to wrap up the holiday gift guide mania i thought i’d end things with two guides near and dear to my heart. the first belongs to my colleagues, the design bloggers i read on a regular basis and find endlessly inspiring. i thought it would be fun to hear what they’re hoping to receive this year, what their go-to gifts for others are and hear some of their clever ideas for handmade gifts or giving back. want to share your giving/getting list for this year? feel free to add away in the comment section below. in the meantime i hope you’ll enjoy everyone’s wishlists and visit their sites if you haven’t already. thanks to everyone who took the time to send me their fantastic choices. [click here for the full post or click “read more” below]
Design*Sponge:
To Give: Knitware porcelain pieces by Alyssa Ettinger, Log Bowls by Loyal Loot Collective.
To Receive: I’d really love some new flannel sheets, a Kitchenaid mixer (in Pistachio) and the Superbad DVD. Man I love that movie.
Irene at Bloesem:
To Receive: Tablecloth called Armant by Isle_Design.
To Give: Jewelry by Ana Ventura and Abigail Percy, available in Ana’s shop.
Maria at Port2Port:
To Give: My go-to gift last year is still a favorite: this mug from White Forest Pottery. I gave it last year to lots of people so this year I will abstain; i
have one and love it so! So this year I’ll be giving linen towels/napkins, or artwork by friends and books: maditi, yoo-ii, palindrome press, abigail percy, a field guide to weeds {available at printed matter} and the kitchen diaries.
To Receive: Friend or artwork, or linens; I need new sheets so badly. I sent my mom the Area website {hint hint} and of course i also love Brahms Mount.
To Give: a box of switches and a lump of coal to my mother who won’t go visit my great aunt. Ok Ok, this is a complete lie because I have no money for christmas gifts, but if I were home I would give assorted baked goods with nice packaging using the recipes from the submissions for In the Kitchen With which have been *fantastic* (like Lena’s idea to give her pumpkin loaves wrapped with nice cloth)! I always think that giving something handmade is quite nice.
To Receive: A full set of mud australia tableware in ash and ocean. Their pieces are nice beyond belief. Otherwise, an original piece of artwork by Susan Schwake of Artstream Studios because her work reminds me of Ezra Jack Keats and that brings back memories of my childhood– learning to read and making angels in the snow.
To Give: The Principles of Uncertainty, by Maira Kalman
To Receive: Sue London slipper flats
Jo at Desire to Inspire:
To Give: We don’t really buy presents anymore in my family. Small handmade gifts only and it’s a Kris Kringle so one person only. This year it’s for my niece and it will be one of these. If I was buying it would be this for a girl and the citi tumblers from Bribe International.
To Receive: These little boys from Hi and Lo Modern.
Courtney at Style Court:
To Give: I like to focus on those often overlooked teens and tweens in foster care by donating to a Secret Santa program organized by the Georgia Department of Family and Children’s Services but another quick and easy way to contribute is through the Marine’s official Toys for Teens project.
To Receive: Peter Beard: Fifty Years of Portraits and Peter Beard, Collector’s Edition from Taschen.
Kim at Desire to Inspire:
To Give: The gift I’ll be giving would be prints from Jo’s Etsy store.
To Receive: Maybe a zebra print rug (not real zebra!) for my new living room. Or a trip to Australia so I can finally meet Jo.
To Give: The gifts I give are usually handmade (my friends and I have a rule it has to be handmade). I’m sewing a few presents this year, so wish me luck. Or my friends will have some ugly ducklings on their hands. As a back-up plan (and I think I need one) I’m really loving Smosch buttcrack softies! I love these things!
To Receive: What I’d most like to receive are books. I’d quite like the Iris Apfel coffee table book: Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel.
Kathreen at Whip Up:
To Give: I love to give a beautiful handmade book - I am thinking of making some myself for the kiddies and special friends who are into the handmade aesthetic, but for everyone else - work colleagues and friends - I am always stocking up on blank note books of one kind or another that I give out at Christmas - for special friends I like to make a little linen drawstring bag to go with. - here is a link to a simple online tutorial if anyone fancies this idea. {btw I love this book ‘how to make books‘ and have used the instructions to make my pressies this year}
To Receive: This year I would love something like a house cleaner for a year, a month or even a day, or a voucher for 5 x babysitting from someone who actually would follow through. But if we are talking about stuff - then something from kjoo on etsy - her work is so crazy beautiful - it makes my heart
sing.
Imelda at Imedagoze:
To Give: Toys for Salvation Army. It’s been in our heads for the past few days now. We’ve been seeing some toys that our kids don’t play with anymore, and we’d like our elder daughter, who’s just turned 5, to learn the importance of letting the toys go and giving them away for charity. We’re not sure how to break this to her yet, but we sure hope she’d welcome the idea.
To Receive: Francis Francis X1 Espresso Machine, either Red or Yellow. Amazon has more colors, but all are out of stock except the Black one.
To Give: The gifts I will be giving this season are hand-painted stones from Julia and Yoran, and tea-towels from Skinny Laminx. In addition, at this time of year I like to make a lot of presents for loved ones so will be giving my own jewelry too.
To Receive: The [dream] gift I would most like to receive this season is something from Sara Paloma, but all I really want for Christmas is some time off to spend with friends and family !! :)
To Give: I love assembling gift packages that in some way contribute to an experience. So my go-to gift is a lovely journal (like one by Jill Bliss or Lotta Jansdotter) paired with a favorite tea (I’m a fan of T’s Vanilla Oolong and Flowery Earl Grey, Ito En’s Genmai Green and Palais des Thés’ Grand Yunnan Imperial). I can just picture my friends relaxing in a rocking chair with a cup of tea by their side as they’re scribbling or doodling away in the journal. If the recipient is more of a reader than a writer, then I swap out the journal for Green Chair Press‘ reading diary. If they’re crafty, I go with a gift certificate for a yarn or fabric store.
To Receive: At the top of my wish list this year is the Tivoli Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio. The digital numbers on my current clock radio are totally busted (I’m about 50/50 when it comes to guessing what time it reads). So this I need – and it doesn’t hurt that it’s the coolest-looking clock radio that I’ve ever seen.
Karen at Clothespin:
To Give: www.heifer.org - my husband and I are donating to Heifer this year; I like the fact that rather than just a monetary donation we can choose something tangible that can go a long way in helping others.
To Receive : “Press Your Luck” Tote from Anthropologie - The only words I have for this bag are “please go on sale “.
To Give: Books! I’ve already bought Keri Smiths “Guerilla Art Kit” and “Wreck This Journal” they are perfect for both pretty young and old people who arecreative or trying to stay so.
To Receive: If I can dream I would like one of Alma Allen Sculptures. That’s the number one thing. On second place this bird or something like it from Pravoslav Radovik. I know they are selling somethings at Help Your Shelf. On third place one of these wonderful blankets. A more realistic gift I would like to receiv is Martha Rich’s “Freedom wigs“.
Anna at Absolutely Beautiful Things:
To Give: A bottle of beautiful wine inside one of these gorgeous wine wraps made using vintage textiles from Etsy seller Bananasaurusrex.
To Receive: A painting by Etsy artist Michelle Wiebe.
To Give: Megan Bogonovich’s slipcasts and majolica wares for everyone. They are handmade, unique and support NH artists, which of course is most important to me!
To Receive: For me it’s always the same, lots and lots of art supplies from my
favorite online shops: Daniel Smith and Utrecht- and an etching press would be grand!
To Give: I’ve gone mad for gold leaf and gold flakes recently, and so I’ve been gilding up a storm at my house! Friends will be receiving gold-splattered paper weights, cork-bottomed trays, and bookends.
To Receive: Ideally I’d love a couple of 1930s lamps from MIT’s labs- they have gorgeous ones that just sit around and tantalize me whenever I visit campus and walk by. But this bauhaus desk lamp (Robert Abbey’s Bruno C-Arm) that I spotted in Blueprint’s Sept/Oct issue is pretty close, and a pair of them tops my wishlist.
Pam at Housemartin:
To Give: anything handmade locally like these “Woolies” created from recycled sweaters by Portland, OR artist Jenna Robertson, they each have a unique personality. And a great hostess gift - these candles by Lumiere in cozy scents like Honey Pear and Amber Dusk.
To Receive: plates and bowls in delicious colors from Mud Australia.
Julie at Another Shade of Grey:
To Give: Personalized soap dish (catch-all) from etsy seller palomasnest along with handmade cranberry fig soap from cavendishsoapworks.
To Receive: Elizabeth Scott’s birch bark ring.
Bowie at Print+Pattern:
To Receive: a beautifully bold orla kiely umbrella.
To Give: I want to use pocket mirrors from etsy as the ideal stocking stuffer or small gift for friends and colleagues. such as those by: miss bellas room, inkjet, and hey pretty cupcake.
Kelly Cooper at Hoping for Happy Accidents:
To Give: I’m ordinarily not a big incense fan, but last year the combination of paine’s wonderful cedar incense cones (which makes your house smell all warm and cozy) and this beautiful smoke house incense burner by jan harman made me a convert. I would certainly like to share both with friends and family this year.
To Receive: I’d love to receive a holga camera. i love that when you use it, you’re never quite sure what the end result will be. “don’t think, just shoot”.
Jena at Modish:
To Give: The absolute most delicious smelling candles- a perfect stocking stuffer for anyone.
To Receive: the Lomo Diana medium format camera.
Jan at Poppytalk:
To Give: i’d love to give out little miniature moss based handmade diorama’s using these bell jars from paxton gate to all my friends (all unique for each person).
To Receive: this box collection of divers unglazed ceramic objects by anneke harmsen i recently came across and have been dreaming of ever since. i’m really drawn to collecting at the moment and love the idea of having drawers (like they do in museums) full of beautiful things found and handmade that i could pull out once in a while and be inspired.
Birdie at Dear Ada:
To Give: My go to gift this holiday is the Principles of Uncertainty by Maira Kalman.
To Receive: a hand woven, tracks plaid blanket by Tina Ratzer at Branch Home.
Gary at Spray Glue:
To Give: Lillian Belted Dress, Black from Hayden-Harnett.
To Receive: Nike Quickstrike Blazers from Urban Outfitters.
