Right now, there are so many awesome, sexy, you'll-probably-have-the-cutest-one-of-the-night vintage party dresses on eBay, it makes me feel like an overly excited teenage girl. Today's search garnered 784 items—many of which are pretty great—but the following six really drew me in. This draping, sparkly, Grecian-disco dress seems like it would look fantastic on a variety of body types, and it's festive but not scarily over the top. I'm also intrigued by this vibrant-blue short-sleeved number. It has a birdcage drawing on its side, which I can't decide if I think is cool or completely insane, but I'm leaning toward cool. Then there's this fun '80s-style with the big black bow (seriously, did everything in the '80s have a bow?). Or how about a fabulous grayish-black dress with a sleek tiered skirt? Or a simple, super-flirty red ruffled piece? And last, I don't know exactly the woman who'd wear this glamorous white-feathered, '60s shift, but I want to be her friend.

Among the many, many aspects of New Year's Eve that stress me out is that I never know what to wear.  Do I dress sexy and freeze all night? What will everyone else have on? Maybe I should just take the I'm-too-cool-to-care approach and capitulate to jeans? Seriously. Such. An. Annoying. Conundrum. The truth is, I'm a dress girl—and I love any opportunity to throw on something really feminine. This lacy, layered YSL dress  is one of the most beautiful and unusual pieces I've ever seen. I imagine pairing it with sheer stockings and little patent leather heels and smoky eyeshadow and soft hair.  I also like the simplicity of this red silk Marc Jacobs style, which you could fancy up or down (hair in a neat bun, perhaps some dangly gold gypsy-ish earrings?). Or, if I wanted to make things really easy for myself, I'd throw on this over-the-top sparkly Tory Burch piece with matte black tights and flats.

I have a dirty little secret: I do not take great care of my skin. As a result, it's often red and blotchy and exasperated-looking, like a mute prisoner desperately trying to cry out for help. Recently the situation has gotten worse: no sleep, French fries and chocolate for dinner, scant water intake, etc, etc. One of my New Year's resolutions is to become one of those ladies who washes and moisturizes every night before bed, who owns creams and serums and exfoliators, who maybe even one day gets facials. In the meantime, I'm going to buy this cool-looking face steamer, which expels built-up dirt and oils, and which, right now, has the added bonus of warming you up.

Last night, in a fit of wintry insomnia, with the wind rattling the windows of my apartment and the radiator clanking like a hissing ghoul whose purgatory is staying up all night chopping metal with an ax, I had an epiphany: We've reached the point of the season when I need a serious hat.  Specifically, I want a warm, furry, glamorous hat, like the one that the gorgeous German actress Martina Gedeck wears in The Lives of Others (a movie I rented over the weekend and am now in love with).  This Russian style is similar to Gedeck's, and with the cool little earflaps it actually improves slightly upon the original.  I also like this ultra-fluffy piece which would look especially elegant with a three-quarter-sleeved coat and long gloves, or this version, which is more casual, flapperish, and acorn-shaped.

Search tip: Hats like these can be hard to fit, but most sellers list a specific circumference measurement that makes the process foolproof. To get your size, wrap a measuring tape right above your ears, around your forehead, and to the base of your neck.    

One recent feedback for the eBay store Brown Sugar Vintage reads quietly, in all lowercase letters and with no punctuation: perfect seller. I'd have to agree. Based out of Jensen Beach, Florida, this four-year-old eBay boutique is well organized and more expansive than most, often selling 100 or more beautifully chosen, vintage-but-not-getup-y items at a time. What I love most is its distinct, cohesive point of view. For the most part, you can see one woman owning all of the ladylike dresses, purses, and outerwear on offer. Also fabulous is the fact that the majority of the Brown Sugar auctions start at just 99 cents and shipping is super-fast.

I'm kind of mad at eBay. In fact, if eBay and I were having a fight, right now we'd be in the stage where I'm yelling and antagonizing and desperate to prove my point, and eBay is being all smug and stoic and infuriatingly standing its ground. This is what happened.

On Saturday, my friend Amy was telling me how she really wants a nice, grown-up, well-made designer bag, but she doesn't want to spend a month's rent. In fact, she wants to pay around $200—in my mind, totally, completely reasonable. Ever confident of my search abilities, I explained to Amy that this would be "no problem" on eBay and, in fact, I would find it for her myself.

Oh, eBay, how you have betrayed me.

Yes, there are plenty of beautiful bags on the site, but every one I found that fits Amy's criteria—brown, newish, lots of pockets, big enough to fit her portfolio—fell well out of budget (these were the kinds of things I was foolishly looking at: Chloé , Mulberry, Kooba). I also had a hard time navigating the handbag finder, tried different ways to narrow my search, and still came up with zilch. Has anyone bought a great purse on eBay around this price range? Is this even realistic? Help.

In preparation for the inevitable moment where I wake up on January 1, look down at my body, and yell, "What have I done?" (followed by a swirling  Chazz Palminteri/Usual Suspects-esque montage of six weeks' worth of jubilant overeating and drinking), I decided to be proactive and buy a six-month, unlimited-class yoga card now.  But I need a new mat, which is actually, sadly, enough of an excuse to keep me away from the studio. There's a ton of brand-new yoga equipment on eBay and it's all, of course, very well priced. I like this cheery little set from the unfortunately named company "The Firm."  It comes with a mat, a block, a strap, and even an instructional DVD, for those mornings when I can motivate to exercise at home.

I like the idea of holiday cooking so much—the tradition of it makes me feel grounded, and I love the happy anticipation of eating a food that you only have once a year. I'm not a terribly good baker (okay, I'm actually bad), but I try to make/perfect at least one thing every season. Next week I'm going to attempt gingerbread men. I really couldn't imagine a better accessory for my mission than this vintage "Cooky Cutter". It shapes both snowman cookies and gingerbread boys, and it comes with its original (and kind of crazily adorable) box.

 On a rainy, snowy, too-ridiculous-to-be-anywhere-but-my-bed night last week, I dragged myself off the couch to see a performance by the Citizens Band, the beyond-cool troupe of singers and dancers and contortionists who perform themed cabaret shows just a few times per year. I'm so glad I did.  Everything about the  show was incredible and active, but I was particularly inspired by the costumes. The women wore glittering, sensual clothes; silky slip dresses with sequins, Marlene Dietrich-esque lingerie with neutral-colored fishnets, bright, shimmery eyeshadow—the works. It made me want to start girling things up, buying feminine, attention-getting accessories, and wearing them to parties. I like the intricate prettiness of this antique gold hairpin and the ladylike, but not too prissy sparkle of this single rhinestone-adorned comb.  And if I really wanted to go all out, I'd create an elaborate up do and affix these dazzling '50s star barrettes to the back.

I feel like some people are just born glamorous. For example, I went to high school with a girl whose actual name was Venus (a lot of pressure, obviously, and possibly the worst name ever if she had turned out in any way homely). In freshman year, while I had stringy hair and was still trying to figure what to do with these things called boobs, Venus was well coiffed and expertly accessorized; her carefully selected purchases from Contempo Casuals pulled together in a way that suggested the pages of French Vogue (or my equivalent at the time: the Melrose Place spin-off, Models Inc.). Today, I imagine women like Venus having drawers full of delicate lingerie, sink counters crowded with silky expensive lotions, glossy unchapped lips, and maybe wearing something like this white fur capelet (which would incidentally be great around this time of year over a slinky party dress). You can also find a really pretty faux version here.

I am basically insanely in love with every single item that Parisian designer Sonia Rykiel has ever made. Her stuff is just unbelievably feminine and offbeat and cool—the kind of pieces you'd see on a cute girl at a party and immediately hate her a little for not only being cute but for wearing something amazingly well-fitting and original. Today I found this so-charming-I-want-to-die heart-stamped pullover, a sexy pencil skirt with excellent buttons, and this kind-of-weird-but-I-still-think-it's-good orangey-red polka-dot dress. And last week, I won this pretty, ruffled black-and-white piece. It's supposed to arrive tomorrow. I can't wait.

'Tis the season when I wish I could magically turn everything I own into something made of cashmere (and then, come summer, transform it into breezy, lightweight cotton). Ebay offers scads of the ultra-soft goat's wool, from a slew of both big- and smaller-name designers. However, I'm kind of particular about the fit of my sweaters—anything at all poofy around the waist bums me out—so when I'm shopping sight unseen, I try to go with lines I know. On the medium end, J.Crew is consistently great, and right now there are literally hundreds of its pieces on the site. This little pale yellow cardigan would look awesome with a vintage tee and jeans, but you could also wear it over a pretty dress, boots, and—my new favorite winter trick—doubled-up tights.

Another label I like for cashmere is the upscale Tse. Check out this fun, bright red turtleneck—how cute would it be with wide-leg jeans?—or this heather-gray crewneck, which is the kind of versatile, timeless piece you'll throw on for years.

Is there anything more fun than wrapping up a gift you're excited to give? It's like this happy rush of anticipation and generosity and creativity all at once. For the last few years, I've been buying all of my wrapping paper on eBay. It was a little weird at first, and I've definitely encountered the odd yellowed, unusable purchase. But for the most part, I've fallen in love with the funky old paper I've bought; it made my presents look so unique, and I felt a bit less wasteful using vintage materials. There's still plenty of time to bid on (and have shipped) fabulous options: Right now, I adore this playful, Christmas Story-esque collection, the '80s-painterly quality of these Gordon Fraser sheets, and this vibrant ribbon set (also check out its amazing, walked-out-of-the-'50s box).

A lot of attention has been paid (deservedly so) to Cate Blanchett's performance in the Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan not-quite-biopic I'm Not There, but I was most captivated by the heartbreaking Heath Ledger/Charlotte Gainsbourg storyline. French actress Gainsbourg is flawless as usual, so earthy and raw and pared-down pretty that I wanted to find a way to get into the screen and become her friend—and while I was there, also borrow things in her closet. She looks amazingly well-turned-out in every shot, but it was her parade of fantastic skirts that really caught my eye. In one pivotal scene, she's wearing an A-line button-down skirt, a ribbed turtleneck (I know. Remember them?), opaque tights, and boots, and she looks at once perfectly simple, bohemian-retro, and right now. This is my new favorite outfit.

There are some gifts that just beg for an eBay search. For example, last year, my brother wanted a flask and I found so many amazingly awesome and well-priced options on eBay that I not only bought him two, but I also kept one for myself. This year my boyfriend has been hinting for a tie bar, something I feel completely unqualified to buy. That said, I've found a couple of good ones on the site—I think—including this understated black-and-gold version. I might hold out for one that's slightly more substantial and silver, but with so many choices, I'll probably just go ahead and buy him a few.