All of my grandiose plans of posting daily as soon as school ended were shattered when I came down with a cold and fever on my first day of vacation. At least I got around to (mostly) finishing my Christmas tree, which is white, gold, and silver this year.

Something about Christmastime and bokehs always seems right. It’s been a while since I’ve experimented with them, so I figured now that my Christmas lights were up it would be as good a time as any. A couple of years ago I did a heart-shaped bokeh with my Miu Miu bag, but it’s doubtful many of you would remember it since it was so long ago.

Row 1:

1. A bottle of wine and/or tumblers. I loved the typography on this With Love bottle of red wine, but certainly you can find a much cheaper (and equally good) wine at the grocery store. And Gilt is selling these lovely tumblers in a set of 4 for $12, and Target has some nice ones for around the same price!

2. Madewell Foxtrot earrings, $18. Adorable and whimsical – perfect for Christmas, and stylish year-round.

3. A Faux Fur Collar with ribbon, $18 on Etsy.

Row 2:

1. Burt’s Bees. Friends don’t let friends have chapped lips. Perfect for stocking stuffers or small gift bags, everyone loves Burt’s bees – guys included (not to mention they’re a very affordable gift)!

2. A good book. 1Q84, the latest Haruki Murakami book, is available now at Barnes & Noble for $15. A perfect gift for a friend who loves to read, this is a book everyone is talking about right now.

3. Thick, warm, cheerful socks. Socks are one of my favorite things to get for Christmas, in part because they’ve usually disappeared by the same time the following year. (What is it with dryers eating things that come in pairs?) I love these fairisle crew socks from Sock Dreams, $12. Also, Sock Dreams offers free shipping all the time!

Row 3:

1. Tuberose scented balm pocket watch from Modern Alchemy, $35. Okay, maybe this one is on MY wish list. Still, it’s a beautifully-packaged personal scent “watch” that I think any woman would love to have.

2. Fuzzy boudoir slippers from Faire Frou Frou, $46. One of my philosophies about gift-giving is to buy things for people that they wouldn’t normally buy for themselves. And while I know many ladies who would love a pair of these slippers, I don’t know many who would treat themselves to a pair.

3. Sleep mask by Hopeless Lingerie, $20. These beautiful sleep masks by Hopeless Lingerie (one of my favorite independent brands) can be ordered in custom colors. And for crafty gift givers who don’t want to shell out $20, this could be a great DIY present idea!

Also, I would appreciate it if you would all read a recent post I did on intellectual property theft on the internet, and if you have a Tumblr, please reblog!

When building my Christmas wishlist, I try to include a variety of both cheap (for relatives & friends) and more expensive (for my parents) items, especially things that I wouldn’t normally buy for myself. Some of these are definitely reaches (the Kurt Geiger shoes) but hey, I can dream, right? The Anthropologie flats and Chanel blue satin nailpolish are at the very top of my list.

Multi-Layered Reversible Petticoat, $70
Frye ‘Taylor’ Pull-On Boot, $368
EGYPT, 190 GBP
Sunburst Station Necklace by House of Harlow 1960, 78 GBP
The Men’s Store at Bloomingdale’s Fingerless Cashmere Gloves – Men’s -…, $29
Bath & Body Works – Beauty: MMPi.20™ Skin Regenerating Serum 3.4 oz, $150
ASOS | ASOS Leather Twist Lock Satchel at ASOS, $121
City Of Love Ballerinas – Anthropologie.com, $96
Totoro! | Unisex Organic Heather Tee designed by dinotoaster |…, $24
Chanel Le Vernis Limited Edition Blue Satin Nail Colour – TheFind blog

What are you asking Santa for this year?

Christmas graphic from Aerie, edited

My little sister knows me too well; for Christmas, she gave me this Unicorn vs. Narwhal battle set! I’d been pining over it at our local comic store (I love collecting “designer toys”) and she used her allowance to buy it for me. So sweet! She also got me the Unicorn Code tote bag that I’m sure will prove perfect for carrying my texts:

I can’t wait to add the Cold War Unicorns Play Set to my collection; it will make the best conversation piece for visitors, no?

Here are a few more pictures of my Miu Miu bag, too, for those who are interested.

I only wish it could fit my Moleskine planner, which I typically carry around to parties & outings for recording quotes. Looks like I have an excuse to get a pocket Moleskine, I guess!

I think this year has to be one of the best as far as loots go. I was gifted with a pink snuggie, a Unicorn vs. Narwhal battle set (can’t wait to post pictures), a Unicorn Code tote bag, a beautiful plaid Anthropologie dress, and most importantly, an iPhone (to replace my old, broken Sprint). I can’t wait to plaster this Deer Wearing Gym Socks decal on the back of it! But first – a protective case!

Most importantly, though, I bought myself the following (it arrived on Christmas Eve):

As you can probably agree, the most rewarding feeling is buying something that you have wanted for years with your own, hard-earned money. When this popped up on eBay at a very opportune time (I had just received a webdesign check AND made a 4.0 in university), I couldn’t pass it up. I have loved this Miu Miu collection — the aged vitello totes — for years, and I stupidly hesitated buying it when it was in stores. I’m glad I took the chance, because the leather is so supple, the hardware shiny, and most importantly, this little clutch is SO INCREDIBLY SPACIOUS.

This photo is probably the most representative of the color. As you can see, it has some intentional aging around the stitching, perfectly illuminated by the gold hardware. Ah! I’m in love. I adore how girly the color is, without being too “Barbie” (as it appeared in the photos).

More photos later, I really just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a Merry Christmas!