Cutting Boards by Little Studio
Spring is here! This season of fresh starts and new beginnings has me wild for bold patterns and geometric shapes.
Here’s a couple recently loved favorites. What do you think? Do they put a spring in your step too??
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Men’s Leather Aries Cuff from The Ravens Daughter
Independent, generous, optimistic, enthusiastic, courageous … these are all characteristics that have been used to describe Aries, the first sign of the Zodiac, from March 21-April 19. Aries is symbolized by the ram, which has come to represent aggression and courage, making Aries an active, energetic sign. Arians are direct, straightforward, and uncomplicated and expect the same from others. Throughout history, rams were often symbols of leadership, and as such, Aries people are said to be natural-born leaders who venture out and approach life “head-on”.
Aries are complex. They have a combination of strong masculine and feminine expressions all jumbled up together. But don’t fret. If you have an Aries in your life, there are ways to show them you love and appreciate them and these gifts will do just that!
DIY Cross-Stitch Pendant, by Brittni Mehlhoff
Oooh, I love this little DIY gift idea so much. Brittni from Papernstitch shares her technique for making this abstract cross-stitch pendant, but the possibilities really are endless! I’m thinking triangles or polka dots done in some neon or metallic thread — what do you say? How would you customize this gift? Share your pattern ideas with us!
Check out Brittni’s step-by-step tutorial right here. You can snag blank cross-stitch pendants from Lovely Lovely for $7.50.
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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.
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!
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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DIY Pompom Necklace, photo by Erica Coffman
A great gift for your stylish sister, those sassy book club ladies, or your color-loving girlfriend, these DIY pompom necklaces are Classy with a capital “C”! Inspired by the high-fashion tribal necklaces of designer Nicole Akong, the brilliant ladies behind Honestly WTF created this do-it-yourself version. I love the cheery colors and playful poms, but the real magic is in the customization–this necklace can be as bright and bold or subtle and subdued as you want!
Put on your present-making pants and head over to Honestly WTF for the complete tutorial. Happy gift-making!
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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!
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!
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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Summer is the co-founder of 3 online shops (house&hold, fawn&forest and goodnight green) and lives in Portland, Oregon with her co-founder husband & three small sons.
Each of her stores has a clean and colorful modern aesthetic. fawn&forest, where I first met Summer, is one of my most favorite places to shop for kids and baby things. Their newest shop, house&hold, is full of wonderful housewares—both places teeming with great gift ideas.
In addition to her great eye and good taste she’s a really fun person with a super sweet family. I’m so excited for you to hear about her mother’s amazing number game, the drawings from her husband, and her wrapping plans for this Christmas!
The best gift I’ve ever been given would definitely be my 3 sons. And the cast iron pan my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day when we were first married. I use the cast iron pan daily. It is sturdy, timeless & honest. Give it love and it will reward you. Just like my sons. Yes!
I like no reason at all! My husband is really amazing at this & I will randomly receive packages in the mail from him with great surprise. I also really like housewarming gifts. It is such a cozy occasion & a fresh chapter for new homeowners. I recently did a post on House&Hold on housewarming gifts. The products listed are my favorite 4!
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