Chrimbus Wish List for 2012

I thought I might post a Christmas wish list as "shopping season" is around the corner and "avoiding the crowds shopping season" is upon us.

My first entry is one that I meant to purchase for myself as soon as it was released, but its release date coincided with, as coincidence would have it, a tight belt moment, so I still do not own it.  It is a book in which Tim Gunn talks about common items in one's wardrobe and illuminates the history of the garment.

http://www.amazon.com/Tim-Gunns-Fashion-Bible-Fascinating/dp/1451643853/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350754180&sr=1-1&keywords=tim+gunn%27s+fashion+bible

I should very much like to read the autobiography of my favorite president.

http://www.amazon.com/Autobiography-Theodore-Roosevelt/dp/146105656X/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350754216&sr=1-3&keywords=Theodore+Roosevelt

I would like to have this specific edition of Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh:

http://www.amazon.com/Brideshead-Revisited-Everymans-Library-Evelyn/dp/0679423001/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350754481&sr=1-1&keywords=brideshead+revisited+Everyman%27s

And, I know I've mentioned this before, but I still would very much like to own a copy of Robert Burton's treatise on the humors.  No home would be complete without it:

http://www.amazon.com/Anatomy-Melancholy-Review-Books-Classics/dp/0940322668/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1350757190&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Anatomy+of+Melancholy+%28New+York+Review+Books+Classics%29

As for non-book items, clothing is always welcome.  I could use slacks, a few more dress shirts, always sweaters (I could stand to have a few more cardigans), and sports coats.  I run around the off-the-rack designation of Large at this point for upper body wear and pants are around a 34-36 inch waist with around a 30-31 inch leg.  Also, of course, elegant and traditional ties are always blissfully well received.  You might look here: http://www.thetiebar.com/ and on that note, for stocking stuffers, I am in desparate need of tie tacks.  I only have one and it is both falling apart and only goes with blue.  Also, speaking of stockings, socks are also always welcome, preferably in argyle.  I am also in need of mid-dress black dress shoes.  I have a pair that are a little too dressy for everyday use and my other black shoes are on the wrong side of manky after years of wear.  I wear a size 10 in US sizes (and may I say, why can't the world get along at least enough to have universal shoe sizes?  Are we really that dreadful of a species?  We will never get to Gene Roddenberry utopianism while we still have to refer to esoteric charts every time we want a European shoe!)

For food items, we could stand to have some better teaware:

http://www.teavana.com/tea-products/teapots-teapot-sets/most-popular-teapots?cm_sp=TeaProd-_-Teapots-_-PopularTeapots

Otherwise, there is always the Unemployed Philosopher's Guild, the more tasteful sections of Design Toscano, and the Ancient Sculpture Gallery (my house is still inexplicably without a bust of Socrates).

So, there you go.  A few suggestions for those inclined to shower me with their largesse.