Give & Tell with Amy Ferguson

Today’s guest gift-giver is the wonderfully fun Amy Ferguson. She’s a southern girl who has lived in New York for the past seven years. Amy’s a crafty, artsy, goofball—it’s no surprise why we love her so. She works as a freelance Art Director at various ad agencies in NYC and there’s a very good chance Amy’s work has popped across your TV and made you laugh.

She lives in the West Village, blogs happy things at Old Sweet Song, and has single handedly brought back the ultimate DIY gift idea here at Wantist, Rob Gordon style. Thanks, Amy!

Could you share a wrapping secret with us?

I really love the look and versatility of wrapping gifts with brown kraft paper. I like tying the gifts with string but I mix up the variety of string. Sometimes I use red and white bakers twine or just plain old white twine. And I just got an awesome spool of neon pink twine from the hardware store and it looks fantastic with the brown paper. There’s something sweet and retro about the look but it’s also polished and chic. Plus you never have to worry about holiday specific wrapping.

What’s the most inexpensive item you could receive that warms your heart every time?

I think there are few more personal and heartfelt gifts than a good old fashioned mix CD (Really, I miss mixtapes. But does anyone have a cassette player anymore?! And I wouldn’t even know where to buy a blank cassette tape). Mixes might be my favorite thing to give. I love curating the songs for the specific person, picking the order and then designing a personalized cover. I take it all very seriously! But getting a mix made with love is also really amazing. There’s something nostalgic about it that reminds me of my teen years. Can we all just stop what we’re doing right now and make a pact to not let the mix CD die? Long live the mix CD!
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Give & Tell

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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Far Out! 20 Gifts for the Happiest Hippies

All You Need is Love and Give Peace a Chance Prints, by the Love Shop

Hello Winter of Love, 2011! The holidays are here, like yesterday, and they come bearing gifts…mostly the urgency to find the perfect something special for all types of people. Fear not, we’ve got you covered (and wrapped gorgeously too). If you’re in a bohemian bind, here are 20 gifts for the peace, love and happiness devotee in your life!

Gold Peace Sign Salad Plate by Murval of Paris, Obol Cereal Bowl, Peace of Cake Mold by Fred Flare

Everyone knows hippies are all about spreading the peace, and these dishes will emphasize this message during breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. A cereal bowl disguised as a yin yang? Check.

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Give & Tell

Give & Tell with Amy Turn Sharp of Little Alouette

I met Amy shortly after Alt last year. She’s a hoot, a poet, and the wood queen of Little Alouette, an organic wooden toy shop she runs alongside her master carpenter husband, Joe.

Their toys are beautifully handcrafted, wonderfully natural, and the kind you keep in the family for a long time. I gifted a wooden letter H to baby Harper last spring and I’m still waiting for the right little person to come along to give these gorgeous stackers to. Love the grain, don’t you?

If you need a gift for a wee one in time for Christmas or Hannukah, this wooden guitar and mustache rattle are in stock and ready to ship. And they’re awesome. Naturally.

Amy’s a mother of 3 in Columbus, Ohio. She’s also a public speaker, novelist, twitter addict, and blogger. Babble has named her as one of the top 50 Etsy Moms two years in a row. Thanks for joining us Amy!

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

When I had my last baby my friends bought me hours of mothers helpers in advance. That was ace. I will always think about that. Mother’s are good gift givers.

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

I think when I collected a life scrap book for my gran’s 89th birthday. I took photos and letters from everyone in her life and mementos and compiled them together in a large book. She cried for days and days. She held the book for a long time.
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20 Meatastic Gifts for Carnivores!

Meat Love U

Meat Love U by Charity Ryan

Yeah, yeah, we all know the eat-less-meat buzz is spreading worldwide, but not everyone wants to board that Kermit-colored, rouphage-laden train. Some people prefer to get their protein from something that once had parents rather than a plant or bean. True meat lovers are something of a rare kind. They can name the time and place of their “best steak ever”; they stop at butcher counters, in awe, to admire the vast selection of meaty goodness; they once took a cross-country road trip just to try a burger they saw on TV. These are the true carnivores, the meat lovers of the world, and it is for them that this list was put together!

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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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Finally…White Elephant Gifts that Don’t Suck!

white_elephant_print

White Elephant Print by Skylar Hogan

You know the drill, it’s the same in most workplaces. Every year before the holiday break, the office hosts a traditional holiday twosome: a potluck lunch and a white elephant gift exchange.

The rules of a white elephant are simple. Each person brings a present that is already wrapped and places it, anonymously, on a table. The gifts usually have a preset spending limit, typically under $25. Each participant draws a number, indicating when they will take their turn selecting and unwrapping a present from the table. Upon your turn, you can either choose a new, wrapped gift, or ~~trade~~ steal someone else’s gift. Depending on the house rules, each gift can be “stolen” 2-3 times.

Sounds easy enough, right? Well, in theory, sure. But the reality is, most people dread white elephant gift exchanges because let’s face it – the gifts are usually pretty crappy. The whole premise is obligatory gift giving for someone you don’t know (or don’t know if someone you know will get what you purchased. You know?), all within a preset, rather low, dollar amount. But think about it a little more carefully … if you are participating in the gift exchange, do you want to end up with some half-used, awful-smelling, re-gifted bottle of hand lotion? Probably not. So buck up, take it seriously, and give a white elephant gift that doesn’t suck. They actually do exist!

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