For Competitors
Keep the rivalry friendly—in and out of the office—with a terry-suede travel backgammon roll by Vivre. Casual gamers and collectors will appreciate the hip orange and blue colors. The easy roll-up mat costs $365 and makes for a good time even on the go.
For Gourmands
Picky epicureans will whet their appetites with the new line of luxury packaged foods from Donatella Arpaia (owner of Ama, Dona, and David Burke and Donatella). The homemade pasta sauces, bottled olive oil, and cylinders of rustic almond cookies are beautifully packaged in classic glass jars and sleek canisters to please the eye (as well as the stomach); costs range from $10 to $22.
For Homebodies
New York’s most fashionable potter, Jonathan Adler, makes everyone feel right at home. Case in point: His latest line of ceramic dinnerware and centerpieces mixes classic and whimsical touches. Pieces like the Giant Bjorn, a fired stoneware vase inspired by seeds, barnacles, and pebbles ($250), and the Large Bird Bowl finished with a matte white glaze ($110) are sure to start conversations.
For the Tech-Obsessed
Travelers with a penchant for primetime can keep up with their favorite TV shows using the brand-new technology of Slingbox. The breakthrough device (like a mobile DVR with the added capability of watching live streaming television) turns any Internet-connected laptop, desktop, PDA, or smart phone into a personal, portable television for catching local news abroad, watching the game desk-side, or staying up to date with Grey’s Anatomy. The device costs $199.99.
For Discerning Adventurers
Bookish wanderers looking for new routes will be reaching for their passports once they study the latest collection of pocketsize travel guides from Luxe. Updated twice a year, these stylish minibooks list the best shops, hotels, restaurants, and unique services in exotic locales like Istanbul, Cambodia, and Laos, plus European stops like Paris and Madrid. (The latest editions came out in September.) Map out the journey with the Bespoke Box Set ($45, your choice of five city guides).
For Do-Gooders
To some people, the best gift is the kind that keeps on giving—to others. DonorsChoose gift certificates let recipients fund an educational project of their choosing from New York to San Francisco (the thoughtful gift-giver sets the denomination).
For Risk-Takers
Make sure the card says, “Fasten your seatbelts,” because Xperience Days will send daredevils on a once-in-alifetime adventure. Give the gift of biplane piloting (starting at $345), airborne combat (starting at $1,195), drag racing (starting at $455), paragliding (starting at $175), or a host of other highs for danger junkies.
For Bon Vivants
Those who spend countless evenings entertaining clients can entertain themselves with the WinePod, a new state-of-the-art tool for artisan winemaking. Launched this summer, the WinePod includes all the equipment needed to make (and drink) fine wine, minus the vines (and the purple feet). Estimated price $1,999.
For Stylish Travelers
Look good even while carrying extra baggage with the new vintage luggage collection by Samsonite at Flight 001. The sturdy, durable, hard-side cases have vintage leather accents, satin lining, shoe pockets, and removable laundry bags—not to mention modern luxuries like wheels and adjustable handles for easy transport. The suitcases come in pink or beige in three sizes, and cost between $250 and $650.
For Entrepreneurs
Digging deep to grow your business is part of entrepreneurship—now take it one step further and adopt an oak tree that yields truffles. Truffle Tree maintains oaks on a plantation in France, collects crops of truffles, and ships them to the tree’s owner (or sells them on their behalf). Those interested in pruning and harvesting can even arrange overnight stays at the family farmhouse. Prices start at $239.
For Music-Lovers
Hipsters will love the new, bronze Tivoli Audio SongBook. Known for its incredible audio quality (with sensitive digital tuner), the tiny, lightweight radio and portable loudspeaker system (which works with CD and MP3 players) goes from home to office and back again, always keeping the beat; the SongBook costs $159.99.
For the Pampered
Tireless travelers can rest a little easier with the silk pillow set from Suburban Silk. The buckwheat-filled pillow has a removable cover for easy cleaning. New fall patterns include a smart, classic argyle with a matching eye mask that’ll keep them comfortable in the dark, while giving chatty flightmates a gentle hint. The set costs $39.
—Danielle Bufalini & Jeralyn Gerba
Posted 09.20.06
Keep the rivalry friendly—in and out of the office—with a terry-suede travel backgammon roll by Vivre. Casual gamers and collectors will appreciate the hip orange and blue colors. The easy roll-up mat costs $365 and makes for a good time even on the go.
For Gourmands
Picky epicureans will whet their appetites with the new line of luxury packaged foods from Donatella Arpaia (owner of Ama, Dona, and David Burke and Donatella). The homemade pasta sauces, bottled olive oil, and cylinders of rustic almond cookies are beautifully packaged in classic glass jars and sleek canisters to please the eye (as well as the stomach); costs range from $10 to $22.
For Homebodies
New York’s most fashionable potter, Jonathan Adler, makes everyone feel right at home. Case in point: His latest line of ceramic dinnerware and centerpieces mixes classic and whimsical touches. Pieces like the Giant Bjorn, a fired stoneware vase inspired by seeds, barnacles, and pebbles ($250), and the Large Bird Bowl finished with a matte white glaze ($110) are sure to start conversations.
For the Tech-Obsessed
Travelers with a penchant for primetime can keep up with their favorite TV shows using the brand-new technology of Slingbox. The breakthrough device (like a mobile DVR with the added capability of watching live streaming television) turns any Internet-connected laptop, desktop, PDA, or smart phone into a personal, portable television for catching local news abroad, watching the game desk-side, or staying up to date with Grey’s Anatomy. The device costs $199.99.
For Discerning Adventurers
Bookish wanderers looking for new routes will be reaching for their passports once they study the latest collection of pocketsize travel guides from Luxe. Updated twice a year, these stylish minibooks list the best shops, hotels, restaurants, and unique services in exotic locales like Istanbul, Cambodia, and Laos, plus European stops like Paris and Madrid. (The latest editions came out in September.) Map out the journey with the Bespoke Box Set ($45, your choice of five city guides).
For Do-Gooders
To some people, the best gift is the kind that keeps on giving—to others. DonorsChoose gift certificates let recipients fund an educational project of their choosing from New York to San Francisco (the thoughtful gift-giver sets the denomination).
For Risk-Takers
Make sure the card says, “Fasten your seatbelts,” because Xperience Days will send daredevils on a once-in-alifetime adventure. Give the gift of biplane piloting (starting at $345), airborne combat (starting at $1,195), drag racing (starting at $455), paragliding (starting at $175), or a host of other highs for danger junkies.
For Bon Vivants
Those who spend countless evenings entertaining clients can entertain themselves with the WinePod, a new state-of-the-art tool for artisan winemaking. Launched this summer, the WinePod includes all the equipment needed to make (and drink) fine wine, minus the vines (and the purple feet). Estimated price $1,999.
For Stylish Travelers
Look good even while carrying extra baggage with the new vintage luggage collection by Samsonite at Flight 001. The sturdy, durable, hard-side cases have vintage leather accents, satin lining, shoe pockets, and removable laundry bags—not to mention modern luxuries like wheels and adjustable handles for easy transport. The suitcases come in pink or beige in three sizes, and cost between $250 and $650.
For Entrepreneurs
Digging deep to grow your business is part of entrepreneurship—now take it one step further and adopt an oak tree that yields truffles. Truffle Tree maintains oaks on a plantation in France, collects crops of truffles, and ships them to the tree’s owner (or sells them on their behalf). Those interested in pruning and harvesting can even arrange overnight stays at the family farmhouse. Prices start at $239.
For Music-Lovers
Hipsters will love the new, bronze Tivoli Audio SongBook. Known for its incredible audio quality (with sensitive digital tuner), the tiny, lightweight radio and portable loudspeaker system (which works with CD and MP3 players) goes from home to office and back again, always keeping the beat; the SongBook costs $159.99.
For the Pampered
Tireless travelers can rest a little easier with the silk pillow set from Suburban Silk. The buckwheat-filled pillow has a removable cover for easy cleaning. New fall patterns include a smart, classic argyle with a matching eye mask that’ll keep them comfortable in the dark, while giving chatty flightmates a gentle hint. The set costs $39.
—Danielle Bufalini & Jeralyn Gerba
Posted 09.20.06
Vivre's backgammon set
Donatella Arpaia's packaged foods
Jonathan Adler's Giant Bjorn vase and bird-shaped bowl
Luxe's travel guides
Xperience Days' airborne adventure
WinePod's winemaking system
Samsonite's vintage collection of luggage
An oak tree on Truffle Tree's French plantation
Tivoli Audio's SongBook
SuburbanSilk's pillow and eye mask
