Talk Back: Get in touch with Solano Magazine!

Holiday Gift Guide

a serving tray1. Delightful
Handmade decoupaged glass serving trays, platters and plates by John Derian in classic yet off-beat designs that capture the heart as well as the eye. $85-$265. Vintage Home, 1201 Main St., St. Helena (707) 963-7243

2. 3-PANEL IKAT WITH SHELLS. Handloomed on the island of Sumba, this Ikat's design is unusual because the animal forms are adorned with nassa or cowry shells. Approximately 92"x 26". $850. The Pacific Rim Gallery, 301 Georgia St., Vallejo (707) 647-3314; thepacificrimgallery.com

3. GIVE HOPE-GIVE A HAND. Rotary Clubs throughout Northern California and Oregon are involved in providing functional prosthetic hands, called LN-4s, to individuals in need from developing countries. In the past 18 months over 200 hands have been gifted to people in five countries. These hands give recipients greater independence; they can hold a pencil,a fork, tie their shoes, comb their hair, ride a bicycle, etc. Each hand costs only $50. The Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation, 1983 Crestview Drive, Ashland, Oregon (541) 482-5110; LN-4.org a man with a prosthetic hand

4. LAMPE BERGERE PARIS. Fill your entire house with a gentle fragrance from a unique and beautiful lampe that reflects your personal style. $98-$2,223. Preston's Fine Home Furnishings, 123 E. Travis Blvd., Fairfield (707) 425-9555

5. NAPA VALLEY MUSTARD FESTIVAL 2007. Celebrate the food, wine, art and cultural bounty of the wine country at any of the dozens of events occurring January 27 through March 31, 2007. Collect the festival's signature 2007 print, Vineyard Mustard by Lowell Herrero. (707) 944-1133; mustardfestival.org

6. Angels and Fairies
Exquisite portraiture that is a fusion of photography and art by Charlene and Jon McNally. a child dressed as an angelAvalon Arts Studio, 129 First St., Benicia (707) 751-0190; avalonartstudio.com

7. Whimsy
Colorful, organic and whimsical resin candlesticks by Orna Lalo.
$86-$158. Studio 41, 700 First St., Benicia (707) 745-0254; studio41.com

8. ART TOYS.
Limited edition art toys-an international outgrowth of pop art from the toy industry's leading designers-are revolutionizing the world of collectibles. $6-$15. Kidrobot, 1512 Haight St., San Francisco (415) 487-9000; kidrobot.com

9. GERM GUARDIAN. UV-C plug-in room sanitizer uses hospital-proven UV-C light technology to naturally destroy airborn germs and odors. Produces no ozone. $69.99; germguardian.com

10. DESIGNER BAMBOO KNITTING NEEDLES. Handmade of bamboo and available in two lengths: 7" and 10". $16-$23. Spin A Yarn, 537 Main St., Vacaville (707) 469-9446designer knitting needles

11. CHROME HOG(r) BANK.
Harley-Davidson is celebrating the enormously popular ceramic Hog(r) Bank in a limited edition chrome version available during the 2006 holiday season, while inventory lasts. $40. Harley-Davidson and Buell of Vallejo, 1600 Sonoma Blvd., Vallejo (800) 994-4647; harleyvallejo.com

12. CUSTOM WINE LABELS. Celebrate our furry friends with their very own label. 10% of the proceeds goes to support ASPCA. Starting at $99 for 6 bottles, many more options available. Windsor Vineyards (800) 289-9463; windsorvineyards.com

13. ROAD HOUND PET CARRIERS. Designed for adventurers and their pets. Carrier and mounting systems designed for motorcycles, ATVs, scooters and bicycles. $279; road-hound.com

14. PET PORTRAITS.
Searching for a special way to honor your four-legged friend? Aim�e Rolin Hoover, 110 S. Guadalupe Ave., No. 4, Redondo Beach (310) 318-3337; aimeehoover.com

15. SNOOZIN' IN STYLE. Canvas pet pillows by Two Simmons Studio. $195-$245. Nestware, 204 G St., Davis (530) 757-6400

16. DOG COLLARS WITH CHARM.
Dogs deserve to be stylish, too. Leather and nickel with Coach's signature tag. $52. Coach, 348 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville (707) 447-2067; coach.com

two dogs 17. WINE DOGS.
536 pages of North America's  wine dogs. A must-have coffee table book for animal lovers. $39; Merryvale, 1000 Main St., St. Helena; (707) 963-7777

18. Jungle fever

Handmade frosted martini glasses, cocktail shaker and palm frond coasters make for wild cocktails. Martini glasses $46 each; shaker $25; coasters $5. Studio 41, 700 First St., Benicia (707) 745-0254; studio41.com

19. BRENT'S BEER BRITTLE. One taste and you'll be hooked-guaranteed. Made with salty peanuts and ale. $9.95. Annette's Chocolate Factory,  1321 First St., Napa (707) 252-4228; annettes.combeer brittle

20. TWO-IN-ONE CITRUS JUICER. Manual juicing made easy. $20. Williams-Sonoma, 1470 Mount Diablo Blvd., Walnut Creek (925) 210-1215; williams-sonoma.com

21. CHEERS! Raise your glass with Frank Family Vineyards' Champagne, Blanc de Blanc, made from 100% Napa Valley grapes. $27.75. Frank Family Vineyards, 1091 Larkmead Lane, Calistoga (800) 574-9463; frankfamilyvineyards.com

22. CLASSIC CARRIERS.
Hand-tooled and handcrafted 2-bottle insulated leather carriers by a northern California designer. $248. Vanderbilt  and Company; 1429 Main St., St. Helena (707) 963-1010; vanderbiltandcompany.com

23. TASTE NAPA DOWNTOWN. Ten tasting rooms within walking distance and thousands of wines for only $10 a taste. $20; napadowntown.com

24. BEEF TO YOUR DOOR.
Grass-fed beef sent right to your door, ready for the freezer-3-4 times a year. Starting at $121.50. Long Meadow Ranch, 1796 S. St. Helena Highway, Rutherford (877) 627-2645; longmeadowranch.com

25. COOK WITH RESTAURANT STYLE. Built to order, the Diva is the ultimate cooking range, available in 36", 48", 65" and island units. Starting at $19,995. Culinary Institute of America store; ciastore.com

26. INTERACTIVE CULINARY CLASSES. Held every Saturday at Signorello Vineyards with winery chef Laura Douglas Lee. Starting at $150 per person. Signorello Vineyards, 4500 Silverado Trail, Napa (707) 255-5990; signorellovineyards.com

chocolates 27. CHOCOLATES DIVINE. Little bites of goodness. Even Oprah says so. Available in a variety of prices and sizes. Woodhouse Chocolate, 1367 Main St., St. Helena (800) 966-3468; woodhousechocolate.com

28. MADE IN NAPA VALLEY. Give the flavors of the Napa Valley with this colorfully packaged JANE! Cooks gift set. Includes Gourmet Every Day Cookbook, Sun-Dried Tomato Tapenade, Napa Valley Meritage Herb Rub, Herb Dijon Mustard with Chardonnay. $30. Tulocay's Made In Napa Valley, 101 S. Coombs, Suite #1, Napa (707) 253-7655;  madeinnapavalley.com

29. COOKING WITH HEART.
Red porcelain enamel on cast-iron 2-quart heart-shaped casserole. $99.95. Le Creuset Factory Outlet; 111 Nut Tree Road # B, Vacaville (707) 453-0620

30. FARM FRESH TO YOU.
Every week a box of organic seasonal fruits, vegetables and greens (along with family recipes) is delivered directly to your home fresh from the family farm in nearby Capay Valley. $21.50-$29 per week includes delivery. Capay Organic, 23808 State Highway 16, Capay (800) 796-6009; farmfreshtoyou.coma basket of fresh vegetables

31. BEOSOUND 2.
An uber-designed light and pocket-friendly digital music player. Includes the Bang & Olufsen Earphones. $460. Bang & Olufsen;
bang-olufsen.com

32. SKIS FOR HER. So hot they're flying off the shelves and down the slopes. Roxy skis are designed just for women, from their shape to their eye-catching graphics. Includes bindings. $290-$825. Ken's Bike & Ski, 650 G St., Davis (530) 758-3223; kensbikeski.com

33. THE TOUGHEST BOOT CAMP YOU'LL EVER LOVE.
Sgt. Ken Weichert, a six-time Soldier of the Year and Army Master Fitness Trainer, has developed a military-inspired program that will whip you into shape. The Operation Living Fit Boot Camp Fitness Toolkit allows you to start at any level. Includes three DVDs and SPRI Tubing. $45. START Fitness, 2001 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco (415) 225-5715; startfitness.com

34. SOCKS WITH STYLE AND SUBSTANCE. Aren't your feet worth it? $9.99. Pearl Izumi, 234 Nut Tree Road, Vacaville (707) 449-8425; pearizumi.com

35. BODYREV YOUR WAY TO A BETTER CORE.
Nominated the 2006 Sports Product of the Year by SGMA, the BodyRev was developed by a former U.S. Navy SEAL to increase core strength and decrease injuries for active warriors. Unique free-spinning handles and center-loaded weights enable you to engage more muscles for maximum results and is ideal for those who experience joint pain and require low-impact workouts. But don't take our word for it: Marriott International has included it in their official in-room exercise program. At-home kits include DVDs, meal planner and training calendar. Starting at $99.95. (800) 738-4543; bodyrev.coma woman using an exercise machine

36. TIME + SPEED + DISTANCE + HEART + GPS.
Timex's IRONMAN(r) Triathalon(r) Bodylink(r) watch system is perfect for the serious athlete. What's unique about this system is the incorporated GPS for those that train long-distance or off-road. $300. Fleet Feet Sports, 354 Merchant St., Vacaville (707) 449-9266; fleetfeetvacaville.com

37. THE PERFECT PUSHUP.
Utilizing the secrets of U.S. Navy SEALs, the Perfect Pushup's rotating hand grips allow your arms to rotate during a pushup the same way they naturally twist when you throw a punch or press up a dumb bell. This works more muscles and reduces strain on your joints-maximizing your workout. From the inventors of the revolutionary BodyRev. $39.95. (800) 738-4543; perfectpushup.com

38. COUTURE FOR EVERY WOMAN.
From modern to novel to urban, Pamela Pacelli has created a unique and inclusive concept in boutique shopping. Sizes 2 to 20. Lace tie cardi by Neesh. $130.  Five Figs Couture, 803 Second St., Suite 307, Davis (530) 756-3500; fivefigscouture.coma woman's sweater

39. DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND. Classic and contemporary tear-drop design necklace (.48 carat, $1195) with matching earrings in white gold and diamonds (.85 carat, $1795). Thornton & Sons Jewelers, 1100 Pitt School Road, Dixon (707) 678-2996; thornton-sons.com

40. HANDBAGS BY DONALD J. PLINER.
Designed with rare skins such as giraffe haircalf, gator, silk tapestries and exquisite inlays. Different styles may be available. $455-$610. Helen Lyall, 515 Georgia Street, Vallejo (707) 643-2535; helenlyall.com

41. ARTFUL WALLS. For those restoring Victorians or Craftsman bungalows and need to adhere to historical society restrictions, Bradbury and Bradbury wallpaper is a must-see. Wallpaper designs that are authentic, still handmade and crafted to a lifetime. These classic motifs will never go out of style. (707) 746-1900; bradbury.com