Too much Swarovski is never enough, especially during the holidays, when we all want sparkle. And during the holidays in New York City, the most popular sparkle can be found at Rockefeller Center, where each year gaggles of locals as well as tourists stop by to view the Christmas tree, which has been topped by a Swarovski star each year since 2004.

This year's star is 9½ feet in diameter, 1½ feet in depth, weighs a whopping 550 pounds, and comprises 25,000 crystals with 1,000,000 facets. The star is high-tech and low-cost (energy-wise): It has enhancements such as a new cutting-edge computerized lighting system and energy-efficient LED bulbs. The star's 12 rays are outfitted with 720 bulbs on 3,000 feet of wire to create a twinkling effect through customized light sequencing programmed by a complex computer system.

Rockefeller Center officially began the Tree Lighting Ceremony in 1933, when a Christmas tree was erected in front of the then-RCA Building and covered with 700 lights. This is the first year, however, that the Swarovski star will feature dynamic light movement. A team of nine artisans and engineers spent three months (1,200 hours) installing, programming, and testing the star to ensure the effects would withstand the challenging winter weather conditions 76 feet above Rockefeller Center.

A replica of the Swarovski Star will be on display in Rockefeller Center to allow visitors to get a closer view of the detailing and craftsmanship. Swarovski is even offering a selection of star-themed holiday jewelry and ornaments on sale at the Swarovski holiday kiosk at Rockefeller Center, at Swarovski boutiques nationwide, and online.

The 77th Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, December 2, from 7-9 p.m. The ceremony will be televised live, locally on WNBC-TV from 7-8 p.m. and nationally on NBC from 8-9 p.m. Spectators can view the lighted tree each day from 5:30 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.; all day (24 hours) on Christmas Day; and from 5:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. on New Year's Eve. The last day to view the tree is January 7, 2010.

Sources: LuxuryLaunches.com and PR Newswire

La Perla has come through with one of the finest holiday collections we've seen in years.

Above, you see a delicious pile of some of the items from the Holiday Song Collection:

• a scalloped lace pushup bra for $289
• a stretch lace panty with "flirty scalloped hem" for $168
• a silk lace-up slip with lace detail and adjustable straps for $489

Each of the items, along with the rest of the Holiday Song Collection in tasteful, lovely colors, is available for purchase from their website, LaPerlaUSA.com, or click here to locate a store near you. All pieces are displayed in artful little heaps, as above.

No snowflakes are alike and so Swarovski offers a different snowflake for each year to celebrate the holiday season. The Holiday Ornament, Annual Edition 2008 has chosen a faceted-crystal snowflake with a blue satin ribbon and a small silver-tone tag with year of issue 2008. It retails for $75 and is available at Swarovski boutiques nationwide. Swarovski is donating $250,000 from the sales of its Annual Edition holiday ornament to Clothes Off Our Backs to benefit children's charities worldwide.

As part of Barneys New York's 1960s Peace & Love "Hippie Holiday" theme, cooked up by creative director Simon Doonan, the store is offering a special set of Volkswagen Beetle cufflinks. The links, designed on behalf of a holiday partnership between Barneys and Volkswagen by the Caroline Collection, are modeled on the iconic 1967 Beetle. The whimsical "antiqued" cufflinks (above) are made of sterling silver and enamel in various colors and will retail for $550.00 a pair. Commenting on his adoption of the hippie theme, Doonan noted, "We only picked the cheery, upbeat aspects of the '60s! No overdoses or assassinations."

If you need a quick dose of the Christmas spirit, a tour of the Biltmore, the largest privately owned home in the U.S in Asheville, North Carolina might help. The estate and grounds include more than 100 decorated trees, 1,000 wreaths and bows, 1,800 poinsettias and thousands of ornaments and lights. It's pretty hard to hold onto your humbuggery amidst the elegant spectacle of this grand estate wreathed in holiday magic.

Individual rooms are decorated according to a theme that changes each year, this year it's "Christmas Traditions from Around the World," which turns each room into a microcosm of Christmas traditions in a country. The estate also hosts "Christmas Candlelight Evenings" which feature entertainment by carolers, ballet dancers and puppeteers. Free seminars for daytime guests through Nov. 23, offer instruction on subjects such as decorating your home and tree, making a gingerbread house, pairing wine and cheese, and crafting a wreath or centerpiece. Admission for adults starts at $55.

[via USA Today]

Most of us gather at the homes of family or friends for Thanksgiving but that isn't the only option. Some opt for a warm weather escape outside the U.S. and hotels in Mexico and the Caribbean can do a brisk business this time of year. But here in the U.S. a wide variety of hotels offer different types of Thanksgiving specials that include dinner but also spa treatments, winery tours and outdoor sports. Another way to do a non-tradiitional Thanksgiving is to opt for a dinner cruise (a couple of examples are in the gallery below). If you haven't made plans yet, there is still time. Many hotels and restaurants are finding their reservation books staying open longer than usual this holiday season.

For those interested in attending the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, shown above, the I Love a Parade from Mandarin Oriental offers access to the 6,000 square foot Mandarin Ballroom with panoramic views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline and includes omplimentary upgrade from a Deluxe Room to a Hudson River View Room, a welcome amenity of signature pumpkin taffy, spiced pumpkin seed candy, hand-picked heirloom apples and orchard cider and clusive access to the Mandarin Ballroom on parade day, including Continental Breakfast (children's activities included). It starts at $925.

Check out the gallery below for other options for distinctive Thanksgiving excursions.

Happy Fourth of July! What better way to accent your outfit and show off your patriotic spirit this Independence Day than with a stylish new handbag. Designed by Julie Feldman and described as an "Americana tootsie roll handbag" (now I'm craving candy) this classic and simple bag is made of distressed leather with two rolled leather handles and zip closure at the top. I love the earthy and worn looking stars and stripes because they're so much less obnoxious than the brightly colored versions, and make the bag that much easier keep using all summer. $490

Sting's wife Trudie put together a few Christmas hampers (well, 100 of them actually) filled with hand-selected items from the couple's country estate in Wiltshire, England and they've become insanely popular. Available in London at Selfridges, the hampers included a variety of organic goodies including a bottle of champagne, a Christmas cake, beetroot chutney, a couple of beeswax candles, and a chocolate coin. There were 9 treats total in the $300 hampers, and they must have be good because they've already sold out -- with "a number" of them going to Sharon Osbourne.

This very simple, very classic looking Life of the Snowman sugar dish could make either the perfect addition to your holiday table or the perfect gift for that friend who loves to cook or hostess but already seems to have everything she needs. Cute and simple, the only complaint I can possible come up with (not that I spend time trying to complain) is that the smooth clear glass design will quickly show every fingerprint and smudge! But what's a few smudges compared to all the adoring compliments? $53


Via Design Mind

Happy December. Today marks the first in a daily series that will last the month of December, and possibly beyond, highlighting great causes to give funds to. The first part of this month will focus in holiday-themed programs that some charities run. Up first, Oxfam Unwrapped. Oxfam works in 26 countries around the world and sells gift items that symbolically represent their work. The purchase of a gift is not a donation toward a specific program but it help the recipient connect with the projects that Oxfam does around the world. Their biggest ticket donation item is the $10,000 stilt house. Oxfam America builds these homes in flood-prone areas to offer families a place where they can live and adapt to climate change without having to relocate. You don't need to be a big donor to make a big impact. Gifts start at just $18 which can buy a blanket, children's toys and school supplies.

Matthew Buechner of Thames Glass in Newport, Rhode Island has been a glassblower for over 20 years. At Thames Glass he designs all the prototypes and trains a team glassmakers in the art of handcrafted glass. This gift box ornament is just one of the beautiful and delicate ornaments that comes out of the Thames Glass studio. This ruby ornament with gold leaf sells for $44.

One of the ultimate compliments that can be paid to a product is a seal of approval from one of the most influential women alive: Oprah Winfrey. Getting on her "Oprah's Favorite Things" list has got to be a nice feeling and a nice boost for sales -- even for already well-established brands and products. It must be nice for Oprah to have people so interested in sharing her personal preferences in everything from electronics to cupcakes that it warrants a whole show. and (generous spirit that she is) she of course gave all these goodies to one lucky live audience in Macon, Georgia. Oh to be part of that group on that day -- they cleaned up!

Gallery: Oprah's Favorite Things 2007

Gaudy? Flashy? Over-the-top? These are terms that come to my mind when looking at this Santa made of pure gold, but I'm sure somebody out there has a completely different take. Somebody is going to love this golden Santa so much they'll be willing to dish out almost $2 millions dollars to have it. Or at least that's what a store in Tokyo is hoping, as they've got not just one but two of these beauties going up for sale between December 21st and 25th. And they've even said they're willing to make more if people pre-order them (warning: they take 3 months each to make!).

Tis soon to be the season of gift-giving, which means many the wine bottle will be exchanged for everything from an offering to the host of a dinner party to an all-out Christmas gift to a wine connoisseur. And even if it's just a gift for yourself, maybe as a way to help deflect some of the holiday stresses we're all so familiar with, this Leather Wine Presentation Case from Royce Leather is both a handy and stylish way to indulge.

It's lined with suede, well padded, and features an attractive zip-around design. Available in 3 colors (black, coco, and tan) there's also a two-bottle size available for twice the toting pleasure. $72


Via Lussorian

Last year Absolut's holiday packaging was all about gold and bling. This year they've gone even flashier with the Absolut Disco. The one-liter Absolut Disco gift pack is built of exactly 1,000 reflecting prisms which serve as a bottle package and can be put into use as a disco ball. The Absolut Disco is a clamshell package that opens to reveal the bottle. The empty gift pack has a loop for hanging.