For The Teeny Yogini

Yoga. Something that's been around so many years is no longer a fad, but a fact. It's hit that critical mass in our popular culture; the hundredth monkey is doing downward dog, and so is everyone else. So you might as well gift your favorite yogini the best bottoms to display while that bottom's up in the air.

I'm talking Be Present Mobility Pants. They're the best solution to what can be a crushing situation. Many yoga and exercise pants (these pants are for yoga, but there's no reason not to branch out) bind and cling in embarrassing and uncomfortable ways. They're only flattering if you look like an extra on Entourage. But not these fabulous pants. The drawstring fits flat and comfortably on the hips. The material stretches without pulling. The side slits allow for lots of movement. And they come in many pretty colors. Not to mention that they'll hold up through many sweaty sessions and numerous washings. It's enough to make that yoga buddy of yours utter an entirely grateful "namaste."

So size your friend up and order her a pair at www.bepresent.com. Maybe she'll do a Sun Salutation just for you.

Happy Ripper

Have you ever gotten married? If so, you know the endless delivery of wedding registry booty that keeps arriving at your door. Box after box, getting unloaded, broken down, and somehow disposed of in your trashcan and all the other trashcans on the block. It's fun to get the presents, but the trash is hell.

That's why this present is the greatest ever for the couple-to-be. They'll get so much use out of it up 'til the wedding, and then over the years as they move. I'm talking about this really gorgeous box ripper. This queen of all cutters is shiny, solid, cuts through every box with ease, and is engraved with: "Another notion of possibility." There's something very upbeat and optimistic about that; just perfect for the happy couple. It could even be useful for fights. And it sure beats a fish poacher, that drag-out-once-a-year china pattern, and the highly breakable crystal on their registry.

Find this slicer and dicer of paper products at www.mattermatters.com. It's simply a cut above other gifts.

Fall Back Into New Bedding

So it's Fall, not that you would really know it in Los Angeles, with triple digits threatened way into October, tiny children sweating in Halloween costumes. But perhaps it's Fall, truly Fall, somewhere else. And for those people, a bedroom reorg is in order.

The easiest way to change up a bedroom is bedding. New sheets or a duvet in a more somber tone for autumnal and winter months is a great way to go. And this Marimekko pattern really fits the bill. Called "Unikko," the festive yet restrained black, green and white pattern is classic cheer, yet it keeps a modernist undertone going. I wouldn't recommend this pattern in, say, a Frenchy chintz filled room or a love den of Laura Ashley (one shudders to think), but you're not friends with people like that, anyway. Also, it's pretty reasonably priced for sheeting; I would even purchase it for a newly acquired dorm room situation (if your college coed of choice has choice taste, anyway).

Find this Marimekko treasure at www.finnstyle.com. And fall back not only into clean sheets, but into the spirit of Fall itself.

Livable Plaid

It's Fall, and, right on schedule, it's time for the fashion industry to ram plaid everything down our throats. Every year I'm resistant, mostly because I believe plaid is either for ultra casual flannels or schoolgirl pleated skirts, neither of which is exactly flattering on women over, say, 25.

But I stand corrected now. Check out this ultra-hip grey and black plaid small Field Bag from the classic hunting store, Filson. Filson has always produced excellent quality, utilitarian bags (I purchased one of their leather and twill bags to use as a briefcase, and I swear it will survive just about anything, including a nuclear blast or baby vomit). The difference with this bag, though, is that it looks right in line for this Fall fashion trend without being any sort of underaged, inappropriate statement. Crafted of Filson's 24 oz Yukon Wool and sturdy Bridle Leather, complete with a snap flap, this perfectly proportioned purse will carry any woman through her day in style without breaking the bank.

At $170.00, it's not super duper cheap. But, if you've been just about anywhere looking for something with style and quality, you know you could easily spend hundreds more. Why wait? Order at www.filson.com.

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, About Thyme

Summer is officially over, and with it the seemingly endless bounty of herbs at the local farmer's market. Sure, there may be a month or two left for the basil and mint to flourish, but soon, even in California, we'll be forced to buy ancient produce from the supermarket.

Home cooks in places like NYC have it even worse. Plus, they have no garden option open to them. Or do they? Check out this herb trio pot, beautifully designed to weather the indoors. It has just enough room to plant three herbal essentials, which then can see the happy cook through trying fall and winter cooking moments. And get this: it's self-watering! Just funnel water into its handy little opening (illustrated at right) and the plants stay moist and happy for long periods of time. Brilliant.

Find this mini garden of eating at www.aplusrstore.com. It'll make some home cook in a studio walk-up very happy indeed.

Tiffany Taste, Coca-Cola Budget

You've seen those new Tiffany and Co. key pendants. The advertising juggernaut has been relentless. And I must say, they are awfully nice. Classic, versatile, and a lovely gift for a young girl, your best friend, or, hell, just about anyone with a pulse.

But the prices! Do you know how much the lowest priced, sterling silver key is at the renowned Tiffany's? Try over 200 bucks. Ouch. Luckily, you can cheat a bit, as long as you don't care that there's no "Tiffany and Co." stamp on the very tiny inside of the pendant. At the website Eve's Addiction, they offer key pendants virtually identical to the Tiffany models. They sell them only in sterling silver, and if you want diamonds, you'll have to settle for rhodium or zircons. But hey, who cares? Because the lovely classic "key" pictured at right can be gifted to a deserving soul for just... thirty-four dollars. Ha ha ha.

Order from a variety of keys at www.evesaddiction.com. And with the money you saved, go out and buy yourself one, too. Audrey Hepburn would approve.

Get a Charge Out of Wood

iPhones. iPods. These fabulous devices connect us, organize our lives, and even entertain us (although hopefully not while driving). But they're not on 24/7. Give them a break... but make that break as "green" as possible.

Ok, fine, these things still suck electricity like mosquitoes suck blood. But there's a choice of delivery method. Take this dual iPhone/iPod charger, for instance. Sure, its guts have all the metal doodads necessary for the power boost. But, its lovely exterior is wood. A sweet little log swiped from the forest floor, or washed up on a beach, becomes a green(ish) charger. And it looks so much better with the decor than those space-age gadgets flooding the market.

Much like a fingerprint, every one of these wooden chargers is unique, giving you and yours a one-of-a-kind appliance. How cool is that? Find it at www.etsy.com.