Gift Guide: Dudes

November 28, 2018 Hannah McIntosh Burke

Dads and boyfriends and husbands and brothers are impossible to shop for as far as I'm concerned and in my attempt to buy gifts that support my values, I've had to look a little farther afield than usual. Here is what I'm considering for the brother who just moved to Manhattan and left me in DC, the father who does more yoga than anyone else I know, and the husband who mostly just wants books and records.

Clockwise from top:

1. I've been obsessed with these amazing vintage Soviet oil paintings on Etsy this year. I'm tempted to buy this amazing river scene for David as an 'I want it and now it's yours' present.

2. My dad got one last year and my brother got one in the fall and this will be Dave's year. Lopapeysa are Icelandic sweaters and the Icelandic wool is warm and a little bit water proof and generally wonderful. I'm knitting mine with a pattern from Ravelry but there are tons of vintage and new on Etsy.

3. A backpack from United by Blue, for every item sold a pound of trash is removed from waterways and the company is B-Corp certified.

4. Nathan Miller Chocolate is made near my hometown in Pennsylvania and is decadent and delicious and perfect for everyone.

5. We've tried to do a lot of our shopping locally this year and to support local businesses. Two standouts are Swings Coffee, roasted in Arlington Virginia, and One Eight Distilling, who's Rock Creek Whiskey is an absolute fave. These are also perfect hostess gifts for holiday travel.

6. NeedlePainters helped me design a gorgeous belt for David last year with his school crest, our schnauzer's pretty face and other lovely personal things, it was a great experience and the belt is gorgeous. They also do card holders and flasks.

7. Usually I buy what NPR calls 'Eye Opening Reads' as Christmas gifts, instead this year I'm liking the look of Bearskins, a mystery perfect for short cold days and afternoons reading in front of the fire.

8. Speaking of short days, winter always seems like prime cooking time to me and Julia Turshen's Now & Again: Go-To Recipes, Inspired Menus + Endless Ideas for Reinventing Leftovers sounds like just thing for the men in my family, who all like to cook.

9. Something to better the world or themselves: a newspaper subscription or a donation to NPR in his name along with a mug or a donation to the International Rescue Committee or a membership to the ACLU. Can I say again that this has been a hard year?

15% Off For Argyle Sweater Day

November 23, 2018 Hannah McIntosh Burke

Argyle sweater day! The day after Thanksgiving! While the rest of the country is lining up to shop, my family has a leisurely lunch and goes to our favourite local bookshop for a good book, maybe a cocoa after and we wear argyle sweaters, because we’re stylish.

To celebrate please use the code ARGYLSWEATER18 for 15% off everything in the shop from now until Tuesday, 11/27.

Gift Guide: Biddies and Ladies and Sisters and Friends

November 12, 2015 Hannah McIntosh Burke

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.