I’m a lover of entertaining during the holiday season, decorating the house with fresh evergreens, adding some sparkle, and filling it with the scents of the season – we love inviting friends in from the cold to enjoy a cup of cheer at this time of year.  

Every year I do a roundup of favorite gifts ideas for a host or hostess and I keep it under $30. If you’re invited to a get together this holiday season, here are my 2012 picks for the cooks, foodies, wine enthusiasts, coffee or tea lovers, gardeners, and hip hosts or hostesses you know! 

Striped Apron, Dean & Deluca, $30; Le Creuset Butter Crock, Pot & Pantry, $30; Spotless Juicer, Anthropologie, $30;  Red Zig Zag Apron, Sur la Table, $20; Equal Tea Towel, Studio Patro, $24; Marble Mortar and Pestle, Overstock, $29.99;  Letter Pressed Cookie Set, World Market, $17.99 

Fig Jam Assortment, the girl and the fig, $28; Vanilla Infused Maple Syrup, Dean & Deluca, $22;  Demi glace (several flavors), Williams-Sonoma, $29.95; Gray Salt Trio, Napa Style, $29;  7” Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, The Cheesecake Factory, $25.95; Royal Riviera Pears, Harry & David, 29.95. 

8 Cork candles, Napa Style, $22;  Red Pedrini Bottle Opener, Target, $19.99; Decanter with Oak Stopper, Wine Enthusiast, $29.99; Wine Purse, Bed Bath & Beyond, $29.99;  Gold Honeycomb white wine glasses, set of four, West Elm, $25

Loose Tea Storage Tins, Teavana, $10.95;  Glass teapot, CB2, $17.95; Graphic Espresso Serving Set; Crate + Barrel, $19.95; Tea for One, Poketo, $29; King & Queen Mugs, Jonathan Adler, $26; Aerolatte Frother, Crate + Barrel, $19.95

Herb Keeper, Amazon, $19.95; Floral Garden Shears, Hayneedle, $24.95; Compost Container, Gardener’s Supply, $29.95; Rosemary Mini Tree; Burpee, $29.95;  Copper Garden Labels, Terrain, $18

Thomas Paul coasters, Orange & Pear, $18; Hobnail Candle, Altogether Home, $28;  Mustache Tray, Z Gallerie, $24.95; Wood Bowl, Wayfair, $24.95; Agate trivet, Leif, $20; Enamel Servers, Macys, $24.99; Maple stick candles, Shop Terrain, $30;  Cheese Knife Set, Crate + Barrel, $24.95

I hope you like the 2012 picks as much as I do.  Perhaps one of them is the perfect gift for someone you know … or for you?! 

Coming up next, the Friday Finds of the week.  :)

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We had one of the best weekends ever.  Christmas tree?  Check.  Gift list nearly complete?  Check.  Christmas tunes party playlist?  Check.  Trip to the movies?  Check.  We saw the new Muppets movie, so cute!  It brought back memories of watching the show as a child, I confess I was nodding my head back and forth to the Muppets Show theme…”it’s time to put on music, it’s time to light the lights…”

Today is a great day, as we kick off  the Holiday Home Parties, and today Layla is hosting table decor.  I hosted a tablescape contest last week (announcing the winners soon!) so I thought I’d create something for the host or hostess you can make and give that they’d be proud to place on their  table!  The best news is these wine bags can be made with scraps of fabric you have leftover from other projects. They’re easy to make and a great way to personalize a gift of wine or bubbly.   

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Greetings all, are you feeling the frenzy yet?  I started to feel it today, with a million things on my plate. The kids are home from school this week (who’s idea was that?) which adds to the craziness, but I finally got a chance to sit down for a spell to answer some emails and create this list.

I was asked by several readers this month to recommend some gifts for a host or hostess that don’t cost a fortune.  Most of us will be invited to a soirée or two this holiday season, whether a big Christmas party or smaller get together with friends. It’s a gracious gesture to bring your host or hostess something special they’ll use or appreciate but I don’t think you need to spend a lot of money. 

Of course, there’s always the lovely gift of a bottle of wine or bubbly (forever welcome at my house!) or the thoughtful presentation of a homemade treat if time permits. Here are eight more ideas for less predictable stylish gifts for your entertainer: 

1.  Bowl Her (or Him) Over.  Little sets of bowls are perfect for smaller amounts of sauces or condiments.  Bright colors or rustic wood bowls will blend well with so many table settings, stack them up and tie them with a big bow, they’re sure to be a hit. 

Lacquerware bowls, $17 each, Branch Home; Acacia Bowls; $6-$11, One Sydney Road

2.  Shake Shake Shake.  Salt and pepper shakers or mills are such a great gift, they’re one of those necessary items required for any dinner or buffet but something one rarely buys for oneself. Find a rustic, nostalgic, quirky, or colorful version to give to your host or hostess and you’ll be thought of fondly every time he or she seasons the food!    King + Queen salt and pepper, $40 Perpetual Kid; Mason Jar salt and pepper; $16 Terrain; Turquoise Pepper Mill, $42 Target

3.  Spread the Love.   Cheese spreaders are universally appreciated and so useful for all those dips, spreads, and appetizers.  I know I could certainly use a new set, and these are two of my recently found favorites.  

Vintage Cheese Knives, $29 Williams Sonoma;  Wine Cork Spreaders, $15, Z Gallerie

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I love being invited to parties, especially this time of year, don’t you?   Laura from Texas recently wrote to me asking about inexpensive but elegant hostess gifts.  Nothing beats a homemade gift, but time and money are precious and short this season.  If you’re looking for something unique and special and don’t want to spend a lot of moola, here are twelve charming ideas that make great hostess gifts!  All under $25!  

Extra Ingredients Measuring Spoons ($18) and the Castle Key Bottle Opener ($12), both from Anthropologie.

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