How about some hot water for elephants? This cute little Darjeeling Teapot, short and stout, is definitely something your giftee will want to tip over and pour out. Jonathan Adler $118

Keep track of all your ideas and flashes of brilliance with this leather-covered notepad, courtesy of Gaga's Workshop.

Give a hoot this holiday season with this gorge little piece of 22-karat, owl-shaped gold jewelry.

For the fashion geek, this fun tome of fashion's finest scandals and trivia is the perfect fit.

Say hi to your chi with this 30-piece box of incense. Each burns for six hours, giving you plenty of time to get your chakra on.

It wouldn't be the holidays without some booze, now would it? Step up your mixological skills with Martha Stewart's stainless steel 7-piece bar tool kit.

CHT167969 Maxim's, c.1901 (pen & ink and w/c on paper) by Sem (Georges Goursat) (1863-1934) pen and ink and watercolour on paper Bibliotheque des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, France Archives Charmet French, out of copyright

Woman relaxing by pool with feet in water, holding book, low section

1. Lucky Brand Lazy Days Macrame Tote, $71.20 – The perfect color and texture for a day at the beach.

2. Jack Spade Leather Flask, $125 -  Just in case there’s no booze around, you can bring your own.

3. Nalgene OTF Water Bottle, $12 – Alcohol and sun WILL dehydrate you and leave your skin looking nasty. Make sure to drink plenty of water.

4. Sun & Sand Yellow Striped Straw Hat, $20 – Sun protection never looked so chic.

5. Roxy Lucille Flip Flops, $22 – Cute and functional, these beaded sandals are the perfect boho footwear.

6. Assouline American Fashion Travel, $45 – Get inspired and plan your next trip while soaking up the sun.

7. Clarins Sunscreen Soothing Cream SPF 20, $37.50 – This anti-aging, water-resistant sunscreen soothes while it protects.

8. NARS Cosmetics Multi Protect Primer SPF 30, $39 – Fortified with anti-oxidants, this primer works both on and off the beach.

9. Norma Kamali Bill Embellished Halterneck Bikini Top and High-Waisted Briefs, $450/$4oo – You will be a siren in this gorgeous vintage-inspired two-piece.

10. Converse Backstage With The Band Sunglasses, $58 – Over-sized for ultimate sun protection and fab factor.

11. CALYPSO St. Barth Kimberly Dress, $195 – The perfect frock to throw over your bikini when it’s time for lunch on the boardwalk.

12. Marimekko Unikko Pink and Red Beach Towel, $85 – You’ll never lose your place in the sand with this bright towel as your guide.

If you have any questions about the items or brands shown above, tweet at me @CrystlMeatballs.

“For me, traveling is a regular thing, but always a privilege and an extraordinary experience,” Furstenberg says. This mentality is what makes American Fashion Travel so down to earth. From the shores of Montauk to Bondi Beach or snow-covered mountains of Colorado or Switzerland, no destination is too big or small to make an impact on someone’s life. When flipping through the colorful pages and reading handwritten answers by CFDA designers, you’ll discover places you too have been and destinations foreign to you. Some prefer cars and others planes. The ideal vacation could include the spa or a hike to the top of a volcano. But when reading this book, you must remember that surprises are the best part of traveling.

“With every trip comes the unexpected, and that becomes part of your experience when you travel,’ Furstenberg says. “You have to be very open and spontaneous and ready to change your plans.”

Here are a few of our favorite travel memoirs from the book:

What owning this book says about you: I love to travel but live vicariously through others when I can’t make it out of town.

What your dinner guests will say upon seeing this book on your coffee table: What a colorful book. I want to go everywhere!

How this book will make your fashion brain grow: Learning where designers gather inspiration from around the world will help you better understand the creative process and how they translate experience into fashion. Plus, you will for sure be inspired to travel and gain your own worldliness and insight.

If you like this, you’ll love: 1000 Places to See Before You Die: A Traveler’s Life List by Patricia Schultz

Whitney will be rated on the below categories, five being the highest and 1 being the lowest.

Fit: 4

Appropriateness: 5

Trendiness: 4

Styling: 4

Shoes: 5

Hair: 4

Makeup: 5

Pose: 2

Confidence: 4

I love this look on Whitney – the dress is adorable and those coral Manolos are to DIE for. I wish she was working the carpet a little more though. Some expression in the face or a better pose wouldn’t kill her.

In the book’s introduction, Sally Singer, editor of T Magazine, is quick to point out that this is not your typical behind the curtains tome. That’s owed primarily to the fact that Julien Claessens is not a fashion photographer. In fact he admits that he doesn’t really understand fashion, but he understands his friend Olivier’s work.

So it’s no surprise that his photos aren’t perfectly-posed, editorial-ready snapshots, but abstract portraits that offer a glimpse into a world of extremes: extreme beauty, extreme bodies and an almost otherworldly charm. The star of these portraits, however, are still Theyskens minutely-crafted work.

Like malleable sculptures, Theyskens clothes wrap and drape themselves over the skeletal  frames of Lily Donaldson, Hilary Rhoda, Gemma Ward, Olga Sherer, Lara Stone, Tanya Dziahileva, Catherine McNeil and Sasha Pivovarova, lending a strength, elegance and sophistication otherwise at odds with their prepubescent fragility.

The Other Side of the Picture chronicles Theyskens career chronologically, ending before he began his newest phase at Theory, but Nina Ricci’s Fall/Winter ’09 collection is a fitting denouement, both for the book and for Theyskens time at the brand. That particular collection is the peak of Theyskens craft and a comforting reminder that talent like his shall and will not be wasted. Also, I’m still not over these tranny heels:

Julien Claessens, without understanding fashion, is able to completely grasp the work of Olivier Theyskens. As Claessens says about his friend’s work, “There’s something here that is part of my universe.” His clothes speak, live and breathe through Claessens’ photos because Theyskens intended them to speak, live and breathe on the women he dresses. Claessens and Theyskens simply speak the same language.

What owning this book says about you: You’re a serious-minded fashionista who admires Olivier’s dark aesthetic and/or his dark hotness.

What your dinner guests will say upon seeing this book on your coffee table: “Oh, wow, someone’s pretentious. And fabulous.”

How this book will make your fashion brain grow: Though you’re not likely to gain much in the way of knowledge from The Other Side of the Picture, you’re heart will swell at its beauty.

If you like this, you’ll love: Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. The book to the Met exhibit is on sale — having had a quick look at it this morning we can definitely say it is worth the 30 bucks (plus free shipping, y’all!)

You must get this book, we’ve been talking about it for months, OLIVIER THEYSKENS, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PICTURE is only $75 on Gilt today! Other amazing books for your consideration: DIOR 60 YEAR ANNIVERSARY, HIDDEN UNDERNEATH: A HISTORY OF LINGERIE, and THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION: BARBIE. Click here to join.

Assouline forthcoming book on ex–Nina Ricci designer Olivier Theyskens’s career, featuring the stunning photographs of Julien Claessens, is now available for preorder for $120. Leaf through a few pages on Assouline’s site.

LINK LOVE: The Cut via Assouline

New York magazine has a sneak peek at Barbie, Assouline’s $500 128-page book. Yona Zeldis McDonough follows the icon through 50 years of designer outfits and career changes. Everyone from Givenchy and Versace to Vera Wang and Zac Posen has put their mark on Barbie.