cataloguing the holidays: fred flare, garnet hill, fishs eddy
Okay, the holiday stress is getting to me, so I’m spending even more time online wondering, “Would my mom like that? Would my father-in-law use this?” I am a subscriber to “It’s the thought that counts,” so I try to get gifts that really fit a personality or are things that I remember that person talking about liking. Fred Flare has some fun stuff that isn’t bank-breaking, great for small gifts or to round out a mail-home package — most of these are listed as top sellers for good reason.
A log pillow is a perennial favorite that looks cute at Christmas or year-round, depending on how woodsy or how hip your gift recipient may be. If you know someone with a fireplace that’s inoperable, how cool would two log pillows look in there? Just $18.
My sister-in-law received Wreck This Journal from her family one year, and it was a huge hit. We helped her “wreck it” with some scribbles and comments on certain pages, so it became both a fun party game and a souvenir of the night. Fun gift from kids to parents or vice versa!
Now on to Garnet Hill, where I scored big points one year by purchasing oh-so-soft flannel sheets, $30-120, for my mom who is always cold! She still loves them.
For some useful charm, I love the shape and colors of this Bauer pottery, $13-88.
And that pottery got me thinking about Fishs Eddy, where the first thing to catch my eye was this four-glass “In Crowd” set of glasses, $16, with illustrations by cartoonist Roz Chast. If you have a friend with a New Yorker subscription, she would recognize these dopey folks in a heartbeat. And looky here: there’s an entire section devoted to Roz Chast’s work!
For the colorful modernist, how about some glassware with fish illustrations by Charley Harper? This Little Fish bowl is awfully cute, and just under $9.
Really stumped? How about something small, odd, and memorable from the Tchotchkes? Come on, this Chrysler Building lantern is amazing — but also pricey at $65. So how about a whole array of Lady Figurines, about $5 each? Instant collection that would look pretty on a bathroom windowsill. — Mary T.
Journal image via Destructive Therapy.
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stock up now: trader joe candy cane green tea
There are lots wonderful seasonal things filling grocery store shelves right now: Egg nog, peppermint bark, cheese logs. One thing that gives me great joy is Trader Joe’s Candy Cane Green Tea. It is the perfect way to end any meal. Did you know that green tea is a great breath freshener? And, because it’s decaffeinated I can sip it on the couch while I watch Boardwalk Empire. Which I’m about to do right now.
If you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I seriously suggest you stock up. (I have enough to get me through the next season of Downton Abbey — starting in January.) What is your favorite holiday-only grocery store gem? Please share! — Angela M.
want it now: mod gingerbread house
I am always tempted to make a gingerbread house, but never get around to it. Perhaps I’m not inspired by the traditional Hanzel & Gretal cottage style they all have. Well, it looks like I have found my dream gingerbread house, The Modern Gingerbread House. It’s so cute I don’t want to eat it – I want to live in it! With classic mid-century style it comes with a rock garden and garden. Add a few teal and orange gumdrops on the roof, and you’ve got centerpiece any mod homemaker can be proud of. Get the kit at uncrate.com, $80. — Angela M.
cataloguing the holidays: uncommon goods
So first it seems like the holiday advertising is all too early, and then we go straight to “It’s right around the corner!!!” I haven’t exactly been shopping like mad, but I sure have been browsing online for presents. My most recent stop was Uncommon Goods, where there’s always a colorful array of super-affordable gifts. This year, the delightfully sleek-looking iPhone Alarm Dock, $40, caught my eye. With a simple, modern design that doubles as a docking station, this is just a tiny bit brilliant, no? Could be great for a certain husband who finally broke down and bought an iPhone that is now attached to him night and day.
Funny thing is, the husband himself pointed out this Face Mug, $18, to me. With that built-in cookie hole, it’s also pretty clever. Think I’m being gently nagged to provide more treats?
And now, of course, for the person who has (or is that wants?) everything: me. First, these crocheted headphones,$38, look comfy for those work days I need to block out the office chatter.
This Open Sesame! Password Reminder Book, $13, would also come in handy — I probably have 2,000 emails in my archives from different websites where I have had to reset my password.
Finally, the both of us in my house could use these luggage tags, $10, for our frequent travels to visit family. If only we could get a whole set that read “Nothing worth stealing in here.” — Mary T.
ho-ho-oh-no! a pre-lit tree that doesn’t light
My oldest was born right before Thanksgiving. Perhaps that’s why my husband, ever the type to think ahead, didn’t point out the obvious when I sent him out to get a narrower Christmas tree that was pre-lit while I stayed home with an infant. All was good the first year, the second, even up to the fourth year. Then strands started going out, one by one. At first we were able to replace a bulb here and there but by last year, we were out of replacement bulbs. So we took a bulb out of the tree and went to three different stores, trying to match the size. No such luck. We borrowed and tried a friend’s As Seen On TV light strand fixer. No luck. So with two eager kids wondering where their tree was, we went out one last time and got a strand and put it over the dead one. Not pretty, but it worked.
This year, I was determined to find a solution. Surely someone out there in bloggy land had one, right? Wrong. I came across only three suggestions that made sense. 1. Buy a new tree, sans lights. 2. Cut all the lights off the tree and restring. 3. Douse the tree in lighter fluid and have a bonfire. The first choice seemed like a waste and as it turns out, finding a tree without lights is harder than it sounds. The third seemed a bit extreme (not to mention the fumes issue) so I gathered up tin snips and wire cutters and got to work. After about an hour and one tall kitchen garbage bag full of cut wires later, the third idea was sounding better. I stuck it out though, and in just under three hours, had a lightless Christmas tree.
For anyone wanting to try it at home, cut, cut cut. I thought at first that snipping and unwinding the wire as I went would be the best way to go. The tree, however, had other ideas. Since the tip of each branch has a looped wire over it, it’s quicker to just cut as many places as you can see, starting on either side of the bulb. Give the tree section a shake and a lot the pieces will fall off. Then start pulling off the wires that remain. It’s not painless, but it’s better than sending a perfectly usable tree to a landfill.
Got a pre-lit tree nightmare to share? Let’s hear it! — Sarah L.
