Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide, A to Z

You haven’t started yet? Ouch. Well, don’t fret. There is still a week left. You still have time to seek out that "wow" gift. Add a little extra spark to someone's Christmas with one of our selected offerings on the Martiniboys.com Last Minute Christmas Gift Guide, A to Z.

A Day at elBulli Ferran Adria is the closest thing the culinary world has to the Pope. Every year, millions make pilgrimages to eat at his legendary elBulli restaurant on the Costa Brava in Spain. With the new 600 page illustration-heavy A Day at elBulli, you can experience the restaurant even if you can't actually go there. The book includes over 800 photographs, menus, recipes, and itineraries that attempt to give a full picture of the elBulli experience. Available at www.phaidon.com

Black Orchid by Tom Ford Given Ford’s proclivity for chest bearing, one would assume that Tom Ford smells fantastic. Black Orchid cements that reputation. The original fragrance from the uber-designer, Black Orchid's name befits its striking scent. Judiciously and slyly blending black truffle and ylang with earthier tones like patchouli, vetiver, and vanilla, it's a dark and strong scent. Available at www.tomford.com

Cointreau Noir Cointreau Noir is a blend of the original tangy orange Cointreau liqueur, but with an added Remy Martin cognac. The original taste has been refreshed by a blended taste that can be sipped casually or guzzled straight. The added vanilla and nut flavor make the drink truly golden, literally. The Halloween looking bottle, makes me think this daring drink might only be handled by the best of the best (obviously meaning you). Cointreau Noir is $63.99 for a 750ml on liquor store shelves now.

Dita: Stripteese Flip Books This set of three books (each about the size of a deck of cards) are nestled together in a cardboard enclosure and tied shut with a pretty pink ribbon. The first book is the Martini Glass - Dita's most famous show. The second book is the Bird of Paradise - a gorgeous look at Dita in a gilded cage. The last book is the Classic Striptease with those seamed stockings and signature corset. Available at www.amazon.com

Eating The Dinosaur For your hipster roommate or bespectacled "post-ironic" colleague, Chuck Klosterman's latest tome should be ideal. Retreating to the essay collection format that made his name (i.e. 2003's Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs), Eating The Dinosaur examines topics as disparate as Ted Kaczynski, time travel, football, voyeurism, and Nirvana's In Utero, putting them all on equal footing as material for serious intellectual discussion. Available at www.chapters.indigo.com

Ferragamo's Revival Wallet Salvatore Ferragamo's Revival Wallet typifies elite leather goods. Painstakingly crafted, subtly seductive, and utilitarian minded -- multiple compartments always connote utility -- it's refined and suave. Tangentially, I know Father's Day can be hard on the wallet, but this one will hold up, empty or not. It retails for about $250. As always, make sure you have more inside than out. Available at Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew.

Gucci Leather Belt For men, Gucci has introduced a subtly elegant must-have: the thin leather belt with antique brass buckle. The antithesis of a shit-kicker's buckle, this Gucci-emblazoned piece has an understated cool. Available in both brown and black, the belt retails for a fair $260, especially considering your presumed seasonal budgetary constraints. Oh, and pull your pants up. Available at www.gucci.com

Henk Stallinga Salt and Pepper Shaker Seeing traditional salt and pepper shakers and saying "not strange enough," Stallinga has created a kitchenware piece that would look great in any household. More than resembling old-school telephone ear and mouth pieces, they actually are old-school telephone ear and mouth pieces, souped up to create salt and pepper shakers. Kitchenware can be a bit of a boring gift, but with the help of Dutch design, that doesn't have to be the case. Available at charlesandmarie.com

iPhone cases Give your honey a little protection for your iPhone, which may be just as precious as the device itself. Help someone hold the phone in style with a shiny gold or silver iPhone case from Incase or a high-end, pink patent leather holder from the British brand, Mulberry. Mulberry "Daria" iPhone case, $250 at www.mulberry.com

John Varvatos striped Henley It's hard to think of a bigger holiday cliché than getting someone a Christmas sweater, but this John Varvatos striped Henley is a superfine Italian spun Merino wool designer fashion piece that just happens to work well as a Christmas present, provided, of course, that you can afford the $600 price tag. Sure, knitting it yourself would be considerably cheaper, but you're not one of the most prestigious menswear designers working today, are you? Yeah, didn't think so. Available at www.johnvarvatos.com

Kindle Although other e-book readers were available previously, Amazon's Kindle is clearly the best, with storage space for 1,500 books in its two gigabytes of memory and millions of selections in its online store. Which means there are tonnes of Tony Danza facts at your disposal. Both Americans and Canadians can now buy the Kindle at Amazon.com. If that's too steep for you, may I suggest a library card? Available at www.amazon.com/

Louis Vuitton Speedy bag The LV label comes with a hefty price tag, but this a high-end bag that never goes out of style. It comes in four sizes, but the Speedy 30 is a nice balance between too small and the slouchy over-sized sacks that seem to swallow your keys and cellphone without fail. $690 at Louis Vuitton

MacBook Air The Macbook Air has everything you've come to expect from Apple, with an even sleeker look and a new 128GB option. The 13.3 inch LED-backlit display paired with a full-size keyboard doesn't leave a whole lot of room for anything else-you would think. Luckily the multi-touch trackpad is pretty grand keeping those fingers happy. Available at Apple Stores.

Nikon D3 Digital SLR Enter the Nikon D3 Digital SLR. It's fast, sensitive, 35mm-aping, ergonomically enticing, and malleable. What more could you want? This is a serious piece of equipment aimed at experienced shooters. Incidentally, beware of disgruntled shutterbugs (I know that doesn't sound menacing, but it is). On shelves now.

OOTS! lunch box Say goodbye to bulky plastic boxes with rotting stickers of the Flinstones and give the little one the gift of cool with the OOTS! lunch box. Made from BPA and phthalate free polypropylene, the brightly coloured, modish boxes feature one rectangular container (6.75" x 3.75") and four square containers (3.5" x 3") that snap into place right inside. Available at www.lunchboxes.com

Psycho Bunny Ettinger Bridle Leather Wallet It’s really saying something for an accessory when it’s adorned with a skull-and-crossbones rabbit right on its front. The bridle leather exterior features both Psycho Bunny and Ettinger's insignias, while the interior features contrasting gold lining. You don't even need to stuff the wallet full of hundreds; it's conspicuous enough to merely suggest the presence of wealth. Available at www.johnvarvatos.com

Queen - Live At Wembley '86 For that true Queen fan. Then this is a must have for any Queen fan. This taken during the Kind of Magic tour. When Queen was at the height of their popularity. From the moment you press play to the moment the DVD finishes. Available at www.amazon.com/

Rock & Republic It’s hard to go wrong with Rock & Republic. Andrea Bernholtz brought this brand to life in ’02, and the jeans world hasn’t been the same since. R&R. Everything is kept simple with a combination of old and new school production methods. Don't expect any gimmickry; if you want that pre-stressed rock star look, you can look elsewhere. Available at Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew.

Sonoro Elements W The Sonoro elements W is a unique animal, indeed, as it manages to marry the needs and desires of a very distinct set of music enthusiasts. The curvy, sleek box with an iPod dock extension is small enough for a desk or nightstand, but it still manages to deliver in both FM antenna and WiFi modes, offering access to over 13,000 Internet radio stations. Available at JR.com

Tom Ford’s Black Orchid Given Ford’s proclivity for chest bearing, one would assume that Tom Ford smells fantastic. Black Orchid cements that reputation. The original fragrance from the uber-designer, Black Orchid's name befits its striking scent. Judiciously and slyly blending black truffle and ylang with earthier tones like patchouli, vetiver, and vanilla, it's a dark and strong scent. Available at www.tomford.com

Underwear Mens or ladies Bikini calvin klein underwear is definitely sexier than, say, a toaster oven. Bikini underwear worn under tight fitted clothes leaves no panty lines and for those who dress to impress or undress to impress these are certainly a winner. Bikini styles are snug fitted underwear needed for support, but are a sexier look than a jock strap. Available at www.cku.com

Valentino DVD This behind-the-scenes look at the recently retired couturier's life as a designer, dog owner and fashion legend. Every frame is full of meticulous dress construction, power struggles and the over-the-top production of his 45th anniversary as a designer, held at the Coliseum in Rome. $29.99 at www.barnesandnoble.com.

Wallet Salvatore Ferragamo's Revival Wallet typifies elite leather goods. Painstakingly crafted, subtly seductive, and utilitarian minded -- multiple compartments always connote utility -- it's refined and suave. Tangentially, I know Christmas can be hard on the wallet, but this one will hold up, empty or not. It retails for about $250. As always, make sure you have more inside than out.


X" cuff links from the Graffiti Collection by Paloma Picasso for Tiffany & Co. Inspired by the way Parisian schoolgirls would sign their letters with Xs and Os for kisses and hugs, Picasso developed a line of jewelry containing the letters. Years later the accessories are still popular at Tiffany, where Picasso has been designing jewelry since 1980. Available at Tiffany's.

Yamaha YSP-4000 Like a bat, the YSP bounces sound off your walls, so unless you live in a wall-less structure (i.e. you're a hobo), it will give you surround sound from a single source. Though, with seven different settings, even those living in open-concept lofts, gymnasiums, or caverns, it can shoot its sound at and around you. It has an iPod dock, built-in digital amp, and satellite readiness.

Zipcar Gift Certificate Buy your loved one a Mini Cooper. Well, for a day or so. Or even an hour. With a Zipcar gift certificate you can give the gift of a BMW or a Mini Cooper while cutting down on pollution and car consumption at the same time. It’s easy stuff and involve standing in a line. Make the purchase at Zipcar and they'll email you the gift certificate which you can forward or print it out to give to the lucky friend.


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