Slice of Pink

Last Minute Gifting, For Realz

I love all the gift giving guides on the Internet, but it's now three shopping days until Christmas and, sorry, but you are not going to get that special-order monogrammed ruffled blanket or limited edition print from Iceland shipped to you by the 25th. It ain't happening.

Here's a For Realz Last Minute Gift Guide. Without having to enter a Wal-Mart. You're welcome.

The Grocery Store Holiday Collection

I've been known to holiday shop at the grocery store and I can attest that there are plenty of great gifts at the market, particularly if you have a higher-end grocery store nearby. The most obvious grocery store gift is wine. Pick up some nice bottles for the wine drinkers in your life. Move over to the next aisle and pick up bottles of scotch or 12-packs of good beer for the men in your life. Not everybody drinks alcohol, so move on to the candy aisle and put together a sampling of the best chocolates the store carries. Get some tea in a pretty tin for Grandma and a holiday plant for auntie.

Don't ignore the checkout area! Magazines are a great gift--roll them up, tie with a ribbon, then send in the card for a year subscription for the recipient (don't forget to send in the card! Seriously! Fill it out and drop it in the post pronto!). Also near the checkout, gift cards (the obvious). My grocery store carries gift cards to about 200 places, from Applebees to Zappos. And, finally, CHEESE: the perfect gift (but only if you can keep it refrigerated).

See also: Trader Joes.

The You're-Stuck-in-Your-Office-Until-Christmas-Eve Gift

Groupon! Find the city the recipient lives in and buy them one of the Deals of the Day. You're sure to get a great price and you can print on the spot (or have the gift emailed directly to the person). If the person lives in a city not on the list (like poor me), find some deals on the list that work nationally--$25 for $50 at Art.com, $12 for $25 worth of cookies, $13 for a subscription to ESPN magazine. Or give a Groupon gift card. Bam, done.

Gifts of Hope

Still shopping for that dang person who has everything? Maybe, since they actually have everything, they would prefer that you spread the love (and money) around. There's a great piece in the New York Times about charitable gift giving, with a listing of some great charities that you can make donations to on behalf of your recipient. As Kristof points out in the article, "one of the paradoxes of living in a wealthy country is that we accumulate tremendous purchasing power, yet it’s harder and harder for us to give friends and family presents that are meaningful." There are a million charities to make meaningful donations to, so just choose one that represents the interests of your recipient. My favorites? Kiva, The William J. Clinton Foundation, and (Red).

Happy (last minute) shopping!

My Holiday Wish List, Part Deux

Will got a little bent out of shape when I posted the exact holiday list I had given him on the Internet (and by "bent out of shape" I mean he mentioned it once, which is about all the bending out of shape Will engages in). I think he's worried that somebody in the world is going to surprise me with all the same gifts he plans to surprise me with. Whatevs! I am so l-o-v-i-n-g holiday shopping for myself that I can come up with a whole second list of things I'm wishing for. So, if you are wondering what to buy me (hi moms!) here are more things I love. For the rest of you, let this be a little guide for great things to buy your best friend or sister or yourself (but signed from Santa, of course!).

1. Pretty belts {these lovelies are from Talbots}

2. Shutter Sisters Flashbulb Necklace

3. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

4. Summer at Tiffany, Marjorie Hart

5. Pottery Barn Antique-Silver Cheese Knife Set

6. Pottery Barn "All Business" Business Card Holder

7. Tights in jewel tones or fun patterns {these are from Kohls}

8. Cute little succulents and terracotta pots for planting.

My Holiday Wish List

Will requested a holiday wish list (the poor guy gets stuck with Christmas, my birthday, and Valentine's Day, all within the span of two months. And yet he always does a fabulous job). I thought I'd also share my wish list here because I obviously think all these things are awesome and amazing (or else I wouldn't be asking for them!).

1. California Cutting Board (with a heart on SLO!)

2. Amazing Grace Perfume

3. And the Pursuit of Happiness, Maira Kalman

4. Nutmeg Grinder

5. Just Dance 2

6. Plaid Tights

7. Rose Salve

What's on your list?

My Favorite Things: Let Them Eat Cake Prints

I know you've probably seen these all over the Web, but let me just be another person to say how absolutely lovely Paul Ferney's Let Them Eat Cake prints are. Delicious!

Happy Haulidays!

Chronicle Books is hosting an amazing giveaway. By curating a list of favorite books, I've been entered to win my very list (the whole thing! Nearly $500 worth of fabulous books!). And, what is twice-as-nice, if I win, one of YOU will win my whole list, too! Can you imagine? Isn't this fun?

Here is my list:

The California Surf Project

Big Sur to Big Basin: California's Dramatic Central Coast

L.A. Bizarro

Golden Gate Bridge: History and Design of an Icon

Bike Snob

Paris: Women & Bicycles

Vino Argentino

The Winemaker Cooks

The Art of Terroir: A Portrait of California Vineyards

The Cheese Tasting Party Kit

Tiny Bubbles: Fizzy Cocktails for Every Occasion, Using Champagne, Prosecco, and Other Sparkling Wines

Miette

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth

Booze Cakes: Confections Spiked with Spirits, Wine, and Beer

Southern Pies

French General: Handmade Soirées: Simple Projects for Special Occasions

Scribble It Postcards

More Things Like This

Secret Lives of the Supreme Court

Days with My Father

Want to win the list too? Comment below with which book you are most excited about. December 10th is the last day to enter.

Five Handsome Stocking Stuffers for Him

1. Swedish Firesteel, $18
Sure, we know he can start a fire by rubbing two sticks together, but this is so much faster.

2. Argyle socks, $14.50
Who doesn't love the classic diamonds and diagonal checkerboard pattern?

3. Measuring Tape Tape, $10
Ideal for measuring cramped spaces and uneven surfaces.

4. Kikkerland Head Massager, $6
Crazy good.

5. Starr Bottle Opener,starting at $6.50
Unchanged since 1925.

P.S. I asked Will what he would want to find in his stocking, in hopes that he might help with this post. His picks? Costco socks and a King-sized Snickers. Boys are funny.

Five Fabulous Stocking Stuffers for Her

1. Shell Measuring Spoons, $12
Scoop your spices and salts in bay scallop shells marked with antique script measures.

2. Kate Spade Resolution Pencils, $8
They say: Experiment with Color, Rent a Tandem, Conquer the Souffle, Take Up the Trumpet, Learn to Cha-Cha, Catch a Double Feature.

3. Curly Girl Magnets, $5.50
With cute sayings like: Life is far too short not to have a little umbrella in your drink.

4. L'Occitane Soaps, $7
My favorite is the Verbena.

5. Antique Silver Wine Pull, $15
Reads: One good turn deserves another

Elsewhere

+ Coveting these Feisty Elle earrings on Style Lush

+ Check out the awesome Style Lush Holiday Gift Guide and enter to win one of the fabulous items on the list (your choice!)

+ A friendly reminder: I'm giving away $100 from BlogHer and V-8 V-Fusion and $150 from The Laughing Cow

+ Don't forget to check out my recipe for Beer Cheese Fondue courtesy of PG.

My Favorite Things: Vanilla Rooibos Tea

My friend Stacey (who brought me that fabulous red necklace from Africa) gave me a tin of this tea and, ohmygosh, I absolutely love it. Starbucks was making a latte with it over the summer and it was fantastic (are they still making it? I'll go down and have one right this minute if they are).

My Favorite Things: Gap Legging Jeans

I know. I KNOW. Right?

I swear to you, I tried on every other pair of skinny jeans in Gap to wear with my new riding boots and really, really tried to avoid putting these legging jeans (I know) on my body, but when all the rest of the jeans weren't doing it for me, I reluctantly put these babies on. They're pretty great, y'all.

P.S. They have STIRRUPS! I KNOW!

My Favorite Things: Kate Spade Resolutions Bracelet

The inside says: "This Year I Will..."

The outside says: "read the classics" "conquer the souffle" "learn to cha-cha" "take up the trumpet" "fall head over heels"

My Favorite Things: She & Him Volume 2

Okay, maybe it's because I absolutely adore Zooey Deschanel, but I could seriously listen to this album over and over and over. It's the only CD I've purchased in, like, ten years and I listen to it on constant repeat much like my 13 year old self listened to Prince's Seven. Which is to say, obsessively.

Will says it is too bubble-gummy, which I think he means as a bad thing, but I totally take it as a compliment.

My Favorite Things: Emilie Sloan Lunch Tote

My friend Lisa gave me this fabulous Emilie Sloan Lunch Tote two years ago and I have carried it on a daily basis ever since. It's made of a durable laminated cotton fabric, so it wipes clean in a jiffy, and has a couple of handy small inside pockets. This is definitely a tote for fancy lunches--blue cheeses salads or homemade pastas--although mine doesn't ever complain about carrying peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It's durable, fashionable, and polite.

My Favorite Things: Brown Butter Cookie Company

During November, I am going to introduce you to some of my favorite things, starting with these amazing Brown Butter & Sea Salt Cookies. I discovered them at Savor the Central Coast and I can assure you that they are perfection (even the New York Times says so).

These would make a sweet hostess gift or birthday surprise, don't you think?

I'm starting a list of things I want to do in SLO, The Mighty SLO List, and visiting the shop is one of my goals.

Holiday Gift Guide :: By the Sea Edition

Whale Chalkboard {Three Potato Four}

We Dream In Colour Sea Life Earrings {Urban Outfitters}

De Vincennes Dinner Plate, Octopus {Anthropologie}

One Special Summer {Amazon}

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle {Amazon}

Holiday Gift Guide :: Five Lovely Books

On This Earth: Photographs from East Africa {Nick Brandt}

The Gift of Nothing {Patrick McDonnell}

The Elegance of the Hedgehog {Muriel Barbery}

Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey {Jill O'Connor}

Taschen's Paris {Angelika Taschen}