With a little embellishment

REAL SIMPLE WRAPPING: Thanks to Design*Sponge, here are some interesting and creative (and inexpensive!) wrapping ideas to make your holiday gifts that much more special. They are all made with items you have around the house, or office, or can buy uber-cheap at the dollar store!

The top, is a pom-pom made of crepe paper (for instructions, click here); the middle, simple paper with added black labels made into circles with a paper punch; and the bottom, simple metal rimmed tags in varying sizes make a cute and minimalistic snowman.

Free design goodies

CHIC FOR FREE: A relatively new blog on the scene has caught my eye and I wanted to share: Free Design Goodies, a side project of Summer Allen-Gibson's Design Is Mine site, is an awesome one-stop-shop to see all the clipart, stationary templates, desktop wallpapers, etc. that various sites are offering for free. I have used it a couple times already and use it a lot just for inspiration. Check it out for your next birthday cards, dinner invitations or bridesmaids gifts (the stationary is perfect for this!).

Open That Bottle the right way

Enjoy Open That Bottle Night on Saturday with some of these fun new wine accessories. They can make any night a special night to open that celebratory bottle.

Crate and Barrel Mara wine glasses ($12.95 each) with dramatic angles and V-shaped bowls

CB2 Ada Smoke stemware ($3.95 each) for that sultry night, a bit of a smoky haze

Sur La Table V1 Vacuum Decanter by Metrokane ($79.95) preserves that special wine that you let "breathe" last just a few days longer, without breathing

CB2 Beaker Glass decanters and funnel ($2.50 - $14.95) help solve that scientific equation that is the right amount to air out a bottle

Sur La Table Riedel O ‘Thumbs Up’ Decanter ($159.95) is a hand-blown, no-drip, safe 'n' secure masterpiece

Way to remember

BE YOUR OWN PUBLISHER: I am sure this isn't new, but it's new to me, and it could easily be the coolest idea I've come across in a long time; it's definitely the best idea I've ever seen for a photo album I've seen in a long time — and it is so amazingly reasonably priced! With Blurb's Photo Books you can basically publish your own book with whatever combination of photos and text your mind can dream up (or if it can't, there are experts on hand). The books can have from 40 to 440 glossy pages bound in either a soft cover ($12.95 and up) or hard cover with dust jackets ($22.95 and up). And, it's all really easy to design yourself with their free software. A must have for a wedding album, honeymoon keepsake or even to make as a gift for someone's upcoming milestone.

Tarte's in my heart

In the spirit of "bonnie & clyde," "daisy & gatsby" and even "lois & clark," Tarte has just come up with a fun and funky gift for that special bride. Design your own delectable duo of shades for a bride-to-be — or it could go the other way, and be the perfect favor for the bride's maids. Since you're able to choose from any of Tarte's dozen plus hues, this double-ended gloss is a double bonus: you can customize the colors to the bride's wedding colors and you can also personalize it with the bride's and groom's names. The best part is that when you place your order in quantities of 25 or more, you get a bulk discount of 40–50% off.

Top of the pyramid

We just love MOMA museum stores for odd, fun innovations for home. The Wedge, in all its simplistic glory, keeps pyramids of beverages from slipping and sliding all over your fridge; it saves space and curbs potential disaster, and that is beyond worth dishing out $12 for two. Another option, use them for a modern take on a wine rack.

And if you're looking for a way to keep your champagne fresh once it's been opened, here's a tip: Insert a spoon into the top, handle down, to keep it bubbly. Thank god for Mr. Wizard!