Now that Halloween has passed (barely, and when I was at A.C. Moore yesterday, all the Christmas decor was already out), everyone seems to be going into full holiday mode. The December issues of magazines will be out soon, which means gift guides. Even though I generally don't start shopping this early, I can't wait to see the guides. That being said, I will be sharing a few of my favorite gift ideas over the next several weeks.  First up is a recently-released luxe gift for the outdoorsy wine-loving type.

Picture this*: A sunny day, a light breeze, two people biking casually down a path. They choose a place to stop and set up a light picnic—complete with bottle of wine—and have a peaceful, intimate moment to themselves.

If indulging, even briefly, in the wine country life of leisure is your idea of a good time, owning the Clos Cruiser might be the first step. This limited edition bicycle is available through a partnership between home and fashion boutique C. Wonder and Sonoma-based winery Clos du Bois.

The bicycles are a fancy version of C. Wonder's existing City Bike with a few special extras: Exclusive to the Clos Cruiser  is a navy and white chevron-lined wicker basket outfitted to hold two GoVino reusable wine glasses, and a corkscrew, which are included, and a bottle of Clos du Bois wine.  

If you purchase the Clos Cruiser—available in fuchsia or navy—from Clos du Bois's site, the wine is included automatically. The options are a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon. If you choose to purchase through C. Wonder's site or select C. Wonder stores, in addition to the glasses and corkscrew, they'll throw in a monogrammed wine stopper instead and a discount for use at closdubois.com to choose any varietal of your liking.    

The limited-edition Clos Cruiser by C. Wonder will be available through the Spring, $350.

Cheers!

Just when I think it's hard to believe it's already August, August is more than half over. And as much as I love fall—and am already secretly pining for apple cider (hot and cold)—I'm not at all ready to rush summer out the door. So to celebrate the first week of my shiny new blog, I will be sharing summer-inspired finds.

To me, summer always feels like the season of freedom. And not just the freedom to frequently indulge in ice cream, which, obviously, I do. During summer, everyone seems more carefree and happy, work schedules can often be a little lenient, and I think people make more of an effort to take a break from all their responsibilities and feel the wind in their hair. 

It doesn't take much to make me think of driving around with newly-licensed friends and staying out late, sleepovers where somehow we thought we were levitating each other (were we? I still don't know), and flying down the street on my bike. The unmistakable ding of a bicycle bell is one of those sounds that snaps you right back to those moments.

But, really, the totally cute designs of Poketo's pattern bike bells are why I kept returning to their website after seeing them for the first time.  The modern styles are a fun update to the classic metal look:  

By the way, don't miss the rest of Poketo's site. The company started out making vinyl wallets, and over the last few years has grown to design and carry a wonderful range of products. I've loved seeing their booth at the NY gift fair become more and more robust. If you're in LA, you can check out their brick-and-mortar shop.

I really like the pink/blue/white style, but the geometric monotone design (bottom right) goes so well with my own  bicycle:

I don't have a bell yet, but I feel like I should get one. Which pattern do you like best?