[3]
By
Published: 2006
Category: Beyond Classification [4]
Holidays 2006: Luxury (Things)
Once upon a time, I was married to the daughter of one of the richest women in America. There were jewels enough to fill a safe, a jet (“the one plane we never miss,” they liked to say), and some of the sweetest real estate on the planet.
I don't miss that life.
My definition of luxury is now --- and was then --- “anything you wouldn't buy for yourself.” Or: “anything you get only rarely.” A cafe con leche and a dish of flan at the Taza De Oro on 8th Avenue (between 14th and 15th Streets) certainly qualify --- even though the check barely tops three dollars. So does a hot dog on a toasted bun at Papaya King, where two can have what passes for dinner for six bucks, drinks included. And so does dinner at Bernadin. It's all about what's “special” to y-o-u.
So as I compiled a list of luxury gifts, I wasn't considering price. I was thinking about value, and thoughtfulness, and quality. Sure, you can spend more. The question is: Can you buy smarter?
Real Live Roadrunning
Emmylou Harris and Mark Knopfler joined forces to record one of the best CDs of the year [6]. Then they took it on the road. Now they've released a live set [7] --- a concert CD and DVD --- that's immensely pleasurable. Rock is rarely this intelligent; the 9/11 song was inspired by novelist Ian McEwan [8]. Or this lovely: Harris has the only operatic voice in country music. There are layers and layers of subtle instrumentation here, as well as hard-driving rock 'n roll. For a grown-up who hasn't forsaken pop music, this is some gift.
Juniper Ridge Western Wild Goods
The jams are made from wild berries, the teas feature Douglas Fir Tips, the soaps have nubs of cedar. And the wreaths! And the packaging! And the gift sets! The world has not yet discovered Juniper Ridge [9], so a present from here delivers both quality and originality.
Portable iPod Speakers
You can't go around all day with your head between earphones. Portable speakers [10] make a big difference in your social life.
Shure E3c Headphones
And speaking of iPods, Apple fails only in its headphones, which distort the sound. These headphones [11] put you inside the recording studio.
Sinatra: Vegas
Recorded when it was “Frank's world,” this boxed set of vintage Sinatra [5] --- four CDs, one DVD --- will delight anyone who was there, or who wanted to be.
Derry Moore: Rooms
You can rise high in Society without gaining admittance to these legendary homes. But Derry Moore, who shoots interiors for Architectural Digest, is also the Earl of Drogheda --- he belongs in rooms like these. Eight of these 24 residences are rural; a third are ancestral; all are the greatest of kind. No interiors book I know is in the same class as Rooms. [12]
Dr. Tea
The good doctor has become a mad mixmaster for the holidays, with special blends only he could dream up. If you're more traditional, his regular blends also make great gifts --- all Tea Garden & Herbal Emporium [13] products are packaged in silver cannisters, with a distinctive orange ribbon. They'll think: “What? Tea from Hermes?” Which is hardly a terrible first impression.
Verde Room Diffuser
Scented candles are o-u-t in our snootball 'hood. What's in? Open bottles of scent, with long sticks in them that wick the perfume upward and release it gently. Room diffusers have not achieved full market penetration. You might just be the first on your block to give --- or get --- a Verde Room Diffuser. [14]
Polo Ralph Lauren Cashmere Sweater
I still wear Polo shirts I've had for a decade. Ditto my one Polo sweater. This stuff is just made better. Is the Polo cashmere [15] expensive? Not really. And if you wear it for a decade....
All-Clad 9-Piece Cookware Set
All-Clad [16] is the Gold Standard in our kitchen. The set includes a 2-quart covered saucepan, 3-quart covered saute pan, 10-inch fry pan, 3-quart covered casserole pan and 6-quart covered stockpot --- enough pots and pans for a small restaurant.