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As I type this, the lights have just flickered out in my jack-o'-lantern, which means it's time to pore over the holiday catalogs.

Between Labor Day and Nov. 1, my household received approximately 50 catalogs. About a fifth were in the household goods category (Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, etc.), while another fifth each were clothing (Talbots, Lands' End, et al.) and food gifts (such as Godiva, Harry & David and Hershey's). The remainder covered a number of gift niches, such as pets, jewelry, collectibles and children's products.

This year, we honor the season's crop of books with the first annual Pushing the Envelope Catalog Awards, a.k.a. The Catties.

When we returned from a weeklong vacation to a pile of a dozen catalogs in our mailbox, L.L. Bean's holiday 2007 catalog was the only one to catch my 2-year-old's eye. It could have been the fine selection of fleece pullovers, but I tend to think it was the cute trio of puppies in a sleigh on the cover. Next year, to get an even better male toddler response, I'd suggest putting the puppies in a tractor. With Elmo.

Heavenly Treasures makes a play on the whole “temptation” angle of buying jewelry with an apple-and-snake motif on its holiday cover. But inside, the layouts seem cluttered, especially considering the high prices of some of its items. Wouldn't it be more prudent to give a little more attention to what makes the white diamond gold cuff bangle so special that it's worth $5,950? If this were a newspaper insert designed to lure buyers into a retail store to see the baubles in person, the layout would make sense. But if you want people to buy off the page, give them a little more babble with the bling.

J.H. Breakell & Co. sparkled a little more in volume 46 of its catalog with a cover showcasing a cute silver penguin pin — and the mold used to make it. It's a nice touch to feature how the brooches are handcrafted. A few more such photos are dotted throughout the book. But I'd like to see more: A URL where I could go to see how an item is made step by step would be great, and help connect shoppers even more to the jewelry.

In a November catalog, J. Jill showcases a fun array of holiday clothing, such as a “jubilation shirt” and “microvelvet elliptical skirt.” As the photography shows, the “embroidered microsuede sash” goes nicely with the pieces. It's…wait. I don't know what colors it comes in, or what it costs. All J. Jill says is “See this great sash close up at jjill.com or in our retail stores.” Hel-lo. Chances are I'm not reading this in one of your stores. And I might not have computer access either. The corker is that there's enough space beneath the text I quoted where the price and color/size options could've easily gone. J. Jill could be doing a test to see if this drives store or Web sales of the item. But it feels plain old unaccessorized boring annoying.

Dale and Thomas Popcorn (which I always want to call “Dale and Evans Popcorn, but I digress) offers up redesigned packaging in its gift-giving 2007-2008 slim-jim format book. The first time I browsed through it I wondered if so much copy was necessary for popcorn. But as I read I was drawn into the detailed product descriptions, which were very appealing. Toward the end of the book, though, the catalog morphs from a consumer to a B-to-B focus, and it's a little jarring. I spotted an offer in large type, “$3.75 for Dale and Thomas Signature Bags,” and thought it would be fun to buy a few (say, four or five) for stocking or gift-basket stuffers. But then I read the mice type and found out I had to buy a case of 48 to get that price.

Finally, if you're wondering what to get the nerd in your life (I can say that because I'm one myself), you might want to check out Museum Replicas Limited. Holiday dinner would be so much more special if everyone dressed like the cast of “300,” wouldn't it? And if you're more traditional, don't worry. Hit the medieval garb section and you've got a “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” Christmas.

Pass the roast killer rabbit and have a happy and healthy 2008.