Just in time for end-of-the-year festivities, I bring you this week’s Favorite Thing, the sparkly, kinda fussy shoe place-card holders available from Neiman-Marcus and Horchow.

The set of four place-card-holding shoes - in fuchsia, green, blue, and even the trend-making purple - are decorated with gold beading and silk fabric, and evoke the court of Louis XIV (both king and courtesan). They even have leather soles. What a perfect way to add a touch of verve and whimsy and eclecticism to your holiday table.  

Fun, right? Even funner: We’re giving away a free set of shoe place-cards to one lucky Fantastic Toe member. To tell us you’re interested in winning, just post a picture to your Fantastic Toe collection. If you’re not yet a Fantastic Toe member, you need to join to enter. Anyone who posts a picture or joins between now and December 18, 2008 will be automatically entered to win. We’ll do a random drawing among all entrants on December 19, and notify the winner by email.

Assouline Publishing is renowned for its elegant line of books dedicated to fashion, photography, art and design, and their newest offering, American Fashion Accessories, by Candy Pratts Price, the Executive Fashion Director of style.com, is a gorgeous addition to their portfolio.

The book chronicles the achievements of American accessories designers in the 20th century and, according to Assouline’s website, assembles “a cabinet of curiosities, including everything from Adrian’s witty Hollywood hats to Ralph Lauren’s all-American accoutrement to Madonna’s rubber bracelets.”

Wow. Wouldn’t you love to curl up with this book on a dark winter day, and pore over its bits of history and pop culture, and scads of luscious photography?

I hear a whole chorus of “Yes, please”-s in response to that question, so I’ll go one step further and report that we’re giving away a free copy of American Fashion Accessories to one lucky member of Fantastic Toe.

To throw your witty hat into the ring for our book giveaway, just post a picture to your shoe collection (if you’re already a Fantastic Toe member), or join Fantastic Toe (if you’re not already a member) between now and 11/30/08. This amounts to about 10 seconds of work - and you may just get a free glossy coffee-table book for your efforts, to keep for yourself or to give as a gift.

We’ll conduct a random drawing among all entrants on 12/1/08, and notify the winner by email.

Update (12/8/08): We have a winner! Fantastic Toe member Bewitched123 is the happy recipient of her free copy of this very cool book.

As we ponder the coming cold and slush-filled months, our thoughts naturally turn to our feet: How can we keep our tootsies warm and dry, without looking like a complete schlump?

The answer is this week’s Favorite Thing: Weatherproof boots and shoes from Aquatalia by Marvin K.

Aquatalia has been in business since 1989, and they know a thing or two about making weatherproof boots. Because they apply the sealant to the leather during the tanning process, the weatherproofing is much more durable (in other words, it doesn’t wear off). And, the breathable, padded thermal footbed in their boots keeps your feet warm and comfortable, regardless of the weather conditions.

All this is meaningless, of course, if the boots are all function, no form - otherwise, you’d do just as well to get your boots at LL Bean. And so we arrive at the salient point about Aquatalia boots: They’re pretty! Yes, you can slosh through the muck in them. But you can also wear them to work, and during the weekend, and out at night to all but the most formal occasions. With plenty of styles, colors (even purple!), and finishes to choose from, there’s almost no outfit that won’t work with an Aquatalia boot.

Are they a budget buster? They come in between $300-450, so they’re not cheap. But if you need weatherproof footwear, I can guarantee that you will get more wear out of Aquatalias than any of your other shoes. And you’ll feel great when you wear them, which delivers the best value of all.

We all know the statement shoe is big this year. Shall we also declare it the year of the statement shoe cookie?

Once you’ve browsed the wonderful online cookie boutique The Flour Pot, I think you’ll see my point, and why it’s this week’s Favorite Thing. Led by mother-daughter team Margie and Abbey Greenberg, The Flour Pot offers a delectable selection of pastry pumps that are sure to get noticed at your next celebration or event. (Sex And The City DVD party, anyone?) Decorated beautifully in vibrant tones and colorful ribbons, these cookies are not only gorgeous to look at, but – with their layers of fondant and royal icing – are delicious to boot.

The cookies come in a variety of shapes – from shoes and boots to sneakers, flip flops, and ballet slippers — and quantities, and arrive in a beautifully designed package. 

For the do-it-yourselfers in the crowd, you can also buy a high-heeled cookie cutter on the site. Coupled with The Flour Pot Cookie Book, you’ll be making your own shoe-shaped goodies in no time.

Entrepreneur and creative manufacturer Pamela Barsky packs a load of wit and wisdom into each of her designs. In business since 1988, she has weathered earthquakes and other personal crises to serve up really adorable stuff to the gift-loving masses, and just browsing her eponymous online store will bring a smile to your face.

All of which brings us to this week’s Favorite Thing: Pamela’s catchy and colorful luggage tags. The packet of six laminated tags will handle all your travel bags, and their cute sayings – set against a vibrant backdrop – will brighten even the most aggravating travel experience. They’ll even make it easy to distinguish your black roller bag from all the other black roller bags on the carousel. The packet costs a measly $12, and is also available in stripe-y and floral backdrops.

You can buy them from her web site, or pick them up in your local gift shop. (I bought my set at Artful Hand Gallery in Boston.)

Fantastic Toe’s favorite thing this week is the elegant, breathable shoe pouch by The Shoe Seen.

Developed by designer Stacy Weissman as a way to solve her shoe storage problem, these gorgeous shoe bags will take good care of your precious shoes. The pouch has decorative grommets which allow for air circulation, so your fine leather shoes can breathe. And, they also happen to be gorgeous: A velvet pouch with a see-through panel encases your shoes; satiny tassels close the bag. They’ll bring a smile to your face, even when you’re packing for the most dreaded business trip, and bring order to your space-constrained shoe closet when you just don’t have the room to stack boxes.

Win 2 Free Shoe Pouches From The Shoe Seen!

And, I’m pleased to announce that The Shoe Seen has extended a very fun offer to all Fantastic Toe members. If you’re a member of Fantastic Toe on October 10, 2008, and have posted at least one shoe photo, you will be automatically entered in a random drawing to win 2 of these gorgeous shoe pouches! You’ll have as many chances to win as there are shoes in your Fantastic Toe collection. (What better incentive to add photos to your collection?) If you’re not already a Fantastic Toe member, click here to join. We’ll randomly draw 2 winners on October 10, and notify the winners by email.