Give & Tell with Alyssa Yuhas of welikewelove

Alyssa is all kinds of cool. She’s a tastemaker, trendsetter, and terrific graphic designer. She publishes a blog of inspiring things to like and love—music, art, fashion, it’s all there. In addition she’s also the creator of welikewelove, a quarterly magazine of wonderful things, currently in it’s 9th issue.

welikewelove is born out of a love for discovery, and the belief that discoveries are best shared with excitement and the barely controllable urge to include someone. You may remember this interview we did with the mag in the summer—so fun!

While I miss her IRL, she’s here virtually today to share gifting secrets with you! And for a dose of Christmas cheer, be sure to check out her Joyeux Noel board on Pinterest. It’s dreamy.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever given?

I’m not sure I have a favorite GIFT I’ve given, but I love giving gifts to my husband, family or friends when they least expect it. Any time BUT their birthdays, anniversary, Christmas, etc. (Don’t worry, I still treat them well on those days!) Randomly when I’m shopping at a store or online, I’ll see something that is so perfect for them– a record, t-shirt, necklace, book, etc– I’ll pick it up and either give it to them right away or save it for a special moment. I love giving when they least expect it. I love the element of surprise!

Tell us about a gift-giving ah-ha moment you recall.

Some people in my life are really hard to buy for– they have what they need and what they want. Or they buy it as soon as they want it. My ah-ha moment came when I realized I could buy them “an experience”. So, I buy a ticket or two to a concert, theatre, dance, orchestra, art opening, art class, restaurant tasting, cooking class, etc… and the best part is, buy yourself a ticket and you can do it together!
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Make Their Day All Year Long: 15 Calendars for 2012!

2012 tea towel calendar

2012 Tea Towel Calendar from Flytrap

Well friends, another year is quickly coming to a close. This is a time for reflection, examination, and resolution; time to take stock of all we did, said, hoped for and achieved in 2011. But it’s also time to plan and pave the way for a new year and what better way to kick that off than with a brand new 2012 calendar? Not only are they great items to treat yourself with and keep you organized, they also make great gifts. Here is our 2012 calendar round-up for just about everyone on your list!

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2012 Rustic Letterpress Calendar by Yeehaw Industries

Give & Tell

Give & Tell with The Jealous Curator (aka Danielle Krysa)

Have you ever looked at a piece of art and thought, “Damn, I love that.” And if you’re an artist like Danielle, you might also be thinking, “Damn, I wish I thought of that.”

The feeling is, as she puts it, “a rush of uplifting inspiration… and total soul-crushing jealousy all at the same time.” A couple years ago Danielle started sharing her jealousy out loud on her blog aptly named, The Jealous Curator. The site features the work of emerging contemporary artists from a variety of disciplines and may in fact, make you quite jealous.

Whether it’s their talent that’s got you green or your wish to acquire one of the lovely pieces Danielle shines a light on, you’d be hard pressed not to find something you adore on every page and admire her great taste and beautiful curation. I certainly do.

She recently started taking her jealous curation from the blogosphere, to the white walls of actual galleries. (So jealous.) Today she’s here with us. Sharing her gifting tales and favorites from Wantist, it’s The Jealous Curator!

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?

When I was twelve, I got a one-piece pink snowsuit, and ski lessons for the winter. That was the best Christmas morning ever! Oh boy, I was going to look sooo good on that mountain!

Have you ever done any sneaky research to determine the right gift for someone?

My husband, Greg, has always wanted a wooden ring but could never find one (they’re really hard to make for men, because the wood is so fragile so making a ring with a big enough hole is tough!). Anyway, our fifth wedding anniversary was coming up, and I remembered that “wood” was the traditional gift. I set out to find a jewelry designer that would make a ring for the love of my life… and I found one! An amazing woman in Seattle who made cuffs, earrings, necklaces, and yes, rings from salvaged wood. I had to do a bunch of sneaky measurements from old rings, and a few really good guesses, but it worked! She designed a gorgeous ring that fit him perfectly. On the night of our anniversary I gave it to him, and he was surprised/thrilled/stunned! He has a men’s lifestyle blog, and actually wrote a post about it (yep, that’s how you know he really loved it!)
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Holy Cute! Baby Animal Prints by Sharon Montrose

The cuteness is overflowing. Look at these adorable faces! For a nursery, kids room, and animal lovers of all ages, eee! These little guys are too much.

Sharon Montrose is a sought-after photographer who specializes in animals and her Animal Print Shop is filled with stunning shots of wonderful creatures including farm animals, cats, forest animals, reptiles too, and these babies!

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Baby Animal Photography Pictures Lion Cub

Baby Animal Photography Pictures: Duckling

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20 Photography Gifts for Expressing your Analog Love

Make Magic Happen print, Jan Skácelík

Cameras and smiling go hand in hand, and I’m not just talking about picture posing. While most companies are focused on manufacturing slimmer, faster and better devices, it’s nice to go back to our analog roots sometimes. Here are 20 showstoppers fit for every photographic aficionado on your list this season.

Clockwise: Pink Slim Angel Wide-Angle Camera, Fisheye 2 I Love You Edition Camera by Lomography, Powershovel K202 White Cat 35mm Camera by Holga, Yellow 208120 135Tim Plastic Camera by Holga, Blackbird Fly Twin Lens Reflex Camera, Diana F+ CMYK by Lomography

These colorful 35mm film gems are top notch, and given their individuality and reasonable cost, they’d be great gifts for any photographer, rookie or pro. There’s wide-angle, fisheye and telephoto lenses, lots of flash and filter options and they shoot half frame, long and double exposures. Basically, they’re putting every point-and-shoot I’ve ever owned to shame. Oh, and the kitty Holga? IT MEOWS. I know, my mind has been blown too.

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