Handy Candy
Boy Scout or not, we should all "Be Prepared" to dive into this Swiss Army concept chocolate made of hazelnut praline. Perhaps it's the perfect gift for the chocolate loving MacGyver fan in your life?

Pixel Perfect
These adorable custom chocolates from Decochoco of Japan were designed by the bridegroom for his pixel-themed wedding. You have to check out the pixel-flower wedding cake and a break down of the lovely event here.

A Piece of the Pie
Give the bean counter in your life a better chart to feast their eyes on with this Chocolate Pie Chart from Mary & Matt. The clever confection is broken down into 70% Milk Chocolate, 20% Dark and 10% White. But none of those boring stats would seem to matter much while stuffing yummy chocolate into your pie hole.

Live Richly!
Chocolate is an essential part of coping with troubling times. In fact, the New York Times recently reported that casualties of the financial downturn are craving chocolate fudge sundaes. It makes sense, chocolate is one of the few affordable luxuries left. If you managed to salvage $6.25 from your 401K, a bar of Patric Chocolate is a great way to spend it. Each bar comes with a ten-step guideline that will transform your dining room into an oppulent tasting. I love Tip #5: "Smell the chocolate; it should smell fresh and full of aromas such as: cocoa, roasted nuts, fruit, coffee, vegetal-like aromas, tobacco, and others." And just in case you weren't sure about the notes of tobacco you thought you tasted, a description of the complex flavors present in each bar is printed on the package. When the "Lively notes of plum preserves" dance with "fruits rouges and enticing hints of butter-hazelnut toffee" on your tongue, I promise, you'll feel rich again in no time.

Sagmeister Bar

Like chocolate, journaling can be stimulating and deeply personal, or in the case of graphic design superstar Stefan Sagmeister, deeply public. This chocolate bar is part of the creativity sparked by a personal, reflective list written in Sagmeister's diary. The list soon evolved into a series of very public, interactive works of art. If you're in need of some introspection or inspiration, check out Things I Have Learned In My Life, So Far. The creative project encourages reflection, journaling and offers more than a few nuggets of wisdom to chew on.

Veer Towards Vere
Innovation, design and affordability make Vere a best bet this season. If you need to wow the chocolate lover in your life on a holiday budget, Vere's flourless brownies which are enrobed in dark chocolate and come in coconut, walnut, peanut butter and mint+nib, are more like truffles than baked goods. What I love even more than the modern take on the brownie is the slick packaging which makes them great for gifting and at $6.00 a box, you definitely get some bang. Also check out their unsweetened toasted coconut clusters (seen above) which happen to be sugar, alcohol and preservative free and might I add, delicious...I just singlehandedly finished off a box. Vere chocolate is certified by the Rainforest Alliance which means the cocoa farm where it's harvested is required to protect wildlife, soil and waterways and workers and their families with health care, education, decent housing and wages. For those reasons, Vere chocolate is at the top of my list this year.

OBAMA!
Was ecstatic to usher in a new era last night upon the announcement of the upcoming President of the United States of America with the students from Columbia University, his alma mater, as they took to the streets, stopping traffic, hanging from light posts, beating on pots and drums, blowing whistles, chanting "Obama" and waving to buses, taxi cabs and passersby, while residents waved from rooftops and windows during an impromptu parade from Broadway and 115th street to the celebratory gathering on 125th street and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd, in Harlem Last Night. My feet are a bit blistered from running through the streets in high heels, but it was well worth every invigorating minute of it. I must have hugged and or smiled at a million strangers...wow. This is beyond. This is history.