Tiki Love

I love pretty much all things tiki. Tiki bars, tiki restaurants (Trader Vic's, come back to NYC please!), tiki accessories (think coconut purses and grass skirts), and Tiki, a shop for girls of all ages. Find Tiki at their usual spot in The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park along 42nd Street. And indulge in a little of this:

Ladies, that long dress on the left is gorgeous!
















One of the owners, Linda, at work producing these:












Made with washer/dryer friendly stretch velvet in Brooklyn, Tiki's clothes are happy, stylish, colorful and guess what? You can buy a similar, or even matching outfit for your doll! Ok, full disclosure, I have no dolls. A teddy bear, yes, dolls, no. But Tiki has clothing for women, girls, infants and dolls too. Can you imagine the joy at not just getting a cute outfit, but one that matches your favorite doll? Clever, Tiki, you're really keeping the spirit of the tiki going strong.


Tiki, D11 on the vendor guide, or along the north side of Bryant Park along 42nd Street

It's Kizmet Yogawear

Trust me, I know that it's very important to have decent yoga gear. I've had many a class of yanking T-shirts back in place and cursing revealing running shorts. So while you're standing on your head and stretching in downward dog, you're going to thank Kizmet Yogawear for their cute and functional clothing.

And you're not just going to look cute doing all those sun salutations, you're also going to be spreading good vibes:

Jackets, women $42-$44, men $48














Cami, $23, capris $44, pants $46













Adorable T-shirts, $26-$30

























Clothing for women, men and children, yoga mats, blocks and accessories, all inspired by Buddhism, Hinduism, and other spiritual cultures, because Kizmet Yogawear likes to spread the good love around. And for a reasonable price too, because good yoga gear can be prohibitively expensive. But with Kizmet you get high quality cottons for great prices. Perfect to keep you and your loved ones flexible when your budget is all stretched out.

Ommmm, Kizmet Yogawear....visit them in The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park soon for a lot of clothing serenity.

Kizmet Yogawear, D20 on the Holiday Shops Venue Guide, north end of Bryant Park along 42nd Street

Gum Wrappers Make Great Bags

Nahui Ollin is one of The Holiday Shops most popular kiosks. No wonder, look at these colorful and chic bags:

Messenger tote, $188, purple medium "Coco," $179, small barcode "Coco," $140, & turquoise "Dancing Queen," $79:

And guess what they're made of? Gum wrappers! Yes, candy and gum wrappers, and soda bottle labels. Don't worry, your bag is not made of something that was once lying on a subway floor. These wrappers are factory rejects saved from the landfill, so Nahui Ollin not only sells fashionable bags but is also helping our environment. Guilt-free purchases are the very best kind.

Using a Mayan crafting technique of folded paper, this family-owned company create these unique and unusual bags. Tell me you're not going to be accosted by your girlfriends when you take this out on the town ($49):

Visit Nahui Ollin and treat yourself to some candy wrapper fashion, or get a friend one of these fun bags. It'll be a memorable gift she'll carry for years.

Nahui Ollin, vendor guide still pending! 

Black Beans & Rice

No, Black Beans & Rice is not a food kiosk in The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. But the artists behind Black Beans & Rice make gorgeous, lush plates upon which your humble cooking will look like a gourmet creation. Using a reverse hand painting technique on glass, Margarita Carreras and Carlos Padilla make these stunning plates and platters:

They've also got trays and bowls:

A feast for the eyes, you can't find more beautiful glassware for home entertaining. And what a perfect gift to bring your favorite hostess this holiday season; she'll be praising your fabulous taste every time she sets a table. Me, I'd use that stunning pear plate for festive dinner parties and then hang it on my wall. Functional and decorative, Black Beans & Rice has it all covered in home accessories.

Black Beans & Rice, shopping guide still coming soon!

Dazzling Butterflies

All you dedicated Holiday Shops in Bryant Park visitors know how I love Dazzle Studios. Susan Manley, the owner, doesn't just design beautiful jewelry, she's also assembled an impressive group of artisans whose work she promotes and sells alongside her own. And this year she's got something new and exciting: jewelry made with butterfly wings.

Now don't freak. Bob and Ravi Natalini aren't stalking sweet, floaty butterflies round the rainforests. No, it's much more honorable: thanks to their license from the Department of the Interior, this artisan team exports butterfly wings from farming projects and rainforest sustainable use systems in Central and South America. Those beautiful butterflies have all lived full and purposeful lives by doing their part to contribute to their rainforest's economic viability and income for their local human counterparts. And all this creates incentive to maintain the rainforest in its natural state.

But after their number's up (thanks to natural causes), voila! Their wings become immortalized in beautiful jewelry. So visit Dazzle Studios in The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park and celebrate those hardworking butterflies and their beautiful, artful wings that make all this goodness possible.

Dazzle Studios, soon to be listed on the soon to be released kiosk vendor guide!

C. Joseph, XOXO

I really hope the C. Joseph people are into Gossip Girl, because I'm about to make many references to that hit teen show. First, OMG, how Chuck Bass are these scarves?


Amazing, right? And these are one-of-a-kind scarves, made in Huntington, New York by the designer himself. Fabrics are cashmere, cashmere blend and silk and wool. Prices are $95 - $350, depending on the style. This is an incredible gift, ladies. And then you can borrow it from him. Double score.





OK, I know this is mainly a men's store, but I want one of these gorgeous shirtjackets:

$185 - $450, depending on the fabric (cashmere, cashmere blends, garbadine or lambswool).
















And I am beholden to them because many are made in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, my current hometown. C. Joseph is very local: made in Brooklyn and sold in The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. But look, here's a jacket actually for the girls, which proves I don't always have to rummage through the boy's closet. Beautiful.



















Then there were socks. One of their few products not made in New York, these are from Italy by Marcoliani. You know Chuck wears these under his cropped preppy pants.

Prices, depending on fabric, run $27 - $75.










Possibly my most favorite scarf ever.



I love me some local luxury menswear. C. Joseph: XOXO, me.









C. Joseph, vendor directory still coming soon!

Bluet New York

Bluet New York is the destination holiday shop for all you fashionable girls. These say it all:

Handbags:

Shoe clips, grosgrain belt & pin;

Dresses and T's:

Designed and handmade by a mother/daughter team and produced in New York, I'm totally sold. It's not easy to find well-made, high quality clothing and accessories for manageable prices, but to find all this in a unique local store is an even bigger plus. The flower accessories are made with Japanese satins and French grosgrain, and most of the clothing is 100% Pima cotton. Me, I want a T-shirt, the Vionet dress and the black and white flower pin. Oh, and throw in the orange caterpillar clutch as its color and styling is the perfect blend of vintage and modern. And I'm not going to see every girl in town carrying it on the subway.

Dresses: $70 - $120

T's: $20 - $35

Tops & blouses: $60 - $75

Handbags: $70 - $200

Shoe clips: $30 - $60

Bluet New York, shop directory coming soon!

Dear Gift Givers

Personally, I can't think of a better gift than a handmade wool or silk Kashmir rug this holiday season. Ahem, what a great gift for a woefully under-rug'd NYC apartment. One for a hallway, or one for a bedroom, and, if you've really been possessed by the spirit of giving, one big rug to swap out one ancient, well-trod and abused oriental living room rug.

I like all these guys on horseback with spears:
pretty birds:
All from a great new Holiday Shops vendor, Kashmir Moon. And if you're not looking to beautify a certain family member's apartment, buy a gorgeous hand-embroidered shawl or stole. Guys, if you are at a loss this year for the girlfriend gift, hear this: you can't go wrong with one of these lovely accessories from Kashmir Moon. They're classic, they're timeless, and they're conveniently being sold in Bryant Park during a season in which all the fashion people are talking about scarves as "must-have, standout pieces." Don't ask, just buy:

And for the ladies who want to treat themselves to something special:

This is what I'll wear over my bikini with killer heels while entertaining in my exotic, beachside future fantasy villa:

Something for my family to buy me, something for the guys to get their girl, and something for us girls to get ourselves. Kashmir Moon is smiling upon all of us.

Shawls & Stoles: $45 - $850

Jackets & coats: $100 - $850

Wool & silk rugs: $100 - $5,000

Prices vary depending on the amount of hand embroidery, size and material used.

Kashmir Moon, vendor map and guide coming soon!