Elegant Morning Repast

Ah, breakfast. At my house, that usually consists of umpteen cups of coffee and a semi-burnt bagel half, but every once in a while, it's nice to dress it up. And if even lazy me wants to dress it up, then so will friends and relatives come brunch time.

This breakfast set does that so beautifully. The butter dish protects that fancy european butter from the usual fridge stench. The cute crocks work perfectly for honey, or jam, or even salsa (huevos rancheros, anyone). And the long handles make it easy to pass the morning condiments without excessive spillage. There's just nothing wrong with that.

This set is also reasonably priced, at around 26 dollars. Not bad for serious table style. Locate it at www.aplusrstore.com. Fancy butter sold somewhere else.

Clear Pour

There's still time to snag that Labor Day weekend invite to some wonderful property. And yes, you'll still need to bring a hostess gift.

These dog days of summer have been fog and rain days of summer for many. Forget iced tea, think hot tea. Thus, this very witty and adorable creamer as a hostess gift. It's so coy, done up as a crystal clear version of a little half pint of half and half. It's just the thing for a modern tea party to mark summer's conclusion (and ponder its never arrival. So weird, that global warming thing).

The half pint creamer is dishwasher and microwave safe (if it does turn out to be a scorcher, use it to pour hot caramel sauce over ice cream). And did I mention it's just fourteen bucks? Find it at www.momastore.org. It's a clear choice for a righteous pour.

Ultimate Key Home

You must know someone with a passion for really good design. You know, design that lets the utility of the object shine, while maintaining a certain elegant aesthetic.

Meet the Il Bisonte key chain. Yes, it looks so simple, and even a bit retro. But it works like a dream. Keys easily come on and off the individual rings with ease, thanks to convenient openings that screw open and shut (no more chipping nails trying to jam keys onto those terrible rings). The leather is available in different finishes (as is the metal), so it can look preppy, molto italiano, or even biker according to your color selection. And the large ring that holds it all together is, well, very easy to hold. In short, this key ring functions just as a key ring should. You get to use your keys, not fight with the ring. Excellent.

Il Bisonte is hard to find; there's only two retail stores in the U.S.. Order it for your design conscious friends at www.ilbisonte.com.

Emergency!

There's medical emergencies, and then there's fashion and grooming emergencies. Hopefully, you have insurance for the ones involving the E.R.. This gift is insurance against the rest of it.

Called the Shemergency Kit, this handy package contains everything a working woman needs to keep her wits about her in cases of popping buttons, green stuff in teeth, a carpet of pet hair on skirt, garlic breath from hell, or a surprise visit from old Aunt Flo. In short, it's all the stuff men NEVER think about, but women worry about, because when a shemergency happens, it directly effects credibility and self-esteem. Does this make the feminist hairs stand up on the back of your neck? Yeah, mine too, but life's unfair and gender roles aren't going to change anytime soon, so you might as well be prepared.

This is an awesome gift for a college grad starting her first office job. She can keep the kit in her desk drawer or corner of cubicle, just in case. Find it at www.seejanework.com.

Jigger Me Drinkie

Summer's rapidly coming to a close, but there's still plenty of time for parties and summer drinks. And you know what that means: hostess gifts!

For a summer cocktail party, I think this fantastically practical jigger cube is one of the best offerings. Each side of the cube has a different measurement for different drinks, making it the all in one cocktail tool. It's cast aluminum, so you can even chill it and it'll stay cold, helping that alcoholic elixer along to perfect summer soothing temps. Pina Coladas, gimlets, mint juleps and lemon drops can all benefit from its measuring magic. And the infamous Long Island Iced Tea? If you can handle imbibing it, the cube will make short work of it.

Find this useful bar tool at www.charlesandmarie.com. It'll help soften the end of summer blues.

Shoulder Strain No More

Have you noticed the bags these girls have been hauling around lately? They're like hardware loaded feedsacks full of lead. It's as if every hot girl in L.A. is training for a Survivor episode (given that this is L.A, that possibility cannot be dismissed). Well, I say forget the huge bag. Rebel, and go small.

Take, for instance, this most excellent small Rachel Nasvik Eleanor bag. It's big enough to fit phone, keys, wallet and glasses. What it can't squeeze in is all the stuff no one really needs to carry around all day, like extra bottles or a full makeup set or a Manny Bobblehead. All of us should just leave those things at home, or let them reside in our second abode, the car. Anyway, the Eleanor bag is slightly evocative of a Chanel purse, but with less fuss. And it's so small that the chain handle won't dig into delicate shoulders.

This gift will release the recipient from many chiropractic encounters, as they gambol, lightweight and unfettered through the mall. Find it, on sale no less, at www.revolveclothing.com.

Luscious Lippage

I know that this isn't a product/makeup blog, but sometimes, if I've test-driven a product long enough and think it's fab, I'll pass on the info. This is one of those products. It's perfect for your makeup obsessed friends, but it would work equally well for the makeup minimalist (like yours truly).

The problem I have with lip products is that they tend to:

1. Taste bad

2. Smell bad

3. Feel bad

4. Screw up my natural lip color and LOOK bad

Thankfully, this YSL Rough Pur Shine (I know, such a snotty french name) has not one of these terrible traits. Indeed, I'm now on my fourth (!) tube, going for my fifth. There's something about this product. It glides on so smoothly and feels light yet protective, which it should be since it's loaded with SPF 15. The smell is a lovely, faint rose scent which for some reason, even though I hate synthetic flower smells, is very pleasing. It has no discernible taste. And, finally, its super-sheer formula offers just enough tint without any radical changes (I like #25, a very light brown, but that's totally up to you). It's just great. You should buy it.

YSL isn't always easy to find, but it's always available online at www.sephora.com. Order today and stop that pucker pout.