I’m writing my letter to Santa and I thought I’d share it with all of you. (And yes, I do really still believe in Santa, and so should you!)

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a very very good girl this year… I didn’t wear white after Labor day, I didn’t buy too many pairs of shoes or bags, I tried to give as much help and advice to those with less fashion sense than me… So Santa baby, I’ve made a short list of a few small things I really NEED and think I deserve for being so good this year…

1. A Nancy Gonzalez Crocodile Clutch. I promise keep extra cash in it to give homeless people…
   
2. A MetroKane Mini Bar Juicer. Don’t worry Santa, I won’t drink and drive… Oh and next year instead of cookies and milk, I’ll make you a margarita!
3. A Herbeau Medicis Copper Bath Tub. You might not be able to fit it under the tree, so you can just leave it in the bathroom if that’s easier for you…
4. A Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT. I’ll take pictures and capture the beauty of God’s creations and post them on the internet for everyone to enjoy…
5. A Rainmaker Air 24″ Shower Head. That’s right, you heard me, 24″ baby! I’ll bet you’re gonna get one for yourself too now aren’t you?

Well that’s all for now… Unless I could convince you to throw in one of these nice shiny cars? Thanks in advance Santa, I really appreciate it! Have a safe flight!

Red is the new black when the Holidays are near… So you want to add the season’s colors to your home without making your living room look like a department store window display… Luckily I’ve found some funky, pretty, sophisticated pieces to give your home that Christmassy look.

Let’s start with some basics. Red candles are simply beautiful and add that extra spark you’re looking for. Then you’ll want to add a nice bouquet of red flowers (roses are my personal preference). You’ll need something to put those flowers in, and with this vase, you’ll get the candy cane effect. But if the kiddies insist on the real thing, here’s the perfect candy dish (very funky) to put it in… Then you’ll want to cuddle up in a cozy red blanket with a good book and mug of eggnog.

So let that red in, and let it glow, let it glow, let it glowwww….

It’s that wonderful time of the year… family, friends, parties, and LOTS to drink… Well fortunately for you, this year you can drink and entertain in style and worry about the hangover later. First, I think it’s important to tell you all that I’m the kinda girl who more than drinking, likes to serve and mix… So I’m always on the lookout for pretty glasses or gadgets to make mixing drinks more fun.

And so, I present to you my top 5 favorite bar accessories and gadgets:

1. Bongos Professional Bar Tender. It’s the hottest little bar around… Comes with 11 bottle holders and an ice maker. It’s a little pricey, but well worth it.
2. Target Red Martini Glasses. Sooo chic! These are the kind of glasses that separate the sophisticated drink from the typical booze.
3. Metrokane Mini Bar Juicer. This is definitely on my list for Santa, but at such a great price, I might just buy it for myself!
4. Metrokane Wine Accessories Set. This makes a fantastic gift for the wine connoisseur or for anyone who hates fumbling with crappy corkscrews.
5. Metrokane Bullet Cocktail Shaker. This is THE sexiest cocktail shaker I have ever seen! I mean come on! Just look at it!

Umm in case you didn’t notice, I LOVE METROKANE! These guys are fantastic! Also, here are some other fantastic people who can help you out in the drink department: DrinkStreet.com is an awsome place to find and share drink recipes.

So whether you’re planning to have a party or just a romantic night in front of the fire, make sure you’re prepared. Drink up, have a good time, and whatever you do, don’t drink and dial. Salud!

And here we are… how many seconds after you digested that turkey did it take for the “INSTINCT” to kick in? Which instinct, you might ask? The - must get to the mall 5 minutes before it opens and leave 5 minutes after it closes, must think of gifts for 50 really close people and 100 or so not really close people, must manage to grab all these gifts before thousands of other shoppers get them first, must be extremely generous but must not take out a second mortgage, must not get run over or trampled on, must not stop at anything, I mean anything, to get that freakin TMX Elmo - instinct.

Well here’s my solution to help you get all that done, without breaking the bank or an arm… Ladies and Gentlemen, I introduce to you: CYBER MONDAY. It’s the Black Friday of online shopping. So shop in your PJ’s and have someone else (the UPS man) carry the boxes to your door! I’ve calculated that the price for shipping (not taking into consideration that most websites have free shipping on everything) will come out to less that the money I spend on gas and parking. Let me tell you, I am NOT getting up from my computer chair tomorrow!

Look out for more holiday posts and advice coming your way over the course of the next month or so… Till then, HAPPY SHOPPING!

My goodness it’s Friday already! I hope you all enjoyed you Thanksgiving in style… Now it’s that time again… allow me to introduce my find for this week. It’s the “Hang It Up Folding Screen” by Adesso. This particular item is really great for all of you who want to corner off a room (or clutter zone), or separate areas in your home. This screen comes in 2 different colors to match your decor and will fit in anywhere basically. What I love about it most is that it comes with 2 shelves, 3 hanging hooks, and a removable MAGAZINE RACK!!! Plus, it’s ON SALE right now for a very reasonable price…

Stay tuned for my new find next week…

The holidays are approaching (although I’m trying to push off thinking about it for as long as possible), and this time around you need a bit of a boost. Year after year you put up the same decorations, make the same foods, buy the same gifts… The stresses of shopping and bills pile up and when it’s finally time to sit down and relax, you feel a negative sort of energy pulling you down. Well this year, you want to change that. I’ve found something simple that works for me that I think will work for you too.

Candles! Everywhere! The warm glow of beautiful candles set on a mantle or used as a centerpiece are sure to lift your spirits help you relax. The aroma, light, and warmth that candles emit will bring good karma into your home. I know that some of you are just not into the whole “candle thing” but trust me, once you start, you’ll get addicted! Candles are an inexpensive way to add life to your home and elegance to your holiday decor. Use pretty candle holders for added class and color…

One of my favorite websites is 100Candles.com . They have a huge selection of gorgeous candles and pretty reasonable prices… What I like to do is use a simple glass bowl filled with water with a bunch of floating candles as a centerpiece for my holiday table. If you want to get really creative, you can put a mirror under the bowl and put some loose flower petals in the water as well. The light of the brightly colored candles reflecting off the glass and the water is brilliant! I also like strategically placing candles all over the room like on the mantle, on the side table, next to the picture frames…

You can put them anywhere you like, as long as they are out of the reach of children and (pyromaniac cousins). Bring some good energy into your homes this holiday with candles and let it change your karma. Oh and after everyone’s come and gone and you’re done cleaning up, take a nice long candle-lit bubble bath and just let go. You deserve it!

Ok ladies and gents… Today, we will start our first lesson in Kitchen Couture 101. Hopefully one day soon I’ll start another blog dedicated solely to my favorite room in the house, but for now, lets see how much I can cram into this post…

First off, my number one rule is that kitchens should ALWAYS be painted in bright colors. The kitchen is where one’s family commences for food, warmth, and companionship. It’s the one room where formalities are dropped and the smells bring forth a tingly sense of comfort and love. Therefor, the kitchen should never, ever, be painted white, or gray, or any other blah color. Stick to warm, glowing colors like this beautiful Kayak Yellow by Ralph Lauren.

Second, its extremely important to have as much storage space as possible. Keeping appliances and gadgets on your counter tops not wastes precious space, but it gives your kitchen a cluttered, messy look. If you’re short on cabinets and shelves, here’s a an idea for you: get yourself a kitchen cart. These carts give you extra storage space while adding elegant charm to your kitchen. Get yourself one with wheels and it doubles as a serving caddy.

Last tip (for now), your sink, can make you love or hate your kitchen. A small sink will always result in more dishes piling up, more dirty water splashing everywhere, and more aggravation for you. If you’re going to splurge on one thing in your kitchen, I would choose the sink you buy. Get one (or two) as big as you can fit, and make sure it’s good quality. I have two Blanco Stainless Steel sinks in my kitchen and I love them! I also have to show you guys the funkiest sink I have ever seen… it’s by Elkay and let me tell you, this sink has been getting more magazine coverage than Brit and K-fed!

So remember, keep your kitchens, bright, clutter-free, and happy! And that ends our lesson for the day…

From now on, every Friday I will be posting a “find of the week”. This will be an item that I saw that week that caught my eye and I thought was a great find.

My find for this week is this Castillo Pillow from Crate&Barel. The fantastic colors are sure to liven up any room yet maintain a sense of style. And, it’s ON SALE (my two favorite words in the English language)!!!

Tune in next week for a new find…

So your wall needs a little pick-me-up… Everyone has that wall. You know the one I’m talking about… The one that you just couldn’t find anything to hang on so you put an odd painting there that on second thought looks terribly mismatched with the paint color it’s hanging on. What to do, what to do? Well here’s an idea that should appeal to your sense of style as well as your ego… Get yourself a fabulous mirror that will not only brighten up your wall, but will also make a great conversation piece for your next cocktail party.

Now I know you’re thinking “who says I’m gonna find a mirror that suits my taste?”, but you’ve seen nothing yet! When looking for a mirror, in just ONE site I went to, they had over 2000 different kinds of mirrors in stock!!! It’s not possible to not find something you like (I found 300 somethings I liked)! You can go classic, the more modern look, or maybe a little antique… If you’re looking more for a fresh, funky kinda look, I fell in love with this Atlantis Wall Mirror by Kalco that I think would be just right.

Any way you look at it, mirrors are your best bet for a little decor magic to liven up your walls and make your home “the prettiest of the all”.

Visited any chic Upper-East Side NYC apartments lately? The graying weather and the inevitable white of snow seem to be influencing home decorators who are turning to more monochromatic schemes this season. The classic grays and whites are back in different tinges, shapes and sizes. From gallery white walls to eggshell couches, the need to find peace in one’s surroundings seems evident everywhere. Margaret Russell, Editor in Chief of ELLE DÉCOR Magazine says that although striking colors bring a smile to her face, she finds her monochromatically designed apartment to be soothing in her hectic life.

Now if you’re interested in this calm sense of style, I have some tips and some warnings to help achieve the finest décor without any design faux pas along the way. First of all, remember that you want to stick with one basic color and decorate with different hues of it. Patterns are a nice touch as long as they are understated. Secondly, it’s not just the furniture that makes the room, but what the furniture goes on top of as well. Your flooring, carpet, or rug is an essential part of the style. For those of you who need a bit of drama under all that calm, bring it out on your floors. Use one other color besides for your fundamental color such as classic black with your fundamental white, or a dark burgundy if you want to really get it out there: Here’s another tip: glass and crystal are hot items this season and go very well with the whole look. My personal recommendations are glass coffee tables and lots of crystal vases and trinkets. Remember, going monochromatic doesn’t mean you have to turn into a minimalist. Have fun and at the end of the day, take it all in and relax!