All I want for Christmas is...

Bertrand Russell (an important philosopher according to Wiki!) once said “To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” But Courtney Bowden adds, “To be without EVERYTHING you want, is a bummer” So without further ado, I present the much awaited unveiling of our Christmas Wish Lists!

(oh, and before anyone thinks that we're recession-oblivious, materialistic, greed mongers -is it too late?- let me assure you that all of this is just for fun. No need to send hatemail or coal. Cash is always welcome though...Kidding!!)




[clockwise from top left: 1: You Make Me postcard, camera sticker stamps, white noise. 2: hello map. 3: emma and sophie folders, M by Staples folder. 4: Bellante bag, Ospedaletti bag. 5: food processor. 6: Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. 7: Pacifica candles. 8: Jonathon Adler - rhino box, squirrel figurine, snail figurine. 9: 50's birdcage pillow. 10: Sephora Ultimate Blockbuster. 11: Leda earrings, Full moon necklace.]

Courtney's List:

1. One of the next decorating projects I'm embarking on (the list is endless) is creating a gallery of photos and art for our stairway. I want an eclectic mix of homemade items, photography, and "real" art. I think these pieces would be cute as part of the collection.
2. I love this map. It's by some foreign designer and probably cost a billion dollars (I'm not great at currency conversion) but who doesn't love learning how to say "Hello" in every language on earth?
3. One of the items on my to-do list is to organize all my papers...BOR-ing! But with these, maybe it could actually be fun! Or, at least it would encourage me to keep them out where I might actually use them.
4. I have about a billion purses (I went through a phase in high school where I thought I was a debutante or something) but truthfully I don't have a good bag for "going out". I have a ton of totes, and a fabulous everyday bag, but these simple black clutches would be perfect for when I'm not lugging around all my worldly possessions. And they get bonus points for having a wrist strap!
5. As part of my new endeavor to actually cook a meal from time to time (mac and cheese doesn't count) I think it might be time to get a food processor. Putting breadcrumbs in the blender just isn't cutting it (ooooh kitchen pun!).
6. I love to read, these are a couple on my radar right now. Carrie Fisher's memoir sounds hilarious, and I'm a sucker for anything Gladwell writes.
7. I have a ton of random candles laying around the house, half burned, glass covered in wax....It would be delightful to have a brand new delicious scented one like these. The beautiful packaging alone is worth the price, but the scents- Tuscan Blood Orange...Hawaiian Ruby Guava...Mexican Cocoa?- make it even better.
8. Anyone who has stepped foot in my house knows what a sucker I am for animals- specifically white porcelain animals, and Jonathon Adler is the master of this art. I swoon over all of his creations, it was almost impossible to pick a favorite (or three).
9. I love quirky pillow prints, and this one would be fun mixed with some other bright colors or patterns.
10. I may not find time to make myself pretty everyday, but I do love makeup! When I was kid, I had a little makeup kit that I played with all the time (though I wasn't yet allowed to wear makeup outside of the house). I would have my friends over and we would give each other make-overs. I'm pretty sure even though I'm a "grown-up" now, I could still find some friends to come over and play if I had this awesome kit!
11. No Christmas is complete without jewelry! I love the patina on the leaf earrings, and the necklace comes from this amazing website where you can create your own one of a kind pieces. Check it out here.

[clockwise from top left: 1: Car Jack Lift 2: HDTV 3: Table Saw 4: Throwing Star Magnets 5: Blackberry Storm 6: Circular Miter Saw 7: Retro Eagles T 8: Car Ramps 9: Dazzle Video Capture Device.]

Dustin's List:

1. I want a car jack so that when I work on our cars in the comfort of my own garage I can jack up the cars with relative ease. I'll rotate my own tires and do other man stuff.
2. This isn't much of a surprise. What football loving man doesn't want a high def TV? I'm such a geek about this that I even know the model number. (LN40A650) I'm trying to be patient for when it really gets marked down after Christmas. Right now, it's hefty price tag is a bit much, but I still want it.
3. I have a few projects in mind where I'll need to make some very straight cuts. I have a hand circular saw, but my ability to cut straight is not that great. I don't want to do a hack job, so the table saw would be perfect. "Name one project!" you say. How about a platform bed for our third bedroom? Maybe if I blog on my own I'll show you a design.
4. Secretly, (well not any more) I still want to be a ninja. Every guy does really. Moving in and out of the shadows, knowing the black arts, possessing the ability to kill a man with your pinkie finger, etc. However, the closest I'll get is having magnets that look like throwing stars. Maybe give the illusion that I'm a ninja.
5. Ugh... this is the one gadget that pains me. The geek inside me is dying for a phone that connects to the Internet and does a bunch of awesome stuff. The Storm is just that. It'll also help me stay organized with life. Right now, if Courtney is not next to me or a pone call away then I'm probably lost and on my way to Wichita for some doctors appointment that I think I have. The pain comes in because getting the phone is not enough, you have to upgrade your cell plan, which would double my bill, and I can't justify that with "Because I want it!" So I think this one will be relegated to the "Wish List" for quite some time.
6. This is a must have at some point. The only angle I'm cutting with my current selection of saws is crooked. With a circular mitres saw, I'l be able to cut at any angle in seconds with a few thousand RPMs behind it. I love being a guy.
7. Probably the one item on the list that is actually attainable. This t-shirt is so cool. Go Eagles!!
8. It's been years since I changed my oil myself. Most of that is because if I laid under my car, my legs would be hanging in the street and I would probably get run over. So with our garage, there's no more fear of that happening. It's time to change that oil myself, and these babies will make that much easier.
9. This is a great little device. Courtney has some shows saved on the DVR that I would love to take off and free up some space. With the Dazzle, I could record the programs right from the TV to my computer and then burn them to DVD. Saweet!

So those are the things we've been drooling over. What's on your list this year?