Building your own thinking out-of-the-basket Holiday basket is what’s in order this week. But first, lets shush Father Christmas (or kvetching Bube Christukah) and talk spoiled-rotten Baby New Year.
New Year’s resolutions are our own private orphans knocking at doors around exclusive neighborhoods, soliciting wealthy families to adopt them. If your hair isn’t red and your name isn’t Annie, most likely, your resolutions will be knocking until they get picked up by Children and Family Services or some other dream destroying agency.
Gato refuses to have his dreams of self-improvement go into some horrible foster home for crushed aspirations.
Inspired by that spirit of miraculous change, (and a reader named Cassidy) Gato decided to adjust the format of ‘Opulence Addict’ and begin unfolding a mini-novella. It’s the story of Gato’s girlfriends and one sorry male roommate trying to move on and up in the big city.
Come spring many of you will be closing the Madison chapter of your life and embarking on the next step, headed for the big Metropolis. It’s that step where you can drink vodka tonics on a weeknight without ramifications. Gato once had his own office in Manhattan and used it as a hotel many nights after drinking with Televisa executive Yolanda Jordana.
Gato is committing to helping chicas and chicos make that transition with more class than Britney Spears serenading Prince Charles with “Not a Girl, (not yet a woman)”. From advice on scouting safe up-and-coming neighborhoods to nabbing that ultra-sexy job, Gato will be by your side. But now, it’s time to let Papa Holiday out of the rest home.
The first Christukah changed the Western world forever. Gucci had not been invented yet and folks had to give myrrh, dill, nutmeg and other spice rack crap, but still, something magical happened.
One Holiday season, many health club memberships ago, things were also changing for Gato’s friends Maria and Abel.
Maria had called Gato at 2:30 in the morning for the third time that week, sobbing and heaving. It was the Him again. The awful him. “Wh-hy-hy did I stay in Madison-on-on for hi-hi-hi-im?”
Maria’s room mate, Abel was so tired of the broken-heart-to-hearts at home, he was sleeping on Gato’s couch. When, she called, Maria’s mantra of the woman scorned, not seeking revenge — the choked up “hi-im”was so loud over the phone, Abel turned over and pledged no more sympathy for women who date guys in bands.
The next day, Abel shared his own relationship misgivings with Gato. They involved a solvable problem — buying a Holiday present for a whimsical girl, the kind of dimple smiled indie rock cutie that makes one think here comes sexylicous Susie Snowflake.
Abel is one of those men who had tipped the tipping point of Xbox playing. Thus, he’d developed style catatonia and believed what a girl wants was only a pop song.
Gato dragged Abel out of his self-effacing couch and taught him the basic rules of making a stellar Christmas basket.
Rule #1: Use another container besides a basket.
Gato suggested a play on an old Dutch tradition to Abel, St. Nick’s Day. Put a potpourri of gifts in a shoe. In this case, Moon Boots. Yes, those preschool favorites are attacking our senses and sensibility again this winter. As a gift, the colorful, puffy nylon says she’s tingly-special in a cool Japanese girl band way. But it’s the stuff inside the boot that really counts. Style Post-it note: no secondhand boots.
Gato advised Abel on how to fill his St. Nick day boot with a mix of pampering skin and hair products, a commemorative ornament, some inexpensive bauble jewelry, special teas and chocolate. Rule #1-1/4: Candy other than chocolate is not a good thing to include usually. Upon opening, she might say, “What? Are you telling me I need to do Pilates 3 hours a day?”
Rule #2: Include hair and beauty products in interesting packaging because they also serve as decorative elements in the bathroom.
Our fist stop was Hair on Monroe. “Why Hair?” Abel asked. “Madison has more cool-interior salons than it does old, crazy hippies?”
Gato suggested Hair because it has the best selection of quality products in Wow! bottles.
Rule #3: Without commitment, jewelry is hard. Noncommittal items are art jewelry and necklaces with baubles — pieces that stand out against all-black or winter-white.
We stopped at Art Geko first, but after Abel wouldn’t stop talking about his new ‘Shakira-meets-Kim Deal-meets-Erin McKeown’ flame, we both decided Art Geko’s African-inspired jewelry would better suit an earthy male. So we headed back up Monroe to Twigs for more silvery, sublime pieces.
Rule #4: When putting together a basket, don’t buy everything in proximity to the persons abode whom you aim to woo. Hard-to-get-ness is key in evoking, “Oh! I love it!”
Ordering gifts online should be an occasion. Gato and Abel stopped in at Indie Coffee on Regent for an espresso and a beer and sat down to use their free wireless.
Rule #5: Thout shalt place high quality teas in thy basket. Gato directed Abel to www.talbotteas.com.
Shane Talbott, creator of Talbott Teas, owns Troupe Salon on Chicago’s Oak Street. Some readers may have seen Shane perform makeovers on the Oprah Show. But magic Oprah sparkle dust is not the only reason his clients book Chicago vacations around an appointment at Troupe.
Shane has plenty of ‘that special thing’ in his own hands, and he’s transferred it to his line of Talbott Teas. Shane revealed to Gato that he was introduced to the art of tea in his travels to Europe and Asia. Disappointed with the quality of even gourmet teas in the United States, he studied the history of teas and created blends that have been away from the public taste buds since England in the 19th Century.
Adding his own twist with savory flavors like vanilla with real beans and blueberry with dried berries, Shane branded the line around colors — yellow, red, green and blue. Since they were only $6.50 each, Abel bought them all.
Finally, we typed up http://www.organicstyle.com to buy some Inara Organics. Some of you who have been to St. Bart spas or even more exclusive Lake Forest, Illinois spas, may have had the Inara spa treatment using oils from this lauded organic skin care line. For those who haven’t, Gato wishes he could pass a federal law to make you try it. Abel bought lip balm and Babussu lotion.
Two days later, when everything came in the mail, Gato showed Abel how to fill the boot with colored tissue and folding the corners, create a bursting floral effect. For the last goody, Gato added a Droste chocolate apple. As an alternative to the Droste, add coffee beans and Frango mint liquor.
And finally, where to get the moon boots? Urban Outfitters.
That night, after secretly setting the boot full of marvelous-ness outside his angelcake’s bedroom door, Abel felt so elated that he decided to rent a French film instead of playing Grand Theft Mario Brothers.
Now, since Abel had taken over Gato’s living room with Cheetos and Truffant, it was time to help Maria move on.
Troupe Salon. 46 East Oak Street Suite 250. Chicago, IL (312) 587-2700
Twigs – 1.0 miles SW – 1839 Monroe St. (608) 255-4363
Hair 1855 Monroe St. Madison
Art Gecko 507 State Street, Madison, WI (608) 280-8053
