Hello Kitty is one of those unique brands that never seems to go out of style and manages to appeal just as much to 3 year olds and 13 year olds as it does to the 30 year old set. One way it stays hip and popular is pairing cute with sophistication, a combination that seems irresistible to fans. To celebrate the brand's 35th birthday this year Sanrio is putting out something for everyone; the young, the young at heart and those who view Hello Kitty as art.

For those in the teen or tween set there is the sparkly Hello Kitty music player. This electronic gadget is decorated with 300 Swarovski crystal elements and shaped in the traditional Hello Kitty face. A second option is the Limited Edition pendant set. Again this is a collaboration between the D. Swarovski Co. of Wattens, Austria and features five crystal studded pendants each accented with a different color to match your mood or your outfit. Although at a price of $6,000 for the set I'm not sure that this jewelry collection isn't more appropriate for some of the slightly more mature Hello Kitty fans.

Another collaboration launched to celebrate the 35th Anniversary is a Judith Leiber bag collection. The line includes a "Retro Kitty" curved oval clutch, the "Pink Tulip" airstream, new "Hobo" style with silver handle shown above which will retail for $3995. These items are definitely a nod to those customers who have been fans of the Hello Kitty brand since its inception 35 years ago.

For those more artistically inclined there is the Three Apples art exhibit in Los Angeles, California curated by Jamie Rivadeneira the owner of Japan L.A. at the Royal/T space. The event is free of charge and over 80 artists display their Hello Kitty inspired pieces through November 15, 2009. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the art will benefit Sanrio's charitable partner LA Works a non-profit organization that promotes community volunteerism.

You'll never be able to go back to 10-pack cheapo emery boards after having this beautiful accessory in your purse! The Swarovski Nail File, created by designer Craig Coulton for the design competition organized by Designboom, consists of two filing blades (regular and smoothing) that fold out to reveal a shining layer beneath them. Crystals are embedded along each side of a silver, gold, or platinum body. Seems there's just no end to many ways that crystals can beautify everyday objects.

I had never heard of Clara Kasavina when I met Clara herself (right) at a recent event for BagTrends in New York City. Now, I'm a little obsessed. It wasn't just the fabulous handbags which caught my attention, it was the amazing work they do with crystals. I can't wait for you to look through the gallery and see the lavishly encrusted minaudieres and accessories, but first, here's a bit more information.

Clara and her husband Misha have been making handbags for 15 years. Clara designs the bags -- with resplendent taste -- and Misha is the model maker, whose superb craftsmanship is evident in each of their stunning final products.

The bags are made in a variety of jewel tones with different shapes and materials. "Usually we choose to match our python, so we have it in the python, we have it in satin," said Clara. Their other unmistakable feature is their dynamic and opulent use of Swarovski crystals, packed tightly but unevenly, like a mosaic. "They are like a skin almost," explained Clara, quite rightly. The result is bags and accessories with an extremely opulent vintage feel -- your bag may be new, but it looks like a hand-me-down from Princess Grace.

We see a lot of handbags, but we rarely see old-school glamour like this, and with the season's return to flashy, speakeasy styles, you'd be smart to pick up a Clara Kasavina for the holidays.

When we moved into our new house we immediately replaced all of the off-white, cheap, plastic switch plates with brushed-silvertone covers to give each room a clean and modern feel. Even the smallest of changes in a room can add to the ambiance. Too bad I didn't know about the glamorous Swarovski-crusted switch plates from Diametral. These glittery covers add sparkle to any space -- although putting them in every room of your home might be a bit much. Available in fifteen different colors including gold, silver and leaf motifs, these switch plates are anything but bland.

For any parent with an infant or toddler, a pacifier can be a blessing and your worst nightmare. In times when your little one may not be able to settle themselves down, pacifiers seem to work their magic instantly. Thank goodness! In other times, it can be your worst nightmare. For example - when you can't find a pacifier at all or when you have lost their favorite binky and according to your crying baby no other one will do. And it can be especially problematic when you are trying to ween your little one off the pacifier's magical spell. During the tumultuous times of your little one having a meltdown and you feel as though your head will jump off your body, take a nap and never return, a little humor to lighten the mood may help. The Aristabrat Crystal Pacifier incorporates a bit of fun by extravagantly adorning the typical pacifier with colorful Swarovski crystals and a mad face that will make any baby, parent and passerbys put a smile on their face. Available in blue and pink. Price: $120.

Venerable perfume company Krigler has set up shop in the Plaza Hotel in New York City offering not just scents but also candles, scrubs, lotions and other body care items. The perfumes come in old-fashioned glass bottles with simple golden tops. The brand's most famous scent is Sparkling Diamond No. 22. The scent was created in Monte Carlo in 1922 and the original had a diamond in the bottle. Now the scent of champagne, strawberry, musk and coconut (it's actually more subtle and less fruity than that description makes it sound) comes in a bottle that has Swarovksi crystals bouncing around in the bottom. Other scents to try include the Dolce Tuberose which is full of summer's heady deep florals. The Sparkling Diamond No. 22 is $170 for the 3.4 eau de parfum. Other scents including Mediterranean Peach and Manhattan Rose are $110.

Cross artist Damien Hirst with Judith Leiber and you might end up with Sylvia Toledano and artist whose chosen medium is the Swarovski-encrusted minaudière. Her pieces range from cute pandas to the tree of life clutch we covered previously to today's vibrant offering. Her A La Vie collection features skulls done in various color combinations. This one has a bit of a space alien vibe with piercing aqua eyes. The purse comes with a glittering pen and a detachable silvertone chain with a 47" drop. It sells for $1,400.

Finally, some bling for cats! UK pet door manufacturer Doors4Paws now offers a Swarovski crystal-encrusted cat flap decorated with more than 1,000 crystals. The Hertfordshire-based firm sells a number of standard designs as well. Sarah Gildersleeve, Doors4Paws co-owner, told The Daily Mail, "We've already received a barrage of calls, and people are requesting all sorts of individual designs -- from getting their cat's name painted on the top to the crystals. ... At the end of the day, they're a bit of fun. There's so much doom and gloom these days. We want to put a smile on people's faces." £1,000, or about $1,407, based on today's exchange rate. Not yet available on the company's site, but check back -- the company seems to be just getting going.

When I did a post on ridiculous uses of diamonds in 2008, reader Miss Ruby's comment inspired me to do one on uses of Swarovski crystals, starting with the crystal stopper on a luxury wine barrel. The crystals, which are relatively inexpensive and come in a multitude of colors and shapes, lend themselves to design more readily than diamonds. Watches, phone cases and perfume bottles are the among the usual uses for these sparkling doodads but just about any thing can be bedazzled as we'll see in the gallery below. Will these new restrained times bring about an end to covering available surfaces with twinkly bits in 2009?

It's getting a little tight now for stocking stuffers and Christmas gifts but if you're looking for something sparkly and last minute for someone else, or a totally over-the-top splurge for yourself, consider these Limited Swarovski Edition Slant Tweezers from RonRobinson. Voted a 'Best of Beauty' winner by Allure magazine 7 years running for the perfectly angled and hand-filed slant tips, these tweezers are used and recommended by beauty professionals (although presumably without the bling). Shown here in Devine White, the tweezers are covered almost completely with Swarovski crystals and come with a coordinated leather case. $100

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.

This time last year I wrote about Moet & Chandon's pop-up boutique offering personalized Champagne bottles in New York City. Now they have come up with MyMoet.com which will offer Champagne bottles personalized with Swarovski crystals in your choice of message to everyone across the country. The service is available in Moet & Chandon Imperial or Nectar Imperial and in 750 ml or magnum size bedazzled with gold or silver Swarovski crystals. Pricing starts at $90 [excluding tax and shipping] for a 750mL bottle of Moet Imperial with up to seven characters.

One man's restraint is a another man's excess. Case in point the new limited edition shoe design from Guiseppe Zanotti. Vogue UK refers to the shoe as being "stripped back to basics." I suppose that's true if you consider a 1.5-inch chrome platform a 5.5-inch heel and and an elaborate foot harness decorated with studs and Swarovski crystals basic. These shoes certainly would pep up last year's little black dress for holiday parties. You can get your own at Giuseppe Zanotti boutiques on December 1 when the shoes go on sale for a cool £890.

They might look pretty in photographs, and maybe photographers will use them for surreal and especially artistic shots, but what regular person in their right mind would wear these contact lenses with Swarovski crystals embedded inside?

The sparkly lenses were created as part of a Swarovski competition that had over 4000 entries from 92 countries. These lenses won first place, which makes me wonder what did the 2nd and 3rd place winners look like?

Maybe I'm over-reacting. I guess if they really don't feel any different than regular contacts they might be fun for Halloween or something. Maybe.

Via Bornrich

Normally I think Swarovski jewels encrusted onto household appliances look tacky and ridiculous, so I'm a little surprised to hear myself saying that the Swarovski Jewels Sink collection from Antologia is actually pretty nice. Simple, tasteful, and artistic, the basic white and black sinks aren't overrun with big sparkling jewels so much as they're accented and enhanced by them. Each piece is put together by hand with Signity jewels.

Any kind of jewels on a bathroom fixture are still completely impractical and difficult to clean, of course, but these are nice to look at nevertheless.