Gifts

2022 Gift Guide

Leave a Comment / Gifts, Lifestyle / By / December 5, 2022

It’s time to buy something thoughtful for everyone on my list. Here are my highlights of the 2022 gift-buying season.

For Her

wreath subscription // nightshirt // mani-pedi kit

digital paintbrush // foldable yoga mat // shower steamer // shower steamer tray // body oil // book // lip gloss

Masterclass subscription // candle // matches // instant camera

red wine glasses // book // red wine stain remover // knife rests // travel belt

……….

For Him

tea and coffee alarm clock // eyeglass holder // book lamp // press vessel // point & shoot camera phone converter // table cornhole

gaming console // cashmere beanie // rapid beverage cooler // warming stone

digital photo frame // rain jacket // radio // dinner decision dice // magnetic bike lights

shaving kit // book // mini fireplace // flask flashlight // mechanical puzzle set // self-watering plant pots

Wrapping Paper from A Thing Created + Ruby Stripe on Etsy

Leave a Comment / Gifts, Lifestyle / By / November 28, 2022
Pretty Wrapping Paper

I came across two Etsy shops during my search for Christmas wrapping paper: A Thing Created and its sister store Ruby Stripe. I spent an hour perusing the shops’ virtual aisles filled with notecards, notepads, gift tags, watercolor prints, and the most beautiful wrapping paper I’ve ever seen. The artist, Erisha Rubingh, has designed a few covers for local South Carolinian publications Pink and Paisley Magazines. Erisha’s brief bios that appear on the sites reveal that she only took one art class in high school and was mainly self-taught. What an inspiration! (Proof that monetizing one’s craft is possible with persistence.) These are nine of my favorite wrapping paper designs across both Etsy shops.

Works Sighted

1. Blue Fair Isle Sweaters // 2. Blue Pinstripe // 3. Christmas Ginger Jars

4. Paris Apartment // 5. Bright Bookshelf // 6. New Year’s

7. City Sidewalks // 8. Champagne // 9. Navy and Red

Further Reading

About the Artist – Erisha Rubingh (Pink Magazine)

About the Artist – Erisha Rubingh (Paisley Magazine)

Ruby Stripe (Instagram)

Hostess Gifts

Leave a Comment / Gifts, Lifestyle / By / August 26, 2021
Gifts for the hostess

I’ve been spending time with friends and family in an effort to savor the last days of summer. The season has certainly been a step up from last year when my primary source of joy was flâner-ing with a straw tote. Zoom meetings don’t compare to seeing someone face-to-face, and in my world, dinner and the hostess gift have made a comeback.

I never show up to someone’s house empty-handed unless the token of my appreciation is arriving via mail. My creativity is usually put to good use in the selection process, but when I’m pressed for time, I opt for the respectable homemade baked good or flowers in a vase with water. Sending a handwritten thank-you note shortly after the event has passed is an elegant gesture.

Works Sighted

Uncommon Goods swivel cheese board // Mark & Graham small bamboo lacquer tray // Creekside Farms dried French herbs wreath

Pineapple Collaborative olive oil // Verve Culture Moroccan glassware // Hu Kitchen chocolate gift box

CapaBunga cheese vault // Anthropologie serving set // Art et Manufacture pie plates