LUXURY
for the globetrotter
Gift Guide
Leather iPhone Wallet
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iscover these beautiful and meticulously crafted leather iPhone wallets that are entirely handmade in small, rural factories in Sweden. P.A.P.’s iPhone wallets are made to last long and age well. With a background in cabinet making, product design and interior architecture, the owner of the company has developed a deep love of materials and craft. These wallets were designed to age and acquire a natural patina that makes them more beautiful as time goes by. Each item has been meticulously crafted by skilled artisans in a small factory in the South East region of Sweden. They lend a sense of style and character to your technology at the same time as they shield your iPhone from wear and tear. This product is made of top quality leather with handcrafted brass details. They have 2 pockets for credit cards and driver’s license, as well as a small hole in the back for your phone’s camera. www.papsweden.se
Relaxation Music for Dogs and Cats CD
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P.A.P. Accessories; Pet Acoustics
ust as music for humans can change the mood and feel of an environment, this is true for animals as well. Dogs and cats hear sounds two and three times better than humans. These special CDs have been created by a specific process modifying the music’s frequency range according to dog and cat hearing sensitivities. Within minutes of listening to the music, you will see your dog or cat start to relax and feel calm. Each Relaxation Music CD is an hour of gentle melodic orchestrations designed just for pets. The music is designed for pet lovers too! Play your choice of music with repeatable results for rest time, separation anxiety, thunderstorm nervousness, car travel, veterinary visits, barn time, trail rides, walking with your dog, grooming, puppy and kitten training or for quiet time. www.petacoustics.com/home.html
for the globetrotter
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Rosetta Stone “Rosetta Stone TOTALe may be the next best thing to living in a country.” — Wall Street Journal
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s the leading language-learning software in the world, Rosetta Stone makes learning a new language second nature. Recreate the natural way you learned your first language and reveal skills that you already have using Dynamic Immersion. This award-winning method has been adopted by countless organizations, schools and millions of users around the world. Connect with the world. Learn language fundamentals from greetings and introductions to simple questions and answers. Give and get directions, tell time, and dine out. Share your opinions, and talk about everyday life: your interests, your work, current events, and more. Dé el regalo de un nuevo idioma! www.rosettastone.com
Heirloom Magnetic Map
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Frontgate; Rosetta Stone
ith a Personalized Magnetic Travel Map, you can chart your journeys across the country or around the globe and even plan that “someday” trip of a lifetime. These current Rand McNally World and U.S. maps are printed on parchmentstyle paper with rich, subdued colors that give each one a sophisticated oldworld appearance. 50 colored magnets in 5 colors let you track previously visited destinations or plan future adventures. The maps are beautifully framed in elegant mahogany and burled wood. www.frontgate.com
LUXURY
for the tech guru
Gift Guide
Portable Card Speaker
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he tiny and elegant card speaker is the size of a pack of gum, plugs into any iPhone, iPad or laptop and holds a charge for five hours. It is the size of a credit card and has the sound of a much larger, more expensive speaker. Its streamlined, eyecatching design raises the bar for all other iPhone and mp3 player accessories. The card speaker fits any iPhone, mp3 player or cell phone with a 3.5 mm jack connection. It’s the gadget that will turn your iPhone into a full-on portable sound system. www.yliving.com
Katie Foley; GoPano; yliving.com; ahalife.com
GoPano Micro
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he GoPano micro is a lens for the iPhone 4 and 4S that enables you to create 360° panoramic videos. Just snap the lens to your iPhone4 and tape record to make cool interactive 360° videos instantly. The GoPano micro records everything around you simultaneously so you never miss a minute of action! Instantly upload your 360° video and share a video experience that’s almost as good as being there. www.store.gopano.com
for the tech guru
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Custom Skins For Your Electronics
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kinit device skins are the easy way to personalize your electronics and protect them at the same time by using a thin “skin” applied directly to the surface of your device. Each skin is made from a flexible, super-strong vinyl material that has been specially crafted to perfectly fit every corner, cutout and curve of your device – providing the ultimate custom lightweight protection from everyday bumps, scuffs and scratches. www.skinit.com
Leather iPad Clutch Case
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apulet London is a luxury accessories brand, creating stylish and high quality leather goods for today’s most innovative and widely used technology. With understated yet distinctly sophisticated designs, Capulet London products are multi-functional as clutches or bags, richly textured in handpicked leather from Italy and France, and meticulously detailed to be permanent accessories in your wardrobe. For the highest quality leathers, the company sources from the Hermes and Balenciaga factories. Carrying a Capulet London design will garner much attention and awe wherever you go. The Emma iPhone Wristlet is made of chic embossed calf leather and holds your phone, credit card, cash, coins & keys. The Marija iPad Clutch is Italian Python print on calf leather and holds your iPad while doubling as a stylish clutch. www.capuletlondon.com/us Skinit.com; Capulet London; ahalife.com
AREYOUL I VI NG T HEPRI MEOF YOURL I F ET OT HEF UL L ES T ?
RECEI VESI XI SSUESI NYOURHOME
s u b s c r i b e @p r i me l i v i n g . c o m o ro n l i n ea twww. p r i me l i v i n g . c o m
LUXURY
for the inner child
Gift Guide
Magic Wand Remote Control
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ippity, Boppity, Channel 2! Designed by Kymera, it’s the world’s first real magic wand and a motion-sensitive, button-less universal remote control. With just a flick of your Sci-fi loving wrist, you can control almost any TV, DVD, set-top box, hi-fi, or pretty much any equipment that uses a regular infra-red remote control. It performs 13 magical functions (with each function emulating one button from a regular remote control, as it learns from your existing remote controls). www.kymera-wand.com
Wine Puzzle
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ring a star-covered sky into the luxury of your own home. Ten thousand crystal-clear stars will rotate through a projection on your ceiling or wall, so you can enjoy a starry night at any time. Insert the Star Field slide for a look at thousands of distant stars; pop in the Earth/Moon/Sun one for a mesmerizing view of home and beyond. www.unclemilton.com
Kymora wand; Uncle Milton; Zoom Puzzles; ahalife.com
Star Theater Pro
on’t Break the Bottle is an ingenious wine puzzle. To enjoy the fruit of your labor, you must first release the wine bottle from the wooden enclosure. This may involve pushing the ball through, passing the rope over, or pulling the block around one thing or another. You have to solve it in order to get to the good stuff inside. Don’t Break the Bottle fits standard wine, herb vinegar, and olive oil bottles. It includes three wooden puzzle pieces and instructions. The solution to the puzzle is included in the instructions, so if your recipient goes mad with frustration, you can let them know how to solve it. Or not. The choice is yours... www.zoompuzzles.com
LUXURY
Gift Guide
for the foodie Limited Edition Global Olive Oil Experience
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Limited Edition Reindeer Leather Apron
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e’ve got the perfect present for someone who grills: a numbered, limited edition reindeer leather apron from Böle, a fourth generation tannery and saddle maker in the far north of Sweden, whose clients include the Swedish Royal Family. Reindeer skin is strong, lightweight and incredibly durable. www.ahalife.com
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he best extra virgin olive oil in the world comes from the sun-drenched countries of the Mediterranean. But how do you go about tracking it down? This gift box contains three cans of award winning extra virgin olive oil. – one from Portugal, one from Spain and the other from Italy. This year, the Portuguese one was awarded with a gold medal in the prestigious Mario Solinas Award. It is produced in a small estate in Trás-osMontes. The Italian olive oil comes from Tuscany and the Spanish one is from Andalucia. Both are international award winners. Three young art talents from each country were invited to illustrate the cans and asked to represent something they really love about their countries. www.tgtl.org
Gourmet Sea Salt Set
ariety is the spice of life. This Gourmet Salt Collection includes 22 of the best tasting, hardto-find salts in the world. These multi-pack collections of salts are presented in decorative packages, perfect for kitchen countertops. They even come with reference cards with detailed descriptions and suggestions. Some of the salt flavors are: Washington Apple Wood Smoked Sea Salt, Hawaiian Red Clay Alaea Sea Salt and Lake Grassmere New Zealand Sea Salt. www.thespicelab.com TGTL; ahalife.com; The Spice Lab
MYT RUEL OVEGAVET O ME. . .
LUXURY
for the foodie
Gift Guide
Gourmet Flavoring Pearls
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eave it to the French to come up with a food product as ingenious and unexpected as these luminous little flavor pearls. Designed to maximize both your visual and gustatory enjoyment of a meal, they pack a lot of flavor into one small package. Each soft pearl consists of a soft shell made of alginate (a seaweed extract) covering a liquid core in savory, sweet or fruity flavors. Drop a few blackberry pearls into a glass of Champagne for an unexpected Kir Royale, scatter a few lemon and pepper pearls over slices of avocado, or serve the vinegar and shallot pearls with raw oysters—there’s no limit to what you can do with these handy little treasures. www.finesaler.com
Pisco Porton
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ome people seem to have everything. This season, however, you can rest assured that even the most daunting name on your list probably doesn’t have the “fifth white spirit.” For them, a bottle of Pisco Portón will surprise and delight. The distinctive bottle features a picturesque image of Hacienda La Caravedo, their 400-year old distillery in Ica, Peru. The pisco inside is round and has a luxurious finish with notes of cinnamon, orange blossom and citrus www.piscoporton.com ahalife.com; Pisco Porton; finesaler.com;
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Give the Gift of Cooking
for the foodie
Culinary Tour To France
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ravel with fellow foodies on a culinary tour of Paris and Lyon, the gastronomic capital of the world. You’ll be guided on this trip through France by two chefs, tasting traditional delights from pastries, cheese, and bread, to wine and truffles on a guided truffle hunt! Walk down the streets of Lyon, checking out trendy spots, as well as the traditional ones. You’ll have two free days to explore or take the time to relax in one of the most amazing countries in the world. This is a trip you’re sure to remember for a lifetime! www.welldonecc.com
Well Done Cooking Classes
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ant to stay closer to home? Well Done Cooking Classes offer a wide array of both private and public cooking classes, such as the basics and techniques, baking, specialty and seasonal classes – like Southern Dinner Christmas Party, and health conscious classes, such as Gluten Free. www.welldonecc.com Well Done Cooking Classes
LUXURY
for the pet lover
Gift Guide
Illuminated Dog Leash
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Pup Crawl; Graham Atkins - Hughes; ahalife.com
his colorful light-up leash can be seen from up to a quarter-mile in the dark. It’s made of reinforced nylon, so it’s strong and lightweight. It can hold up to a 60-pound dog, and not only does it provide a glow for you and Fido, but the company also contributes a charitable donation to less fortunate canines for each one sold. The LED lights can be set to shine steadily or flash, and if you’re out during the day, they can be switched off. www.thepupcrawl.com
Porcelain Pooch Lamp
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ade of pure high quality porcelain and topped with a Parisian handmade taffeta lampshade, lauded British interior decorator Abigail Ahern blends kitsch with sleek modern design with these pooch inspired lamps. These are most definitely the best in show. www.atelierabigailahern.com/lightingnew.asp
LUXURY
Gift Guide
for the pet lover
Climate Controlled Pet Carrier
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Custom Pet Jewelry
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eep your precious pet close to your heart with a custom pet silhouette necklace, created by renowned Houston pet photographer, Kim Hartz and Contre Jour jewelry designer, Alyssa Kilpatrick. Four necklace options are offered including: sterling silver, 14k plated gold, 14k gold and rose gold. The same technique is also available for custom cufflinks in sterling silver, 14k plated gold and 14k gold. www.kimhartz.com
Komfortpets.com; Lauren Levicki; Kim Hartz
raveling with your pet, can be a challenge. But thanks to Komfort Pets Climate Controlled Carrier, your pets can now travel in a safe and comfortable carrier, no matter what the temperature is. This item has become a huge hit with Hollywood’s A-list celebrities. This innovative climate-controlled carrier warms or cools as needed, by sensing the ambient temperature and activating a thermo-regulation system that’s built right into the floor. This is a wonderful item even when you’re not traveling, but need to keep your pet confined to his or her own space. www.komfortpets.com
for the pet lover
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Luxurious Dog House
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kingdom is available for your dog. Yes, your dog. The company Best friend’s HOME builds and designs doghouses in a completely new style, which will make every quality orientated dog owner’s tail wag. The design of the luxurious mansions complies with exceedingly high standards: classic architectural style, clear form and colors with great attention to detail and a most accurate finish. You can choose between the stately plantation, moderncontemporary house, fairy tale castle or barn-style homes. www.bestfriendshome.com
ucas came from Manchester, England, and Carolyn’s book is about his journey to America. It details his adventures ranging from dancing with dragonflies, living in an artful home, romance and more. The story is told through the voice of Caroline – a favorite name Carolyn’s Grandfather called her. www.barnesandnoble.com
Best Friend’s Home; Carolyn Farb
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Carolyn Farb’s “Lucas Comes To America”
LUXURY
Gift Guide
for the one-of-a-kind
Statement Jewelry
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ahalife.com; Falling Whistles; Alex Henderson; hendersondrygoods.com
e see a lot of bold accessories that can make a “statement,” but not many can make a statement quite as bold as these. Falling Whistles are much more than charming pieces of ethically made jewelry – they’re also a symbol of protest against warfare in the Congo. Some of the boys that are not big enough to hold guns are given whistles and put on the front lines of battle. “Their sole duty is to make enough noise to scare the enemy and then to receive – with their bodies – the first round of bullets,” says founder Sean D. Carasso. Bring attention to children soldiers in the Congo by buying and wearing one of these whistles. They’re statement pieces on so many levels. Available in five finishes, all whistles come with a copy of the original Falling Whistles journal. www.fallingwhistles.com
Custom Portrait Pendants & Cufflinks
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hese unique and beautiful custom crafted wood pendants are handmade by designer Alex Henderson in Vancouver. They are made of gold-dyed walnut veneer with an oxidized silver backing and you can choose from a variety of decorative borders to frame your portrait. Choose from Yves Saint Laurent, Coco Chanel and Audrey Hepburn or send your own photo. After making your purchase, just email a jpg of yourself, your parents, your pet, or anyone else you can think of and Henderson will turn it into a bespoke pendant or cufflinks. Way more stylish than either lockets or the novelty cufflinks, these are a unique way to immortalize your loved ones. www.hendersondrygoods.com/shop
LUXURY
for the one-of-a-kind
Gift Guide
Custom Sound Wave Art
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A Clayton Card
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he Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer has created a heartwarming way to get in the holiday spirit with the introduction of Clayton’s Cards. The beautiful cranberry and silver cards wish your friends, family and clients a happy holiday, while making a difference in the lives of pediatric cancer patients and their families. Money raised through the Clayton’s Cards initiative will be given to families with children being treated at various facilities, including: MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children’s Hospital and Houston Hospice. www.claytondabney.org
Vapor Sky Resonant Decor; ahalife.com; claytondabney.org; Lauren Levicki
ounds can really affect us. Whether it’s the music from a “feel good” playlist or the sound of a loved one’s laugh, the right sound resonates with us. Of course art can have that same affect, which makes Vapor Sky Resonant Decor so brilliant. Vapor Sky creates visual representations of audio that you can hang on your walls. Just upload your sound bite and choose your color scheme and they take care of the rest. Resonant Decor is a great way to enjoy a particular sound all day long. www.vaporsky.com
LUXURY
Gift Guide
for him
Garia Special Edition Golf Car
Garia; Lichty Guitars
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esigned through a unique creative collaboration between Garia and Mansory, the world-famous customizer of supercars such as RollsRoyce, Aston Martin and Bentley, this special edition golf and leisure car embodies the style and quality of its automobile lineage. It is available as street legal and non-street legal. Carbon fiber – an ultra-light yet exceptionally strong material normally used in the motor sports and aircraft industries – has been used on body panels on the front, side steps and tail. The cabin floor is lined with teak tree, while the specially designed headlights, air scoop and fender gills complete this unique and complex transformation. It is highly customizable by the client, and all clients will be able to specify and configure their Garia Mansory Edition in close collaboration with a designer from Garia. www.garia.com
Lichty Heirloom Quality Handcrafted Acoustic Guitars
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ichty Guitars are played and praised by professional musicians and casual players from Australia to Nashville. Built from the finest quality materials, each Lichty Guitar is handcrafted by North Carolina luthier Jay Lichty. Buyers may choose from the wide selection of one-of-a-kind instruments in stock or may place a custom order. In the custom design process, Lichty works closely with each patron, discussing all facets of the instrument, from tonewood selection, to inlay details and neck width in order to ensure the completed instrument matches their esthetics and playing style perfectly. www.lichtyguitars.com
for him
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Montegrappa Watch
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ontegrappa, Italy’s most revered manufacturer of fine writing instruments, recently announced the availability of the company’s first collection of automatic wristwatches. Collaborating with the finest Swiss watchmakers, Montegrappa created the line of luxury timepieces to complement and expand on the timeless beauty and peerless quality of Montegrappa’s NeroUno pen and cuff link collections. This superbly modern watch features a contemporary case boasting sapphire crystals with antiglare coating and is water resistant up to 5ATM (40m). Adding to the exclusivity of the design, each watch is only available in a limited quantity. www.montegrappa.com
Holiday Golf Gift at Meadowood
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lan a golf vacation in Napa! Give him a week’s worth of private sessions at the new Golf Performance Studio at The Meadowood resort in Napa. With only a few in the world, the TrackMan Performance Studio (TPS) is the world’s first and only golf club and ball data tool with totally integrated video and data. The Studio at Meadowood offers an opportunity for both beginners to learn the basics and more seasoned players to perfect their technique, all while enjoying stunning, dramatic views of the property. www.meadowood.com Montegrappa; Meadowood Napa Valley
LUXURY
for him
Gift Guide
Cigar Humidor
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ennsylvania-based Meier & Dutch is one of the top American distributors of premium handmade cigars and cigar accessories. For any cigar aficionado, this humidor set is a must. The classic wood humidor is lined with kiln-dried Spanish cedar, has a scratch-resistant felt-covered bottom, and holds 20 stogies. This humidor also includes are a guillotine for perfectly cut cigars and a choice of black or gunmetal lighters that release three powerful jet flames. Its SureSeal Technology ensures optimum humidity control and the hidden magnetic seal make it perfect for travel. www.ahalife.com
Fathead
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ooking for a great gift for his man cave? Fathead wall graphics are lifesize action images that you can stick on any smooth surface and can transform an entire room. You can move them and reuse them, and they are safe for walls. Fathead wall graphics are way better than a poster, much bigger than a sticker and tougher than a decal. Choose from hundreds of licensed sports and entertainment images. You can also get a custom Fathead! You can create almost any image you think is “Fathead worthy” into a life-size wall graphic. Take any picture and blow it up to jumbo size (4’ x 6’6”) and put it on your wall. Also, a new product the company has just launched is Fathead Street Grips. They’re rough, tough and made to take it. That’s right, we’re talking shoes, boots, sun, rain, snow and hail. However, when applied to ground surfaces – like your garage floor, driveway, sidewalk or any asphalt surface, they can be easily removed without damage. That means there’s no reason you can’t take your team pride to the street. www.fathead.com
Fathead; ahalife.com; fathead.com
LUXURY
for her
Gift Guide
Chicks With Guns Book
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gorgeous exploration of the powerful connection between women and their firearms, Chicks with Guns (The Vendome Press, October 2011) by Lindsay McCrum offers a cultural portrait of women gun owners in America through photographs that are both beautiful and unexpected. Exploring an indelible part of the American identity, Chicks with Guns is not thrown off balance by the natural suspicions and political ideology often associated with firearms; rather, the collection of photographs examines issues of self-image and gender through the visual conventions of portraiture and fashion photography. Chicks with Guns presents firearms not as superimposed props, but as the very personal lifestyle accessories of the women portrayed. Each portrait is accompanied by a personal statement in the subject’s own words that describe her relationship to firearms and the role they’ve played in her life. What emerges is a compelling set of stories that are all unique and disarmingly strong. There are ten women from Houston featured in the book. www.chickswithgunsbook.com
Wintercheck Scarf
Chicks With Guns; Wintercheck Factory
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kip finding the perfect bag for the winter with this ingeniously designed scarf. The two zippered pockets allow you to store keys, extra cash and other essentials without worrying something will fall out. Available in various plaid colors, these scarves are both fashionable and functional. These nifty Julian scarves from Brooklyn’s Wintercheck Factory feature two hidden, water-resistant zip pockets for stashing iPhones, headphones, wallets and other small valuables. This accessory adds convenient flair to your cold weather wear. www.wintercheckfactory.com/shop
for her
LUXURY
Gift Guide
Kate Landry Feather Hair Accessories
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tylish birds of a feather flock together. These Kate Landry hair accessories have an easy bobby pin attachment for wearing anywhere in your hair. Wear the warm-toned feathers for an autumninspired take on the feather trend or try the rhinestone and black feather hair accessory for a more glam look. www.dillards.com
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et her experience the ultimate in individual expression by creating her very own custom fragrance. With guidance, Fumme will walk you through the same process that major perfume houses use as well as the same aroma materials to create your very own bespoke fragrance. Once you have perfected your unique fragrance, it will be turned into a bottle of perfume that is uniquely yours. Fumme will put your custom formula into their database for re-fills or to use to scent other bath & body products they carry. www.fumme.com
Betsey Johnson Watch
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ew York Designer Betsey Johnson has built her long-standing career in fashion by following her own set of rules. Known for her celebration of the exuberant, the embellished, and the over the top, Betsey has been rocking the fashion industry with her unique and original designs since the 1960’s. Make a statement with this classic, yet bold watch by Betsey Johnson, which features a square polished Rose Gold finish stainless steel case set in crystal white Mother of Pearl dial with a white genuine leather strap. Complete with the signature Betsey Johnson fuchsia second hand. www.betseyjohnson.com
dillards.com; Kate Landry; Fumme; fumme.com; Betsey Johnson; betseyjohnson.com
A Custom PerFumme Scent
LUXURY
Gift Guide
for the nostalgic
Crystal POP Phone
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Atari Arcade for iPad hile arcades are a thing of the past, games like Asteroids and Centipede are still fun to play. Classic games have made a strong comeback thanks to handheld devices like the iPad. The Atari Arcade Duo Powered Joystick turns your iPad into a mini arcade machine – except you don’t have to insert coins to continue. www.store.apple.com/us
Apple; Native Union; Heather Taylor; Incredible Things
rystal POP Phone, a sparkling handset adorned in hundreds of Swarovski crystals, is available in pink, black, red, purple and silver. It embodies old Hollywood glamour with its retro rotary style handset design. Already a celebrity favorite with fans including Lenny Kravitz, Heidi Klum, Courtney Cox and Daniel Craig, these sparkling handsets are sure to bring a lavish and glamorous touch to the everyday conversation. The POP phone is compatible with most mobile devices including iPads, iPhones and Blackberrys, and connects to each device via a 3.5mm audio jack. www.nativeunion.com
LUXURY
for the nostalgic
Gift Guide
The Book of Your Life
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hare your legacy with a professionally written and beautifully bound book made from your family’s personal photos and stories. A trained historian at Legacy Keepers will interview you and then convert your anecdotes and keepsakes into a hardcover family heirloom. All you have to do – is what you do best – reminisce about the best times in your life. www.legacykeepers.com
Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour – Cirque du Soleil
Osa Images; Legacy Keepers; Fab Over Fifty
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he Estate of Michael Jackson and Cirque du Soleil are proud to present Michael Jackson The Immortal World Tour in Houston on February 10, 11 and 12, 2011 at the Toyota Center. This once-in-a-lifetime electrifying production combines Michael Jackson’s music and choreography with Cirque du Soleil creativity to give fans worldwide a unique view into the spirit, passion and heart of the artistic genius who forever transformed global pop culture. The secrets of Michael’s inner world are unlocked – his love of music and dance, fairy tale and magic, and the fragile beauty of nature. www.cirquedusoleil.com/ MichaelJackson