The Tastemakers will be taking the next week off, so that we can enjoy watching the faces of our loved ones as they open our thoughtfully selected gifts.  And perhaps, Santa will leave a little something selected from our StyleFeeds in our stocking.

We’ll see you again in the New Year to dish about the best in fashion and design and talk about trends for the year to come.  Whatever you happen to celebrate, we hope you enjoy the holidays and just as importantly, the after-Christmas sales.

Happy Shopping!

The holidays are here, and with this time of the year comes the inevitable endless stream of social events: office parties, family get-togethers, dinners out with friends, and perhaps a romantic date or two. These numerous functions mean that a girl’s got to put together a lot of great outfits — and this girl is especially concerned with what’s on her feet!

Shoes make or break an outfit and can make you feel more confident — as cheesy as it sounds, there’s just something about finding the right pair of shoes to go with an outfit that instantly lifts your mood. (Am I right, or am I right?)

I love shoes just as much as the next girl, and I blame part of this obsession on my heritage. I’m Filipino-American, and Former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos was reported by Time magazine to have owned 1,060 pairs of shoes — one of which was battery-powered and sparkled in the dark!

But really, who can blame her? There are flats, boots, sneakers, pumps, heels, sandals — and then there are the more specific categories: ballet flats, oxford pumps, this past summer’s gladiator sandals, peep-toe heels, etc. Of course, one of each type of shoe is never enough — and this can lead to a huge collection if you’re not careful!

Fortunately, shoes don’t have to be expensive in order to be stylish. As a financially challenged college student, I buy the majority of my shoes at Payless, Target, DSW, and the sale section of Nine West (which I highly recommend!). I love it when people on the street ask me where I got my shoes — and I can tell them I got them on sale at Target for under $20!

I’ll be blogging here on the Tastemaker Diaries as your resident Shoe Addict, bringing to you my favorites, both dressy and casual, from the ever-so-covetable high-end brands to the affordable and more attainable low-end brands. Just so you know: I don’t proclaim to be an uberfashionista. I’m just into having a collection of good quality, practical shoes that I can use year after year, as opposed to simply having a huge collection of shoes. I’ll be bringing that element into my blogs, as well as my love-them-at-the-moment obsessions.

I can’t wait to meet all of you and learn about your tastes in shoes! Until next time…what shoes are you obsessed with this holiday season?

My dog Molly is embarrassingly spoiled. THF puts up with it–he secretly adores the dog as much as I do–but he puts his foot down when I insist he walk Molly outside…while she’s wearing a pink tweed jacket.

Since I think it’s only fair that Molly get presents on Christmas as well, I have some ideas of things that THF and I could both agree on…and none of the items involve the color pink or an abundance of rhinestones.

This is the gift I won’t be getting Molly, simply because one, it’s got better style than my own Ikea-special bed, and two, because it’s (gulp) over $1,000. Yes, $1,000+. For a dog bed. But, if you had the money, it’s really adorable. Although perhaps, not a justifiable purchase…

This is more my budget: this $15 leather collar doesn’t have spikes or studs on it, nor is it sparkly and tacky. Molly (and THF) will like it.

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You should have your holiday party look together by now, but on the off chance that you’re still looking for the finishing touch for your New Year’s Eve ensemble, let’s talk handbags. More specifically, kick-ass clutches. There are so many great options this year, why limit yourself to just one?

This season, StyleFeeders are loving shiny patent leather in eye-catching colors and embellished beauties in mother-of-pearl for bags that can serve as your single, stand-out accessory. A good, basic rule is that there should be an inverse relationship between the sheen of the fabric and the shape of the bag: the more dramatic the fabric, the simpler the shape. Keep jewelry and shoes more muted if you’re going for a statement bag.

For evening, you can’t go wrong with metallic. Pick a clutch in silver, gold, bronze or pewter, and for extra drama, pair with metallic heels. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to shine on this season’s holiday circuit; some of our favorite picks from stores like Ann Taylor Loft and Mark are under $30.

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There is nothing I love more than putting together one of my gift bags or baskets! Friends and family all know if there is a baby, bridal shower or big birthday there will be a basket full of special treats coming their way! Though it takes me some time to pull together because like designing a room there is always a theme and for me, most pieces need to have some type of meaning to the recipient. The reward is I love doing it, and the time spent is all worth it when the recipient opens it and exclaims they love everything!

I have a friend who, with the purchase of her new house, has just become interested in interior design. So this Christmas, I have put together a small bag for her. Want to take a peek?

I started with this great reusable bag from Envirosax that I found on Delight.com. All of her gifts will fit perfectly in here. I love the orange and green retro look and seeing as she lives in the city, it is perfect for toting groceries home or carrying magazines for a trip to the coffee shop. Why not wrap with something reusable, such as baskets, kitchen towels and totes?

“Modern Glamour: The Art of Unexpected Style” by Kelly Wearstler is an amazing book. One of my favorite quotes from the book is “Inside a room I want to be moved- I want to feel the drama” and literally, this book is all about drama! From the gorgeous white Casper Wingback Chair by Viceroy to the Trina Turk boutique in Palm Springs, the photos and advice will be sure to get the creative juices flowing!

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Some of you have pretty ambitious Christmas lists, judging by two of the most popular products on StyleFeeder this past week. So where do you fall on the sexy laptop spectrum?

In this corner, we have the new Sony Vaio, which is kind of the supermodel of laptops. It’s undeniably gorgeous, wears that shiny red lacquer finish to devastating effect, and is right on trend with the patent leather craze. But it’s also a bit flimsy, and if you’re a frequent traveler, you could probably blow it over with a good puff (not unlike a supermodel).

For some reason, the Apple iBook G4 has also been a popular item in the past two weeks. Given that those went out of production in 2006, we’re going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you thought you were looking at a Macbook. After all, if you really wanted to go all retro and ironic, you’d have to go all the way back to an original Mac, which is practically a museum piece by now (my husband actually displays one in his office because he considers it art).

I digress. Take a look at our other contender, the MacBook. While not quite as stunning as its competitor, it nonetheless has a classic design…more of an investment piece. Like a classic handbag, it holds up to abuse while looking perennially stylish.

But in the end, utility trumps appearance, and looks aside, you’re either a Mac or a PC person. Which side of the digital divide do you come down on?

I seriously look forward to shopping for holiday gifts for our little one, and often find myself buying her toys that I myself loved as a child. Ever on the strict budget, I try to make sure we get her toys that will grow with her, and not the type that will offer her temporary gratification (plus, our apartment is small, so storage space is always an issue).

This will be my daughter Jo Jo’s third Christmas, and each year shopping for her gets more and more fun. For the past two years, she was somewhat out of the loop regarding presents. She didn’t know what she wanted, and my husband and I were somewhat reluctant to go all out for her since she didn’t really know what was going on. This year, shopping for her has been so much more fun because she is really loving toys and I have a really good idea of what she’s into.

If you have a little one to shop for this year and haven’t yet hit the stores, or if you just need some good ideas of gifts for different age groups, read on.

Ages 0+

My theory is that you really can’t go wrong with this Baby Whoozit by Manhattan Toy. We had two of them when Jo Jo was a baby, and she LOVED them. The Whoozit has been extremely popular over the past few years (pretty much since it was featured in an episode of Sex and the City), and what’s not to love? It is soft, colorful, funny looking and features a variety of textured appendages for a baby to play with. The nose also has a squeaky in it and lifts to reveal a mirror beneath it. Another great thing about this toy is that it has a velcro loop, making it possible to attach it to a crib rail, bouncy seat, stroller or baby carrier.

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Casual Friday… oh, how I love thee. And I lovest thou more when you closeth early.

In my workplace — not really known for formal office dress to begin with — the differentiator between everyday and “Casual Friday” is that jeans — oh, jeans! — are gloriously permitted. And while some may take that to mean pulling on old comfies is appropriate, I merely look at it as a time to sport denim in a way that is still polished and professional.

So start with a nice dark wash trouser jean, I say… maybe like this:

Then top with a rich colored sweater (cashmere always looks and feels great) and a tweedy blazer to keep it a little bit professional:

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I have a confession to make. I have a real weakness for cocottes. In fact, the smaller, the better. Of course, I have a few large Le Creuset cocottes, very useful for me to make all my stews and soups. Le Creuset offers a lifetime warranty, so this should be a good incentive to get a few. In France, most French cooks have inherited at least one from their mum or grandmother.

But my ultimate favorites at the moment are the mini cocottes.

I also like the Staub line — a company from Alsace, in France — which offers really great cheery colors, in many different sizes and finishes. My newest one is the two-quart in grenadine.

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Shopping for my friends and family around the holidays is super-stressful. Lately I’ve been putting off my Christmas shopping, saying, “Ahh, I’ll just do it tomorrow…or next weekend…”

That kind of denial only gets me into trouble. Instead of going to buy a gift for my mother, I’ll procrastinate and stay home, curled up in my warm bed reading a good book. My justification? “But it’s been such a long day!”

But, shopping online for gifts instead is a great alternative. I can stay in my PJ’s, and it’s basically killing two birds with one stone–shopping and wrapping done at once (most online retailers offer free gift wrapping near the holidays).

The Mark by Avon Little Black Box can be customized with whatever combinations of makeup you desire. There are some pre-selected options, but it’s more fun to create a unique combo, don’t you think? It’s a great deal (about $6) and perfect for stocking stuffers for friends/cousins/nieces/etc.

My best friend Lisa is a make-up fiend. She adores Eyes Lips Face (E.L.F.), as do I, for their unbelievably inexpensive make-up. This “Ultimate Kit” is only–wait for it–$15. I know Lisa would just love this…and because she lives on the other side of the country, this kit would be easy to ship, as it isn’t perishable or a weird-shaped item.

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