Gifts For Her

Please, I beg of you... do not get the women in your life lotions, candles, or bath items. It's such a cliche gift. Here are some better gift ideas:

1. Personalized Stationary

A few years ago, my mom got me personalized stationary for Thank You notes and to write lists (which I love to do). I love having something so personalized with my name on it and it would make a wonderful gift. You can find a lot of great options at Petite Papier on etsy.com and Expressionery.

2. Cashmere hat, scarf, and gloves

This week has gotten really cold in NYC! Cashmere is so soft and luxurious that any woman would love to receive any of these items to help keep her warm this winter.

3. ipod Nano - $149-$179

The newly redesigned ipod Nano lets you play mp3s but also features an AM/FM radio and a video camera.

4. Coach Wristlet - $48

This wristlet is great to use when you go out and only want to bring a few items like your wallet, cell phone, and keys.

Gifts For Him

Buying a gifts for a guy always seems to be the hardest thing to do. Here are 10 great gift ideas for the men in your life:

1. Krups BeerTender - $99.99

If your man is a fan of Heineken beer and gadgets, the BeerTender will make the perfect gift. It works with any of the Heineken Draught Kegs and will be a great addition to any party or while he and his friends watch the game.

2. Keurig® B30 Personal Brewer - $89.99

This mini coffee brewer allows you to make single servings of coffee, tea, and hot chocolate using the flavor pods in under 3 minutes! It's great to keep at home or even to bring to work.

3. Canon Pixma All-in-One Color Printer - $49.97

This color printer allows you to preview and edit photos, copies, scans, and prints for an amazing low price!

4. iHome® Dual Alarm Clock Radio for iPhone and iPod® - $99.99

I have this and I love it! You can recharge your ipod or iphone as well as play AM/FM radio and music from your ipod. If you would like it to work as an alarm, you can set it to wake up to your ipod, the radio, or a buzzer.

5. Canon PowerShot SD1200IS - $149.99

Canon makes the best digital cameras! The pictures are always sharp and the color is always extremely vibrant. This 10 megapixel camera is small enough to bring anywhere but still takes great pictures up to 13"x19".

John Mayer on VH1 Storytellers!

Due to my love of John Mayer, whenever there is an announcement of some John Mayer concert or appearance, I do everything in my power to be there. On my own wedding day (also John Mayer's birthday), I woke up early to make sure I went online to try to get tickets to his show at the Beacon Theatre. Unfortunately, I didn't get tickets and my wedding day was ruined!! Just kidding... it was fantastic. Luckily the concert was on tv and I was able to DVR it and I love to watch it over and over.

A few weeks ago, John Mayer announced he would be doing a taping of VH1's Storytellers at an undisclosed location in NYC. With each entry you had to ask John Mayer 3 questions. At the same time, I contacted my rep at VH1 telling her my obsession with VH1 and if I could attend the taping. I was told that I would be put on a waiting list and I was so disappointed. On Wedesday, my rep emailed me to tell me that tickets were available!

On Thursday, my mom and I (my John Mayer concert partner) traveled to Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. I took 3 trains and walked in the freezing cold to get there. 1 1/2 hours later, I met up with my mom in Fort Greene, Brooklyn for the concert. The stage was set up beautifully and looked like a winter forrest. We were 7 rows from the stage and when John Mayer walked out, I was so excited to be so close! He started off with 2 acoustic songs performing Comfortable (which is one of my absolute favorites) and Body Is A Wonderland. The rest of the set was played with his band and featured songs from all of his albums. He told so many stories in between every single song. John Mayer is so smart so I loved hearing him talk about different topics and then go off on tangents. The entire show felt like I was hanging out with him and having a conversation with him. It felt great to get inside his head and hear about how he came up with some songs, his life experiences, and how he feels about life in general. I pretty much answered all of my questions in some sort of way during his stories so I was disappointed that I didn't win tickets from my questions!

He played pretty much every single he's ever had so the show should attract casual fans into bigger fans. I hope you watch the show because it is fantastic!!

Decorating for Christmas

I love Christmas and decorating for the holidays. I like unique decorations that aren't your typical tree and Santa decorations. These are some great ideas that are inexpensive and can be used throughout your home.


This is such an easy and inexpensive way to decorate your staircase for the holidays. Put candy canes in different sized glass bowls or vases up the stairs or even on shelves. To be safe, you don't have to use real candles at all or you could use battery operated candles instead.


If you are good with tools, try drilling a hole in small logs and add a candle in the center to create a rustic scene.


I love the combination of white, gold, and silver for the holidays. Mini evergreen trees are an easier and less expensive alternative to having a big tree and a great space saver for those that live in apartments. The mini trees also add a beautiful smell to your home without the mess.
I also love the collection of ornaments in a bowl on the coffee table. Ball ornaments are inexpensive and widely available. Combine colors and sizes to create a more interesting centerpiece.

Cookie Exchange!

Every year at work, I organize a cookie exchange. Everyone signs up on a sheet on my door and writes down what kind of cookie they would like to make. I don't allow chocolate chip cookies because I want people to be creative. Each person bakes 3 cookies for everyone that is participating so you walk away with a bunch of different cookies and recipes.

This year I made, Ina Garten's (The Barefoot Contessa) Shortbread Cookies. When I mixed the dough, it was very crumbly and the recipe seemed odd that there wasn't any liquid in it. I added a few tablespoons of water and that helped to bind the dough together. I didn't have the cookie cutter that Ina used so I used a gingerbread man shaped cutter that I had and dipped their feet in chocolate so it looked like they had boots on. The cookies turned out really well! My mom is going to try to make these for her cookie exchange at her school.

John Mayer's Battle Studies

My birthday was last week and I got John Mayer's new CD, Battle Studies as a gift from my mom who also shares a love of his music. The CD is fantastic!! It has a Tom Petty feel and like most of John's other songs, his lyrics are like poetry. You really get a sense of how conflicted he feels about love on these songs. On songs like "Heartbreak Warfare", "Half Of My Heart", and "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye" he beautifully describes his struggle of being able to be in a relationship and wanting to give it his all. On other songs like songs like "Perfectly Lonely" and "Assasin" he takes the complete opposite approach and seems to enjoy the single life, doing whatever he pleases, and being with as many women as possible.
The album is fantastic as all of John Mayer's albums are. Don't expect to hear a lot of "studio magic" like a lot of other artists have on their albums these days. I highly recommend this album to give or get this holiday season!

Thanksgiving Centerpieces

If you're hosting Thanksgiving this year or would just like to create a beautiful seasonal centerpiece for your table, here are some great options:


There are so many colorful fruits, vegetables, and nuts this time of the year. You can pick up some for less than $5 to put in a bowl, vase, or place on top of a cake plate.


A collection of various sized candles would make a lovely centerpiece. You can use candles that are the same color or pattern with various heights or mix different colors within the same color family like reds, oranges, and golds.


I prefer low centerpieces for conversation at the dinner table and these low cut blooms with votive candles provide color and sparkle when placed over a mirror.

All of these ideas can be done for very little money and you probably have most of these items around the house already!