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Holiday Gift Guide
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PRODUCED BY REBECCA CHRISTIAN
From the practical to the luxurious, the high tech to the old school, the amusing stocking stuffer to the extravagant "You shouldn't have!" Christmas morning bedazzler, we've gathered online must-haves to help you find that just-right gift. Click, click, click, and ho, ho, ho!
The superheroes on your list will be psyched to take on the roles of the Dark Knight and Catwoman by playing the action-adventure video game Batman: Arkham City, $55.99. A sequel to the wildly popular Batman: Arkham Asylum, it's got oodles of bells and whistles and is getting great reviews. Click here.
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Our arts and antiques editor thinks this is an uncommonly pretty platter at an uncommonly pretty price. Don't you agree? Accented with pheasant feathers, it takes flight at Bongenre. The weighty, 18-inch platter sells for $70 and was designed by antiques dealer Jill Fenichell, who says, "It's heavy-duty enough to take a full roast with potatoes without collapsing. It's meant to resemble china but won't break or chip," says Fenichell. The company also sells pretty plates for about $15 each. Click here.
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We love these flamboyant and well-made bags so much that one of us had to have it for holiday partygoing. It's from an affordable line called Anabelle, by designer Marcia Sherrill, whose accessories sell in department and specialty stores like Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. Prices range from $24 for a cosmetic bag to $120 for a large purse. Click here.
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High tech meets timeless style in this handsome Macbook cover in rich chestnut leather, with topstitching detail and a magnetic strap closure to protect travelers' and commuters' Macbooks from damage, $139 to 149 from Restoration Hardware. Click here.
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This delicious "Licorice" necklace by designer Danielle Gori-Montanelli features "candy" cubes of hand cut and sewn wool felt. $150 from Artful Home. Click here.
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We fell hard for this scrumptious, oversized Canoodle Lounging Chair from Soft Surroundings for $1,598. Wouldn't it look inviting in a master bedroom? It's available in a range of fabrics. Click here.
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it's almost a paperless world, but who doesn't still use sticky notes? This cube of them comes in a stylish kilim pattern, $16, from Suzy Jack. Click here.
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What's a holiday without a gadget or two to play with? Here's a kit for making healthy fizzy drinks. All you have to do is add flavor to the seltzer, and there are no cans or bottles to recycle. The Fizz Seltzer Starter Kit comes in five snazzy colors for $150. Click here.
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Our research editor by day (and gemologist by night) was smitten with this Raphael Ring, designed by Stacey Johnson for Bri Hana Jewelry ($175). It's a blue lace agate druzy, and because it is a natural stone, each ring will vary in color. Click here.
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The booster seat gets a style update. The portable Sweet Seat, $84, is meant for kids who are too big for a high chair but too little to sit at the table. It looks like it is upholstered in fine fabric (one of the doting grandmas on our staff bought it in the green and white damask pattern for her grandson to sit on while he's at her house), but is easy to wipe off. Click here.
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Author Jennifer Wilson is Traditional Home's own Travel Contributor. Two years ago, she and her husband put their Midwestern lives in deep freeze, packed up their suitcases and their two young children, and moved to a tiny mountain village in Croatia where Wilson's maternal family had its roots. Her account of their months-long stay there is by turns funny, surprising, insightful, and startlingly honest. And it's one terrific read. Book Group alert! $26, St. Martin's Press. Click here.
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Huzzah! For the pooch who would be king (or queen), behold these royal food bowls for $108 from The Well Appointed House. Click here.
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Techies will rejoice over the eagerly awaited DROID RAZR, a very thin, very lightweight, very smart, and very hard to break smartphone, so brand new from Motorola for $299 that we couldn't yet provide a direct link when this gift guide went into production, but you can order it from Verizon.com.
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Here's a stylish way to protect an iPad from damage. Artisan leather iPad covers from Restoration Hardware come in a variety of styles and colors, from $99 to $149. Click here.
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Almost too pretty to eat is the Cameo Ornament collection of four chocolates from Vosges Haut-Chocolat, for $14. Click here.
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For a dog jacket your best friend won't resist, try the easy to get off and on Dog Grab Jacket, made with a nylon shell and a fleece interior, $32.50 from Duluth Trading Company. Click here.
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Here's a great stocking stuffer for those who love to sip. The Wine Doctor Intelli-Stopper is a high tech "cork" with a little pump that takes out a precise amount of air, keeping wine in already opened bottles looking, smelling and tasting fresh days later. $17.99. Click here.
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The weather outside may be frightful, but the hostess on your list can dream of the ocean while using this striking Ocean Coral Nut Dish by Michael Aram, $89, made of nickelplate and stainless steel. Click here.
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Keep her toasty with these Sumptuous Angora Socks, available in ivory and three heathery pastels, $19.95 from Soft Surroundings. Click here.
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A monogram always makes a gift feel more special. We like these Acrylic Notes from PaperFancy, available in nine patterns, starting at $32.99. Click here.
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We love the vintage look of the analog wide angle Sprocket Rocket Camera from the MoMA Store, $90. Click here.
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Nothing says Christmas like a bicycle under the tree. The Easy Rider Bike from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child, $160-$180, combines timeless style (its made of birch plywood) and contemporary engineering to make it easy for children to keep their balance while learning to ride. Click here.
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These mice cheesepicks, silverplated with crystal accents, made us smile. $22 for a set of 8. Click here.
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Think outside the bowl with the Fish Hotel from Crate and Barrel, $29.95. The glass inner bowl lifts out for easy cleaning. Click here.
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For the foodie, give rich, delicious, decadent Holy City Chocolate mix for hot chocolate, $12 from foodzie. Click here.
Also available from foodzie is Charleston Crepe Company's Crepe Mix for $10. Click here.
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You can’t blame us for wanting to make future design enthusiasts out of today’s youngsters. Get your child or grandchild off to a stylish start with this handsome Mini French Wing Chair, scaled to a child’s size, $429 from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. Click here.
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Give your favorite hostess (or perhaps yourself) a little glam with the Montana Crystal Napkin Ring, made with Swarovski crystal components, for $65 per ring. Click here.
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2012 is the year of the dragon. Help a color-craving gift recipient ring it in with brilliant pillows from Tibetan Craftspeople of Nepal, made with a handwoven wool front and cotton back with decorative Tibetan brass buttons, $249 each from Michelle Willey. Click here.
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Cozy, aren't they? These sweater vases from Crate and Barrel for $16.95 make a great hostess gift. Click here.
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Help him tee off from his favorite chair with silverplated Golf Swizzle Sticks from Marquette Home for $20. Click here.
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Timeless as a navy blue blazer and tan slacks, these Thank You gift tags can be tied around a bottle of wine or other gift of gratitude, 5 tags for $20 from Dempsey & Carroll. Click here.
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Classic meets contemporary in this MP3 Alarm Clock Docking Station and Speakers. We love the retro double-belled design. Plus the omni-directional speakers help you get ready to greet the day with a song in your heart. $59.95 from Crate and Barrel. Click here.
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These Chambray Animals, perfect for a nursery, are the epitome of childhood innocence and wonderment. Embroidered accents bring them to life. $29 each from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child. Click here.
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Just right for the season is the deep claret of this classic woman's tote from the Duluth Trading Company for $139.50. Made of oiled top-grain leather that looks even better when it's been well-loved and used, it also comes in a rich brown. It zips closed and is great for carrying a Kindle or Nook! Click here.
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Let a loved one channel her inner diva with the Leopard Bootie from Soft Surroundings, $198.95, complete with a whipstitched leather detail in back. Click here.
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Handsomely packaged Taffin candles, $65 each, come in several scents: Fleur d’Oranger (soothing orange blossoms); Sapin (rich, woodsy pine and jasmine); and Bois de Lilas (lilac, rose, and honey), from Barneys New York. Click here.
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Wines with a fashion illustration on the bottle¹s label are perfect for your most stylish recipient. Banana Republic for Clos du Bois Limited-Edition Holiday Wine Bottles, $16.99 for chardonnay and $18.99 for cabernet. Click here
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Fashionistas will appreciate the style of this print by David Downton, signed, numbered, and dated by the artist, about $500, from Fashion Illustration Gallery (many other prints available). Click here.
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The happy colors and textured handmade look of these Color Burst bowls from Up in the Air Somewhere, $52- $64 each, help set a festive table. They also come in peach and yellow. Click here.
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Wrap her in luxury with this Leopard Fur Capelet (leopard-print dyed rabbit) by Adrienne Landau, $650 from Neiman Marcus. Click here.
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Yes, Virginia, some of us still use recipe cards. This nifty leather Recipe Organizer, $32 from Gallery Leather, comes in a rainbow of colors, with Mylar tabs for reference and journal pages for jotting down kitchen wisdom. Click here.
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This handsome shawl collared sweater in a wool alpaca blend with a plaid flannel lining will make your sweetie ready for his close-up on Christmas day. It comes in chestnut, navy, and dark gray for $149.50 from Duluth Trading Co. (Now all he needs is his pipe and slippers). Click here.
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For the hard to buy for man in your life, consider what gentlewomen refer to as "something in a glass," in this case, Ron Abuelo 12 year rum for $34.99 a bottle. Distilled from molasses in Panama, it's been aged in whisky and bourbon barrels. Click here.
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Hmm, what to put in a beautiful box. Love letters? Photographs? A pressed flower? It's up to the romanticist on your list. Mustard Chinoiserie Box, $230, from The Well Apppointed House. Click here.
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Boy meets grill with this Napoleon Apollo 3-in-1 Smoker for $359 from Amazon.com. It has more options than a 2012 automobile, with a smoker, a stand-alone grill with lid, and a water smoker. Click here.
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Your best pal can sleep in style in this comfy cotton canvas dog bed, edged in cording, from Garnet Hill. Available in three patterns, the covers can be removed for washing. From $68 to $174 depending on size. A monogram can be added. Click here.
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Does someone on your list like the retro look? Give them a little sixties flair from the Plimpton Flame collection, earthenware table items in colors rain, maize, and tangerine from Jill Rosenwald studio. Prices range from $78 for a soup bowl to $124 for a vase. Click here.
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We're intrigued by Andrew Miller's custom mosaic portraits, made up of tiny miniature photographs. Artist Miller, a young father, came up with the idea as a Mother's Day gift for his wife when he realized he had more than 1,000 images of their twin daughters on his hard drive. Clients provide images that are meaningful to them, making a wonderful showcase for memories. Fees start at $1,000; gift certificates are available. Click here.
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For sartorial splendor, nothing beats a handmade shirt. Wouldn't your fella look fine in this purple gingham-checked number? Choose among classic, contemporary and classic fits, with prices starting at $85. Gift certificates are available. Click here.
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Oh, so soft! Baby the baby in your family with this cashmere blanket and toddler pillow set from Restoration Hardware Baby & Child for $189; it also comes in dove (grey) and petal (pink). Click here.
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