There are, of course, the hardcore purists who eat Oreos solo.  On the other end of the spectrum are the diabolical dismantlers who, "twist, lick, dunk" their Oreos. And of course the serial saturators who pre-redunk their Oreos in milk. Before. Each. Bite.

Whichever school you choose is a good one. And the only thing that can make an Oreo better is if it's homeschooled. Yep, homemade Oreos. Truth, people. 

Whatever kind of Oreo cookie connosieur you are, you'll find that the homemade ones are the valedictorians of the class. So twist them, lick them, dunk them or eat them whole. Or put them in stuff. For the record, folks, that includes in vanilla ice cream, as a pie crust and in super-thick milkshakes. Mouth watering yet? Pour a glass of milk and dig on the recipe here.

Despite the fact that I'm not clearly not seaworthy, I love the look of all things nautical. Anchors, canvas, rusty metal chains, weathered timber, faded paint...you're speaking my language.  Not to mention ropes and knots, which I became so obsessed with in college that my entire senior thesis centered on them.

I'll never know why, but there is something about the iconography of ships, boats, docks and life at sea that appeals to me. Perhaps I was a mermaid in a past life. (I've still got the mane for it.) Or maybe I just love old rusty stuff.

Either way, I got my visual fix during our quick trip to the Pacific Northwest last month. And I didn't even get seasick.

More shots of our trip here.

But since we live in New Zealand, this afternoon project became a four month hunting and gathering expedition. After months of searching, we finally tracked down the right foam core. Having scoured gift shops across the lower South Island for weeks, we managed to forage some chic papers. Eventually, the spray adhesive and other bits and pieces fell into place. And then the real fun (cutting curvy pieces out of foam core with craft knives) began.

It's not a project for the faint of heart. And were it not for my studly knight in shining armour, I can guarantee this could have ended in tears, and perhaps a severed finger or two. But thanks to his patience and mad skills with the craft knife, we have a faux trophy to commemorate our real hunt...

Should you wish to embark on such a journey yourself, find the instructions and templates here. Just a note; we improvised and decided to mount the head on a plaque with contrasting paper by drawing a template ourselves and cutting the foam core to size. So feel free to heed the call of the wild and get creative with your...uhm, mounting.

The tufted upholstry and ornate arms allude to days gone by, while the heavy, clean lines of the legs bring it back to the future. Rooted in the past, but fashion forward enough to look dynamite in any room, be it sleek and modern or shabby chic.

And what's even better? There really is a story in this seat- it's upholstered with vintage New Zealand post bags. There's no junkmail here, kids. This is the real deal. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to pen a love letter to the designers at Union, post haste.  Signed, yours truly.....

A favorite client of mine, Paul, sent me a message this week about my gold nameplate necklace. His gorgeous wife admired it,  he thought it might make a nice prezzie for Christmas, wanted to know the provenance of said necklace and furthermore, which color he should get for his Mrs. He picked up a hint, sought advice from a trusted source and acted. Well done, mate. You are a Ninja. You give us hope.

In honor of Paul's brave Kung Fu Christmas moves, I've compiled a short and sweet list with a few suggestions for sure-shot goodies to wrap up for your woman.

1. NAMETAG: We'll start with Paul's pick, a gold nameplate necklace. Carrie Bradshaw made it famous. If you don't know who she is, let's talk. One of the best gifts I've ever received, and one of the most noted and complimented accessories in my arsenal. Go with the gold, it's the classic. And don't be afraid to punctuate any "i"s with a diamond. Another bonus: You'll never accidentally call her by another name.

2. IN THE BAG: This Novella Royale handbag is exquisite. I'm a fan of the classic, structured shape, the slate grey color is positively failsafe and the gold rivets pack a playful punch. She's ladylike and superfoxy all at the same time. And the handbag's not bad either.

3. SNAPSHOT SWOON: Whip up a photo book on iPhoto or Blurb. Upload fab photos of the past year, add a bit of poignant prose on an introductory page and you're in business. A streamlined solution for documenting your days together, a perfectly charming coffee table book and maybe a new holiday tradition in the making? Bonus points for being super sentimental and made by you.

4. A PIECE OF WORK: Buy artwork. Photography and affordable prints are a great way to start. Do you have any artist friends? No? Well, I do. I love this photo taken by my mate Rich Bayley in Cuba. How insane would that be as an oversize print in a white box frame? Or check out this charming (and affordable) The World Is Your Oyster print at Keep Calm Gallery. Complete it with a delicate, ornate frame and it's good to go. And I'd be remiss in not referring you to my own pics on centerpiece gallery. A few that might be nice are this or this or this. Order prints on paper or canvas (no framing necessary!) straight from the site. You don't even have to talk to me. Gotta love the interwebs, boys.

5. DEAR JOHN:This indulgent Essence of John Galliano Diptyque candle is heaven. Sultry, smoky, perfect for the festive season. Probably the closest most of us will come to actually wearing Galliano and we'll take what we can get. Um, did I mention that it is the Essence Of John Galliano?! Yeaaaah. Nuff said.

6. A KIMONO, NO?: I know many of you men are a little shy to buy your girl something sassy, silky or sexy. You don't know what size. You don't know how far to go. White cotton? Lace? Latex? You're a little concerned that if you get it wrong, the gift could provoke a slap in the face or a swift kick in the family jewels. I get it. Here's a piece of advice- start with something safe, like this kimono robe from Agent Provocateur. It's friendly for any body, and understated enough for even the most demure dame. A safe bet that we know you'll love, and she will too.

So there you have it. Six sweet surprises for you to stash under the tree. Now get out your wallet and focus, Grasshopper.

Most of us have- at least once- dipped a spoon into the peanut butter jar, then the jam jar, then straight down the gullet. No? You haven't? Oh ooookay. It's cool, I won't call you out. You just keep floatin' down that river in Egypt. You know the one? Da Nile?

But if you need a snack for rafting through the rapids, I've got just the thing to satisfy those grown-up PB&J cravings, minus the jar and the spoon. And the shame.

A classic peanut butter cookie with a sweet and tart raspberry jam thumbprint. So sophisticated that you won't have to hide in the pantry with a spoon to get your fix. You're welcome.

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If you're lusting for more than understated romance, beef up your bed with Design Mobel's various integrated accessories.

Like a Bose sound system if you want a little bass in your bassinet. Or, if it's time to turn on the red light (Roxanne), a pendant light with four color settings should do the trick.  And if you want to hide away those unmentionable bedside necessities, an optional drawer stows everything out of sight. 

All these bells and whistles make this four poster prodigy sound more like a flashy automobile than a bed. But hey, if the romance fades away, the fancy features should keep things hot and heavy. 

Sweet dreams.

So this was a first. Steph as hostess, queen bee, chef in chief. And everything was perfectly under control. No services of a sous chef needed. Before heading to work, she'd piled chicken breasts into a slow cooker with a magical mexican mixture of spices and sauces. She then went to the office and closed four deals before returning to the casa in time to shred the slow cooked chicken and serve stellar tacos to her hungry guests. That's just how she rolls. 

Steph dished up the mouthwatering meat with toasty corn tortillas, tangy crumbled Cotija cheese, warm black beans, fresh corn shaved off the cob, and a cool and crunchy homemade avocado and cucumber salsa. Damn straight. I'll say this. Outside of a taco truck in a parking lot in Northern California, these were the most memorable chicken tacos of my life. I looked in awe at Steph and thought, "I can't believe you've been holding out on me."

Ever since that night, I've been trying to recreate the slow cooker magic. I think I've concocted a pretty solid recipe and one so simple that any sous can do. So if the rhythm is right, move to the music, and you can slow cook all night. Or day. When you're at work.