Hello Lovlies!! Sorry to have been away so long. This time of year is an absolute circus act in my corner of the world. By the time we have gotten all of our wholesale orders out to stock our lovely stores with Curly Girl goodies, the holiday retail season begins on our website and in our shop, Marmalade. We have been very blessed this year with a fabulous retail season (sing it!) and beyond fabulous customers but it has got the elves working overtime (quite literally in some cases…). The elves all need spa days. For real.
I love every harried minute of it though! No lie. Christmas is my favorite! I love the hustle and bustle and the energy of it all… pretty much if it involves twinkle lights, count me in! The whole town here it seems is bejeweld with tiny lights and folks are in a generally festive mood. I love it. So, between packing orders, helping customers, getting my own house ready for Christmas visitors and trying to get all of the ‘i”s dotted and ‘t’s crossed I have been away from the blog, and I’ve missed you!
SO. ‘Tis the season for gift guides! Over the next week I have a bunch to share with you to celebrate one of my absolute joys: gift giving. I am not being the tiniest bit sarcastic here at all. If I could do it professionally, I would. I love trying to figure people out. What makes them tick? What would they never buy themselves? What makes their heart sing? Or, what, in some cases would be super practical and useful, and eliminate one little thing on their ‘to-do’ list?. These things keep me up nights.
This passion for gift-giving, along with my proximity to the retail/wholesale industry and ever-changing whims makes me, as it has been pointed out, almost impossible to buy gifts for. So, last year, in the spirit of being helpful, and the notion that ‘sometimes you have to ask for what you want”, I made a list. I sent the list to my family so they might have a guide. It was well received, for the most part (except for by my cousin who found my tastes extravagant…duh.) and has been requested again.
This year I thought I would start the week of Gift-Guides by sharing mine. These are things that I love, have wanted, use often, day-dream of or think are cool. Some are practical, some are extravagant… it is a wish-list after all… and who knows…Santa is a pretty great guy, and I have been very good this year!
Note: I typically very much suggest shopping as locally as possible, but as this is my real list for my real family, and they don’t live anywhere near me, I tried to make it as easy for them as possible
1.) Women’s Hooded Gilet ~ Joules I wear a puffy vest almost every day when I walk Lucy. This one is a little puffier, and frankly a little chic-er than the one I have been wearing for a few years. I love the secret plaid inside the hood. Loving what Joules is doing!
2.)Twirl by Kate Spade ~ Nordstrom I am a perfume girl, but am pretty picky when it comes to scent. My family sometimes calls me ‘the nose’ because I have a very sensitive schnoz. I love the lightness of this scent (though, I loved her original one (now discontinued) more!) plus, it comes in such a pretty bottle!
3.)Woolrich Chalet Slipper Socks ~ Sundance I asked for these last year but they were sold out. These beg for lazy Sunday mornings and a New York Times Syle section and crossword. (size M)
4.Kevia Vintage Cocktail Ring ~ Garnet Hill Oh my! I do love sparkly jewels, but this one looks like it came from a far away land and was made just for me! I particularly love the emerald color with the warm gold. Pretty please Santa? (P.S. I’m a size 6)
5.)Heartsease Bowls ~ Anthro I am actually on a strict one-in one-out bowl-policy in my house, but I just really think these are beautiful, plus, they match my holiday place settings!
6.)Adriana Fabric Tote by Fossil ~ Macys Santa already got the low-down on this beautiful bag (and used her coupons!) but I wanted to put it on my list because it is just so dang gorgeous! (and huge! perfect for my honkin’ computer!)
7.)Daphne Crown Tank ~ Anthro this tank is just lovely. You can’t tell from the picture, but the embroidery is silver metalic so it has a very subtle sparkle to it. I think it will be perfect over skinny jeans with a cardigan and boots. Which is pretty much my uniform.
8.)New York Times 36 Book ~ Tachen: I love the section in the NYT where they show you what to do in a city or town over 36 hours. This book is a compilation of 150 of those places in one book. All over the U.S. and Canada. What a great resource to have around and a fun day-dream book!
9.)Smith’s Rosebud Salve ~ Sephora I am totally addicted to this stuff! I have it in almost every bag or pocket and use it all the time. I don’t wear lipstick but this makes your lips soft and rosey and keeps them from getting chapped. A perfect stocking stuffer!
10.)TOMS Navy Classics (Size 9) ~ TOMS I have several pair of these shoes and cannot say enough good things about them. I would love a million pairs. They are great to work the shop all day or walk around town. The best part is, when you buy a pair, a pair goes to a child in need. How great is that?
11.)Kate Spade Bubbly Dot Champagne Saucers ~ Lenox These are a total extravagance, but I love love love champagne saucers and have been looking for perfect vintage ones for years, but all of them have short stems. These are the best combination I have found of classic style, a little whimsy and a great pair of stems. (not unlike myself… tee hee…)
12.)Bare Escentuals SPF Mineral Veil ~ Sephora I use this everyday and could always stock up on it. It’s the best loose powder I have found.
13.)Ace Pilot Stapler ~ Schoolhouse Electric I have a thing for utilitarian objects when they are beautifully made, and I have a strange love of staplers. The old ones were designed to last and work forever, the new ones I want to chuck through the nearest large pane of glass. This one takes standard staples too, some of my other vintage ones do not. Inconvenient.
14.) Fresh Lemon Sugar Parfum ~ Sephora I told you I was a perfume girl. I carry this with me in my bag all the time. It is completely lovely and addictive and refreshing.
15.) Josie Maran Argan Oil Primer Mist ~ Sephora I am totally obsessed with Josie Maran’s Argan Oil line and this primer mist has been the stand out for me. I have been using this everyday for about 7 months now (it lasts a long time) under make-up, and I am actually getting random compliments on my skin. Like the lady at the nail shop, and the UPS guy. It’s weird. So, it will be on every list I make, ever.
Of Course the best thing anyone could give me is time. I would love more visits with my Mom, Dad and brother. More time with my aunts and cousins. More romantic dates with my husband and fun-filled time with my friends. Face-time is always top on my list. Always Always. More hours in the day would be nice too..if someone could figure that out.
So, that’s what’s on my list! What’s on yours this year? Don’t be shy! Santa is everywhere!
xoxo
