Great gifts!

I like to keep gifts on hand. If I see something beautiful, I will buy it and store it for the perfect occasion. Birthdays and end-of-the-year parties really do tend to creep up on me and I hate having to rush to the mall to find a special gift when I have no time. Here are some of my favorite gifts!

1) Voluspa Candles -- These candles are packaged impeccably and smell wonderful. I especially love the Baltic Amber fragrance. It is a warm, comforting scent. These candles come in all sorts of sizes and price points. Anthropologie has a great selection.

2) Farrow and Ball for Bobbi Brown candles -- Farrow and Ball makes the most beautiful paints, and they've teamed up with Bobbi Brown to make special edition candles. LOVE THEM! They are all equally stunning...you just have to choose your favorite scent! I think I would pass out if someone gave me one of these candles. $68, Nordstroms

3) Large Collapsible Basket from Garnet Hill -- $40 You know how you always need a basket to carry toys from downstairs to upstairs? You know how you always need a good place to put your library books? Don't you wish you had something cute to carry around your farmer's market? LOOK NO FURTHER! This is the perfect basket.

4) Molton Brown hand soap -- $25 Okay, it may be a lot to spend $25 on hand soap, but Molton Brown's White Mulberry fine hand soap is so amazing & so upscale, I think it is worth it! It really makes a great housewarming gift, and it looks beautiful in a powder bath. The gift recipient will thank you profusely as they are making their children swear not to use it...I promise! Available at Molton Brown online.

5) Snow and Graham Chicago desk calendar -- $18 Snow and Graham makes quality stationery & I have fallen in love with their desk calendar. The prints are so special and a joy to look at each and every day. Consider giving this desk calendar for a Christmas gift...that way the recipient can use it starting January 1! snowandgraham.com

6) Crate & Barrel vases -- I am of the opinion that one can never have too many vases. You need tall ones, short ones, wide ones, clear ones and colorful ones. When they go on sale at Crate and Barrel, I snap them up to give to all my son's teachers for Christmas. Vases aren't just for flowers! My friend, Sheliah, puts Christmas ornaments in them. So there! crateandbarrel.com

7) Penguin Classic Books -- $20 from Anthropologie. These books are absolutely gorgeous and will look beautiful displayed in any home. With titles like "The Odyssey", "Pride and Prejudice" and "Jane Eyre", you can't go wrong.