The sun has come out, and with it, our annual lusting for light and bright things to sprinkle around the house, reflecting the new season and our hopefully tasteful aesthetic. It’s a challenge, what with the recession and all, but we still love to look.

You’re going to hate us for what we’re about to do, because once you see the picture of Artful Home’s Pixie Vases, you’re going to want them, and you’re going to want them all. (Evil, evil Web site to show (more…)

Happy Birthday Capricorn, all you gorgeous goats, you stubborn Earth babies (we can say that, because we are January girls ourselves).  It’s your month, and we want you to take a little time off of work (as hard as that is for you to do) and celebrate yourselves. 

We can’t figure out any reason for this to exist, which means we’re enchanted that it does. Neiman Marcus has a Zodiac Kitty necklace ($950, above) in 18K white and yellow gold with pave diamond trim. Look closely: The Kitty is actually a goat.

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We’re all familiar with the lose-weight/save-money/get-organized school of New Year’s Resolutions, but The Style Insider would like to propose another curriculum: Renew your space. Whether it’s a studio loft or a sprawling estate, adding something beautiful to bring in 2009 will make you happy all year long. Just   whisper to yourself that you’re worth it:

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Starting to sweat? You have a little more time before you must admit online defeat and head to the mall for those last gifts. We’ve found several that are cool and pretty cheap, too.

We’re swooning for these organic cotton knit throws, which are made in Portugal without dyes and would complement nearly any decor. Order them in sea spray, neutral or clay, and relax into a luxuriously pretty present. At West End ($49, above).

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 You’ve got someone special on your list. You can’t go way overboard, but you want to get something a little uncommon, a bit sophisticated, maybe a tad eccentric - and less than $100. We can help.

She’s a techie? We’re all over this Kate Spade Jane Street portable media case ($95, left), a classy black calfskin cover for her iPod or Blackberry. She can flip it open in the street and look totally au courant.

For a creative soul, you want to check out these whimsical striped rain boots ($45, above left), which wrap a rainbow of melon, strawberry, kiwi and khaki around her calves and signal to the world that she most likely will be dancing in the rain. At the Gap.

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