The Pineapple Clutch, $38 at the Tiny Tassel
Listen. This is just VERY CUTE.
Turn Your Photo Into Paint-By-Numbers, Mii Creative
These kits are a surprisingly good deal: You upload your photo, and it's turned into a paint-by-number -- either straight-up, or as pop art -- and you're delivered the canvas and the paints and brushes. A friend of mine did one and his was looking gorgeous last he posted a photo of it. They're currently half off, at just under $50, but I don't know when the price will go back up. Even at full price, an activity for long winter evenings seems worth $100. - H
ODii Tool For... Reaching Stuff
I am the person whose socks fall off the side of the dryer into the worst place. And whose phone or keys or money or ponytail holder drops down next to the seat in the car. This is a $25 gadget that purports to help you be able to reach things in tricky tight spots. - H
Fire & Wine Cowl Hood by Plush Armour, $256 at Etsy
How cozy and yet also VERY GLAMOROUS is this cowl/hood/scarf situation? I want to move into it and never, ever leave. - J
Coozie Coats, $19
Speaking of snuggly-looking things, these are hilarious. Puffer coats for your beer, or soda, or... beer! - H
Pathway Pendleton Blanket, $329
Obviously, a Pendleton blanket is a classic gift and something you will keep for the rest of your life -- they only get better looking as they age. This beautiful one, per the brand, was "created exclusively for the American Indian College Fund, a nonprofit organization that helps fund scholarships for Native American students and tribal colleges. Your purchase helps support their honorable mission." That is awesome!
- J
Crochet the Golden Girls, by Allison Hoffman, $24.99 at Books a Million
PLEASE one of you buy this and use it, or give it to someone who will! Per Books a Million, "Along with the 64-page instruction book, the kit includes the following materials needed to crochet a Sophia doll with purse." WHAT A TREASURE. - J
Silly Succulent Plush, $20 at MoMa
You cannot hug your real-life succulents without running into issues, but you CAN hug this one! - J
Schitt's PJs
These were $45 last I checked. I wish there were some that said SHE HATH RISEN. Maybe next year. - H
MoMA and Vans Faith Ringgold Classic Slip-On Sneakers, $85 atMoMa
How CUTE are these sneakers? They're a collaboration with the amazing American artist Faith Ringgold, and they're so wonderful. - J
Verdigris Eden Earrings, $50 at We Dream in Colour
We Dream in Colour is one of my FAVORITE jewelry stores -- their work is gorgeous and dramatic and memorable. These are a fabulous option for the person in your life who loves a dangly earring. - J
Zingerman's Sour Cream Coffee Cake, $49-$70
Hello. This is simply the best coffee cake I've EVER eaten and it magically keeps forever. It is a holiday staple in my home -- and I don't mean that in the wide-ranging "the home of my extended family" sort of way, I mean that I buy myself this coffee cake every year just for myself. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT. It's also a very nice thing to send to friends and loved ones you won't get to see in person this year. Just trust me. - J
Two Clouds Above Nine - Large Reticulated Rectangular earrings by linguaNigra, $154 at Etsy
These earrings are INSANELY GORGEOUS. Like a lot of jewelry on Etsy, these aren't mass-produced, so if you have a yearning, don't wait too long to snap them up. Fantastic. - J
Personalized map of your city!
These look pretty nifty -- they're from an Etsy seller that can do a bunch of variations if the gold leaf look is not your jam. There's a wide variety of sizes, too, and they take 1-2 weeks before they ship so you can get it in time for Christmas but MIGHT miss Chanukah (unless you're the person who doesn't mind giving a printout of the gift as a placeholder). Oh, and shipping is free in the US and Canada. -H
"Holiday" Luxury Candle, $45 at the Harlem Candle Company
EVERYONE likes getting a fancy candle! If you're not sold yet, the company's description will definitely finish the job: "The Holiday candle is inspired by Billie [Holiday]’s favorite perfume, Emeraude, an aromatic green blend of fresh Winter spruce, pine needles, mint-infused eucalyptus, fir balsam and spicy cedarwood developing into a feminine heart of ethereal blue hyacinth. Strong and full-bodied, yet fragile and dreamy… just like Lady Day. Sets a beautiful mood for holiday time and all year round." YES PLEASE. This candle is $45, AND I just noticed that Harlem Candle Company is selling a very luxurious-looking four-candle gift box for $180. -J
Puzzles, $26 or $36
I saw the stunning Meta Puzzle (bottom) on Emily V. Gordon's Instagram (if you're a puzzle fan, she does them ALL THE TIME and has some excellent ones; I'm still waiting for her friend who made the Prince one to find a way to sell them). That same company also makes the deeply amusing Banana Hands, the disco glasses, and the hilariously retro party spread. I believe the top two are 500 pieces, and the other and Meta are 1000. - H
Sage Green Cups by OTYCeramics, $48 at Etsy
How dreamy are these cups? You can drink from them, of course, but I think they'd also make a beautiful receptacle for jewelry. So elegant. This whole Etsy shop has BEAUTIFUL items, in fact. Unusual ceramics are great and unusual gifts that you can get a lot of price points, in my experience. - J
Sandwich Earrings, by Crafty Little Dreams, $13.50 at Etsy
I always end up picking things for this gift guide that I slowly come to realize I personally want and/or need and....I probably DO need TINY SANDWICH EARRINGS, right? SOMEONE out there does, that's for sure. - J
Wine cardigans!
'Tis the season to be comfy. On the left, there's a stripey one from Anthro for $128; in the middle, one from the Gap that comes in four colors and runs up to XXL; on the right, one from Old Navy that is currently available in 2X and 3X. - H
Squishable Hedgehog, $45 at The Huntington Store
Look, you might have a child in your life who needs a squishable hedgehog. But you might also have an adult in your life who needs a squishable hedgehog. YOU might need a squishable hedgehog. Find out at the Huntington Store! -J
Broken Plate items
This store in Baltimore literally breaks vintage or donated plates and turns them into keepsakes -- so, if you've inherited china you don't want but you also don't want to trash ALL of it, you can turn it into a necklace. She does custom work but there is also stuff for sale to anyone; it sells out, but she has a couple pendants made from Spode Christmas plates ($38). There are some VOTE plate pendants like this one for $35 also. I couldn't resist the FUCK wall art ($120). -H
Read, Romance, Repeat Box, $40 for six months at the Ripped Bodice
This is so rad! The ladies at The Ripped Bodice have started a romance book subscription box. You get two surprise novels (and a cute gift) every month. This feels like the most perfect gift for the person in your life who loves romances! It's also a great way to support one of the country's best indie bookstores. - J
Multicolored Earrings by Esh Jewelry Collection, $23.80 at Etsy
How cheerful and fun these are! (And very well-priced.) Feels like a perfect gift for your sister, mom, best friend, or any person in your life who is snazzing up her Zoom meetings with fun earrings. - J
Polymer Clay Earrings by Two Roots Shop, $54 at Etsy
These fun numbers remind me of grown-up Colorforms in the chicest, best way. (I am recommending a LOT of earrings this year.) This whole Etsy shop is fab, and these are a great place to start. - J
Copper Water Bottle, $25 at Abroad Modern
These water bottles are SO pretty. They'd look as nice on a dining table as they would out and about. - J
Game of Phones, $50
This phone-based scavenger hunt is the type of thing you could play over Zoom, I think, because from what I can tell only one of you needs the cards. I think? Anyway, seems good for your housebound teens, or selves. -H
Highlights Top Secret
These are packs for younger kids, where they're sent an mystery centered around a different region and they learn about it while trying to eliminate five of the six silly suspects. It's REALLY cute. Amazon has deal on the first month and then subsequent months are $14, I think? -H
Gambibgo Oval Basket, $75 at Ti-a Woven Goods
Ti-a Woven Goods is one of my favorite places to buy gorgeous baskets -- I have this particular one for my magazines, and it is ASTONISHINGLY gorgeous. You could keep SO many things in it and it's just a lovely piece for your home. They also have an amazing handwoven wine caddy which feels like a deal at $35! The baskets are all handmade, fair-trade, sustainable pieces made by women's co-ops in Ghana. - J
Goods from Alaffia
Alaffia is a company that, through women's cooperatives throughout Africa -- chiefly Togo I think -- seeks to empower local female artisans by paying them fair wages and promoting gender equality and safe working conditions. The result is a website that sells everything from woven baskets to textiles to personal care products. Samples here: The basket was created in Ghana; there are a variety of shampoos, conditioners, curl products, shave cream and lotions, and kid products in scents like lavender, mandarin-ginger, coconut lime (or they all come unscented also if you prefer). And the top left pillow cover ($24) is part of the Queen Alaffia program that provides shelter, employment, and healing to women who were caught in the sex trade. The site offers free shipping for purchases over $50. - H
Legendary Children: The First Decade of Rupaul's Drag Race and the Last Century of Queer Life, by Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez
Our friends Tom and Lorenzo published this fantastic book earlier this year, and we are very bummed the pandemic scuttled their book tour. But the book is glorious, living up to the promise of its wonderful cover. It's currently backordered at Bookshop.org, so I'm linking to Amazon for this one -- but I bet your local indie would love to send it to you, too! - J
Scratch-Off Cocktails Poster, $25
This seems like an achievable project for the next phase of quarantine. - H
Llama Snow Globe, $24 at West Elm
SOMEONE you know needs a llama snow globe in their life. - J
The Timepiece Bracelet, $89 at Oma The Label
This bracelet is -- as the name implies -- inspired by a traditional watch band (and I think it would look really cool worn with a watch with this sort of band). It feels somehow both special AND like you could wear it everyday. - J
Women's Silk Leopard Pajamas, $75 at Abroad Modern
You know I can think of no greater compliment than saying that these pjs would ALSO make great wallpaper. It's true!- J
Bacon and egg boxers, $9.50 at J.Crew
If there was ever a year to find joy in your underpants, or the underpants of others, surely it is this year. Why NOT breakfast on your undercrackers? - J
Kumkumbatia earrings, $66 at IV By David
This is another one of my FAVORITE jewelry stores. Everything David Quarles IV makes is gorgeous -- but these dangly numbers felt like a great place to start. - J
Elizabeth I bust, $29.15 at the National Portrait Galley
I feel confident that there is at least one person reading this who knows someone who would be DELIGHTED to receive a tiny plaster bust of Elizabeth I to come live with them. - J
RBG pin, $12
Rest in power, Ruth. Sniffle. - H
"Cootie Stick," $28 at Parker Thatch
This is a real Covid-friendly gift (and perfect for those of us who are becoming germaphobes!) You can attach this to your key chain and use it to open gates, poke at the buttons on an ATM or to get a ticket at a parking garage, etc. Stick it in a stocking!
Zabar's Mug, $4.98
Doesn't this classic, great mug make you feel like you look cool and unflappable in a 70s film set in New York? You have a great brownstone and also the perfect Levis. Cheers! - J
Zabar's Central Park Basket, $169
I really, really think that if you have someone on your list who already has everything, you should send them snacks. Snacks, by their very nature, WILL run out eventually and people will want more of them. And people love snacks. This gift basket from Zabar's also feels like a special treat from New York City, even if you and/or the gift recipient are nowhere near it. - J
Chill Pill necklace, etc.
There's some cute and reasonably priced stuff on the Kris Nations website, like the Chill Pill ($68), the Grit ring ($50), the enamel hoops ($50), and that pretty starburst ($30, which says it's half price). - H
That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life by Marissa Mullen, $28 at Anthro
What a delightful idea for a book! (It might be nice to give someone this book along with a bunch of fancy cheeses, or maybe a nice platter?) - J
Kitchen gadget
Y'all know I love a little gifty kitchen knick-knack. The top are these Bluapple things that supposedly extend the life of your produce in the fridge drawers, and people seem pretty happy with them. Below it, a ridiculously cute utensil caddy that drains into your sink through the elephant trunk. On the bottom right, we have a silicone bacon grease keeper, which interested ME because I never have something on hand I can use to dispose of grease because I do not plan ahead and keep my cans and such. And the top right thing just made me laugh. It looks like a little rocket but it's apparently a motorized pan-stirrer? If you ever find yourself needing to multitask while also "stirring constantly," well, this thing is for you. -H
A Very Special 90210 Book: 93 Absolutely Essential Episodes from TV's Most Notorious Zip Code, by Tara Ariano and Sarah D. Bunting, $24.99 at Barnes and Noble
This book is EXTREMELY entertaining and we are confident there is a 90210 megafan in your life who would chortle over it all holiday season long. Exchange an egg for it! - J
The Royal We, and The Heir Affair, by us!
Hello! We wrote these books! And what a DELIGHTFUL couple of novels to buy for the Anglophile on your list who loves books about people having romantical issues, and/or enjoys books about royalty with problems! You can buy these anywhere you get books, but I'm going to link to Bookshop.org this time. Pick up The Royal We here, and The Heir Affair here. - J