When it comes to fashion, you’ve got gifts covered. But what about presents of the non-clothing variety? LaToya Drake from AOL and blogger with ReginaLewis.com is here to tell us when and where to find this season’s hottest gifts — beyond the world of apparel.

We haven’t successfully passed Halloween, but walk into any store and you will likely see Christmas decorations on the shelves. Surprise! Tis the season for holiday shopping! Last minute shoppers take note: the National Retail Federation says 40% of consumers are expected to start their holiday shopping before Halloween.

So what’s the best time to start holiday shopping? One word: NOW. Some of the hottest gifts this season are already selling out, and with retailers carefully managing inventory this year, once it’s gone…it’s gone. After being stuck over with excess inventory in 2008, this year many retailers have scaled back their purchases. For consumers that means less merchandise on the shelves, and an emphasis on buy it now vs. later, otherwise you might find yourself out of luck on hot gifts.

You can always count on the Shop it to Me team to provide fashion guidance when it comes to gifts, but here are a few non fashion-related gifts to get now:

Zhu Zhu Pets

Zhu Zhu pets, the season’s hottest toy for kids are sold out at Toys R Us, but you may have luck finding these popular pet hamsters at e-tailers like Amazon.

e-Book Readers

If you’re dying to read or re-read fashionista favorites like The Devil Wears Prada, Twilight or New Moon, then e-readers like the Kindle and the new Sony Reader are for you. Another big release is the iRex e-reader, which will offer books from Barnes & Noble.

Image Source: Amazon

Image Source: Engadget

Image Source: CNET

Other hot gifts to watch out for include:

• Beatles Rock Band
• Faux Fur
• DVD Box Sets

A couple weeks back I attended San Francisco’s annual Treasure Island Music Festival. The music was great, the weather was gorgeous, but my favorite part was the fashion (surprise, surprise). SF stylistas put on their funkiest gettups and headed across the bay for an afternoon of singing, dancing, and dress-up.

From the guy in faux fur, to the gal in a pink vintage Gucci sweatshirt (accompanied by a matching Gucci fanny pack, of course), the event brought in the best of San Francisco street style! It was like being trapped in a Nylon Magazine spread – and let me just say, I can imagine worse places to spend a day…

We would like to give a warm welcome to three new Trendsetters this week! We’re excited to have you as a part of the Shop It To Me Community!

Read along as Chasing Louboutin finds unbelievable bargains on designer clothes and how she will one day own a pair of Louboutin heels.

From New York to LA, discover new trends, beauty, fashion and relationship advice from Urban Updater – a girl who’s lived through it all!

Looking for a style blog with some sass? Check Sassy Fashionista for posts about all things fabulous (and rants about everything hideous) from a fashionista who knows her stuff.

*Want to be a Shop It To Me Trendsetter? Email trendsetters@shopittome.com with a link to your fashion or lifestyle blog to apply!

Designer deals up to 75% off retail, complimentary cocktails, and giveaways all sponsored by Lucky Magazine?   You had us at designer deals.  We cannot wait for the blissful shopping event that is “Lucky Shops”, coming up on November 6th and 7th.

To add to the anticipation of this event, for one lucky Shop It To Me member, Lucky Shops is giving away a VIP gift bag filled with fun goodies, valued at $750! Inside you’ll find Amrita Singh bangles, Kiehl’s products, a Clu tanktop, tons of other fun beauty products and more.

To enter, just do the following:

• Visit www.luckyshops.com to become familiar with the event (you may want to consider buying tickets while you’re at it!)
• Leave a comment on this blog post about what you think is the most exciting part of Lucky Shops
• You must be a Shop It To Me member to win

We’ll pick a winner on Friday, October 31st at 5pm PST by conducting a random drawing among all comments left here.

Please note: Prize can only be sent to a U.S. mailing address.

So enter the giveaway, and go grab your tickets! If we were in New York, we’d be at this deal- and fun-filled evening and in a flash.  Trina Turk, Charlotte Ronson, Ella Moss, J.Brand, and Milly are among the brands that will be available, not to mention music and more!

Good luck!  And happy shopping!

Quirky fashion… of new and old…

New:

When hearing about a boot that gives your calves a workout while you walk, I instantly thought of MBT or Crocs (not necessarily the most stylish).  Nope!  Now you can wear a designer boot that does this trick — from none other than Anna Sui!  In this collaboration with FitFlop, Anna Sui has created a shearling/suede boot that gives you a workout while you walk.  According to the FitFlop website: “The Shakoha, is a double-faced shearling boot with suede, metal studs and hand stitched detail, built on the FitFlop patent-pending Microwobbleboard™ midsole, so you get a workout while you walk.”  Available Nov. 20th on Net-a-porter and ShopIntuition.com!

Old:

Although not new news, did you know that Jean Paul Gaultier once designed clothing made out of bread?!  Although in French, you can watch a video showing many items from his exhibit below — even check out the baguettes made into Venetian blinds!   According to a New York Times article from when this exhibit was live, he said, “I love the sensuality of bread, its roundness — there is something sexual and womanly about it.”  13 master bakers gathered to create the 2004 exhibit, that included loaves to stuff crinoline and corset dresses.   Some of the rejects that didn’t quite make the exhibit included toast brown sneakers and a croissant and brioche wig!  Pretty impressive.

There’s a hungry shoe-lover in all of us, just waiting to be set free! I’m Not Obsessed is here to show you the must-have shoe styles that no woman should be without. Be sure to check out her blog dedicated to providing the latest celebrity gossip, paparazzi photos, pop culture news, beauty & fashion reviews.

I’m a busy gal. Between two kids and running three websites, I need to be prepared for last minute invites to parties and business events. The last thing I need to worry about is whether or not I have shoes to go with my outfit. The easiest solution is to have the following types of shoes in your armory ahead of time.

Jeweled Flats – What better way to spruce up a casual outfit than with a great pair of jeweled flats? This season, it’s all about adding a little something extra to your accessories. These shoes are a great way to boost a casual outfit. (Jeffrey Campbell ‘Jewel 2′ Flat $109)

Knee High Boots – Skinny jeans aren’t going anywhere. Neither are pencil skirts. Make sure you have a great pair of knee high boots (in both black and brown). (Dolce Vita Women’s Jake Knee High Boot $159)

Red Pumps – What an easy way to breathe new life into your LBD? Pair it with some really fabulous red high heels. It’s a great way to stand out without looking like you are trying too hard. (Yves Saint Laurent Eelskin Pumps $875)

Rain Boots – Running to grab a cup of coffee? Late grabbing the kids from school? Is it a gloomy kind of day? Throw on a pair of rain boots during the winter months and stop worrying about those puddles. (Hunter Original Rain Boot – Green $115)

Ankle boots – These are my favorite shoes of the season. You can work them into any outfit. Skinny jeans, skirts, dresses, leggings – you name it. Stay on top (or ahead) of the trend. (Brian Atwood Miri leather ankle boots $750)

The bootie – Peep toe ankle bootie are just so hot! This pair is metallic too. Is it possible to be so in love with an inanimate object? (Elizabeth and James Lola $750)

The casual boot – When you want to be rugged while remaining feminine, the casual pull on boot is the way to go. My absolute favorite line for these types of boots is Frye. I’ve been wearing them since I was a sophomore in High School. They last for YEARS and are well worth the price. (FRYE Women’s Campus $234)

Everyone’s talking about Plaid!  Recently, celebs Kristin Cavallari and Audrina Partridge were spotted in Plaid, StyleBakery included Plaid as a Top 10 buy for Fall, and Flypaper (Bluefly’s blog) highlighted plaid t-shirts.  And it’s popping up all over Salemail too — from high to low, there’s plaid for all!

Great plaid styles shown above:

1 - Alexander Wang plaid biker shirt, from Outnet

2 – French Connection, from Bloomingdales

3 – Generra plaid belted tunic, from Bluefly

4 – Old Navy plaid western shirt (4 colors available!)

5 – NY & Co. plaid mojito shirt

Coca-Cola has teamed up with a number of well-known Italian designers to raise money for the Abaruzzo earthquake victims. I think it’s safe to say that this is the most stylish fundraiser I’ve seen in some time.

As if the Coca-Cola Light classic glass bottles aren’t cute enough… Add the chic touch of a genius fashion designer and you have one stylin’ soda pop!

Image courtesy of Chic Intuition

My favorite has to be the Missoni bottle (though I find Marni’s design to be pretty fabulous as well)!

After 5 rounds pitting pairs of brands against each other and hundreds of votes cast, Battle of Brands is over and the results are in. Your favorite Shop It To Me brand is…BCBG!

BCBG beat out Theory with 62% of the Round 5 Championship vote.

There were some unexpected upsets throughout the competition, including Alexander Wang getting knocked out in the very first round and Rag & Bone devastating 3.1 Phillip Lim with 80% of the vote.

Here’s a look back on the winners and losers from each round:

Brands weren’t the only winners – Shop It To Me members also got in on the action by winning Marc by Marc Jacobs prizes after each round! Congratulations to our very own Trendsetter Jaime of La Vie J’aime, who won a Marc by Marc Jacobs key chain in Round 4.

“As a fan of Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs, I couldn’t be more excited about this win!” she told us. “Since I can’t always afford MJ full price, I look forward to my Shop It To Me email(s) to tell me when some fabulous MJ items go on sale. Thanks again!”

The Marc by Marc Jacobs wristlet went to our Round 5 winner Marci C., who is delighted to have won. Meet both of our lovely Round 4 and Round 5 winners:

Congrats to our winners, and to BCBG – the last brand standing!