Gift Guide: Brothers, Boyfriends, Husbands, Dads

For me, the guys in my family are the most difficult to shop for.  My brother is off living in France this year and my dad and husband seem to be the men who have everything.  Finding something new and interesting is a struggle.  Here are a few of my best ideas for those ever so hard to shop for guys.

Books are a parennial favourite and three of my favourites this year are: The Man in the Rockefeller Suit, a crazy true crime story about a man who posed as a Rockefeller for YEARS,  2312, a complicated and magical scifi novel that even I liked and I'm not a big one for scifi, and Jamie Oliver's Comfort Food, because in the middle of winter who doesn't want to make mac and cheese, yorkshire puddings with lots of gravy and enough grilled cheese sandwiches to keep you going till we see the sun again.

Back in our Durham days, David and I used to go to Bean Trader's on 9th in our neighborhood and buy their amazing coffee before hitting the bookstore.  I'd love to get him some of their amazing coffee beans shipped to DC.  I tell you this coffee is unreasonably good.

David is obsessed with being, as he puts it, a 'Marylander' and recounts important factoids he learned in 4th grade Maryland history and knows the lyrics to all nine verses of Maryland My Maryland.  He would go gaga for this Maryland belt.

Have you done the dopp kit yet? I'm pretty sure we've all done the dopp kit but this one is pretty gorgeous so if you haven't, this is the one to do.

These shaggy dog sweaters and the comfiest things that ever happened.  My father finally gave his old one to me and I'd love to be able to get my brother one.  So comfortable and stylish.  If you like the look but not the shaggy dog price, LL Bean has a great one for a fifth the price.

And last but not least: Underwater Dogs.  Because they are the best.

Last year's guide.

Wish List

It's that time of year!  Gift guides galore!  I love them ever so and thought I'd start out with my Christmas wishlist.  Don't forget that today is Cyber Monday and I'm offering 15% off the whole shop with the coupon code HOLIDAY2014.  Happy shopping!

Clockwise from top left:
Very Fond of Food, Sophie Dahl's first cookbook has several recipes that are on constant rotation chez nous so I've been meaning to check this one out.

Katherine Watson Wall Calendar, this gorgeous block press calendar is my favourite that I've seen this year.  It's absolutely gorgeous.

Laurel Garland Earrings,  these chandelier earrings are absolutely gorgeous.  I feel like they might make the January Blues a little prettier.

Knot Ring,  I'm a sucker for a knot ring and this one is extra specially gorgeous.

Boden Pajamas, these polka dot pajamas look so cozy and after trying Boden for the first time this year I've been really impressed by the quality.

Glitter Clutch, this thing needs no explanation.  SEE THE GLITTER.

Jadeite Cake Stand, the cake stand I got as a wedding present ended up dying a terrible death and nothing makes a simple chocolate cake look more impressive than throwing it on a stand.

Floral Dishtowel, I'm pretty much convinced that Lisa Rupp's tea towels are the best gift for anyone at any time of year.  They are just divoon.

Boss Necklace, this necklace has been on my wishlist most of the year, not because of any #girlboss political feelings but because I am bossy.  Reclaim it, guys.

Spice Mills, we've been doing without a pepper mill for years and these just rock my world.

Last year's wishlist.

The Week in Pictures

We had a snow day, a half day, and a weekend all in a row. The blog suffered but I wanted to catch you up in one quick post. Clockwise from the terrarium:

1.  My little sister and I made terrariums (another item crossed off my 30 by 30 list).  We got our asymmetrical fishbowls  and charcoal at Petsmart and everything else at Home Depot.  They took no time but we both went running to our mother at a certain point because the cacti kept pricking us and we needed an adult.  So far they are still alive.

2.  We don't have a car in Washington right now and our vet is out near my parents’ house in Pennsylvania so the pets went to spend a week with my parents which is both sad because there is no one SO happy to see me when I come home from work first and also incredibly luxurious to not have to go for that last 11 pm walk.

3.  I made a custom rabbit in a school uniform with a plaid skirt, navy blazer and a backpack.  And she is UNREASONABLY cute.

4. Last year while Christmas shopping, I went mental over these Minimergency Kits.  The little kits were so cute but didn't really have exactly what I wanted.  I came across a bunch of DIY kits but nothing really caught my eye.  Right before Christmas I was at Target buying an insane amount of candles that smell like Christmas Trees and I came upon these tiny little pouches for a buck each.  I thought they would be perfect for corralling ibuprofen and bobby pins and chap sticks.  I made one for each of my sisters and my mother and could pick things they actually might need instead of a generic lady kit.  This weekend I stuffed them and wrapped them and gave them away.  I included tiny emery boards and breath strips and stain remover and pain killers and a bunch of other things I wish I had in my purse all the time.

5. I made the teeniest tiniest knit tie (does one stitch wide count?) for a mini badger.   Coming to the shop this week.

6.  For Valentines I got a mug with Hilary Clinton on her phone.  I gave my husband this card.  Ladies on their phones feature prominently in our lives.

Hearts Hearts Everywhere

In between sewing little jackets for little badgers (there will be new little badgers in the shop soon!), I've been cutting tiny little hearts out of polymer clay, baking them up and painting them with nail polish.  I made heart rings, heart hair clips and heart pins.  And stars.  A bunch of stars.

I started by rolling out a wee ball of white polymer clay using a brayer (you could just as easily use a rolling pin but I'm a bit paranoid about not using things I use for food with clay).  I used some old cookie cutters to cut large and small hearts and stars out of the clay and popped them onto parchment paper and then into an oven for 20 minutes at 275° (check your own clay for baking instructions, your polymer might have different directions).

Once they had dried, I very messily painted them with nail polish (getting both the parchment paper and my fingers completely covered in nail polish).  I let them dry for a couple of hours and then used Gel Super Glue to attach pin backs and bobby pins and ring backs that I got from the craft store.  After a few hours they are ready to go. Three pins are on their way off to the Aunt Peaches Valentines Exchange and my little sisters are all getting some bobby pins.  Now if only I could find a way to let the foxes wear heart pins.

xox

H.