holiday gift guide: for the consummate host & for the art aficionado

Dec 7, 2012 | favorite things, gift guide, shopping | 0 comments

around this time of year, i stock up on great hostess gifts so that i never show up empty handed to a last-minute gathering!  below you’ll find some fantastic gifts for the host, and for the art lover.

FOR THE CONSUMMATE HOST

  1. modern bamboo mortar and pestle, $38 i love this mortar and pestle in a funky neon color
  2. jardins du monde canapé plates, $79 a little secret: anyone can make freezer section appetizers look gourmet if served on gorgeous plates
  3. ice bucket with wine insert, $105 a great way to keep wines & champagnes icy cold
  4. horn bowl and utensils, $38 & $48 a lovely and timeless serving set
  5. homemade oatmeal bird soap, $4.95 these little soaps are so sweet
  6. striped table cloth, $228 this table cloth is so chic – i think anyone would love it
  7. silver chevron tray, $228 this tray is both functional and stylish
  8. leather wine bottle carriers, $48-$135 these are earthy and rustic, a great way to transport a bottle of wine
  9. knot bottle opener, $28 i love this bottle opener – it’s the perfect accessory for a beautiful bar cart
  10. ana striped candle set, $24 these pillar candles add another dimension to the dinner table

FOR THE ART AFICIONADO

  1. mistress of modernism: the life of peggy guggenheim, $18.30 a great biography on the “doyenne of abstract expressionism”
  2. max wagner print, $60 max is one of those artists who’s work appeals to everyone – those who are retro, those who are traditional, those who are modern and those who fall somewhere in between
  3. wood wall frame, $8.99-$29.99 this is a beautiful, rustic and inexpensive way to frame art
  4. paint box votive candle holder, $68 so creative and perfect for the art lover
  5. 20×200 gift certificate, $24 & up if you don’t know about 20×200, let me be the first to tell you: it’s brilliant and one of my favorite sources for affordable, original artwork
  6. easel art studio, $149 tools that the budding artist can take anywhere
  7. max wagner print, $60 i love this print so very much
  8. california design, 1930-1965: living in a modern way, $60 a comprehensive study of mid-century modern California design
  9. LACMA gift membership, $25 & up for LA locals, this is a wonderful gift that supports the arts
  10. colored pencils in brass holder, $82 if only we had such chic things when I was in elementary school!