Chirstmas Shopping for the Romantic in Your Life

I first discovered Past-times when I was touring England in highschool. Their shop in London was just gorgeous--I spied a book on chivalry in the window and popped in to check it out. I didn't have that much room in my suitcase and I was delighted to discover that they ship worldwide! Their website is: http://www.pasttimes.com/home Here are a few of the items from this years' catalogue that are bound to bring joy to the heart of any romantic.

This dressing table mirror is 65 pounds (about 130 dollars). It will certainly add a touch of romance to your boudoir!

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has an amazing selection of gifts and is a great place to shop online for art lovers.

This "Unicorn in Captivity" pillow is based on a design from the Netherlands that dates back to 1495. The tapestry on which it's based is one of the best preserved from the period and is likely meant to portray the taming of the beloved (okay, so, it's a little medieval, but what do you expect?). The pomegranates in the background represent fertility and marriage. It's a beautiful gift, and at $40 for non-museum members, it's reasonably affordable as well. http://www.metmuseum.org/store

I have several other favourite sites for Christmas shopping.

Gaelsong is a great site for celtic gifts http://www.gaelsong.com/

Victorian Trading Company always has good victorian gifts, though I think their print catalogue is a bit better than their online selection http://www.victoriantradingco.com/

The PBS online store also has a great selection of things (Anglophile alert: be sure to check out "British Drama" under "shop by interest"--they've got some great stuff there) http://www.shoppbs.org/home/index.jsp

Last, but not least, BBC America has a great store as well. If you're a fan of BBC productions, their dvd store is the place to go. Check it out at http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/142/shop.jsp

Happy shopping!