December 7, 2012

Giving Gifts with Non-Holiday Spirits

a short history of my holiday spirit

I admit it: I am a Scrooge.

It’s a hard thing to face, especially once November arrives. Every year, holiday displays (namely, Christmas trees and stocking stuffers) appear earlier in the stores. One year, while working retail at a big-box department store, we had to have the “Holiday Floor Setup” completed by Labor Day. LABOR DAY.

The story of how I came to hate the time of year between (American) Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is long and ugly, and not the focus of this post. But each year I am faced with the dilemma:

How do I buy gifts when I’m really not in the holiday spirit?

First off, I long ago came to accept that giving gifts of things is not an obligation. While the children in my family are being showered with numerous presents of toys and clothes and tchotchkes from adoring family members, I decided that giving the gift of opportunities and experiences is much more relevant to my morals and values. But when I do decide to give gifts of physical items, they must meet two requirements:

MEANING: If I am going to make the effort to purchase or make something, I want it to mean something. Whether it is a scarf for cold days or a case of handwarmers for outside adventures, a necklace someone has wanted for months or the book just released by their favorite author, I want my gift to say, “Hi there. I see you. Let me show you I understand.”

VALUE: I’ve spent the last year downsizing my life to only the most important pieces, things that hold truth and beauty for me. Things that enhance my world. When I give a gift (during the holidays or any time), I want it to be something that would make the 100 possessions (not counting clothes) that a person would keep, were they limited to such. Or feed their spirit in some way (gift certificate to a favorite restaurant or concert tickets to their favorite band).

There is nothing more tender than being valued, and I want to share that with my gift recipients.

Having these criteria makes it easier for me to decide on gifts — if it doesn’t pass the muster, it doesn’t get purchased. All that said, I’ve gone ahead and compiled some of the gifts I’ve purchased this year or previous to give you some quick and easy ideas for those who are on your list:

This single antler necklace tops my list as the gift for women. I am in love with it’s clean lines, simple nature, and sustainable creation. Introduced to me by Hannah Marcotti, I have had this one bookmarked for months.

An annual membership to SouLodge with Pixie Campbell is a gift that will provide magick, sustenance, and guidance for women throughout 2013 and beyond. With the grace of an eagle and the wisdom of our Elders, Pixie has created the space for Wild Women to blossom and thrive.

One of my favorite necklaces is a locket hand-stamped by Liz Lamoreux. Inside are the words Write Your Truth, a mantra that has carried me through the darkest times and the lightest of days. Liz not only does a full collection of her work, but also does custom lockets, necklaces, bracelets, and other adornments.

While they provide challenges for the environment with their use of paper, magazines that are printed sustainably and with mind for their impact AND bring beauty in the world are a wonderful gift for someone who needs continual inspiration and excitement. Two of my current favorites are Kinfolk Magazine and Taproot: Living Fully, Digging Deeper.

Brene Brown is one of my favorite authors, speakers, and bloggers. Her research into courage, shame, and self-awareness have given me some of my own deepest insights, and I am forever grateful. Her books aren’t just for women, either. Anyone and everyone can benefit from this amazing work, and Daring Greatly, her latest work, is just one example of her brilliance.

Buying local is really important to me, and I try to do any shopping I can from local or independent businesses/designers. For those of us not always fortunate to live near small or independent bookstores, there is a solution: IndieBound. A central network of independent booksellers and retailers, IndieBound is a great place to find those books on your recipients lists while support small businesses and independent sellers. They also have great swag.

For the mystic on your list (or the aspiring mystic), I cannot say enough about the new tarot deck from The Wild Unknown. Filled with hand-drawn images and crystal-clear messages, this deck is a delight to see and a gift to read. The creatrix has also released a companion guidebook, to grant a little extra insight into each card and reading.

What gifts are you giving this year?

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November 21, 2012

Overflowing Thankfulness

Wheat Field

Wheat Field by Lauren Tucker Photography (on Flickr) – Click for info

I have walked this earth for 30 years, and, out of gratitude, want to leave some souvenir. – Vincent van Gogh

Tomorrow in the United States we are celebrating Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Food, food, and more food for starters. That’s already sounding pretty good, don’t you think?

Then there’s family, friends, and the open table. There isn’t a holiday more open to inviting a new person, a close friend, or a long lost relative around your table.

And then there’s its purpose: being thankful.

Being thankful is important in itself. Studies have shown that being conscious about the things you are grateful for positively affects your well being, mental health, and quality of life. Being thankful is good for body, for mind, and for spirit. Gratitude, positive outlook, thankful prayers — they can change us and give us more fulfilling lives.

But what do we do with our thankfulness? Does it just sit there?

This season we could each allow our thankfulness to be a force that overflows more gratitude into other people’s lives.

What could you offer to others out of your thankfulness?

  • Are you grateful for a comfortable home? How can you use your home this holiday season to truly help someone else feel at home?
  • Are you grateful for your creativity? Could you give a work of art to a charity you hold dear for them to hang in their lobby?
  • Are you grateful for your children or your nieces/nephews/grandchildren? Could you offer a creative service to a child for free for 6 months – a sewing lesson, a creative writing course, an introduction to martial arts class?
  • Are you thankful for your health? How could you brighten the life of someone who is not as healthy; maybe a person that is home-bound.

What are you thankful for, and how will you overflow with that thankfulness so that it pours out to others?

Happy Thanksgiving!

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December 16, 2011

little things link love: gingerbread houses

Gingerbread House - 1/12 Scale Dollhouse Miniature by Hummingbird Miniature - click image to view more

Gingerbread became popular in Europe after it was introduced there in 992 by an Armenian monk.

It also had a stint as a digestive aid in the 13th century, often sold in drug stores and monasteries. Though today, we think of gingerbread in more of a cookie-type form, the original was more of a bread or cake. Many other countries around the world, however, have their own variations and names for this molasses-based treat.

Gingerbread houses came into popularity, especially in North America, with the introduction of Hansel and Gretel, by the Grimm brothers. The witch’s house in the story is the basis for the structures, dripping with candies and icing. Building and decorating these houses has become a family tradition in many homes, as well. Even in America, gingerbread has recipe tweaks from region to region, representing the availability of specific ingredients that are prevalent in each.

Here are some ways for you to explore and enjoy gingerbread houses this season:

  • Gingerbread House Maker iPhone app – If you really could care less about getting knee-deep in cookies and candies, you can digitially decorate your little masterpiece on your phone.
  • Edible gingerbread playhouse – For the kid or adult who has everything, still wants a gingerbread house – not to mention, one they can walk into – but would rather someone else make it, this is for you: a 6.6-foot high structure made by the folks at Dylan’s Candy Bar… for $15,000 in pocket change.

Have you made a gingerbread house before, or have you seen one that’s a favorite?

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December 15, 2011

Acute How-To: Simple Pop-up Holiday Cards

I saw a similar idea on Pinterest last week and had to try it!  These pop-up cards are a simple and inexpensive way to share the joy of this holiday season.

What you will need:

  • card stock {one sheet per card + extra for decoration}
  • scissors and paper cutter {optional}
  • glue stick or double sided tape

Step One:

Fold a sheet of standard cardstock {8 1/2×11”} in half.  Open the paper up and cut with scissors or a paper cutter down the fold so that you have two equal halves.

Step Two:

Fold each half down so that you have two blank cards.  Take one of the blank folded cards and cut several slits in the back {on the fold side}.

Step Three:

Open up the card that you just cut and pop in the pieces – these will be little stands for your decorations.

Step Four:

Take the second folded card and glue or tape it to the one that has the stands inside of it.

Step Five:

Decorate your card – you can cut out pictures of your kids or pets and glue them to the little stands inside the card.  Or, you can print clip art + a message {which is what I did for one of my cards}.  There are also several free downloadable holiday messages + gift tags that you can download and cut out for the inside of your cards.

{For this card, I used a free downloadable image from Eat Drink Chic blog}

Happy Holidays, everyone!

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December 8, 2010

notes on a handmade holiday: franknbones

Frank-Joseph is an illustrator and designer living in Manhattan. Find his fabulous hand-printed dinosaur Christmas cards in his Etsy shop.

Here are his notes on a handmade holiday:

A popsicle stick snowflake, smeared with white tempera paint and splattered with glitter was the first ornament I presented to my mother during preschool. As early as I can remember, our family’s Christmas tree has always been an eclectic hodgepodge of memories and handmade bling.

Like a magpie, I was attracted to shiny objects. Tin foil stars, and silver jingle bells with red ribbon joined the collection of holiday zhush. Another year, I gifted styrofoam ball ornaments, that had been decorated with metalic fabric slivers and bedazzled with sequins, held together by straight pins.

As my dexterity progressed, so did the complexity of my ornaments.

Bakable clay candy canes, painted white and red soon latched to boughs. Ornate ceramic gingerbread men, painted and glazed from an autumn art class quickly followed.

Every holiday season, I look forward to helping my mother dig past the boxes in the attic labeled “FJ’s College Stuff” and bringing down the box labeled “Christmas Decorations.” The day spent dressing the crooked tree, always cut from the forest behind our house, is filled with laughter, spiked eggnog, and family memories.

While I won’t be able to share her Christmas tree forever, I am looking forward to the day when a pudgy hand hands me his own glittered snowflake.

Filed Under: holiday, paper goods Tagged With: , , , 1 Comment