We are kicking off a day of gift ideas in honor of Black Friday, the official start of the holiday season. First off, let's check out the latest offering from one of the big department stores. Nordstrom has jumped on the extravagant gift bandwagon with their Ultimate Gift Collection. The four one-of-a kind gift packages include a family portrait session with celebrity photographer Sam Jones which costs $50,000; a custom couch designed by Tory Burch in a silk Ikat print fabric hand-picked by Tory Burch and manufactured by Century Furniture in Hickory, N.C. for $15,000; a dream armoire designed and stocked by Juicy Couture (Two armoires are available at $15,000 each0; and custom artwork by artist Ruben Toledo, a larger-than-life, (12'x 20'), personalized painting. The package includes a pre-consultation at your home, a completed painting and professional installation of the finished work for $200,000.

When it comes to feasting on Thanksgiving day the turkey is the star of the show so it's only natural to display it on something beautiful. And since large serving platters aren't as prone to being broken or worn out by daily use it seems worthwhile to invest in one you'll be proud to show off on special occasions like Thanksgiving and other gatherings for years to come. So what kind of platter will go best with your Turkey Day tabletop decor? Whether you choose one that matches your dinnerware or one that stands out on its own, there's literally thousands of choices out there -- see the gallery below for some ideas!

Last year, the Gap offered a brightly striped holiday Vespa. This year they are going even greener, selling blue argyle-printed Electra bicycle. The bike comes two sizes, the adult version for $499 and a kid's version for $299.

The bike is part of Gap's holiday campaign that includes the usual crop of celebrities looking adorable in sweaters and scarves (this year's cast includes Jon Hamm, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Hudson, Rainn Wilson and Mary-Louise Parker). The ads feature ttaglines centered on the theme of "your own." Each individual in the campaign provided a handwritten response to various fill-in-the-blank taglines about the holiday season. Twilight's Cam Gigandet's tag-line reads "Fulfill Your Own New Years Resolutions," Actor Rainn Wilson wrote, "Merry Your Own Naughty Elf," and Actress Milla Jovovich's simply says, "Celebrate Your Own Gift."

The Gap has also created a series of videos with actors, musicians and comedians in holiday attire performing remixed versions of traditional holiday carols. The videos include Selma Blair and Rainn Wilson singing "Baby It's Cold Outside," Jon Heder and Janelle Monáe performing a unique version of "Winter Wonderland," "Jason Biggs, Romany Malco and Freddy Rodriguez sounding bells to "We 3 Kingz," The Dixie Chicks and Sandra Bernhard belting out "Deck the Halls," Flo Rida and Trey Songz remixing "Jingle Bells" and a performance of the entire holiday cast performing a never-before seen remix of "Jingle Bells" led by Flo Rida and Trey Songz which is embedded after the jump.

Holidays in New York City can be a lot of things: charming, classic, thrilling ... overwhelming, chaotic, expensive. While some travelers arrive in search of the quintessential Silver Bells experience, others may want to discover something new or stick within a budget. Luxist's friends at Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations, Gabrielle Etrog Cohen and Gina Masullo, came up with a comprehensive list of places to go and things to do for all NYC travelers as well as package deals, including hotels.

THE FAMILY: Crowd-pleasers for all ages-within a budget.

The show: The Off-Broadway production of The Gazillion Bubble Show is the first and only interactive stage production of its kind, complete with fantastic light effects, lasers, and jaw-dropping masterpieces of bubble artistry.

The sites: Gawking at the Macy's displays, a visit with the polar bears in Central Park, photo ops at the Rockefeller Center tree.

The meal: Dim Sum Go Go offers more than 24 kinds of dumplings, plus four variations on the dough-wrapper theme, four sauces, and microwave-safe takeout containers. Kids will love the creative finger food and parents will love the dim sum delicacies (beet flavored dumplings?).

The hotel: Apple Core Hotels -- a family-friendly vibe in the city's most exciting neighborhood.

The deal: Apple Core Hotels invites guests to explore New York -- including a trip to Toys "R" Us Times Square to create a stuffed animal at the Filled-With-Love interactive design shop. Apple Core's "Filled with Love" package is available January 2 - February 14, starts at $159.99 and includes accommodations in the heart of New York City, stuffed animal and breakfast, and in-room coffee. Children under 13 stay free.

For more packages, click on the continued link.

Today in Vivre Notes, founder Eva Jeanbart-Lorenzotti recommends a few products for the gents, including these quilted cashmere slippers by the famed Italian design group Loro Piana.

The pair at right was featured on Jeanbart-Lorenzotti's list of gift suggestions for the holidays, though they might be equally soothing to wear during a little weekend staycation right about now.

They retail for $475.

We are still a few months away from the holiday season but retailers are already wringing their hands. With the stock market slumping, higher food and gas prices and the unsteady real estate situation, predictions for a slim Christmas season abound. Deloitte LLP is saying that retailer should expect a holiday sales increase of 2.5 to 3% over 2007 during the November to January period, which is less than last year's 3.4 percent which was also relatively low overall. Retailers will likely be rolling out all sorts of temptations from pop-up stores and special deals to the continued promotion of all things "green."

So far, the high-end luxury market has been a bright spot for retailers during this extended economic crunch but recent stock market uncertainty may give even the biggest spenders a case of the Scrooges.

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.

There has been a definite slow down in the spending habits of the average American consumer this holiday season, and although the super rich weren't predicted to be affected the modestly rich, or "aspirational consumers," were another story. They were expected to slow down with the rest of us, and it seems those predictions were right on. Some of the biggest retailers catering to both the very wealthy and the merely "well-off" are making note of major slow-downs -- and even a loss of some of their customer base as many of their lower-income clientele retreat from stores like Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom to Kohl's and JCPenny's.

Are you spending less this holiday season?

What does a billionaire want for Christmas? And what does he or she buy for billionaire friends and family? Obviously anybody with that much money already has pretty much everything that can be bought with said money, so it should be no surprise that on the top of the list is one of the few things that can't: time spent with family. Yacht charters, ski trips, and other family vacations are some of the hottest items this holiday season, but other popular gifts for the uber-wealthy include commissioned biographies and personalized gifts to unique or meaningful charities.

And of course there's always that guy who wants the NM Gem Triton 1000 Submarine for $1,440,000. Go figure.

The charm bracelet never truly seems to go out of style. John Christian has created a new "Jewelry for Life™ Collection diamond charm bracelet collection. A starter set of a 14K white gold bracelet and one charm sells for $790. The charms are available in numerals, letters and a variety of different shapes. Each charm has approximately .10 carats total weight of G color VS1 clarity diamonds. The charms are on swiveling lobster claw fasteners that let you easily move the charms around on the bracelet. Each additional charm is $490.

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

Seaton Surf, surveyors of casual beach chic clothing, have come up with a new candle collection to put you in a seaside mood. The candles , which were featured in December's Vogue magazine, come in scents named for exotic locales such as Bali and the Maldives. Unfortunately the website, doesn't give us any info on scent but the candles sell for $45.

I usually don't travel all that much, but recently I have been and it's made me realize just how terrible I am at packing and taking care of my jewelry and accessories when I'm on the go. So if you know any travelers, or if you're one yourself, something like this Watch Roll by Bill Amberg might be something to consider this gift-giving season. Made of fine leather with a removable inner suede roll, it will keep your timepieces beautifully safe. Black, brown, or tan with a bright purple lining. $280

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