Here we go, friends, the annual gift guide. My apologies that this is coming so late, with Hanukkah almost over. Hopefully you saved your gelt and can go shopping for yourself. As always, these are all things I own and love.
Honestly one of the best jams I have ever eaten. Such a pure and beautiful plum flavor, and perfect packaging.
Triangle Cutting Board • Fort Standard
I like everything that Fort Standard makes and was eager to get my mitts on this cutting board. It is as beautiful hanging on the wall as it is on your table.
Who doesn’t like boobs?
These amazing geodes with pyramids carved into the top are one of my new favorite things. Chicago’s Asrai Garden is where I buy most of my rocks, and many of my holiday gifts.
I’ve always wanted to take a photo of myself holding something up against a blank wall. People seem to love it so much, and so this custom photo book provided me with a great opportunity. Artifact Uprising is a wonderful company in Colorado that makes beautifully designed and produced photo books and calendars. We gotta start printing our photos, people! This is a great way to start. And for the record, taking photos this way is just okay.
Spending hundreds of dollars on pajamas may not be for everyone, it probably wasn’t for me until my friends at Sleepy Jones sent me these pajamas and I became a convert. The fabric is exactly what I want pajamas to be, cool and smooth, and they feel so luxurious. The perfect thing to get you through a long Chicago winter. Also, perfect for parties.
Natural Trench Chukka • Oak Street Bootmakers
While the vast majority of my readers are female (!!!), I do have some loyal guys out there and these boots are for you. I am thoroughly enjoying these chukkas from Chicago’s very own Oak Street Bootmakers. [Bonus little-known fact: male readers of this blog are much more likely to introduce themselves to me at the grocery store. I love it guys, never stop—but you have to admit it is a strange difference between the sexes.]
Tote Bag by Ben Critton • Printed Matter
I’m obsessed with this tote bag designed by Benjamin Critton for Printed Matter. It was one of the things I got myself this year that I immediately wanted to give to everyone.
It might seem like a little thing, but eating ice cream with these little spades really enhances the experience.
Coffee Salt • Jacobsen Salt Co.
I learned about this on an episode of The Mind of a Chef with April Bloomfield. She sprinkled this salt over vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce. She ain’t no fool.
Mini Tumblers • Falcon Enamelware
Enamelware will never be a passing trend for me. I love the stuff and its renewed popularity in recent years is a great opportunity to add to your collection. I am especially fond of Falcon Enamelware, and these mini-tumblers are useful for anything from baking muffins to serving snacks.
Hoosier Mama Book of Pie • Paula Haney
Saving the Season • Kevin West
There were a lot of beautiful books published this year. These four are my favorites, and will always be a part of my cookbook collection.
Remember terrarium mania a few years back? Thankfully it has died down and we can approach terrariums with clear minds. They’re wonderful, especially foresty ones like this beauty.
The Gorgeous Nothings • Emily Dickinson
Easily one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen. A collection of Emily Dickinson’s writing on scraps of paper. It is a like an art exhibition in your lap.
Iowa Pine Hand Soap • Meyer’s Clean Day
Bryan and I are both so into this hand soap. It is only available at the holidays and we stock up with enough to last us throughout the winter. It’s a good stocking stuffer, or a gift for yourself.
Katie | Artifact Uprising says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 9:37 am
love this Tim. Thanks so much for the kind words (and for the record – I’ve always wanted to take photos of something against a blank wall – ha! love it!)
Morgan says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 10:51 am
This is one delicious gift guide! Thanks for including us, your pajama commentary is spot-on!
Chef Portia at Portia's TurnTable says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 11:52 am
Love this! Loved last year’s, too.
Thanks, guys!
Louise says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 1:12 pm
Great list and I especially love the photo of the child.
Jason says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:28 pm
Great guide! Love your blog and this is pretty neat! I’m one of the guys that faithfully reads and actually makes some of the delicious things you post about.
Just ordered the Mrs. Meyers (never seen this one before). And the David Tannis book as well.
Happy holidays!
Callum says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 4:56 pm
Another male reader and baker! Will be purchasing the ice cream spades as a gift this year — perfect!
Tim says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 5:05 pm
Jason & Callum- I’ll see you at the grocery store! ; )
Kathy M says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 6:39 pm
Ayako makes the BEST jams! Not too sweet with a delicate fruitiness.
Thanks for the gift guide.
Ben says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 10:03 pm
Chukka’s AND geode rocks? Swoon.
AG says:
December 2nd, 2013 at 11:19 pm
Loved this list, especially the jammies. I have a friend who is always looking for great sets and he’s going to be thrilled when I share this tomorrow.
Jenny | Aubrey Road says:
December 3rd, 2013 at 1:58 am
Always my favorite gift guide! Thank you!
Amy says:
December 3rd, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Haha, pretty inspiration and original gift guide — as always. I trust your taste pretty much more than any other bloggers out there when it comes to this thing, and you didn’t dissapoint. Especially liked the commentary regarding the trend of taking photos of a photo held up against a blank wall, haha.
Diana says:
December 3rd, 2013 at 9:33 pm
lovely things! i just wanted to note that the boots might be enjoyed by female readers as well, particularly those who fall masculine of center. :)
Tim says:
December 3rd, 2013 at 9:42 pm
Hey Diana- Sure! I don’t know about masculinity or the center- but if the shoes fit anyone can certainly wear them. I listed them as mens mainly because of the limited sizes.
Anna says:
December 4th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
Very nice list. Any idea on the price range of the sculpted geode?? I’m within a semi decent driving range, but also don’t want to get there and just be really sad. Thanks!
Tim says:
December 4th, 2013 at 7:50 pm
Hi Anna- The one I have was around $30. They seemed to range between $30-$38, and there were a range of colors. The folks at Asrai are friendly, if you want to give them a ring and see what they have in stock.
Kay says:
December 4th, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Always look forward to your gift guide. Wonderful ideas every year. I’m wondering if you were able to find the Mrs. Meyer’s soap locally or if you ordered it? Thanks for the inspiration!
Tim says:
December 5th, 2013 at 6:30 am
Hey Kay- Most Targets carry the Mrs. Meyer’s soap! Enjoy!
Levynite says:
December 6th, 2013 at 11:14 am
“Books Is Power”???????
Is ‘books’ a name, then?
Louise says:
December 6th, 2013 at 2:25 pm
Our local hardware store has several types of Mrs. Meyer’s soaps. There are four or five scents for each type, but they don’t have the seasonal one that you bought. : ( Do you happen to know how the Artifact Uprising photo books compare visually to Shutterfly? I’ve made several Shutterfly for us and am giving one to my sister of a recent trip that she and I did in Norway.
Tim says:
December 6th, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Hi Lousie! Sometimes the limited edition scents are hard to track down. Last year our local store sold out of the pine before we got them. Norway! I’m jealous. So, I like the Artifact Uprising book better than I have liked the books printed through either shutterfly or iPhoto. I think the quality of the materials, as well as the print quality are a little better but I think the type faces and layouts are far superior with AU. That being said, I have only made one book and one calendar with AU, so I am not an expert.
Louise says:
December 9th, 2013 at 9:37 am
Thanks for your honest input. I’m probably your most traveled commenter and have been all over the world. I’ve been to Norway probably 25 times, mostly to XC ski in the mountains outside of Lillehammer, but I’ve traveled around too and finally saw The Atlantic Road. Maybe I’ll try AU this winter. My husband and I went to Greenland this summer and I also never got around to doing anything with photos I took last summer when we road the motorcycle to Alaska. While you were in Michigan this summer, we road the motorcycle from here, in PA, up through the Thousand Islands, then totally around Lake Superior. Early October we rode down to Natchez, MS. The problem with digital photos is it’s like having infinite film so the first thing I need to do is pick out the finest photos to tell the story.
kickpleat says:
December 12th, 2013 at 12:09 pm
Best holiday list ever (as always), Tim. I always buy at least one thing from it for someone I love – your taste is impeccable. I just bought the tote bag & wanted to buy the coffee salt but shuddered a bit when I saw the shipping cost. Maybe I’ll pick some up next time I’m in Oregon instead. I love Mrs Meyers soaps & really want to try the pine but they don’t sell it here, sadly. Happy Christmas!!
Sarah|pickledcapers says:
December 12th, 2013 at 4:39 pm
If everyone who is getting me anything only got me those tumblers, I would know I was on the Good list this year.
Kellie Ann says:
December 31st, 2013 at 3:36 pm
Hi, Tim
Thank you so much for the gift guide, especially showcasing Artifact Uprising. I hadn’t see that site before and made three books to give as Christmas gifts. I really appreciate your fine taste; it make gift shopping so much easier. Thanks again.