OLD THINGS FOR A NEW YEAR: THREE UNDER $30

Where are you going this year?

Paper is out. Care to read? Pick up a Kindle! Want to write a note? iPad! Need to jot something in your calendar? I'll take a piece of paper, thank you. Because there's nothing as satisfyingly human as attempting to decipher whether you scrawled "3 cups sugar" or "8 wups super" on your grocery list. Entertainment value aside, big leather agendas these days cost as much as a fancy tech gadget. So if your New Year's resolution includes watching your budget and pounds (which could be the same thing, if you're British), invest in a pad - an inexpensive paper one. Here are the best bets for making chicken scratch stylish on the cheap.

1) Bang for the Buck:  Lilly Pulitzer, $24.95. Perfect for the professional (multiple calendars!), student (includes a full school year in addition to the calendar year), and mommies (lots of note space and a few stickers for the kids), it's also a steal. The thick cover withstands more abuse than most leathers, and you won't feel sad about a few ink stains soiling the inside. Comes in two sizes.

2) Over-informed:  Jonathan Adler's paper agenda, $18.95, comes stocked with daily, weekly, and monthly options, as well as odd bits of information. But why not? Adler makes your pillows, PDA, and pottery fabulous - let him do the same for your day. 

3) Living dangerously:  the Kate Spade spiral desktop calendar, $20.00. Peppered with charming illustrations by artist Jenny Bowers, this planner has months of pizzaz - but only a few days of writing space. For those who either keep only a few engagements, or write very, very, very small, it is grid-month calendars only. Just bring along a magnifying glass!

BONUS - The Lightweight. If you're one of those rare creatures who can carry a clutch without stashing all your extra needies in a) your car, b) your pockets, or c) your boyfriend's pockets, this is the agenda for you! Moleskine's classic design, the Colour a Month Planner, $20.00, is divided into 12 separate notebooks. When January's done, toss it onto the shelf and move on to a new month and a shiny new notebook in a bright color. A fresh start every 30 days!

/Images: picture one, Kate Spade. Others, all companies as attributed./

COLD WEATHER STYLE

It happens at the worst times - first it's the sniffles, then that cloudy, rather lost feeling, followed by a desire to become prone on whatever the nearest, softest, flat surface happens to be. Oh, the winter cold. All is not lost! Turn on the telly, grab your coziest robe, and cuddle up to these stylish cold-relievers, guaranteed to make you feel that the world is a little less cruel.

P.S. And even if you're not feeling sick - these treats will make for a relaxing weekend!

/SHOPPING/1. Michael Kors Jet Set Slippers/ 2. Otis Batterbee Eye Mask/ 3. Butterflies and Vines Herbal Heat Packs/ 4. Vintage Domino Magazines/ 5. Tea Forte Ginger Lemongrass Tea/ 6. Michael Aram Botanical Tea Pot/ 7. Lynx Faux Fur Throw/ 8. Clayton Gray Home Aqua Tissue Box/ 9. Jo Malone Citrus Candle/ 10. Kate Spade Illustrated Mug Series/

MY HEART IS IN PIECES

I'm waiting for a Hollywood director to make a thriller based on a girl who constantly haunts shopping websites - and then, mysteriously, gets sucked in and haunts them FOR REAL.

SCENE

A mod loft in TriBeCa. Late evening. We see a white laquer parson's desk piled with several issues of Vogue and a Prada handbag. In the center is an open Macbook Air.

Fashionable girl: [sitting down at desk] "I'm just going to click 'buy' and order this fabulous hand-loomed ikat pillow from Uzbekistan! It's perfect for my new Baker couch!"

[eery music]

The haunting, pixilated face of a woman appears on the screen. 

Fashionable girl: "EEEEEEeeeeeeeeek!" 

The pixilated face mouths "noooo," swipes the coveted pillow from the shopping cart, and disappears.

Fashionable girl: [weeping] "Now I'll never have my beautiful imported throw pillow!"

END SCENE

Yes, it would be a really scary movie. Especially if the Baker couch was in a very hard to match color. Anyway, I spend a lot of time "haunting" my favorite home decor websites, and one of my favorite spots is Pieces. Founded by Atlanta interior designer and tastemaker Lee Kleinhelter, Pieces features a mix of stunning vintage and modern favorites, and it's one of those websites that ALWAYS has something you want. One of those websites you do NOT visit when your bank account is low but your mood is ebullient. (It also has great shopping features, like a search engine just for colors.)

Dear Santa: please shop here.

Their website is so great, I thought the bricks and mortar version in Atlanta had to be even better - and it was. Prepare for some pretty!

A set of Jonathan Adler chairs cozy up to the table.

Flame stitch pillows in white arm chairs flank a pink murano lamp.

A gorgeous metallic speckled cowhide rug. I'm obsessed with these - remember?

The store mascot: a white Golden. He matches the pillows!

This stunning couch is vintage, repainted in a beautiful white laquer.

For shopping (and most of the items picture above), visit here. Happy haunting!

P.S. The customer service is also great. I had a thank you note for stopping by in my inbox before I even got home!

/Images/my own, courtesy of Pieces/

LEAPING LEOPARDS

Leopard is THE animal-themed print of the year (not that it wasn't last year too). 

But what could be more dashing (and animal-friendly) than a LIVE leopard as a fashion accessory? Didn't you know? Teensy dogs are SO last season. Teensy-dog-eating beasts of prey are NOW. 

THEN: Sorry, Elle.

NOW: J.Crew. 

It's certainly been done before... in the Golden Age of Hollywood, to be exact. The movie Bringing Up Baby is Katherine Hepburn's "lady of the mad manor" moment - remember her in The Philadelphia Story, swanning around the manse in a hilarious send-up of poor reporter Jimmy Stewart's impression of what the high life is like? In Bringing Up Baby, Hepburn's giddy, touchingly demented socialite takes center stage; escorted by a leopard named "Baby" she drives everyone to distraction (including, of course, the dashing Cary Grant). All ends well for everyone - including Baby - who is rewarded with steaks for not eating any of the local peasantry.

Just out for our afternoon constitutional...

Cartier's holiday ads this season equate little tiggers with big expense (but where is the jeweled collar, Cartier?). WARNING:  baby leopards will eat your accessories. Do not try this at home.

J.Crew - of course - is right on trend, featuring this DARLING five month old baby leopard in their current campaign. If I had Hepburn's dressing gowns and a spare freezer full of steaks, this would be my new pet. Also, I'd probably need a lot of band-aids.

If you are so terribly tame that this fashion season will not include you turning your abode into a Kenyan game preserve, the retailers of America are here to help. Pick from jewellery, accessories, and dresses - but remember, a little spot goes a long way!

/1. Daphne Simon ring at Vivre/ 2. Kenneth Jay Lane/ 3. iphone leopard cover at Amazon/ 4. Kate Spade/ 5. Waylande Gregory Studios at Vivre/ 6. Mulberry for Target/ 7. Leopard Belguique rugs at Ballard Designs/ 8. Judith Leiber/ 9. Oscar de la Renta/

P.S. Know the difference between a leopard, an ocelot, and a cheetah? Neither do I. If I've confused any of these creatures in this post, my apologies to the Animal Kingdom. And, FYI, I don't taste very good.   /Images/ June Pickney/ Elle Woods/ J.Crew/ Cartier/ Hepburn and Baby/ Hepburn and Peck/ *Jewellery is a sponsored link.

DALLAS MAKES ME WANT TO PUT ON ALL MY JEWELRY AT THE SAME TIME

I tried it...

But seriously, rhinestones everywhere. On socks. On hats. On baby carriers. I am in the Sparkle Capital of the World. And I am loving it. But beneath all the bling, Dallas is also, among other things, the capital of BBQ, wide roads, drive-through Starbucks, SUVs in the drive-through Starbucks, big skies, friendly hellos, and great shopping. At one point, I got out at a gas station, where "America, America!" was blaring from the speakers, no fewer than six people said hello as if my personal existence made life worth living, the long horns over the door were wider than my car, and they were serving free wine samples inside (non-alcoholic, one hopes). I shed a big Texas tear. Because you can't shed small tears in Texas - everything is jumbo sized.

As are the deals... first up, the Buchanan Flea Market, where shoppers were sprinting up and down the aisles with gleeful abandon (or maybe that was just me), and there was, yet again, no danger of a sparkle shortage.

Trying on a beautiful vintage 1940s bracelet.

Real. And no longer available on the world market.

Alligator with alligators!

Gobs of furs... so many sellers had "recycled" furs - vintage pieces that had been meticulously cleaned, and if needed, restored and relined.

This booth had a scad of rabbit fur coats. For $18 a piece. SHUT UP.

Yes, you should "Decorate Your Boots."

My next stop was the fantastic Area 25, a home new and consignment items store and staging company, on West Lovers Lane - oh it was love alright. I was in love with EVERYTHING.

Chinoiserie chairs...

So many beautiful mantel displays. Their staging expertise certainly shows in the store.

Fabulous malachite tables atop a cowhide rug. So Tony Duquette goes to Texas, no?

Speaking of furs, yet again, Area 25 had a stunning selection of cowhides. I was amazed at what great rugs they make (very flat and easy to walk on). This one was a true stunner - it's speckled with silver paint!

An artful pile of still more rugs...

And yet another beautifully colored cowhide. The prices were lovely too - $350 to $550 (for the silver beauty).

The turquoise marble lamp base was incredible. You can't tell in the picture, but this is actually a matched set. What doesn't Dallas have?

All images, my own. Please attribute.

WATCH ME - CHEAP AND CHIC

Isn't this sporty little watch cute? Very resort - and so fun thrown on with a few bangles. But I must say it looks slightly... familiar.

Oh yeah!

Introducing a brilliant little invention from HEX, the ipod nano watch band, $24.95 in a selection of  candy-fun colors. Don't forget to customize your ipod nano screen to match, as shown below. 

A great gift for techies or anyone who likes their music on the go (and what about stuffed in a stocking?).

/All images/Apple.com and Shophex.com/