2010 Holiday Gift Guide

'Tis the season to celebrate, but before you do, take the time to gather some truly creative gifts for those festive holiday affairs you plan to attend. No doubt your party hosts will invest a fair amount of energy into making the time you'll spend together enjoyable, so arrive with a stylish gift or a small luxury that shows how much you appreciate their effort. You don't need to spend a fortune to make an impression, but your gift will be much more meaningful if it's fine-tuned to the occasion as well as to the interests and personality of your host.

Indulge a Passion

Counterclockwise:

• The consummate taste maker will appreciate a stunning collectible ceramic plate from Eva Gordon and Gather on France a perfect accessory to her next big gathering $276
• A gorgeous gift for a collector of glass-blown ornaments, Christopher Redko's are among the most colorful and charming, and his charity awareness ornaments support a good cause, from $50 at Macy's or The General Store of Minnetonka
• Indulge her artsy side this season. Show your intuitively creative friend that you're sensitive to her love of all things artistic with a gift of handmade paper at Edina Art Center.
• Melt the heart of your pet-loving hostess with a Swarovski crystal collar for her beloved designer dog, who is definitely a bona fide family member $46 from Lulu and Luigi.
• The after-party clean-up will be much more fun while listening to the Martin's A Winter Romance $13.99 from Barnes and Noble.
• A digital photo frame, chosen to complement the hostess' decor--and loaded with pictures from last night's party that you deliver the day after--will be an unexpected treat and one that can be enjoyed long after the revelry is over. Sony 7-inch frame, $100 from National Camera Exchange.
  

Beyond the bottle

Counterclockwise

• Brighten up the smallest faces with cupcakes your hostess will appreciate that your remembered her wee ones who are trying oh-so-hard to behave so they can indulge the day after the party $12 for four cupcakes at Sweet Retreat
• Even the simplest task--such as opening a seasonal bottle of wine--assumes a touch of elegance with the right tools. $30 from Screwpull by Le Creuset
• Give your hostess a handsome monogrammed glass cocktail shaker, and she'll be sure to impress future guests. $30.50 from Pottery Barn.
• Give a delicious gift of artisan-baked goat's milk sourdough bread along with gourmet dipping olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and your hostess will thank you as she pairs it with the chardonnay. $45.97 Byerly's.
• For the hip mistress of ceremonies who adores decadent sweet treats bring an especially relevant gift of funky popcorn flavors. A holiday gift tote is $70 from Funkychunky.
• For the true oenophile, consider a bottle of sparkling Jeio Bisol Prosecco Brut to be enjoyed for New Year's Eve. $16.99 from France 44 Wine and Spirits.
• Gifting her with just the Mackenzie-Childs Check Vase won't require your hostess to scrounge around for something in which to put that floral bouquet while guests are arriving. $50 at Ampersand.
• Every cheese lover's dream: an assortment of gourmet favorites from New York to Normandy--such as these Marcel Petite Comte, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and Brillat Savarin varieties--to happily accompany all of the win brought by everyone else. $24-25 per pound at France 44.

Post-Party Pampering

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• Every domestic diva deserves a little help around the house. Give your hostess the gift of having her home cleaned after the party. A great group gift. Prices begin at $90 (plus tax) from Distinctive Cleaning.
• Who wouldn't love a gift certificate for a facial to help diminish the laugh lines that emerged last evening as too many jokes were told and too many cosmopolitans consumed? mini relaxing/repair facials begin at $40 from Rocco Altobelli.
• Festive cards and personalized address labels will make all of those holiday thank you notes fun to write; plus they'll help your hostess look ultra chic $30-50 from Epitome Papers.
• Make the morning after more delightful with an assortment of decadent French Pastries and coffee for the Francophile (and sweet tooth) $24 for a dozen petite pastries; $9.50 for coffee beans from Patrick's Bakery and Cafe.
• Help the cookie exchange queen relax after the commotion with a whimsical holiday gift set featuring soothing shower gel, body butter, and lip gloss Philosophy. $22 from Sephora.
• The ultimate indulgence: luxe embroidery Egyptian cotton percale pillowcases fro the hostess to rest her weary head upon after the bi event $165 per pair from Scandia Home.
• Lift her spirits and cast a warm glow during chilly winter nights with a special treat from Lafco. The Candle junkie who always has one lit will appreciate how the sublime fragrance of amber black vanilla cheers her foyer. $69.95 from Que Sera.