Taking Their Smell on the Road

There are so many wonderful travel accessories these days, it's hard to keep track of what to purchase your intrepid travel junkie.  But this item is well nigh perfect: it's elegant, small, and let's the traveler take their essence on the road.

This tiny perfume atomizer can fit literally anywhere.  It can hold any scent, from classic Chanel No. 5 to hippy patchouli oil.  And, best of all, it doesn't spray.  This little roll on keeps the traveler's scent intact and on their body, not liberally blasted throughout a room (considered enormously bad travel etiquette, by the way).

This company also makes a lighter with precisely the same footprint, perfectly designed for travel. Buy them as a set and let the wandering begin.  

Find it all at www.mollaspace.com.

Looks Good Enough to Eat

Yes, they certainly do.  But don't try it or you'll get a mouth full of wax.  Obviously I have sweets on the brain this week, but these candles look so yummy, and are perfect as decoration at a child's elegant birthday party (meaning under the age of two, while the kid still has no idea what's going on and the party's really for the adults).

These candles are flaming representations of a little-known French confection called a Point a la Ligne Religieuse.  Basically, it's just a fancy name for a stacked cream puff.  But, since shipping a cream puff from the EU isn't a possibility (just ponder the food poisoning possibilities), this is as close as anyone in the US is going to get.

At just 4 bucks a pop, they'll definitely add some sweet and affordable atmosphere to a party table.  Order them at www.roseandradish.com.  But whatever happens, don't let the kids take a nibble.

Absorbent Art

There's nothing more frustrating than a wanna-be collector.  Collecting art takes time, taste, and funds, and at least two of those things are usually in short supply.

Occasionally, though, art is affordable.  Take these limited edition beach towels by famous artists, for instance.  Each hefty toweling is a true example of each artist's inimitable style, from L.A. fave Ed Ruscha (pictured) to New York legend Julian Schnabel.  And you don't have to limit this art to the beach.  Just stretch it on a frame, hang it on a big wall, and viola!  Suddenly, your collector has some serious artwork for an unserious price.

These towels, as far as I know, are only available at www.artwareeditions.com.  And while you're there, check out all the other limited edition pieces available; it's quite the fine art find.

Magnificent Macaron Obsession

Warning: these cookies won't be everyone's cup of tea (although they'd go quite nicely with a cup of tea, really).  But for those who crave sweet, delicate, and satisfying sugar rush, they'll fit the bill perfectly.

French macarons are, in my humble opinion, the most exalted cookie on the planet.  Consisting of two light yet chewy meringue domes encasing creamy ganache filling, they are the queen of sandwich cookies (eat your heart out, Oreos). And Paulette Macorons make some dandy ones, in flavors like salted caramel, green tea, sweet wedding almond and so much more.  So yummy. So perfect for your favorite sugarhound or sweetheart (and the pretty boxes are nice, too).

Order these Parisian perfections at www.paulettemacarons.com.

I Spy a Birdie

You know it's true.  They call themselves "birders."  But, in reality, they're little more than avian-loving peeping toms.  

Here's a gift that makes spying on nature that much easier.  This super-modernist bird feeder is not only sleek and streamlined, it's also clear, for unparalleled bird feast visibility.  And, during the food deprived winter, it provides the perfect opportunity for a free meal.  Everybody wins!

You might keep in mind that this gorgeous feeder will be significantly less aesthetically pleasing with bird poop all over it.  But I guarantee you, your spying birding friends won't mind a bit.

Capture a clear glance at www.roseandradish.com.

For A Devoted Drip

In the world of hot beverage aficionados, there are neat sippers and sloppy sippers.  It's likely that you know a few of both.  Luckily, this item does double duty.

For the neat sipper, this already drippy mug is, at least, dripping lovely gold rather than murky brown down its side.  For the sloppy sipper, the mug's aforementioned lovely gold makes the mess somehow more appealing, with a touch of class. And, if your giftee is just a drippy personality, then it's ideal, too.

You'll find this cup overflowing at www.hiddenartshop.com.

Smelly House

This isn't a problem in Los Angeles, but in other, colder parts of the nation, life stinks.  I mean, think about it: a whole family, trapped inside all winter long with central heat blasting.  That's going to produce a malodorous habitat for sure.

Although you could send your friends imprisoned in the Bog of Stench a lovely candle, this is a much more stylish (and flexible) solution.  This tiny house has room for just one temporary resident, a cone-shaped piece of incense.  Light it and lovely smells flow through the home's chimney, banishing that stagnant winter air.  Send a variety of scents and your housebound friend can pick their scents to enliven their senses.

This reasonably priced piece of real estate can be purchased at www.aplusrstore.com.