You can’t buy love. But you sure can surround yourself with beauty that is good for the heart and soul. That notion would seem to be the organizing principle behind the eclectic offerings at Rian Rae Interiors & Gifts, which specializes in unique but comfy home décor pieces that make use of elements found in nature and are, quite simply, beautiful to behold. They’re also so sensually and texturally alluring that you might just long to reach out and touch them, like these geometrically shaped hand-crocheted pendant lamps ($224; pictured) or this French crinkle pendant made of white glass ($379). The Bamboo Cloud chandelier was designed by a Thai artist using traditional bamboo-weaving techniques in a nontraditional way ($690). The roof of this handcrafted lantern ($1,898) is covered with oyster shells. Cuddle up on the couch with this crocheted wool throw ($148), and put a cup of hot tea on this coffee table made from an antique Fench pigeon basket ($1,385). For seating, try a cotton-filled jute flower pouf ($118) or this cast-aluminum Moorish stool ($250). The indoor/outdoor Pascal chair ($424) is made from recycled aluminum and styled after a 1940s Paris flea market find. These silver-plated brass salt and pepper shakers are modeled after dried lotus pods ($58). Protect that tabletop with wood slice coasters of eucalyptus wood ($27) or lacy filigree coasters set in wooden holders (back-ordered but available by pre-order, $53). Check out these whitewashed wood wall hangings: a carved stag head ($324) and angel wings ($42). For gift ideas consider a rustic wall-mounted wire photo holder ($38), vintage-looking Parisian paper globes ($26), or this jewelry tree of harvested Manzanita wood ($98).

It’s August, it’s vacation time, and we’re hot and bothered everywhere except in the air conditioning, where we freeze. You, too? Then let us help with that oh-so-torturous million-hour flight to Beijing, if you’re fortunate enough to go to the Olympics, or that even-more-torturous million-hour drive to Mount Rushmore, if you’re fortunate enough to be the miserable teenager in the back of the minivan. Here’s a fabulous inflatable Eagle Creek Comfort neck pillow to cushion the bumps, in charcoal gray, cherry red, Neptune blue or tree frog (tree frog?) for $18.50; a Magellan’s Lights Out sleep mask of even more colors to darken your world and help with any nasty time-zone changes ($10); a fancy leather Levenger Airport Escort passport pocket to keep those personal items secure ($44); and a super-cool MP3-friendly Scottevest microfleece hoodie (we are salivating over the 11 pockets) so you can zone out to your tunes in private ($70). If you’re really into the cocooning thing, forget the al a carte method and go for the amazing Burton Sleeper Hoodie (pictured), which has a removable inflatable pillow, a snap-out light shield, a removable eye mask, a zippered passport pocket and a hidden sound pocket with an earphone cable path sewn in. Heck, they even throw in a travel toothbrush. Tuck your thumbs through the cuff thumb holes, turn up the music, zip the pockets and you’re in travel oblivion. It’d be worth it at its regular price of $100, but right now it’s $60, so you’ll wake up even happier. Now, please excuse us. We need a nap.

We women have a little secret for staying freshed and attractive during a trip: the makeup case/travel bag. British accessories designer Zoe Phayre-Mudge counts actresses Minnie Driver and Dame Helen Mirren among her fans. Her ZPM Zinnia make-up roll has four pockets and is small enough to slip into your purse ($41.50). The ZPM Leopard Day Tripper ($47) is larger, with a clear pouch for lotions, hairbrushes and clips and a smaller clear zippered pocket for items like hairpins and eyeshadows. Makeup artists and celebrities often use train cases for their cosmetics. The Solia train case from Folica is a rich red color and has tiered metal fold-out trays; it comes in three sizes: the Jet-Setter ($60; pictured), Can’t Makeup Your Mind ($70) and Tote-L Diva ($90). For the sleek look of aluminum, try the industrial-size aluminum Metro train case ($90), which has four tiers of trays and an adjustable shoulder strap, or the aluminum train case in either black ($50) or silver ($56) with reinforced steel corners and plastic-lined trays. If you’re on a budget, the simplest approach might be to zip up those crucial toiletries in several clear Sephora makeup bags ($4 each). But if you need a purse-sized cosmetics case for that black-tie event or red-carpet appearance, go for the small Greta Glitter Bag ($28) from Stephanie Johnson’s Sunset Boulevard.

There’s an art to giving the gag gift, so necessary at those over-the-hill-themed birthday parties. Aside from eliciting at least a chuckle, the item must be impractical, not offend, fit that particular person and show how much you really care. For the boy who never grew up — and that may include a few people you know — anything that shoots will do. No one will get hurt with the Marshmallow Blaster ($25). For the man who’s watched too many episodes of The X-Files or UFO Hunters, the mini remote-controlled UFO flying saucer can glide and hover and even light up (on sale for $25). For the book lover, this set of temporary tattoos ($8) proclaim, “Read or Die,” “I [heart] Dewey Decimal System” and “Book Lust.” The Homer Simpson Chia Pet is a hoot, even without donuts ($20; pictured). The Elvis Pez Dispenser set comes with a gold Elvis record — er, CD ($20). For the Star Wars geek, there’s the Storm Trooper bobblehead ($13). Inspire a little therapeutic fun with the Freudian Slip Post-it Notes ($6.50) or the Freud and Couch finger puppets, which handily double as refrigerator magnets ($13). Or for the Type A person, Despair’s line of Demotivator merchandise might make the perfect, well, demotivator. Finally, you can breathe some life into that party by passing out boxes of AtoneMints for Each of Your Sins, EnlightenMints or Sin-o-Mints ($3).

Harajuku is Tokyo’s trend-setting style district, where hundreds of teenagers dressed in elaborate anime-inspired and avant-garde fashions congregate. They’re often photographed by tourists and featured in fashion magazines. So it’s no surprise that pop fashion icon Gwen Stefani has launched the Harajuku Lovers line of accessories and stationery (at the World of Harajuku, we’re told, “Let the Cuteness Begin!”). A little background on the name: Stefani’s four Japanese backup dancers are known as the Harajuku Girls, which is also a name of a song on Stefani’s album Love. Angel. Music. Baby. (and Love, Angel, Music and Baby just happen to be the nicknames of the four dancers). The Harajuku Lovers Candy tote sets the tone with its cheerful cartoon drawings of the Harajuku Girls ($68). The Gwen striped tee ($42) is a bright look for girls while the Yummy Cones tee is a whimsical look for women, with four ice cream cones on the front and “Don’t Get Twisted” on the back ($44). Teens will be all about the Faders Kanji tube ($48), a red fleece take on the tube top but with side pockets. It’s always Harajuku time with the pink striped Twisted watch ($75). Coming this fall to Macys is the Harajuku Lovers fragrances. Each of the five scents — Love, Lil Angel, Music, Baby and G — comes in a bottle made up of a glass base and a doll stopper (pictured). Four of the dolls are styled to resemble the Harajuku Girls and the fifth one is meant to look like Stefani herself ($45).

One frustration of vacationing in faraway lands is the desire to bring back way more souvenirs than you can carry — not the made-for-tourists junk, but the countless everyday items that are different enough from our own household wares to capture the flavor of a place, or simply to feel like the perfect tool for a certain job. The folks behind Kiosk appear to have felt this pain intently enough to invent a solution: They bring back enough of these goods that they can sell them to others and finance the shipping costs. The NYC-based retailer is a bit like a fashion boutique, in that most of its stock only lasts a few months: one month they’re featuring Glitter Girl Whistles (pictured) and plastic rope from Mexico, the next they could have booze and fishing lures from Finland. This is both the charm and the frustration of exploring the store’s online catalog: Once yesterday’s import is gone, it’s gone. The exceptions are those items Kiosk has decided to stock permanently, which range from the utilitarian (Japanese metal clips) to the totally whimsical (colorful plastic bird-shaped whistles from Mexico). The unifying factor, according to the store’s curators, is that they seek objects that are “humble, straightforward and beautiful for their simplicity and directness.”