If you were anxious to get your hands on the new 2010 Jaguar XJ, you're going to have to wait until next year. But a lucky 50 customers with cash in hand managed to get a hold of the new luxury sedan earlier than the rest of us, thanks to Neiman Marcus.

For the third time in the history of the two companies, a Jaguar was selected as the luxury automobile of choice for this year's Christmas Book, following the XKE coupe that appeared in 1968 and the XK8 convertible in 1997. And like the BMW 7 Series which the premium department store offered last year, the XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus edition hit the market several months before the car's official availability.

With a special Celestial Black paint job, unique fitted luggage set, individually-numbered plaque and a $105,000 sticker price, the NM edition XJ sold out in four hours and four minutes of its availability, sight unseen.

Neiman Marcus just unveiled the 2009 edition of the renowned Christmas Book, offering customers the ultimate in cutting-edge, dream-fulfilling gifts. First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, the Christmas Book was initially intended as a Christmas card to the store's best customers and evolved into a legendary source for alluring and mystical gifts. Among the highlights of this year's catalog:

His & Hers Gift Package, $250,000: An ICON A5 sport aircraft with custom trailer and sport pilot license training for two. The ICON A5 is from a world-class team of engineers and designers who helped create the groundbreaking Virgin Global Flyer, and features an amphibious hull and landing gear to take off and land just as easily on water as on land.

Algonquin Round Table Experience, $200,000: Exclusive dinner party at NYC's legendary Algonquin Hotel (above) with guests including Christopher Buckley, Roz Chast, Nora Ephron, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Adam Gopnik, John Lithgow, Anna Deavere Smith and George Stephanopoulos. Proceeds to benefit First Book, the 2009 Christmas Book Charity.

2010 Jaguar XJL Supercharged Neiman Marcus Edition, $105,000: Limited to only 50 examples, the bespoke version of Jag's new flagship features a supercharged 5-liter V8 that delivering 470 hp, a custom interior of butter-soft navy and ivory leather and Zebrano matte wood accents, and includes a five-piece set of matching Jaguar luggage in navy blue leather.

HALL Artisan Wine and Art Experience, $20,000: Learn organic, artisan winemaking firsthand, tour the estates in Napa and the art collection, and have the opportunity to create your own personal vintage in a private blending session with HALL's Winemaker with a custom vintage bottled for you. Includes accommodations at Auberge and a private dinner party with Ambassador Kathryn Hall.

Maker's Mark Master Distiller Experience, $7,500: All-access, VIP experience with Maker's Mark Master Distiller, Kevin Smith. Spend a day making whiskey, step by step and take home two bottles of the rarest Maker's Mark – golden bottles etched with your likeness and dipped in gold wax with 24-kt gold flecks. Includes luxury accommodations in Louisville and a gourmet dinner hosted by Bill Samuels, the 7th generation of Maker's Mark.

Get In The Christmas Spirit With AOL Radio's 10 Best Christmas Songs.

This may not be the ideal time to open a luxury mall but that isn't stopping Puget Sound's first new shopping center to open in several years. The Shops at The Bravern in Bellevue, Washington opens today, September 12. The 305,000-square-foot retail center is home to a Neiman Marcus, Hermes, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and an Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa which is offering an opening special the Red Door Warm Welcome Package, a Signature Massage or Signature Facial, Warm Cream Manicure or Shampoo, Blowdry & Finish and Makeup Refresher for $120 ($141 - $161 value). Restaurants include John Howie Steak, Artisanal Brasserie & Winebar and Trophy Cupcakes. The center also offers concierge service.

You have to love a handbag that doesn't make you choose between python and croc. Nancy Gonzalez has created the Python & Croc Pleated Clutch featuring a natural pleated python body accented with a luscious brown cutout of Caiman fuscus crocodile which acts as an overlay along the flap. Inside your necessities will be kept safe and scuff-free with a suede lining. Gorgeous neutral tones make this clutch an easy accessory for any occasion and an all-seasons favorite. Available at Neiman Marcus for $2,500. (11 1/2" H x 16 1/2" W)

Here's a whimsical wardrobe addition from men's jewelry and accessories designer Jan Leslie: hand-painted enamel and sterling silver bee cufflinks. Recently introduced at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, the luxe links have become an instant bestseller at $595 a pair. In Leslie's sterling silver hand-painted enamel collection, which also features designs such as racecars, jockeys and spiders, artisanal methods produce unique works of quality and understated elegance. Leslie's creative process begins with the study of the actual subject - insect, animal or otherwise; next a wax prototype is sculpted then cast in sterling silver and polished smooth. The creation is then individualized through a technique of meticulously hand painting layers of enamel, creating the desired blend of color and luminescence. The overall process "transforms a simple statement into a commissioned piece of art."

Cross a camisole with a baby sling and you might end up with this bag, the Mojave Nomad Slouchy Shoulder Bag by up-and-coming designer Lisa Izad of Tylie Malibu. Tylie Malibu is a 10 year old company that gets its inspiration from the California beach town, echoing the casual yet polished look that defines Malibu style. The styles are relaxed, crushable and roomy. All pieces are handcrafted in Tylie Malibu's Santa Monica design studio.

This leather bag combines delicate straps with an ample slouchy bag (17"H x 21"W x 3"D) which is lined in black fabric. The bag comes in black or olive leather with silvertone hardware. It sells for $315. Tylie Malibu's latest bags recently went on sale at Neiman Marcus.

Last month my colleague Deidre Woollard reported that French fashion house Christian Lacroix was looking for investors to shore up its business. Now the brand has filed for bankruptcy in the wake of an increasingly bleak financial picture. Lacroix, which is owned by duty free retailer the Falic Group and employs 125 people, has been hit hard by the faltering market for ultra-luxury goods like haute couture gowns. Lacroix chief executive Nicolas Topiol said the economic crisis had "considerably hurt our revenues," the London Times reports. Major retailers recently stopped buying new Lacroix merchandise and last month both Neiman Marcus and Saks reduced their orders for Lacroix apparel considerably. Sales of the Lacroix women's summer collection are down 35% this year; last year the company reported a $15 million loss.

More bad news for luxury brands. HIgh-end department store Neiman Marcus reported that it lost $509.3 million for the quarter ending January 31. It was the first loss during a holiday quarter in recent memory for the company which had a profit of $44.3 million in the same quarter last year.. The quarter was burdened with writedowns totaling over half a billion dollars in addition to offering deep discounts for goods in order to jumpstart lackluster shopping.

The company's chairman told investors that Neiman Marcus will be working with the brands it sells to lower prices and that it will also be paring back its inventory to keep pace with less spending by its customers. The AP's story quotes Neiman Marcus's Burton M. Tansky, during a conference call with investors as saying: "Our customer wants luxury. She has not shown any indication to move away from it. What she is doing is she is just not shopping."

I mentioned back in November that Saks Fifth Avenue would be cutting capital spending in 2009. We are a few weeks in to the year and Saks Inc. has decided to cut about 1,100 corporate and store positions, which represents nine percent of its total workforce. The company has also taken away merit-based wage increases this year for all employees and suspended 401(k) matching. Saks will also be reducing inventory and trimming other expenses wherever they can.

The reason for all these cuts is the lack on consumer spending. Bloomberg quotes Pete Hastings, a fixed-income analyst with Morgan Keegan & Co. who says that this may only be the beginning of department store cutbacks. After the worst holiday season in around 40 years consumers haven't rushed into the stores in January. Saks posted a 20 percent sales decline in December even after major markdowns on their goods.

Neiman Marcus will also be making some similar changes. The company announced it plans to cut 375 jobs, or 2.3 percent of its workforce a response to their own December slump which saw a 28 percent drop in sales at stores open at least a year.

'Tis the season for blankets of snow and frosted branches, ski trips and furry boots, and new handbags to match the winter white theme. Whether you are shopping at Saks, Bergdorfs, Nordstroms, Neimans or Barneys there are clean, colorless clutches, totes and hobos to suit the season. Here are a few of my favorites inspired by the holiday tune, 'White Christmas' that are chic, sophisticated and frosty including the Nablak Vernice Tote from Prada pictured above.

• Coach's Op Art Sabrina - $298 at Nordstroms
• Bottega Veneta's Medium Veneta Hobo - $1,550 at Barneys
• Yves Saint Laurent Medium Calypso Bag - $2,095 at Saks
• Dolce and Gabbana's Washed Leather Dome - $2,125 at Bergdorfs
• Escada Ostrich Shoulder Bag, Small - $3,990 at Neimans

If you've ever really listened to the lyrics to the holiday song, Santa Baby, it details quite a fabulous wish list. Looking around today trying to fulfill every item would make for a bounty of gifts, especially for just one person, but if we were to give it a shot, this is what might end up under the tree:

• 'Santa Baby, just slip a sable under the tree, for me...'
• '...Santa Baby, a '54 convertible too, light blue...'
  
• '...Santa Baby, I want a yacht and really that's not a lot...'
• '...Santa honey, one little thing I need, the deed, to the platinum mine...'
• '...Santa cutie, and fill my stocking with a duplex and cheques...'
• '...Come and trim my Christmas tree with some decorations bought at Tiffany's...'
  
• '...Santa Baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring...'

'Hurry down the chimney tonight...'

We've already highlighted Swarovski's Annual Edition Ornament for 2008 but the luxury-minded shopper may have more sparkling needs in the ornament department. This iconic crystal company is offering sixteen other options for glamorous gifts or tree bling at your own home. Snowflakes are the most common design but angels, trees, stars and stockings with a touch of tasteful color will also ring in the holiday season beautifully. Even babies aren't forgotten with the pacifier- or duckie-shaped ornaments to commemorate a first holiday. Faberge's ornaments, available at Neiman Marcus, showcase a familiar egg-shape of mouth-blown glass with delicately handpainted designs. Jay Strongwater's Musical Ornaments at Saks add a sense of frivolity to your tree with a touch of Swarovski bling too. And Bergdorf Goodman is selling L'Objet's Pagoda Ornament which is14K gold-plated and adorned in freshwater pearls and, again, Swarovski Crystals.

A bejeweled tree is bound to make quite a statement during your holiday gathering and an even bigger impression as a gift.

Maybe I have 007 on the brain because of the new Quantum of Solace movie but this Limited Edition Fighter Motorcycle certainly strikes me as something Bond-worthy (I'm sure the photo above has something to do with that impression too). The raw, bare-bones design in nothing but silver steel and black rubber makes for a minimalistic but still "bad ass" look, which the bike backs up with an exciting array of high-tech features and the ability to fly down the highway at speeds up to 190mph.

Available exclusively from Neiman Marcus as part of this year's Chrismas Book, $110,000.

Via Book of Joe

Thanks Nicole!

Did the Republican National Committee spend more than $150,000 on Sarah Palin and her family since she joined the Republican ticket? Politico reports that according to financial disclosure records, bills from Saks Fifth Avenue in St. Louis and New York total $49,425.74 and there is also an astronomical $75,062.63 at Neiman Marcus in Minneapolis early September. The records also show that the RNC spent nearly $5,000 on hair and makeup in September. McCain-Palin spokesperson Tracey Schmitt has issued a statement chiding Politco for dwelling on the matter and saying that "it was always the intent that the clothing go to a charitable purpose after the campaign." As you may recall, Cindy McCain's outfit at the RNC was worth over $300,000 but Mrs. McCain spent that money herself.

Christmas comes early in Dallas. Neiman Marcus has just announced its unveiling of the legendary Christmas Book, full of the rare and exceedingly unusual items that become so many holiday wishlists.

A couple of examples: the entire end zone for you and your friends at a Dallas Cowboy's game, including tailgate party with the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, and VIP touches at every turn ($500,000). His-and-hers life-sized Lego sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya, who claims he can "brickalize" anyone ($60,000 each).

The biggest ticket item in the book? Your own stable of a dozen or so thoroughbreds, trained and managed by Three Chimneys Farm over the next four years. Any race day winnings will be yours, but you'll pay $10,000,000 for the privilege.

Perhaps what Santa hears the most requests for? A Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course. In your backyard. He'll come meet with you, work with his design team to create the course and throw in a bag of clubs, too. Then he'll come play the first round with you and your buddies. For $1,000,000, not including construction.