Already having a panic attack looking at your Thanksgiving to-do list? Scratch one thing off by wearing a dress that not only makes you look fabulous, but will last through the kitchen war zone. This way, you can go straight from cooking (or unwrapping store-bought pies) and arrive perfectly put together at the dining room table. 

Here’s a fabulous start. This Thakoon design made its public debut when Michelle Obama wore it to the first presidential debate in Mississippi. The warm rose hues and rich creams made Obama appear calm, classy and inviting - just like you want to appear this Thanksgiving. The short sleeves make it easy to get around the kitchen, and the durable material and pretty print will not easily give way to food stains.

Michelle Obama picture by Getty from Daylife.com; Thakoon runway picture from Style.com

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We are thinking that the dessert table may be the perfect place to throw a party this holiday season. It can be its own affair entirely, and it doesn’t have to abide by rules for a meal. You can buy incredibly pretty dessert plates that don’t match anything else in the china closet. And you can serve exquisite desserts that say, as much as anything else, this is a truly special day.

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There are wine glasses for sipping Chardonnay on the patio, and they can’t cost much or you wouldn’t take them outdoors. There are large wine glasses for when you’ve had a tough day at work, though we prefer to call them tumblers. And then there are wine glasses for the Thanksgiving table, which can be all exquisite shimmer and delicate shape.

Make that holiday toast to good health and thankfulness among your family and friends a beautiful one with some striking stemware.

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Keep your fork, there’s pie.

It’s one of the most magical sentences in the English language. Even if  we can’t imagine another bite, when we’re full to here of turkey and dressing and potatoes and all the side dishes the relatives brought, Keep your fork, there’s pie somehow fortifies us, sending us happily into battle once again.

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Holiday tables are beautiful for so many reasons. The faces of family gathered round, heirloom recipes filling the table set with grandmother’s china and other special things that only come out a few times a year.

Wait, though. Is that last year’s table runner? That’s not adding those necessary touches of color and warmth. It no longer echoes your décor or unifies what’s on the table. What are you thinking?

Do you need another excuse to go shopping?

We love Crate and Barrel’s Josephine runner, where gorgeous champagne brocade embellishes a deep cranberry background ($40-$60, depending on length, left).  Bed, Bath & Beyond takes the same color palette and adds a winding floral pattern and gathered tassles at the end of their Romantico runner ($25-$30).  For a crisper effect, Pottery Barn monograms their pristine white 100 percent cotton classic hotel table runner ($16-$39). You can get napkins to match, if you like - $24 for six.  And to create a sleek and tailored table, you can’t go wrong with Calvin Klein’s tonal bands table runner, all subtle in taupe and chocolate ($50-$70).

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Hey, things are looking up! The stock market rallied yesterday. Gosh darn it - maybe everything is going to be just fine.

So, go ahead, throw down $60,000 on a life-sized LEGO sculpture of a loved one for that very special holiday gift. Or double that and get a sculpture of yourself.

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Toys’R'Us has announced its 2008 Hot Toy list, all the toys its experts believe will top kids’ wish lists this holiday season. From the overall list, the “Fabulous 15″ were selected to represent the very best toys of the season.

But we can’t give them to you all at once. That would spoil the surprise.

So here are five, in alphabetical order. Next week, we’ll let you see the rest of what’s going to be under the tree.

50’s Diner from Step2

A retro-themed diner that transports them behind the grill at a local hot spot from the 1950s. This kitchen features everything needed to prepare an imaginary meal and serve customers - just like a real diner - including an oven, grill, dishes, silverware, cups, spatula, ice cream  and more. There’s ample seating for customers at a retro-style tabletop with a working jukebox that plays three 50’s-style tunes. Ages 2 and up.

Bakubelt Action Kit from Spin Master

Bakugan Battle Brawlers is the latest craze among young boys, bringing a new component to trading card game play by adding plastic marbles (Bakugan Battle Brawlers) that “explode” to reveal mini-figures when they roll onto a metal Gate Card. Now, kids can prepare for battle with the Bakubelt Action Kit, featuring a Bakubelt, a Bakuclip that allows kids to reach for their Battle Brawlers without ever taking their eyes off the game, as well as other necessary battle gear. Ages 5 and up.

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We cannot explain Halloween mania. It is not a gift-giving holiday, and it used to be merely an eating occasion for kids and sugar addicts. Now, every year, it starts earlier and grows, and grows, out of control, like one of those evil monster rabbits in Night of the Lepus.

Economy in the toilet? Sure, but that’s not stopping your neighbor from buying more spooky stuff to out-boo you. There are only two solutions: fight or give in. Shopperati is giving in with enthusiasm, and we’re starting on your front porch.

Perch your own 26″ gargoyle on the roof (above, from brandsonsale.com), to let your guests know that, yes, they are being watched from above ($140); then hang a set of animated skeleton wind chimes from brandsonsale.com ($20, above) to flitter menacingly in the midnight breeze. An Oriental Trading Company cauldron fogger will complete the ambience, kind of like a Zen fountain, only not ($55, right).

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