Anyone remember Blueprint Magazine by Martha Stewart? Well I luckily kept my issues of the short run (and dearly missed on my part) magazine. I paged through all of them for design ideas and again this year for Christmas ideas.
One of the things I loved about this magazine was the 100 Reasons section in the back of each issue. And in the spirit of the holiday season I wanted to the 100 Reasons to be Thankful During The Holidays. (Some of these have to do with Thanksgiving because I couldn't bring myself to break out the Christmas magazines before Thanksgiving)
No. 1 Talk turkey with the pros on Thanksgiving Day (or just get told to stuff it) at 1-800-BUTTERBALL
2. Then click on marthastewart.com/thanksgiving for our founder's favorite side-dish recipes and centerpiece ideas
GO-TO gift sites to bookmark NOW
3. unicahome.com designer housewares from Aalto to Zeisel;
4. momastore.org for museum-quality stocking stuffers;
5. fredflare.com a favorite of tweens (and tweens at heart);
6. oompa.com because Toys "R" Us in December is not for the quick-tempered.
7. Or, reserve products for pickup at a shopping center near you on nearbynow.com and know that the wait for a parking spot will pay off.
No. 8 "I'm grateful for eBay's 'favorite search' feature, which tells me when sellers list new items I might be interested in."- Katie Hatch, fashion editor
9. Roomba. What (or who) else cleans floors, entertains guests, and puts itself to bed- with no complaints? ($120 and up, irobot.com)
No. 10 "I'm thankful that I finally gave Skype a try and found out that it is that easy and cheap to reach loved ones from afar." (skype.com) Petra Guglielmetti, staff writer
11. Caller ID Because telemarketers don't take the holidays off.
12. "I'm thankful for toast - how something so simple makes your kitchen smell so good, and with the right preserves can be heaven."- Elizabeth Graves, beauty, health, and fitness editorial director
13. & 14. Thoroughly Modern Menorahs at nambe.com (Marilyn Davidson's swooping style, $160) and artfullhome.com
15. Traditional Versions that double as Shabbat candleholders ($185, thejewishmuseum.org)
16. An Incomparably Elegant Glass Dreidel from Simon Pearce ($70, simonpierce.com)
No. 17. November 1, 2009. One more hour of much-needed sleep, courtesy of the end of Daylight Saving Time
18. Lower-priced GPS units from Garmin, for finding your way to Grandma's new condo
19. Mapquest, for a printable plan
20. Gas-station attendants who give accurate directions at no charge.
21. Free bottleneck and breakdown alerts sent to your cell phone or PDA from traffic.com
No. 22 "I'm thankful for Santa Maria Novella's cologne 'Potpourri': It's my signature fragrance, and the only accessory I wear daily."- Shane Powers, senior style and home editor
23. The sublime combination of Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
24. Winter Citrus (Oh, my darling clementines!)
25. Irish Coffee spiked with Black Bush Irish Whiskey (the best!)
26. Thanksgiving Leftovers Strata, featuring turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and eggs.
No. 27 "I'm thankful for home-cooked meals (that are made by someone else)."- Milano Miodini, editorial assistant
28. Shoulder-season (through the end of November) discounts to sunny destinations like the Caribbean.
29. "Drink umbrellas: I put them in beverages when someone I know is having a bad day- or I'm pining for a tropical vacation."- Sarah Conroy, associate fashion editor
ENTRUST YOUR PARTY'S DJ DUTIES TO THE ELECTRONIC MINDS BEHIND
30. slacker.com
31. pandora.com
32. last.fm.
33. "I'm thankful for my Searle down jacket. It can withstand just about any gale-force wind or precipitation."- Bora Chang, associate beauty, health, and fitness editor
SCHMALTZ-FREE HOLIDAY ALBUMS
34. Christmas with the Rat Pack;
35. James Brown's Funky Christmas
36. A Charlie Brown Christmas;
37. The LeeVees Hanukkah Rocks;
38. Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers Once Upon a Christmas. (Trust us.)
AND A COUPLE OF SCHMALTZY FAVORITES
39. Neil Diamond The Christmas Album
40. Elvis Presley If Every Day Was Like Christmas
41. Family members who feel like friends
42. Friends who feel like family
43. Family members with four legs (or fins, or feathers)
44. Unexpected handwritten notes and letters
THE BOOMING IND
IE STATIONERY INDUSTRY THAT INSPIRES THEM
45. Paper Stories (paperstories.com) for options both naughty and nice;
46. Iomoi (shopiomoi.com) for personalized patters;
47. Paper + Cup (papercupdesign.com) for the graphic and novel;
48. Elum (elumdesigns.com) for refined, post-preppy letterpress
No. 49 PILOT HI-TEC-C GEL INK PENS ($3 each, jetpens.com) "The thinnest, finest, lightest pens around, in a rainbow of colors. They're great for addressing holiday cards."- Debra Bishop, design director
SMART TV ON DVD TO GET YOU THROUGH HOLIDAY RERUN SEASON
50. Saturday Night Live: The Best of series
51. Arrested Development (R.I.P.)
52. The Office from either side of the pond
53. Weeds because suburbia has never been so dope
54. Entourage to watch the guys hug it out
SUPPLEMENT WITH YOUTUBE'S FINEST PROGRAMMING
55. Choreographed wedding dances
56. Sesame Street, gangsta-style
57. The seasonally appropriate "Christmas Lights Gone Wild"
58. Jingle Cats meowing all your favorite carols
59. The new and improved, lower-priced TiVo HD, which can even beam TV shows and movies from the Internet straight to your TV. ($299, tivo.com)
No. 60 "My mom's traditional Christmas-morning cocktails, waiting for us each year when we wake up."- Scott Horne, contributing style editor
the recipe:
Empty one can of frozen limeade into blender. Add one canful each of gin (or vodka), half-and-half, and crushed ice. Blend quickly, pour into a glass, and sprinkle with nutmeg.
61. Miniature tubes of AQUAPHOR, the purse-size winter wonder that repairs chapped lips, softens cuticles and gives eyelids a glisten. ($2, drugstores)
62. Benefit Boi-ing Concealer and Eye Bright Pencil to help you fake the beauty sleep you don't always log this time of year. ($18 each, benefitcosmetics.com) (TRUST ME!)
63. And when you can't fake it anymore, get lasting facial repair from Ole Henriksen's ridiculously effective micro/mini peel kit ($95, olehenriksen.com)
TURN THIS YEAR'S TRASHED WRAP INTO NEXT YEAR'S
64. Origami Ornaments (the-north-pole.com/crafts)
65. Dreidels (enchantedlearning.com)
66. Kwanzaa Bowls (Origami Holiday Decorations: For Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, by Florence Temko; $9, Tuttle Publishing)
No. 67 (previously January 20, 2009 for the inauguration) the new one... any date in the new year that you're looking forward to.
68. "Old-fashioned bubble lights- instant holiday spirit."- Sydney Applegate, design production associate
BOARD GAMES THAT WON'T CAUSE POSTPRANDIAL FAMILY FEUDS
69. SCRABBLE The best excuse to use four-letter words;
70. TRIVIAL PURSUIT (and not the pop-culture version);
71. BALDERDASH because, for once, bluffing is encouraged
72. CATCH PHRASE all the shouting and gesturing is in good fun;
73. PICTIONARY sometimes it's better to put it in writing
No. 74 "I'm thankful for my mom's zucchini latkes. Whether I'm home and she's frying them up, or I channel her by making my own batch, they always infuse a little family tradition into my holiday season." Shira Savada, editorial assistant, art
75. The mail-order MAYTAG BLUE-CHEESE WHEEL: a huge hit as a gift for those out-of-town relatives. ($27 for 2 pounds, maytagdairyfarms.com)
SOPHISTICATED SANTA-FREE GIFT WRAP
76. rettaleritz.com
77. seltzergoods.com
78.eieiostudio.com
79. pikkuwares.com
80. whimsypress.com
81. luxepaperie.com
82. Digest a little literary fare (along with everything else) in Christmas Stores, Diana Secker Tesdell, ed. ($15, Knopf) 20 selections from the likes of Willa Cather, Anton Chekhov, and John Updike.
83. Find the most over-the-(roof)top house-lighting displays near you on tackylighttour.com (And take a pair of sunglasses if you go to see them.)
84. Long-burning, energy-saving LED bulb strings, for your own light shows.
85. The ultimate what-not-to-do primer in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
86. "I'm thankful for my family's annual dessert competition: There are six to eight categories (for taste, presentation, etc.). Everyone gives her dessert an original name and tests each entry, and we hand out funny, tacky gifts to the winners."- Lisa The, senior art director
87. Cheaters- er, perfectionists- can use EvenDough rolling-pin bands to roll our blue-ribbon-worthy pie crusts. ($6, grammascutters.com)
88. Martha's Favorite Cookies DVD. Dozens more ways to fatten up your friends and neighbors. ($15, marthastewartstore.com)
89. (again adding my own for an out dated entry) David Sedaris' Holidays on Ice... it makes your holidays look pleasant or at least less stressful.
90. CLAXTON, GA, the fruitcakes capital of the world. Where would we be without the holidays' favorite punch line?
FRESH FUN TREE ORNAMENTS
91. jonathanadler.com
92. weegohome.com (laser-cut steel trees, flowers, and birds)
93. metmuseum.org
94. Hanukkah Gelt. A religious imperative to eat chocolate
No. 95 "youworkforthem.com has a great selection of art books as well as smart, well-designed gifts."- Jamie Prokell, associate art director
SALVATION FOR SLACKERS ULTRA-LAST-MINUTE DELIVERY OF HOLIDAY GIFTS
96. llbean.com
97. bluenile.com
98. redenvelope.com
99. jcrew.com
No. 100 (again my own addition) warm drinks, blankets, heater cats the most magical decorations ever, the first snow fall, close family and friends. And after all the gatherings are over, developing temporary amnesia and wishing you could do it again the next day.
