With Thanksgiving behind us (and extra pounds on us), the official holiday shopping season has begun.

We've been busy working on our Holiday DEALS Gift Guide, which is chockfull of great gift ideas and sources, not to mention exclusive coupon codes just for you from our favorite sites (25% off Zanisa, 15% off Wishingfish, so much more!.).

To avoid the crowds and chaos and to give great gifts that people actually want, while saving precious green, click here to shop the Holiday DEALS Gift Guide!

To be filed under: Brilliant; Why Didn't I Think of That?; Yes!

With the holiday season upon us (happy Thanksgiving Week, pumpkins!), and party season in full swing (not to mention the current economic climate), we can think of no better time for the debut of Rent the Runway.

The designer dress rental site lets you borrow designer frocks (think Robert Rodriguez, Adam, Lela Rose, Proenza Schouler, Diane Von Furstenburg, Catherine Malandrino) for about one tenth of the cost of what it would cost to purchase the dress.

That's right, you can play Cinderella without leaving your house and without breaking your piggy. Perfect for black-tie affairs, weddings and events when you know deep down you're only going to wear the dress once (BTW, are we the only ones, in the advent of Facebook and Flickr, that don't want to repeat?), Rent the Runway lets you be the star of your own red carpet.

How it works? Browse through the array of A-list designers or shop by trend, occasion or style, then schedule a delivery date. Your dress will appear on your doorstep (next-day and same-day delivery are even available). Plus, Rent the Runway even sends you a second, back-up size just to be safe. Once you've been admired for being the belle of the ball, put your dress in the pre-paid packaging and then drop in your nearest mailbox (no dry cleaning required).

Similar to sample sale sites Gilt and Hautelook, Rent the Runway is by invitation only. No worries, simply add your info to the wait list and within a few days, membership (it's free) will be activated.

Where to get on the list?

Right here.

We're always on the lookout for new online vintage shops that won't cost us an arm and a leg. So we were thrilled when Jena Coray from Modish opened up her new Etsy vintage shop Miss Modish.

There are only a handful of pieces at the moment, but bookmark it now, because as you can glean from her beautiful shop blog, so many treasures are on the horizon.

Right now, we want to scoop up the Mad Men-ready '60s Secretary Dress Suit and the fabulous Santa Fe Rose Dress (each just $32). There's a great little purple plaid wool blazer and darling khaki trench too, that would be great additions to our closet.

Where to see it all?

Visit the Miss Modish shop here.

Visit the Miss Modish shop blog here.

Our favorite designer from this season's Project Runway? The super sweet and talented Carol Hannah. And we love even more that she has an Etsy shop, where we can get her wearable fairytale aesthetic without completely breaking the bank.

Ladylike, colorful and special, we're dreaming of owning the Weekend Art Walk Skirt and Top Bundle ($295).

We also want to nab a Leather Bloom Belt for everyone we know, including ourselves (a steal at $78).

There are so many dresses that would be perfect for a holiday party too, including the Calhoun Street Jersey Dress ($160), available at her second Etsy shop, The Wedding Collection, which focuses solely on wedding dresses (technically, it's a bridesmaid dress).

Also on our wishlist? The stunning yellow Queen Street Draped Jersey Dress ($190). One word: Wow.

To shop Carol Hannah's main collection, click here.

To shop Carol Hannah's Wedding Collection, click here.

For those who are so over the Keep Calm and Carry On poster phenomenon and are ready for an easier-to-achieve mantra, may we present the best parody we've seen yet, especially for the always-hectic holiday season.

From the happiness-creating, paper-loving duo behind Earmark, Freak Out and Throw Stuff might just be the most brilliant interpretation we've seen.

We're tempted to buy these prints for all of the beloved tots we know, as well as for each adult on our holiday list. Can you say perfect coworker gift? And at just $10, your wallet won't be freaking out.

Where to pick up your pick-me-up?

Right here.

Blair Waldorfistas, take note.

Ban.do, masters of darling vintage-inspired hair accessories, has debuted a new line, Heart Ban.do. The new wallet-friendly line features genius hair bands and adornment, all at under $50.

And with hair accessories as the new jewelry, we couldn't be happier.

Looking for a way to re-wear that LBD to a holiday party, but don't want it to look exactly the same? Add a Heart Ban.do flower to your coiffure and to your frock. Or, toss on a sparkly headband and you're set.

To view and shop the entire flirty, fabulous, flapper-esque collection, click here.

The most coveted cocktail ring this holiday season?

The cheeky Bourgeois Bow Ring.

What better way to give a nod to the holiday season now and year-round. And what better gift to give to your favorite ladies without breaking the bank, yet making them feel totally special.

In fact, it's going on our Ring In the New Year list.

Packaging is pretty and shipping's even free. Fa la la la la la la la la.

Where to find it?

Right here.

Brace yourselves. Lucky magazine is offering 24-hour flash sales every Monday through Friday on luckymag.com.

Imagine great clothing, jewelry, home decor, accessories and more by Lucky editors' favorite designers (Alexander Wang tops, Bing Bang earrings, Inhabit cashmere, Kooba bags, Cosabella undies, Votivo candles, Stila blushes, J Brand jeans, and Rachel Comey boots) all at 40-50% off. The coupon codes start at 8am every day (a reason to rise before noon finally!) and last through 8am the next day.

Today's daily deal is 50% off White and Warren cashmere slippers -- a perfect gift (use code luckydaily1).

They're also featuring unbelievable weeklong discounts of 40-50% off site-wide at some of the best online shops, like Andrea Brueckner, C&C California, etc.

The weeklong deal that ends today that we are thrilled about? A whopping 40% off at Melissa Joy Manning jewelry (use code luckyweek2 at checkout). A new one starts at noon today so click fast.

Where to see all the deals?

Right here.

Fingerless gloves and mittens make a ton of sense -- you still get to warm your paws without having your fingers constrained, meaning you can still text and munch to your heart's content. But so many fingerless gloves look so '80s -- and not in a good way.

So we were happy to find these sweet, feminine fingerless lovelies by Coquelicot Salon during some recent online window shopping.

We're fond of the two-toned pairs, which are crocheted by hand and accented with vintage buttons and sweet bows.

The cream and black ones feel very Chanel, but there are lots of cute color combos -- and solid hues, too.

Pick up a pair for yourself and for those on your holiday list (one size fits most makes for fail-proof gift-giving). And while you're at it, be sure to check out the baby pink kitty cat crocheted purse -- a quirky-cute gift that you'll want to keep for yourself.

Where?

Right here.

Even with hardly any wall space left, we are obsessed with finding cool art online. From Etsy to 20x200, we, in the famous words of Depeche Mode, just can't get enough.

So we were happier than Pollock in a paint store when we stumbled upon ArtRiver.

Filling the gap between Ann Geddes and an original painting that would cost thousands of dollars, art enthusiasts got together to start a site where only a handful of modern artists (la creme de la creme) are featured. And all the prints and posters are extremely affordable.

Finally, fellow art lovers can now consume art the way they desire, too.

We're fans of Christopher Wool's work and feel like an Ed Ruscha piece could be in our future.

Looking for art in all the wrong places?

Stop it and click here.

Like us, you probably love Forever 21 for their fashion-forward pieces at extremely wallet-friendly prices. When we're looking to mix high and low and need our low fix, it's the first place we head online.

So when we stumbled upon the new Forever 21 Twist section, we were happily surprised. Twist features limited-time only pieces that are super cute and are of one look. That look right now? Tutu cute, or in other words, darling ballerina-inspired pieces that we can't wait to scoop up.

From tiered skirts and dresses that would be perfect holiday party frocks to fun tees and sweatshirts that let us live out our Fame fantasies on the streets, the collection lives up to its name.

But, like all good things at Forever 21, pieces go fast. So if there's something that strikes your fancy, be sure you don't let it pass you by. Best of all, most everything is under $20. Proving, once and for all, there is a god.

Where to live out your ballerina fantasies on a starving artist's budget?

Right here, twinkle toes.

Men are always such a chore to shop for, so we appreciate anyone attempting to alleviate our stress come the holiday season -- and year round, for that matter. Which is why we're so excited about GentSupplyCo, the new online shop featuring an expertly curated selection of classic goods for modern gentlemen.

Even better, Gent Supply Co is by the stylish minds behind one of our favorite online gifts shops, Delight. So now, not only can we nab unique, clever gifts for all the ladies we love, we can get equally great gifts for our fave guys, too.

What you'll find? The Indiana adventure passport case, the Scandiphone, carved wood bottle openers, iPod retro mini speakers and many more design-focused objects that men will actually get a kick out of.

Where to give great guy gifts?

Right here.

We're in makeover mode as cha-cha-cha-changes (exciting ones!) are coming to BussBuss. For those of you who have missed getting The DailyBuss and browsing The DailyBuss archives on BussBuss, fear not, all are now up for your viewing pleasure.

To celebrate, we feel like a festive party skirt is in order. And we're loving this bright yellow satin one that looks like something Rachel Bilson would toss on and look effortlessly fabulous in. Add a lollypop and some champers (and possibly a simple tank) and you're ready to put the art in party.

To nab it (for under $40), click here.

To celebrate even more, enjoy these great coupon codes:

Free Shipping on Orders Over $25 with code SHIP25A at Alloy. Offer ends 12.17.09.

15% Off ANY Order with code A15FALL at Alloy. Offer ends 11.12.09.

Take $20 Off ANY Alloy Order Over $75 with code 20ALL75! Offer ends 12.17.09

Just say no. Just do it. Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline. Catchy? Sure. But heartwarming and silly? Not exactly.

For that, we turn to UK-based illustrator Gemma Correll whose slogan Pugs Not Drugs has us in stitches.

Available in print and tote form, for taking a stand at home and at the grocery store. Spread the word. The word is pug.

Boston terriers, French bulldogs and chihuahuas round out the mix.

Need to smile?

Click here.

Don't feel like trying to wriggle into your jeans?

A great alternative to schlubby sweats, where you still get to be as comfy as you are in your yoga pants? The Bettona pant.

They look like jeans (though are looser than jeggings, a relief for those days when we don't want to expose our full lower silhouette to the world) , but are soft, stretchy, wicking, breathable and antimicrobial, so you can wear them to the yoga studio or to the store.

There's a faux fly and cute little pockets, for those days when cheating a little is necessary.

Best of all they come in regular sizes, plus petites and longs, so they're made to fit us all.

And, we're breathing.

Where to pick yours up in asphalt, black, espresso, olive or buckskin?

Right here.

Halloween may be over, but our active fantasy life lives on. And our most obsessive fantasy involves Paris. Dreaming of skipping along the Seine, frolicking beneath the Eiffel Tower, sipping chocolat chaud and champagne at cafes, nibbling hot croissant, Paris is the city fantasies are made of.

For those times we can't be there, we'll slip on this unabashedly feminine Dreaming of Paris sleep mask by Mary Green and into the next fantasy: Paris in the spring.

Oohlala.

Feeling dreamy?

Click here.