Shape your holidays

the gift of fine living

Holiday jet-setters, take heart: Good things do come in small packages. Here, four sleek and fun finds suggested by Lynn Forbes of the Fine Living Network that fit into your carry-on bag and make fabulous presents. (For more terrific ideas, check out the Ultimate Gift Guide at fineliving.com.)

1. For the shutterbug Digital Dream JB1 007 Digital Camera ($80 after rebate through Dec. 31; thinkgeek.com) steals the scene with its flip-top case and sexy spy-girl technology. Use it to snap images as well as transfer data, make video clips and record sound.

2. For the art-loving chocoholic MarieBelle Boxed Chocolates ($34 for 16 pieces; mariebelle.com), topped with edible silk-screened designs, are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate and come in exotic flavors like champagne and cardamom.

3. For the girl on the go Madison Fold Over bracelet bag (from $45; mytote.com), available in 40 fabrics, is the perfect hands-free accessory and includes two pockets for every woman's essentials--cash, cellphone, lipstick and keys.

4. For the serenity seeker Dr. Hauschka's Daily Body Care Kit ($16; sephora.com) moves its recipient to a state of botanical bliss with moisturizers, body washes and oils made from rose, blackthorn and quince.--Mariko Thompson Beck

best bets for bibliophiles

These slick picks are the perfect gifts for people with bookshelf space to spare.

5. For the pet lover The Big Book of Cats and The Big Book of Dogs, both edited by J.C. Suares ($25 each; Welcome Books, 2004), boast nearly 400 pages apiece of black-and-white studies of cats and dogs, making either a no-brainer for anyone with a stocking on the mantel for a favorite four-legged friend.

6. For the aspiring movie mogul Playing With Boys, by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez ($25; St. Martin's Press, 2004), follows three Latinas in their late 20s as they strive to succeed in the strange, sunny enter-tainment world of Los Angeles. You'll root for the friends--characters who are as richly defined as those in Valdes-Rodriguez's popular first novel. The Dirty Girls Social Club, which introduced her as "the Latina Terry McMillan."

--Gail O'Connor

RELATED ARTICLE: A GIFT FOR YOU

Filled with stress-reducing ideas from A-listers like Goldie Hawn and Jamie Lee Curtis, The Gurus' Guide to Serenity, by Laurel and Sharon House ($25; William Morrow, 2004), will leave you feeling refreshed for holiday fetes and photo ops.--G.O.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Weider Publications
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