I’m having a difficult time getting my act together for gift guides. I’m going to do the usual ones that have had the most traction in past years, but let me know if there’s anything specific you want to see! I feel like I have absolutely EVERYTHING I could want this year. Truly. This list is a stretch because I just feel so incredibly grateful for this past year. Buying a home with Mike this summer was the absolute best and everything else was just a bonus. So… I’m all set.
But to have a little bit of fun here, I’ll FORCE (😉) myself to put something together.
ARTWORK // This would probably be something I buy for myself, but Mike and I have been collecting pieces of art for our house. It’s been fun and interesting to see what each of us likes… we definitely have different tastes! I love searching for fun things online and discovering new artists via Instagram– and we’ve been going to art fairs too. I can’t wait to start hanging things on our walls… probably in 2020 😂 I have a fear of commitment.
CASHMERE HOODIE & JOGGERS // I’ve been on the hunt for comfy cashmere joggers. I love this set– but black or grey?! I’d love either!
LE CREUSET // Truth be told, I think this is what I’m going to get Mike for Christmas this year. It’s something he and I would both love to use. (He doesn’t read the blog so I’m safe, ha.) I think it’d be fun to start a tradition of giving a piece over the years to stock our kitchen with the best of the best!
GINGER JAR // I don’t really need any more ginger jars, but I don’t think I’d have a hard time finding a home around our house for another one!
CHANEL BAG // Absolutely, 100% gratuitously adding this here… but I love my navy Chanel bag so much that I kind of want a black one 🙊
Shop My Wishlist
Le Creuset is such a good gift! I received one of the coastal blue cast iron casseroles a few years ago as a birthday present and absolutely love it. Tip from me: don’t go too small! Even if you are only cooking for two, you tend to make larger quantities of stews, ragus etc. and always need some clearance above the liquid line.
Love this list, Carly! You’ve actually given me quite a lot of gifting inspiration for my family and friends!
Happy Wednesday!
Michael
https://www.mileinmyglasses.com
Pleeeeeeaase do a gift guide for guys! I have the hardest time with my manfriend every year.
Agreed!
Great gift ideas especially the artwork and kitchen upgrades. I hope you have a great holiday season.
http://www.elspethsdaybyday.com
Wonderful post! If you’re looking for new gift guide ideas, would you be willing to do one on ethically made/sustainable gifts? Or one of charitable donations type gifts (e.g. heifer international)? Thank you for your hard work!
Would also love a charitable guide or a small businesses/woman owned guide! I am trying to be more conscious of where my dollars go and would love to help out a small or woman owned business.
I got a cashmere jogger set last year and it was the BEST thing I bought all year!
chevrons & éclairs
Get another Chanel — you deserve it! Life is too short to not do little things like this. (And in the span of a lifetime, it really is a little thing!)
I have the oval le creuset Dutch oven and I use it weekly. I’d recommend the oval over the round, you can fit a whole chicken in it! I second the other post about gifting donations. Or ideas on where to volunteer as a couple or with friends as an option.
Hey! Not sure if Mike (or you) would be into it, but Le Creuset has a Star Wars collection that’s pretty amazing. (https://www.lecreuset.ca/star-wars)
Have you considered looking at antique stores/flea markets for ginger jars (the real deal) or artwork? You just never know what treasures you’ll find, and it’d be great fun with you bf.
Gift guides for the 3-year-old and under set would be great. I have several nieces, and I never know what to get for a 1- or 2-year-old.
I love the cashmere hoodie! I had a well loved cashmere cardigan my gma got me from Jcrew for about 6 years before I donated it after moths got to it and all the buttons broke in half.
I get stress sweat a lot (even w good products) and that’s my only hard part w cashmere being dry clean only. I have some great vineyard vine cashmere sweaters I got on mark down but I don’t wear them super often in fear of pitting them out. I can’t wear fleece pullovers for this reason- the smell gets embedded in the polyester.
Maybe I need some underarm guards 😂.
Have you heard of tommy john? They have really soft pajamas etc.
You can wash cashmere and merino wool. I have been washing minbe for years and they hold up better than if you dry clean them. The chemicals can be so harsh.
Le Creuset is a CLASSIC! I love your idea to make it into a tradition, it will mean so much more when you use it!
For a gift guid I’d love one for the person who has everything/grandparents. My grandmother will go out and buy herself whatever she wants so she’s impossible to shop for, especially on a tight budget!
MY advice is to take it slow on the artwork, but only buy what you love nad buy quality art and you will have it for a lifetime.
Carly-I love that you are interested in art, and (as someone who works in the gallery/art world) I agree with the above comment. Art is an aesthetic object and one aspect of the interior design process, *but* it’s also SO much more than that. My advice for any of your readers would be to take caution in purchasing art online, (not that I haven’t done that myself!) but because it’s difficult to know exactly how the work has been framed; I mention this not just in regards to the exterior framing but also in regards to the type of glass or plexi used, types of mounting, glues, pastes, etc. All of these really affect the longevity of the artwork. For New York/NJ readers who are looking for quality art, might I mention Open Studios at the various art colleges throughout the city and the Brooklyn Flea for newer art (there’s a great print collective of young artists who usually show there). For collectors just starting out, it IS also possible to find art that won’t break the bank and is likely to increase in value if that’s something you are interested in. Most of the art that fits into this category is not contemporary, but again in NYC there are many galleries that are accessible from a monetary standpoint: The Old Print Shop for one. Also, see the majority of the galleries on the UES, many of which showcase artworks from the pre-20th centuries from the thousand dollar range and up. Anyway, that’s my two cents. Seldom do I like to give it, but after 8 years in galleries and 9 years in grad school for art history (yikes), I decided that it would be ok just this once. 🙂
Because I’m a nerd, I love to watch The Antiques Roadshow. I know nothing about art, but I adhere to the Roadshow adage, “But what you love and you won’t be disappointed.”
Shoot! That should read *buy what you love, not but.
I loooooove Antiques Roadshow too! And totally agree. 🙂
Le Creuset is also on my wishlist this year!! I want one so I can make the Mark Bittman no-knead bread it. I told my boyfriend I will also accept anything from Aesop, lol.
Carly!! Super random but I was bored and started reading your blog from the beginning including your old college posts – they are SO great, it’s crazy to see how far you’ve come! I’m dying of curiosity though – whatever happened to California Funk, Georgetown Boy, and Little V? Do you still keep in touch with any of them? I loved their appearances in your posts!
I can’t wait to have my own house so that I can ask for stuff for Christmas!! I want all the ginger jars and have nowhere to put them!
Xo, Kelsey
http://www.petiteinherheels.blogspot.com
Would faint if I got a Chanel
Hi Carly,
Have followed for years and wanted to rec my friend Kim Hovell (www.kimhovell.com) if you are looking for art! She is a local celebrity in Annapolis and paints dreamy coastal / oyster art. You may really like it for your home because it has a slight nautical twist. (She didn’t ask me to write this at all, just came to mind when I saw your post about art. Promise it’s not me- I make aesthetic slime for stress relief/anxiety lol!)
Chrissy
I really love when you post about presents/gifts. Doesn’t matter if they’re for you, or gifts you want to give, or even ideas for gifts! When the holidays come I never know what to buy and you always give me great ideas!
After it dried! They start out pretty flat and the more give the linen has the better it is to cover up mistakes 😂 (The holes pop right back to normal!) I let them dry overnight and then starched/pressed!
Hi Carly! What a fun gift guide! My family has a Le Creuset and it is my favorite piece of cookware in our kitchen.
As for another idea, perhaps you could think about doing a gift guide for a recent grad or someone starting out in the professional world?
Thank you! Have a great day 🙂
I find Le Creuset so heavy. If you don’t already have several pieces, you may want to try All Clad.
Ginger jars are never a bad idea!
xoxo, Southern & Style