Gift Guide: Wishlist

Are all pregnant women like this? This has been the winter of home so far, I don’t want to leave the house but just sit in my living room in my cozies and knit. My Christmas wishlist is pretty reflective of that this year, clockwise from top left:

DC Homesick Candle, I am not homesick for Washington I love a bit of DC kitsch.

Schnauzer Salt and Pepper Shakers from Quail, because everything is better with a schnauz.

One Hundred Stars Robe because I heard a rumor this is where Nigella gets her robes and because I feel like most of the spring of 2019 will be spent in a robe, with a squishy little person, at home.

Handmade Planter, because the number of plants have exploded in our house in the past year and they all need a nice place to live.

Nina Simone on Vinyl, because since we got our record player I’ve re-embraced listening to albums all the way through and no one is as good as Nina. No one.

Initial Necklace from Kate Szabone, because she made my engagement ring and 8 years later I still love almost everything she does, especially these gorgeous initial pendents, maybe an H?

Lotta’s from Sweden, because they are gorgeous, look comfortable and go with everything.

Cloud Earrings, because I can’t wear any normal clothes and am living in a capsule wardrobe of cheap black maternity clothes so I’m leaning into huge, fun earrings, glittery shoes and gorgeous statement accessories. These are just the thing.

Everything from Suite One Studio Pottery is insanely gorgeous. This blue ring dish is one of my faves, perfect for beside my bed.

Gift Guide: The Ladies

The moral of this year is that I have the very best friends.  It's been a doozy (for everyone, right?) and I am constantly reminded that I have somehow managed to assemble the finest women known to man on my side.  

Given the doozy of a year for the entire nation, this year I am trying to use my dollars to support my community of small makers, and women owned and run businesses, and in general, put my money where my big fat mouth has been shouting all year.  I'm trying to minimize the number of Amazon and Target boxes that I order this season and up the number of Etsy boxes, trips to my local bookstore and homemade and baked things I give my lovely friends.  Here are some of the things I'm considering, clockwise from top:

Custom Address Stamp, for a good friend’s move.

The Witch Elm by Tana French, for my sister who loves a good mystery

These Truths by Jill Lepore, for the friend who is concerned about the country and cannot get enough of Lepore (everything Lepore writes is perfection)

Dogs on Jumpers by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne for my friend of 23 years who loves knitting and dogs as much as me

I’ve recently fallen in love with Moorea Seal’s Seattle shop and website and a few stockings will be stuffed with her Twisted Suns Earrings, Tortoise Hoops, and my favourite Spark Earrings.

Boho Turkish Blanket, for my friend’s new apartment.

Girl III Totebag, for my funky baby sister who is living on her own in the city now.

Three blocks from our house in Capitol Hill is Hunny Bunny Boutique, an awesome natural bath and body shop and this year, with new babies, big moves, break ups and new jobs, I can think of lots of friends who could use a sugar scrub, luxurious soap and a lavender lotion bar (the lotion bars are a dream).

A Bear Card, to tell them I love them.

I am also going to step up the knitting and baking game this year. I’m planning on baking my favourite holiday cookies and finding some festive tins as well as bringing back my grandmother’s unstoppable mitten pattern and this gorgeous hat pattern for a couple good friends, along with a donation in their name. This year, I’ve been incredibly privileged to have amazing prenatal care in a city that is the most dangerous place in America for African American women to give birth. This year I’ll be making a donation to Communities of Hope, an organization that helps families in Washington, DC and specifically provides health care and midwifery services to low income women in my city.

Gift Guide: Biddies and Ladies and Sisters and Friends

This was a big year for all the ladies in my life, one of my best friends from college became a mom in March, another friend and my sister are both getting married in 2016 and they've been in a whirlwind of wedding madness this year.  There have been breakups and new relationships  and new jobs and new apartments and a lot of moving and shaking for the magnificent women I'm lucky enough to know.  Here's what I would love to get them this year:

Clockwise from top left:

Sali Hughes' Pretty Honest - Over the last year or so I've become obsessed with Sali Hughes' Guardian column and her youtube videos that show even a dum dum like me how to put on eyeliner.  I'd love to get this for my friend who is interested in beauty but shares Sali's sensible, feminist-y, go away if you don't like my eye shadow approach and because a chunky beauty book is always fun.

Fiona Fox Cards - For my youngest sister, Fiona, so she can send her thank you notes.  Also because they are from my shop and I love them so.

Chunky necklace -  My new-mama friend needs a present for her, something pretty that is completely non-baby related.  How glamorous is this gorgeous necklace?  This entire etsy shop is full of lovely things.

Fair Isle Hat - This is the coolest fair isle hat ever.  Since our September trip to Iceland I've been obsessed with colourwork knitting and this just blows me away.  My sister the costume designer would swoon.

Three Girls Print - My sister is living in Kansas for graduate school to get a masters degree and work with intellectually disabled adults and autistic children.  She's the best at both, I'd love to get her this print which I like to think of as three sisters, since she has three sisters and she lives so far from them.

Bar earrings - These bar earrings are so divoon,  My best friend needs some pretty jewels this year, to fancy the whole world up.

Candles - For my wedding, almost five years ago, I made over a hundred soy candles in jars.  Once we lit them all  the night of the reception I washed my hands of candle making but this fall I started up again.  They are ridiculously simple to make and in a simple jar with a black lid they look pretty darn chic if I do say so myself.  Everyone might be getting a lavender or bergamot or clary sage candle this Christmas.

You know you want to make gorgeous rock magnets, I think they would be great stockings stuffers or last minute gifts for anyone.

Succulent Planter - My best friend from high school got a new job this year in a fancy new city with a fancy new husband and her new desk needs a big succulent planter.

Pocket notebooks - This year I got a bunch of little notebooks and they are so supremely satisfying.  I didn't think I 'd need them with everything in my phone but I ended up putting grocery lists, to-dos and endless titles of books to read.  It is so supremely satisfying to check things off and not just click the box and have it disappear.  I'd love to pop one in everyone's stocking.

Yarn - My gorgeous friend Kate, the oldest and loveliest of  friends since we met when we were nine in YMCA swimming, is big into yarn these days.  I'd love to be able to get her some gorgeous thick chunky yarn from Purl Soho, along with instructions to knit HERSELF something and not give it away. 

Last year's guide.

Gift Guide: Wish List

It's gift guide season!  I love reading them, I love shopping off of them, I just love them!  So here we go!  To start off the Gift Guide season here is my wish list, just in case anyone is wondering what I would like for Christmas:

Herschel Supply Cap - I've exclusively worn the Red Sox cap I got my sophomore year of college (not going to count how many years ago) every time I need a baseball hat.  This one has a massive H on it though and I do love a fall baseball cap for putting unruly hair out of everyone's way while running errands or walking the dog and I think H is for HANNAH and not Herschel.

The Silver Palate Cookbook - I have a copy of The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook that I got at a library book sale for a quarter and it's fantastic.  I want to try out the original favourite and start throwing some rad 1988 themed dinner parties, isn't that what we're all doing?

Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day - I also have the first, classic Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and it's fantastic.  I'm not convinced that the 'healthy' bread is really that fantastically healthy but I'm a complete incompetent when it comes to altering baking recipes so I want the extra wisdom.

Ginger Cat Tea Cozy - I've been using a too thin tea cozy for two long, and this ginger dude just makes my heart happy. Plus it's an excellent homage to the elder stateswoman of our house, Cat, the 15 year old toothless ginger cat who is just as gorgeous and lovely now as she was when dropped off at my parents farm when I was 14 and thought that the only name for a marmalade cat was Cat.

Plaid ASOS Scarf - Because Christmas exists to buy the people you love plaid and for them to buy you plaid and also wouldn't this look nice at the office when I'm freezing wrapped around my favourite dress?

Stoneware Bowls - both of these are from Etsy, one vintage and the other handmade.  Growing up our main mixing bowl was a yellow stoneware bowl with a stripe and the heft of stoneware still seems like the best thing to mix cookies in.  I love the yellow because they remind me of the family mixing bowl but the blue is just gorgeous too.

Grey Off Duty Sweater - This sweater has been on my wishlist for ages, with jeans and sneakers at weekend brunch, with matchstick pants and boots at the office, this sweater looks like the kind of long, soft sweater you can wear anywhere and instantly makes you look like an adult.  

Yellow Gold ID Ring -  I love nothing more than a teeny tiny yellow gold ring and this one is so sweet.  Rings are my favourite jewelry to wear and this one with a H+D or just a good old HMB would be divine.

What are you asking for for Christmas? 

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