THE 12 DAYS OF GIFTMAS: Day 2 - Turtle Doves of Love! (Video)

SUMMARY: On the first day of Giftmas, my True Love gave to me...not a Partridge in a Pear Tree, but fine jewelry & a jewelry tree! On the second day of Giftmas, my True Love will hopefully give to me: Two Turtledoves...of Love! In this episode of DAILY DOSE OF STYLE, we present two holiday gifts inspired by this longtime symbol of loyalty and love: a charming pair of Swarovski crystal turtle doves, and a luxury walking safari in Malawi, Africa to observe turtledoves in their natural environment. (Want more info on any of the goodies featured in today's episode? CLICK HERE.)

- Lesley Scott

Turquoise Crowned the 2010 COLOR OF THE YEAR by Pantone

Combining the serene qualities of blue with the more invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise (PANTONE 15-5519) brings to mind thoughts of tropical waters and a restorative escape from the everyday. “In many cultures, Turquoise occupies a very special position in the world of color,” explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Behind-the-Scenes with Rodarte on Location for Target (Video)

Hobnobbing with the Rodarte girls at Fashion Week and on location at their Rodarte for Target shoot, teen fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson interviewed them on-camera (below) about their collection - which will be available at Target stores & Target.com from 12/20/09-1/31-10 - & about why they chose to shoot in a cornfield in the middle of nowhere. "For us, North Dakota is kind of the Grand American Landscape," explain the designing duo about their timeless, yet unconventional collection for the mass retailer which was inspired by the emotion and bravado of iconic women in films from their childhood: Faye Dunaway in "Bonnie & Clyde," Mia Farrow in "Rosemary’s Baby" and Ruth Gordon in "Harold & Maude." "It's so beautiful, and it just seemed like the only place we would go. And it's one of those place that everyone should go to because it just changes your perspective on how you live."

Custom Chocri Chocolate for Your Taste Buds & the Kids (in Ivory Coast)

We love having our way with the world, especially if it comes custom...and covered in chocolate. Chocri has already created a tasty buzz in their native Germany with their design-your-own chocolate bars, and are set to launch stateside in early January.  Start with the kind of chocolate you love - dark, milk, or white chocolate - and then choose from more than 90 toppings grouped by Dried Fruit, Nuts, Spices, Grains (like coffeebeans & pretzels), Decor (gold flakes; sprinkles), and Extras including Cappucino Drops & Gummy Bears. More than 10 billion (!) combinations are possible, and once you narrow your choice to a maximum of 5 toppings, you get to choose a name for your very own choco creation(s...why stop at just one?).

Bond No. 9: A Chic Gift of Holiday Joy from a Parisienne Who Loves NYC

Everyone has a Bond No. 9 favorite. Mine is Andy Warhol Lexington Avenue, which I covet as much for as for its fragrance as the bottle bedecked with the late pop artist's pre-50s shoe illustrations. And one of their most heartwrenching and beautiful scents has to be The Scent of Peace, created as a tribute to the thousands of lives lost during 9/11.

BEST OF 2009 AWARD WINNERS! Fashiontribes Editor Faves

Tons of great fashion & beauty products are introduced (& re-introduced) each year, and while we give most everything that comes across our desks a look-see (so you don't have to), some products just really stand out: they're innovative, feature a clever design, or are just too flat-out cool to live without.

So what rocked our world this year?

WINNERS OF THE FASHIONTRIBES BEST OF 2009 EDITOR FAVE AWARDS:

What is Your Favorite Dress - and Why?

Most fashionistas have an all-time favorite dress, what about designers? A recent exhibit at the Zandra Rhodes Fashion and Textile Musuem, My Favourite Dress, and book of the same name (currently the top fashion book on Amazon UK) explores just that question: What is your favourite dress, and why?

Drawing from actual wardrobes as well as memories, designers - both male and female - explain in ways insightful, revealing, and surprising which one dress means the most to them.

Lush with illustrations, the book looks at the dresses chosen, the influences, reasons, and meaning behind each selection - providing an unusual and personal peek into the lives of the rich and fabulous.

HOLIDAY GIFTS: Pamper Her with Something Beauty-ful! (Video)

SUMMARY: This week is HOLIDAY GIFT WEEK at DAILY DOSE OF STYLE where we present you with an affordable gift option, and one where price is no object. So far, we've spoiled her with fabulous custom couture and gorgeous glamorous diamonds. Today's gift: Beauty! Pamper her (or him!) affordably - yet wonderfully - with one of Sephora's Favorite Gift Boxes; or, for a price-no-object splurge, splash out on some custom-made fragrance from Paris! (For more info on any of the goodies featured in today's epidsode, CLICK HERE.)

Have a Fragrant Hanukah - Hanukah Cannelle Holiday Fragrance

There are hundreds of Yuletide songs we start humming after carving the Thanksgiving turkey. Hanukah (aka Hanukkah & Chanukah), however, gets no respect; I can think of few musical tributes, save Adam Sandler's Hanukkah Song and Songs In The Key Of Hanukkah by Erran (brother of Sacha) Baron Cohen. Similarly, there are dozens of Christmas scents that people of all religions love and wear, and there hasn't been a fragrance named for this joyous holiday...until now.

Hanukah Cannelle was created as a special Holiday 2009 fragrance by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, the indie cult perfumer and founder of Les Perfumes Beaux Arts. (DSH, as she's known in the industry, was also the recipient of Best Independent Business 2009, and first runner up for Best New Business and Best Eco-Friendly Retailer.) "This year's limited edition Holiday scent was inspired by my favorite Hanukah pastries which I bake using apples, cinnamon, nuts and honey; plus I remember a dish I used to make for Passover Seder with my roommate when I was in college - it was with apple and cinnamon," explains DSH. "For the perfume, I added an aldehydic green note in the top warm woods, and a soft musk drydown to balance the sweetness of the apple and the cinnamon. And of course, I've taken some artistic liberties to create a Holiday perfume that's sexy, luscious, and a delight to wear all year round"

It's traditional at Hanukah to receive eight gifts - but even if you celebrate Christmas or Kwanzaa, it's still a perfect holiday scent! FOR FASHIONTRIBES READERS ONLY:

Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky: An Extra-Chic Love Story

In 1913, the young couturiere Coco Chanel attended the premiere of Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, witnessing the birth of a musical revolution that, like her own designs, ripped down the artifice of the old regime to usher in something profoundly modern.

Seven years later, she invited Stravinsky and his family, now exiled from their Russian homeland, for a summer at her villa...and a hot love affair. As Stravinsky enjoys a new burst of creativity and Chanel brings forth her own revolutionary creation - the perfume Chanel No. 5 - their love threatens to overtake work, family and life.

COCO CHANEL AND IGOR STRAVINSKY (Riverhead Trade Paperback Original) by Ben Greenhalgh is now available at Amazon.com. Also be sure to keep an eye out for the screen adaptation - which closed this year's Cannes Film Festival - in theaters January 2010.

- Lesley Scott