Christmas

Deck the halls with boughs of holly, tis the season to be jolly, and shop this week to don your new apparel come the big day, during the last official shopping week before Christmas! For those procrastinating New Yorkers out there, this is your time to show those credit cards whose boss and get on out there to shop, shop, shop, because you can’t expect the elves to do all the work, can you?

Your “savings” grace comes in the form of sample sales this week from Alice + Olivia, Bitta, Hugo Boss, Kimberly Ovitz, et al., and Rena Lange.

Sample Sale Alert: Yellow

After a crazy month jam packed with sample sales, Rena Lange starts off the last official week of hectic holiday shopping with their annual sample sale in the Meatpacking District. Start your week off early on Sunday and be among the first bunch of shoppers to browse Lange’s signature apparel from both her Fall and Winter 2012 seasons. True samples will be on hand at this sale as well!

Tuesday brings the crowd pleasing Alice + Olivia Sample Sale at 260 Fifth Avenue. Alice + Olivia is noted for their pixie-like designs and black and white boldness, with a pop of color. Get the ultimate Christmas Day dress here for as low as $199 beginning at 9AM. With jackets starting at $149, this may be the perfect stop for some last minute gift options as well.

Post-dress shopping at Alice + Olivia, jet across town to the Huge Boss Sample Sale at Soiffer Haskin for some casual pick me ups. Still haven’t found a special something for the man in your life? Don’t fret! At the Hugo Boss Sample Sale 70% off will be slashed from the original retail price of tailored clothing, sportswear, and accessories. It’s a Christmas miracle!

Considering Silver and Gold are the official colors of the holiday season, why not mark yourself with these dazzling hues by purchasing yourself a bold new piece of jewelry at the Bitta Design Group Sample Sale? From delicate gold and diamonds to trendy statement pieces for up to 80% off, this sale has all you’re are seeking in one place. If you fret the taste of your significant other, why not pick a gift out here for yourself? Take a snap with your cell phone and it along with a wink. It’s a win/win!

Last up on the shopping list is a visit to the Kimberly Ovitz, Sachin +Babi & Nili Lotan Sample Sale on Fifth Avenue. Pick up some designer treats for the babes in toyland of your life. For up to 80% off, look to score some fabulous sweater dresses, funky vests, and last minute casual delights during your final sample sale trip before Christmas. Ah!

Reward yourself and drink some spiked eggnog by the fire as you sip and savor the moment when all your shopping is complete. The mounds of packages await, just don’t have too many egg nogs before you start wrapping!

By Caitlin Colford

Merry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Holidays, everyone! Did that greeting warmed up your heart, or brought up tears to your eyes? Depending where I was in life I felt joy or sadness myself at the arrival of the holiday season. What do you feel this year? While we usually talk about shopping, and this is definitely the happiest time of the year for retail, let’s pause for a moment and make sure we are doing it right. Are you ready? Have you planned ahead? Do you have a list and a budget? I have few words of advice worth lots more than all the money I’ve saved you with our sample sale listings. Money and mountains of gifts don’t buy love and happiness. Before you go gift shopping, figure out how much money you can really afford to spend. Then stick to your budget. Try this instead: be ridiculously generous in a non-materialistic way and make sure you create amazing memories. You’ll thank me years from now.

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Financially, the holiday season has become a huge burden on Americans’ pockets these past few years, as families struggle to make ends meet during trying economical times. Instead of being a season to look forward to and embrace, people fear it like the plague, knowing they will be forced to spend money they can’t afford to part with on presents for loved ones. Prior to this depression we’ve been in, Christmas had become a time to lay out the big bucks for over the top presents, such as Playstations, fur coats, and yes, even automobiles. Soon thereafter, one by one, people fell into their own struggle, some slower to come to terms with it than others, and eventually families unanimously agreed that they needed to put a stop to the ridiculous spending on gifts. Rules were set, a  spending limit was placed, and in some cases, events and gatherings became a substitute for gifts. Families began coming together with simple tokens of appreciation, or no presents at all, the main purpose being to simply enjoy each other’s company, basking in the pleasure of conversation and laughter rather than FedEx-ing the latest Wii game with a “family update” attached. But wait, isn’t coming together what the holiday season is supposed to be about in the first place?

If your family never parted with the spending, and still revolves this special time around the disheartening notion of physical gifting, then it may take remembering a scene from the Dr. Seuss’ classic, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, to make you appreciate, well, what Christmas is all about. Remember when the Grinch swooped down to Whoville on Christmas Eve? He stole every gift and tree, decoration and ham, in order to take the holiday away from the townspeople he loathed. When residents of Whoville woke up to bare fireplaces and empty living rooms on Christmas morning, they embraced each other anyway, singing in the streets in appreciation for the day itself and those they are blessed with, for it was Christmas they were looking forward to, not the perks came along with it. Where did we go wrong? Isn’t this children’s story the perfect goal as to what mindset we must maintain?

Bratty children may not be able to grasp the idea that they will not receive the latest gadget or gizmo on their favorite holiday, but we must lead by example. For one, my family has made a game out of gift giving, utilizing the “set of rules” to save money, have fun, and enjoy one another’s company. We all participate, young and old, and have made it a tradition to gather around after digging into a glazed ham and laugh and shout during the “White Elephant Gift Exchange.” Heard of it? It’s also referred to as Dirty Santa, Pollyanna, or more descriptively, The Christmas Swap Thingy. Here everyone brings a wrapped gift, setting a fair limit of say, $10 or $20, and each member of the family selects a number from a hat. In our designated order, we then are allowed to choose a new gift from under the tree or steal one someone else has, and it can get feisty! Above all else, the bottom line is this silly game is all about having fun with each other.

This 2011 shopping season is giving hope to America’s economy. In recent totals, it is proven that America is spending 15% more on gifts than last year. Cyber Monday raked in a whopping 1.25 billion dollars, totaling out holiday spending thus far at over 18 billion. While stimulating the economy is important, as is looking up and forward as we dig ourselves out of this financial rut while jobless rates decrease, we must not loose sight of the family oriented traditions we have set in place as we all struggled together. It took so long for us to return to the real meaning of Christmas, that even if the money is there, let’s continue to enjoy one another’s company and not let big spending get in the way.

While it’s obvious gifts still are going to be given, this year put your money towards doing something creative for each family member, friend, and neighbor. Some suggestions that are sure to be a big hit is to load up mason jars with goodies: mini cobblers, personalized spice blends, candied nuts, and homemade granola. Wrap that to stick under the tree so Uncle Johnny and Grandma can fight over it during the “White Elephant Gift Exchange.” We all know Granny will win, but I’m sure she’ll share.

By Caitlin Colford 

Children make Christmas lists fully expecting that we buy them something on the list. They don’t care that we didn’t get it on our trip to Africa in the summer or hand knit it in our minuscule spare time. Children don’t mind if it took you ten minutes to order it from Amazon.com as long as it was on the list. Children of all ages continue to give lists to their parents and in some families siblings; but as you get older, the pressure to give thoughtfully grows and grows. But isn’t it thoughtful to give someone something they want?

Last Christmas I came across the dilemma and sent a snarky but sincere email asking friends and family what they want. A close friend then informed me that this was not “kosher” because they were not children and “in addition” gifts are better when they come from the heart.  The dilemma: whether to buy people something the outright want or to purchase something thickly laced in thought.

Last year my artsy painter friend mentioned a Botkier hobo when we were casually perusing Bloomingdale’s one afternoon. For weeks, I had been scouring teeny boutiques in Brooklyn looking for something perfectly suitable for her free spirit. After all, she was always so thoughtful. By December 23rd, I decided to just give her the bag. Marched up to Bloomie’s, paid, and was home in thirty minutes. When she opened it her eyes lit up; she was so thrilled that someone had given her something non-art related. “But handbags are art!” I protested. But I knew what she meant. Just like children, adults like to get something they want. And the something-she-wanted turned into the best present of all.
I’m a genuinely thoughtful person and I love my family and friends dearly, but why scurry around town during the busy, tourist packed holiday season trying to pick out something thoughtful when I could just give them something they want. What’s a thoughtful person to do two weeks before Christmas and completely void of thoughtful present ideas? Give in and give them what they want. Leave the other three seasons to the beauty of being thoughtful.
Emma Dinzebach