i wish i saved my champagne cork so that i could participate in the DESIGN WITHIN REACH eco challenge. build a chair out of your old cork and win a chair built out of recycled materials. how awesome is that? see details below:

“Chairs will be judged by a panel of industry experts and the winning chairs will embark on a nation-wide tour. Plus, three winners will receive a Morgans Chair, from our partners at Emeco, the Pennsylvania-based furniture manufacturer. This chair, a DWR exclusive introduction, was designed by Andrée Putnam for the Morgans Hotel in New York. (The chair will be available in January.)

In the spirit of the Morgans Chair (which is made from 80% recycled materials), and in an effort to minimize the mountains of packaging waste that the contest has generated in the past, submissions must be made digitally. Submission deadline is 5pm (PT) on Friday, January 9, 2009, so start assembling your materials now. Cheers!

All entries must be received, via email, by 5pm (PT) on Friday, January 9, 2009.

Judging criteria:
Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

* Craftsmanship
* Creativity
* Character
* Innovative use of materials

Prizes:

* Judge’s Pick: One Judge’s Pick winner will receive a Morgans Chair in polished aluminum (retail price: $1,330).
* Popular Vote: One Popular Vote winner will receive a Morgans Chair white powder coat (retail price: $765). Winner of this award will be selected by an online poll.
* DWR Staff Pick: One Staff Favorite winner will be selected by DWR employees and will receive a Morgans Chair in brushed aluminum (retail price: $665).
* Fifty (50) chairs will be included in a traveling exhibition showcased in DWR Studios across the country, starting with San Francisco’s Fillmore Studio on Saturday, February 7. More details to follow.”

i just had to tell you about this amazing strawberry-infused champagne i discovered this weekend. it blows normal champagne out of the water. how can champagne be any better than it all ready is? when it’s NANDO FRAGOLINI, that’s how! and lest we forget, venus, the planet of love, rules the strawberry. NANDO FRAGOLINI is the perfect compliment to your midnight kiss. happy 2009 peeps! (photo)

after a grueling 3 weeks i’m finished with my trunk show at henri bendel. but JP, our new director of sales and marketing, will be there until jan 1. so stop by and say cheers to jp… he’s located on the stairs underneath the lalique astrology windows between the 2nd and 3rd floor. these zodiac-themed windows are stunning and so apropos for IZ… need a gift for your gracious host or hostess this new years eve? these cocktail candles are perfect!

personally, i don’t know how those sales people do it everyday… standing on their feet all day long, while smiling wonderfully the whole time. suffice it to say i have a whole new respect for the boys and girls in that profession. JP and I sold lots and lots of candles to lots and lots of interesting people, celebs included…

yup, kate moss said hi to me and katie holmes was on the verge of buying a candle when her bodyguards whisked her off. kathleen turner and beyonce flitted through the store as well. but our favorite celeb by far was the uber sweet and so down to earth Stephanie Pratt of The Hills. she even posed for a pic with JP and I. thank you Stephanie! i hope you are enjoying your aries candle!

sorry peeps, gwen’s taking a little vaca… see you after the holidays! ps, if you like this christmas card, download the wallpaper under VIRGO.

yah, intoxicated zodiac was chosen to exhibit in the prestigious NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL GIFT FAIR this january. if you’re at the show, be sure to swing by booth 24037 and say cheers… there will be cocktail samples! NYIGF is one of the largest gift trade fairs (not open to the public) and we’re totally psyched to be in it…

i’m a fan of sake. cold, hot, sparkling, and now… infused! yes, even sake is not safe from the cocktailain experimental flavor movement… japan’s rice wine was bound to become adulterated at some point… and thank god for that!

enter stage right SAKE2ME, whose ready to drink, single-serve bottles have been hand crafted from premium japanese junmai rice sake. (and to all you GMO freaks like myself…. don’t worry because japan has banned GMO rice, so SAKE2ME is safe to drink). only non-gmo rice with natural flavors, colors and cane sugar are used (gluten, sulfite-free). each is about the same proof as a bottle of light beer, so one can really suck these babies down. one - namely me. (junmai, BTW, represents a grade of sake made with the top 15% of all japanese-made sake).

SAKE2ME lightly sparkling flavors:
YUZU (a variety of japanese citrus fruit)
ASIAN PEAR
GINGER MANGO
GREEN TEA

i didn’t try mixing with these but i know they would be very good mixers. the problem is that they taste so good alone they kind of never made it to the mixing glass…

SAKE2ME ECO facts:
• bottles made with up to 70% recycled glass. (granted, this is a rather ambiguous figure, but it’s impressive none the less).
• all packaging MADE IN THE USA. (hello auto bailout… keep jobs here peeps and buy US made stuff)
• sake imported in bulk from japan and then infused in the USA.
(think about it… imported beer is so UN-ECO. it involves shipping huge amounts of glass, boxes and empty space inside the cases, across the ocean in fuel sucking-freighters).

…about $13-$14 for a four pack.

My wildest dream has come true… I will be having a trunk show at Henri Bendel New York this holiday season! Henri’s has long been one my fave shopping destinations in NYC. The coolest stuff in the whole city is somehow always found sitting on their shelves.

I will be personally unveiling Intoxicated Zodiac’s new ECO candle packaging that was designed specifically for Henri Bendel. It is super sexy and cheeky galore… like, what sexual garnish does your zodiac sign prefer, and what drinking game is best for your zodiac sign, and such…

so stop in and check it out anytime from december 8 through december 21. i hope to see you there!

only $199 from WILLIAMS-SONOMA, this little birdie is ECO-FRIENDLY too! transform regular tap water into sparkling seltzer using CO2 refillable cartridges. santa… put this on my list!

go forth and gather pumpkins dear tipplers. set your infusions now so they are ready for thanksgiving dinner. and while we’re giving thanks, be sure to thank cancer for this concoction. the moon rules the pumpkin due to it’s rather hard outer shell and really soft interior, making it a cancerian fruit or vegetable. even the experts can’t decide on which!

cancers are usually careful and rarely careless. especially when it comes to their home and family. of course who doesn’t want thanksgiving dinner to go exceedingly well? but cancer wants this especially so. they NEED to make sure thanksgiving dinner is just right. well, girl, you can’t go wrong with this one. granted it’s only for the sweet tooth crowd (me). but your guests will be sucking these down hard. kind of like drinking a liquid lollipop… be sure to collect keys at the door, these tend to sneak up on you.

PUMPKIN SPRITZER
2 oz pumpkin-infused gold rum
2 oz beet syrup
cream soda (all natural type, i used boylan’s creme vanilla)

combine rum, beet syrup and stir very well. pour into ice-packed glass and top with cream soda. stir and serve.

PUMPKIN RUM: fill container with cubed pumpkin (you can leave skin on if you wish) and cover with gold rum. allow to sit for 1-2 weeks and strain.

BEET SYRUP: one of the many eclectic ingredients this giant swedish furniture store sells. who knew that beet syrup was used in ginger snap cookies!? one taste and you will see that it tastes just like a liquid gingersnap cookie. add 1 c beet syrup to 2 cups water and heat on stove until dissolved. add splash vodka and store in fridge.

This Saturday I’ll be a guest on LA Talk Radio’s PSYCHICSTYLE, with renowned Hollywood psychic, Justine Kenzer. phone in with your psychic question and get a free reading, because Justine takes calls during the show!! Trust me, the girl is good. (323-203-0815 / noon PST). Or just tune in for justine’s cutting-edge healthy-living tips. she has an uncanny skill for ferreting out cool new products before anyone else has even heard of them… if you miss the show, no worries - catch it on archive 24/7. i hope to “hear” you there!