Urbanista Online Gift Guide

THE URBANISTA GIFT GUIDE

2006-11-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

And here you have it: The Urbanista Gift Guide, a list of nearly 100 items that every urbanista "needs" this holiday season. Be sure to send this link on to your ‘rents, siblings, bffs, bfs, roommates, cubemates, and anyone else who might benefit from browsing. PS, many thanks to fashionista extraordinaire Nandita Khanna, who helped compile and write the gift guide, and artistic goddess Whitney Foran, who drew the fabuloso illustrations.

Gifts for urKitchen

2006-11-25T20:12:00.000-08:00

Heat things up on cold New York winter nights with a Le Creuset glossy whistling tea kettle.... Coordinated teacups and saucers? Please, that reminds us of grandma. Mix it up with cups and saucers from Asprey, Hermès, Fishs Eddy, and Anthropologie so teatime is anything but stuffy…. Urbanistas may not know their way around the kitchen, but they sure know the way to celeb hotspot Da Silvano--the place in the city for Italian. The buzzing eatery's line of olive oil and balsamic pays homage to restaurateur Silvano Marchetto's hometown of Tuscany…. Mom could always whip up those delish peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies from the Barefoot Contessa's cookbook. Now you can fake bake with the Barefoot’s boxed baking mixes.... Enjoy a drink this holiday season without stepping off the wagon: Malin+Goetz's mojito soap set blends together scents of mint, rum, and lime.... If you buy a bottle of H2O from New York-based Charity: for $20, you will be giving someone in Africa clean drinking agua for the next 15 years. Even better: If you are having a holiday soirée, planning a company par-tay, or happen to run a spa or boutique, you can get free cases of water to sell on Charity's behalf (at no risk to you). Inquire here.... Interrupt someone's holiday with a gift basket from Interrupcion--the products are all locally sourced and made through socially reponsible and sustainable processes. Plus, proceeds go to a great cause.... Pick up Dirt Devil’s cordless vacuum, designed by Karim Rashid in plum, light pink, deep blue, or charcoal, for cleaning maid stylish…. If you only buy one cookbook this year, make it Better Homes & Gardens New Cook Book . It's full of healthy, easy-to-pull-off recipes. Plus, it's helping urbanistas in another big way--the proceeds go to Breast Cancer Awareness…. Personalize a kitchen with Williams Sonoma's adorable, monogram-able aprons, oven mitts, and dishtowels…. Few things can pry an urbanista away from the colors of her prized take out menus, but these lightweight Williams Sonoma’s mixing bowls, in shades of pink, yellow, and dark green, might just do the trick…. Ditto on this spatulas…. Whimsical confectionary Tribeca Treats, a cute new bakery down South (as in below Canal Street), has sinful cupcakes in flavors such as mocha, pb&j, and s'mores. They will satisfy any hostess’s sweet tooth.... Get a quick degree in mixology for your next party with Stirrings cocktail mixers. Peach bellini and cosmopolitan stand out.... The cheery cereal bowls from Fishs Eddy double as ice cream bowls…. Fill them up with irresistible ice cream from Graeter’s now, and worry about how you'll fit into your skinny jeans later.

Gifts for urBedroom

2006-11-25T20:10:00.000-08:00

Anything Mulberry—the new “berry” from across the pond—is a must-have this holiday season. We love this little red handbag…. Snag jeans from 18th Amendment, an Australian label that Harvey Nichols declared the “new name to drop,” before the brand gets big in the states. The denims are named after old Hollywood stars such as Rita Hayworth and Marlene Dietrich…. Adam+Eve’s t-shirts are uber-soft and comfy…. Wear your new threads with a pair of Matt Bernson’s shoes—every urbanista must own his flats and sandals…. Henri Bendel candles make the perfect hostess gift. The pomegranate scent gets our thumbs up…. Make a statement with Lulu Guinness’s travel trunks, available at Lulu stores. They are also great for under-the-bed storage in postage-stamp sized West Village apartments…. If you buy a pair of Toms Shoes, the jet-setter’s version of Vans, a pair of shoes will be donated to a child in need on your behalf…. Weather the weather with a Patricia Underwood hat. For a more downtown look, check out Hat Attack…. Hey, your iPod gets cold too! Warm it up with a hand-knit iPod warmer…. And now that your iPod's outerwear is all stylish, give its music selection a facelift with an Audiostiles gift certificate.... Helen Ficalora’s alphabet charms are classic, chic, and, well, charming. Fashionistas like putting several charms on one necklace…. You’ll be eye candy with Stacey Lapidus’s arm candy…. If a personal trainer doesn’t work with your budget, kick it into gear with the Nike + iPod Sports Kit. Not only will the software let you program your iPod to change music depending on how fast you are running, but it will also tell you how many calories you’ve burned…. Haha, so you were cleaning out your drawers last time you were at the ‘rents house, and found a love letter from your 7th grade boyfriend stuck in the middle of your middle school yearbook. Find letters like this and more in Mortified…. But if you are looking for something more, uh, mature, try digging for rare books at The Strand…. The Lucky Shopping Manual is a working girl’s staple…. You absolutely can’t sit first row without one of Smythson’s fashion diaries. Designed by Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen, Giambattista Valli, and Missoni, they include fashion show dates, and guides to London, Paris, Milan, and home sweet home—New York….

Gifts for urLiving Room

2006-11-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

Cozy up with West Elm’s supersoft throw made from natural bamboo fibers…. The customizable glass coasters in more than 50 styles from Iomoi give a coffee table a fresh look…. Peruse the Design Sponge Shop for something to spruce up your common room. The well-edited selection of limited edition items are only available on design guru Grace Bonney's site.... We know coffee table books make the greatest gifts, so here's a selection of some of Urbanista's personal favorites: Annie Leibovitz’s A Photographer’s Life is a retrospective of 15 years of her lens encounters with everyone from Nelson Mandela to Johnny Cash. Give the book along with tickets to see her exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, which runs through January 21, 2007…. HOME: The Blueprints of Our Lives sends us back to our youth with stories and pictures of the childhood homes of Americans across the country, including Vera Wang, Benicio Del Toro, Steven Spielberg, and more. You'll be surprised how similar their homes were to yours.... Individuals: Portraits from the Gap Collection celebrates 30 years of the retailer's iconic advertisements and their celebrity subjects….. Gucci by Gucci pays tribute to the Italian house's dazzling history, from its creative directors to its covetable accessories…. There's nary a trace of The Devil Wears Prada here, with In Vogue: The Illustrated History of the World's Most Famous Fashion Magazine, which includes an in-depth look at the glamorous magazine's past and the elegant images that have made it the highly respected fashion bible it is today…. In time for what would be its 20th anniversary, Spy: The Funny Years offers a retrospective of the satirical magazine's brilliant wit…. Tastemakers like Manolo Blahnik and Paul Smith collaborate to design covers of Madame Bovary and Lady Chatterly's Lover, respectively, for Penguin’s designer classic series.... Assouline's book candles conjure up memories spent in an old library with scents such as leather, wood, and bibliothèque, which is redolent of the pleasures of reading.

Gifts for urBathroom

2006-11-25T20:06:00.000-08:00

Every seductress must have Miller Harris’s earthy L’air de Rein fragrance, a scent that was inspired by sultry French actress Jane Birkin—the same Birkin who inspired Hermès’s infamous lust-worthy bag. The perfume is sold exclusively at Saks in New York…. Acqua de Parma’s fragrances will transport you back in time to a world of old Hollywood glamour (Audrey Hepburn love love loved the Italian perfumery). Our favorite scent is Iris Nobile…. If you prefer an individual flavor, Ajne will custom-blend a fragrance just for you…. If you’re going splurge on one treat-worthy body lotion this holiday season, make it Jo Wood’s Amka Organic Body Lotion, a lavish creation that comes in a precious deco-style bottle…. Sold in New York only at Bendel, Therapy Systems’s makeup clutch, which has handy compartments and an easy-to-clean plastic lining, doubles as fab evening handbag…. And why not stock your new clutch with new makeup? For starters, try YSL’s Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation and one of Chantecaille’s four metallic Luminous Eye Liners…. Have you been naughty or nice? Either way, throw some Chanel nail polishes (oh Black Satin polish, how we wish you were still available!) into your stocking…. And some Chanel lip glosses, too…. Speaking of stocking stuffers, a Shu Umera eyelash curler is a must…. Brace yourself for this one, girls. There's a new flavor of Smith's Rosebud Salve! Minted Rose is sold only at Sephora.... Guerlain’s Meteorites Face Powder will beautify your vanity—and your complexion…. Everyone swears by Bobby Brown’s makeup brushes. We love the face blender, blush , eye shader, and eye shadow brushes.… A glass pen cup, designed at the Christie Street shop Superdeluxe, is worthy of holding your new makeup tools…. A stylish bathroom takes only a tiny touch like Missoni hand towels…. Everything Keihl’s is great, obviously! Try hydrating and softening your skin with their Soothing Mask…. Wash your tresses with Warren-Tricomi’s shampoo and conditioner, and dry your locks with a Babylis Pro (which you can buy here)…. Wrap up in a lush W Hotel bathrobe…. And pamper yourself or a friend with an Acqua Beauty Bar gift certificate. The Winter Escape Spa Package treatment comes highly recommended.

Gifts for urTravels

2006-11-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

Brit designer Alice Temperley has fashion in the bag with her collection of look-at-me travel luggage in a delightful assortment of colors and patterns. The bags are available at Temperley stores.... Luxe beauty purveyor Molton Brown’s foray into leather goods comes as a welcome surprise. The Globetrekker leather bag is the perfect carry-on, and won't get lost in the shuffle with rich colors like wine and chocolate…. Mark your turf with Pamela Barsky’s six-pack of luggage tags that have snarky phrases such as, "There's nothing worth stealing in here" and "I'm pretty sure this isn't your bag"…. Store your boarding pass, passport, and Travelers Cheques close at hand with Smythson's haute travel wallet, which comes in an assortment of skins and colors…. With Molton Brown's New Age Traveller kit, you can finally take it all with you. The pared down collection includes a skin cleanser, eye make up remover, overnight cream, hairwash, and conditioner in generously sized bottles encased in a covetable leather cosmetics bag…. Trish McEvoy thought ahead and packaged the four brushes you'll need when traveling in a quilted zipper case. The good news: The case is roomy enough that you can still store your can't-leave-home-without-it Black Card make-up palette, too. Sheer genius!.... We've always gone to Intermix for the latest designer duds, so it's only natural they'd cull their jet-set expertise to create The Black Book, a guide to the best places to dine, hang, and sleep in the Hamptons, Vegas, Miami, New York, etc…. No one really wants a bullseye on their back by looking like a tourist, and you won't have to with Wallpaper’s pocket-sized city guides. They give you the real scoop on where to go in cities like Rio De Janeiro, Shanghai, and Tokyo…. Equally discrete and fashionable are Luxe City Guides, which cover ground from Australia to Vietnam. Urbanista loves these spot-on guides since they are updated twice yearly.

For ur beach getaway...
Urbanistas can always count on their favorite bespeckled designer Marc Jacobs to design a bag they can take everywhere. MJ's special line of superslick totes, which are available at MJ stores, come in three sizes and metallic colors. The large gold bag is perfect for the beach…. Missoni's rainbow-hued itsy bitsy bikini is the only one worth packing…. Lather up with sunscreen a la Mario Badescu…. Capture the feeling of your warm weather getaway with Bobbi Brown's Beach fragrance, which has notes of sand jasmine, sea spray and mandarin.... Cover up with Tory Melissa Odabash's crinkled embellished tunic for an afternoon mojito at the pool bar…. Simple and chic, Tom Ford’s oversized sunglasses have the precise amount of bathing beauty cool.... Head poolside with one of New York-based Art Production Fund's double width, plush beach towels. They're designed by well-known modern artists, and the proceeds going to public arts projects.

And for ur winter getaway...
Take to the slopes this winter bundled up in a fur-trimmed jacket by Spyder that's equal parts chic and warm…. Make like the U.S. Ski Team and slip on these high-tech goggles by Swedish outfitter Poc, which are treated with anti-fog and anti-scratch protectants.... Hit up the apres-ski scene in style with Chanel’s quilted black boots festooned with a silver chainlink. They’re part of the label’s sport fall-winter 2006 collection, and available at Chanel stores.... Your twisters and daffys got you noticed on the slopes. Now stand out at the base of the mountain with Pucci's trademark whimsically printed ski and boot bag in berry pink for Rossignol.

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