Bright Christmas

I recently welcomed a new family member into my home.

Isn't she pretty?

On Christmas Eve, I received this scintillating Anya Hindmarch glitter box clutch delivered to my doorstep; neatly wrapped up and fastened with a satin bow. It was given to me by the lovely ladies at Pret-A-Rever.com and MyTheresa.com. (I was selected at random for their Christmas giveaway.)

For those of you who are unfamiliar, MyTheresa.com are online purveyors of luxury fashion, and Pret-A-Rever deliver skillful and lively style forecasts. (Next season, think HAWAII.)

Luckiest girl alive? I think so!

Tiffany Twist Bow Ring

I went into Tiffany's yesterday to have a locket engraved, and wound up leaving with this:

I'd seen the Twist Bow in ads, but didn't actually fall in love until I saw the shiny trompe l'oeil forget-me-knots in person.

The Tiffany Bows come in Sterling Silver, 18K Gold and Platinum with diamonds. I'd get them all - if only I had no conscience, budget and sense of responsibility!

www.Tiffany.com

Towards Paradise

The Venice Biennale's first-ever landscape architecture installation, "Towards Paradise" (2008) allowed visitors to venture deep into obscure pathways cleared through thick overgrowth and explore the ruins of an abandoned Benedictine nunnery that was destroyed in the late 1800s.

The journey leads to "Enlightenment"- a pristine, otherworldly sculpted landscape accented with ethereal fabric clouds that are suspended by enormous balloons.

To put it (not so) simply, it's an Italian, Post-Modern "Secret Garden" storybook dreamland slash Post-Breton trip to "Oz"... a living fantasy.

Founded in 1895, The Venice Biennale (in English, "Venice Biennial") is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place every two years in Venice, Italy.

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Source: GUSTAFSON GUTHRIE NICHOL