." I say this because I just picked up a Blu-Ray player last weekend. In the dawning age of all things High Definition and Digital, I am still something of an analog girl. I don't resist home theater technological advances, I just wait until they're established. And cheaper.

Anyway, so yes. I have a Blu-Ray player now. Which means I need things to watch on it.

I heard about the "Lawrence of Arabia" 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition last week on NPR. And verily, I squealed in glee as I heard it described.  I love classic movies, and the longer they are the better. The sweeping epics that require 15 minute intermissions? The best. Which makes me all the more excited about this set. Did I mention it includes a coffee table book and a numbered 70mm film cell?


Quentin Tarantino has made some of my favorite movies ever, though honestly I couldn't tell you exactly why I love them so much. I just do. Which is why I started drooling over this set of 8 movies picked by the director himself as those works which he feels defined his first 20 years of directing. Two additional discs jam-packed with all of the usual extra goodies in special editions.

Amazon has both for about 30% less than what a brick-and-mortar store might charge.

Buy through Amazon for $64.96 and $79.96.

Images via Amazon.com.

~Bonnie~

"Who Could That Be at This Hour?"

--is the title of Lemony Snicket's latest book. I only learned of its existence a few days ago, as I was listening to NPR like an adult. (Actually, the only consistently available stations in this area only offer NPR, country music, surprising racism, and classic rock intermingled with reports of my university's poor sports games. NPR is usually my first choice.)

At any rate, Daniel Handler, which is either Snicket's real name or the pseudonym he has taken to confuse us all, was on air talking about his new noir novel for children, explaining how he had sorted out the problems of the femme fatale and using words like "roadster." I was delighted, looked it up, and added it to my ever-lengthening list of books I need to read. And now, you can too! Unless you don't like noir. That's okay.

Buy through Barnes & Noble for $10.98.

Image via the same.

Maureen

Wedge Ahead

Ever have one of those days when you just want to wear some whacked-out shoes? Every day is one of those days for me, but I'm sad to report that I'm limited to normal kicks in the course of my work. Alas. However! Here are the shoes I'd wear right now if I could:

Yep. Electric blue wedge booties with an unstable-looking heel and a Camilla Skovgaard-inspired sole. Obviously I'm sold. Are you?

Buy through Giuseppe Zanotti for $628.00 (on sale!).

Image via Giuseppe Zanotti.

-Cate-

Cate's Fantasy Christmas Wishlist 2012

Cate's Fantasy Christmas Wishlist 2012 by cateismilesaway

This year, I covet so many things, which is nothing unusual. A Fastback would be nice, along with an Alexander McQueen clutch and Brian Atwood shoes, a Ports 1961 dress, a Tiffany bangle, Alexis Bittar earrings, Tresor eau de parfum, Deborah Lippmann nail lacquer in Superstar, and--the best of all--Tom Hiddleston. Pretty please?

Images via Polyvore.

 

-Cate-

Picture making, the fun way

I first heard about this camera a little over a year ago, and I'm still geeking out over it. My momma had the nerve to call me a nerd for that. Joke's on her, I come by it honestly.

This is Lytro. I won't say everything it does, or how it does it, but I can say that it is amazing. Not only does it allow you to change the focus after the picture has been captured, but it also enables you to change the angle of the shot.  I need to stop, before I get too technical.

Needless to say, I like the red one which also happens to be have the highest capacity and is the most expensive of the line.

Now for the good news/bad news part.

Good news: Lytro ships to the United States of America.

Bad news: Lytro only ships to the United States of America.

Good news (again!): Lytro provides a list of international resellers by country.

Buy online through Lytro for $399-499.

Image via Lytro.com.

~Bonnie~

The What We Covet Holiday Gift Guide 2012, Part 18: A Gift to the World

I very firmly believe in giving back, and I feel it's necessary to put our best foot forward at all times, especially in the cold winter months when life can be especially hard on the needy, and donate whatever we can, be it time or money. With that in mind, I encourage you to find a local or national charity whose mission you can support. 

This year, my charity of note is the National Trust for Historic Preservation. They are dedicated to preserving and saving buildings and sites around the country that tell the story of who we are as a country. Some of their recent projects include advocating against the demolition of Prentice Women's Hospital in Chicago, fighting to get Chimney Rock in Colorado designated as a national monument, and working to revitalize a significant African-American business district in Atlanta.

If you have any interest in supporting the National Trust, you can make a monetary donation or become a member of their organization. Their mission benefits everyone in America by bringing our past into the present and saving landmarks we can all enjoy.

I hope that you'll consider sending at least a little bit of money somewhere--if not to the National Trust, then to your own favorite cause, be it a soup kitchen, your local fire department, an aid group such as the Salvation Army, or someplace else entirely. (If you're looking for more ideas, consider taking a look at the White Envelope Project, a non-profit that can help you connect with a charity that suits you.)

Visit the National Trust at preservationnation.com!

-Cate-