Dazzle 'em with Style: Holiday Gifts that Sizzle

I pride myself in being uber-organized when it comes to Christmas shopping. My mother was a shopping Nazi and I fully intend to follow in her footsteps, taking it a step further by breaking her record of completing all holiday shopping long before most people have even begun the task . . . for the most years running. By the time Black Friday rolls around, when everyone else is setting their alarms for 3:00 a.m. to race to the mall for a healthy dose of holiday fist fighting, I'm snuggled up in my fluffy down comforter with one fuzzy dog sharing my pillow and another curled up under my arm. I tumble out of bed around 8:00, make a pot of hot coffee, read the paper and look forward to my afternoon nap.

While I'm notorious for throwing any and all gifts into bags to avoid the wrapping experience, I do put a lot of brain power into finding interesting and personal items to WOW the friends and relatives. So if your name finds its way onto my holiday gift list, don't be disappointed when your bag is devoid of ties, socks, potholders or knife sets. Expect the unexpected.

This year while I was wracking my brain for ideas, I was pleasantly surprised by an email from www.switchmodern.com, a supplier of interior design furnishings and accessories for the imaginative mind. But what to my wondering eyes should appear but a plethora of clever and affordable accessories that would be perfect for filling my holiday gift bags!

For the wine lover, I found these whimsical Anna G. Corkscrews in 5 colors by designer Alessandro Mendini. These are far too clever to be hidden in a drawer and I love the retro colors. Leather and felt Cameo Wine Carriers by designers Holger Graff and Daniel Lantz come in 4 colors and turn your wine bottle into a fashionable accessory. And the Chiringuito Wine Cooler bucket by designer Ron Arad comes in 3 colors and is made of thermoplastic resin so it can be recycled again and again.

And what do you give the cigar afficionado in your life? Well, a Gorilla Ashtray by designer David Weeks of course! This is definitely something the poker crowd will be talking about and they come in 3 colors and styles.

How about an environmentally friendly carved wood flashlight made of new growth beechwood and sporting an energy efficient LED light by designer Jonas Damon? Or a rubber silicone encased AM/FM radio in 6 colors by designer Marc Berthier?

Sure these are some of the more whimsical offerings but SWITCH Modern is the place to browse if you want something unique for kids, pets, adults . . . wine lovers, cooks, executives . . . eco-friendly activists, cutting edge expressionists, retro throwbacks . . . and everyone in between. So head on over to Wal-Mart for a cart load of $0.99 gift bags, red and green tissue paper and sticker tags and then sit back in your favorite Barco-lounger and type your way through this year's shopping extravaganza!