Thursday, December 13, 2012

Gift Guide 2012

This year I decided to do a bulk of my holiday shopping online, and I wanted to share some of my favorite new purchases with you, in case you needed unique and pre-tested (by me) gift ideas!  ;)  
Happy Shopping!

FOR THE CRAFTY

Purl Soho's Learn To Knit Kit


I recently bought one of these, and the yarn is SUPER soft!  I've never knit anything in my life... so this kit is sort of perfect.






I'm really not that great at wrapping presents...this downloadable PDF is full of creative and fun ideas that have proved to be quite useful.



FOR THE HOME-Y

Bonjour Johanna's Pink Kiwi Porcelain Plates.


I bought two of these and LOVE them.  Each are painted by hand and quite unique.  I also adore her blog.



Uguisu: Fog Linen Coasters


I recently ordered these coasters, along with a matching Fog Linen placemat and kitchen towel.  They are extremely high quality and beautiful to boot!  Sold by another one of my fave bloggers, Jollygoo.





Her photography is stunning, her recipes are easy to follow, and the end result is as delicious as it looks!  My favorite thing about the book?  It's organized by the 4 seasons of the year!  And it's completely Gluten-Free!



FOR THE JEWELRY LOVER

Kathleen Whitaker: Earrings


Need to get something for a special someone?  You can't go wrong with any of KHW's earrings.
A very limited selection available online right now.
Check out where you can find a wider selection in stores.



FOR THE MUSIC LOVER

Hoodie Buddies


Plug your mp3 player into your pocket, put ear buds/ hoodie strings in, and you're set to go!  My favorite are the fleece hoodies.  p.s. They're machine washable.

Vince Gauraldi Trio:  A Charlie Brown Christmas


My all-time favorite album to listen to during the holidays (and sometimes all year round).  :)



MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY-Y GIFTS

Juniper Ridge: Douglas Fir Tip Tea


Made purely from Douglas Fir tree tips from the mountains of Northern California (I know this because my friend is going harvesting with them in the Spring), it smells like you're in the middle of a mountainous forest.  The taste is gentle and clean, with a hint of lemon.



Thymes: Frasier Fir Candle


My favorite holiday candle for the past 3 years.  Most Christmas Tree candles smell too strong and synthetic, which is why I've avoided them for so long.  This candle is an exception to that theory.  It smells just like a real Christmas tree in your house.  

At the end of this long list, I'd also like to remind us that this holiday season is not solely about the giving of physical objects wrapped in shiny paper and multi-colored MT tapes (as pretty as that is!).  With religions aside, it's a season of love, to each other and ourselves.  A time to slow down from another year that flew by and take a much needed break to spend with friends and loved ones, and remember how truly lucky we are to have each other.  (And thank goodness -- that's one gift that doesn't require a paypal login!)

Happy Giving

love,
p • a

3 comments:

  1. Knitting is one of my favorite activities. There's nothing like the feeling of giving someone something you made yourself :)

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  2. I love your gift guide! The plates are so cute!

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  3. I hope you enjoy knitting as much as I do. Happy Holidays!

    Sunny

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