We all have folks in our life, who truly don’t need a thing. Yet you want to show them love and how much you enjoy having them in your world. Here are 5 consumable gifts they will enjoy using, thinking fondly of you every time. Consider what might be a bit of luxury for them, a treat, and indulge them this gift giving season.
This first one is a favorite of mine. The monthly arrival of a special magazine is a very thoughtful gift. You can tailor it to your recipient’s interests and they can enjoy the curated content, then pass it along to another friend. Double win!
Magazines are one of my favorite indulgences.
Paper is another savvy consumable gift. I love stationery, notepads, wrapping paper, greeting cards, etc. As happiness expert, Gretchen Rubin points out, we can be a bit of an under-buyer in this category. Maybe someone on your list would enjoy a being stocked up with personalized stationery or a pack of special greeting cards and stamps. Added bonus…support a local independent maker! Here’s a quick list of some of our favorite creative makers ~Thimblepress, Kat McCall Papers, Sara Fitz,
Notepads and jotters galore for 2021!
The gift of listening to music, a podcast, an audible book ranks high on the list of consumable gifts. Perhaps a gift of music & an Echo speaker, or Kindle Unlimited membership, or the gift of a podcast (also it’s free!) suits several folks on your gift list. One of my favorite podcasts is Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project! Take a listen here.
Count on Darlings Fine Things to have the best bath and beauty products. Luxurious treats for relaxing and taking care of oneself, like this Green Tea & Peony Bath Soak by Niven Morgan. Remember they will ship your gifts for you.
This therapeutic bath soak features lavender and mint.
No consumable gift list would be complete without food and beverage gifts. Is your gift recipient a tea or coffee lover? The talented team at Just Add Honey has many choices, including a gift certificate, for your tea aficionado. What about a handmade gift certificate for a tea-time together outing at their Beltline location?
parTEA in a box – sip at home kit from Just Add Honey
For gourmet treats, we’re stocking up on Schermer’s Pecans gift boxes. Perfect for teachers, tutors, and coaches alike. Salty or sweet? Why not both!?
Neighbors, teachers, friends alike will appreciate this tasty gift.
While the 2020 holidays look a bit different, let’s celebrate with our loved ones the best way we can. Remember to order early for best selection (supply chain kinks) and best shipping prices. Let us know some of your favorite consumable gifts on our Instagram and Facebook pages. Happy gifting!
Get ready for gift giving season now! To help out, we’ve rounded up 5 top gifts for her. You know, the ladies in your life, like your mom, your BFF, your sister, your sister-in-law, your aunts. You get the idea. According to consumer guru, Clark Howard, it’s more important than ever to shop early. Avoid higher shipping fees as the season merrily rolls along, and avoid possible out of stock issues due to the pandemic. This week also kicks off the shopping season with Amazon Prime Days and Target deals. If you’re not an Amazon prime member, take a look at the program details here.
Gift giving season is almost here.
Let’s make mask wearing a bit prettier and handier with this mask necklace from Lucy Inspired. Lucy is a talented jewelry maker, dear friend, and you might recognize her from “Beach Flip” on HGTV.
Genuine brown leather necklace with a cute vintage-style key charm
Since I’m wearing less lipstick these days, I’ve focused on my hands and nails. What lady wouldn’t love this London Butter Little Luxuries set? Four beautiful shades to match your holiday moods, and not something I would buy for myself. A thoughtful gift indeed!
We will travel again, even if it’s a car trip, and to celebrate that give her a new, shiny, pretty travel mug from NYC’s Effie’s Papers? Choose from any number of designs of these thermal double-walled mugs.
Tantalizing travel mugs by Effie’s Papers
Darlings Fine Things always has the best gifts! Natural stone necklaces, “Zara“, features a 30” antique gold plated chain. Available in (photo) Jasper, Snowflake Obsidian, Quartz, Green Aventurine, Rose Quartz, Dalmatian Jasper, Amethyst, Amazonite, Black Onyx.
Who doesn’t love a new necklace?
This stylish, hard working leather tote bag is a smart addition to any ladies wardrobe. Ā It stands open upright so you can see what’s in there, holds a 13″ laptop and tons more, and it is easy to clean. Ā Lots of fashion colors to choose from too! Ā
Simple, classic style, this leather tote is a thoughtful gift.
Make your list, check it twice and happy shopping! Next up, gift guide for grandchildren and a gift guide of consumable (gifts that get used up) gifts. Cheers!
February was a fabulously Ā fun and busy month for us! Ā First, our son’s rehearsal dinner and beautiful wedding at The The Stave Room (stunning photo backdrop, thanks to ASW Distillery) and then we hosted a baby girl shower for our oldest daughter who is expecting their first child very soon.
So, please enjoy some moments of pink and gold happiness from the Atlanta and NYC Baby Girl celebrations, perhaps taking some notes on recipes and decor for your next celebration.
Topping off the light chicken salad luncheon, guests had their choice of delicious CamiCakes cupcakes or pretty pink sugary sweet iced butter cookies. Ā Some of us had to taste both!
Sugar succulents by Nicolettsy and cupcake toppers by SmashCaked, both on Etsy
Aren’t those sugar succulent toppers the cutest?! Ā It’s amazing what you can find on Etsy.
Pink and gold decor on the bar with cups and napkins by our fav,Ā Sequins and Lipstick
In keeping with our baby girl pink and gold theme, our dear friend and tastemaker, Paige Minear ofĀ The Pink ClutchĀ suggested the perfect rosemary, grapefruit cocktailĀ recipe from Australian blogger, Tell Me Tuesday and you can get itĀ here. Ā Pretty and pink!
Remember to look in your cabinet for serving pieces as shown by the mint julep cup holding the gold and white paper straws.
Parents to be, Molly and Jim
Do you know Atlanta-based Blablakids? The cutest, softest stuffed animals ever…here is Rivier the elephant, all ready to welcome Baby Girl!
We’ll keep you posted on upcoming developments as there’s nothing like a new baby to bring joy to our world.
It’s beginning to look at lot like Christmas! Ā We’re getting in the holiday spirit this week as we prepare for the NMP Holiday Gift Show, this Thursday evening – Saturday. Ā You’ll find over 90 of the South’s most sought-after designers, artists, makers, food and more.
Here’s a quick preview of some what we’re bringing to the NMP Holiday Gift Show…
Melamine Appetizer Plates Allegra Red set/4
Small Squares with Mighty Words by Thimblepress
As a true partner in the Atlanta community, this 34th annual event directly supports the preschool’s scholarship program. Ā We are honored to be part of this talented and dedicated group, and look forward to seeing you there, and at steve mckenzie’s!
On our trip to Jackson, Mississippi to visit Kristen Ley and ThimbelpressĀ to learn how to letterpress, we also had the opportunity to learn about Cathead Vodka. Steve loves a nice vodka, and to learn about a small maker was exciting; we couldn’t pass it up!
As you’re well aware by now, we love all things southern, and a southern-made vodka is no exception. Located on the edge of downtown Jackson, near the Mississippi Museum of Art, Cathead distillery was fantastic!
Mississippi ushered in prohibition in 1907 and it was not repealed until 1966. Fast forward to 2011, when Austin Evans and Richard Patrick first opened as Cathead. These boys not only love their vodka, but they love the delta blues of the region. In fact, the distillery is named after the legend, Son Thomas, known for his cathead sculptures he sold at his blues performances.
Because of their love of Delta Blues, Cathead’s founders incorporated a fantastic philanthropic element to their business, which makes the story even stronger. They support manyĀ foundations by giving a portion of their sales to different organizations, which support preservation of the blues heritage. In fact, on theĀ Cathead website, you can view some of the amazing blues videos and see great commercials featuringĀ legends of the Delta region.
Some of the southern flavors being produced by Cathead areĀ Pecan and Honeysuckle. They’re absolutely delicious, and over the next few weeks Steve will be sharing some new recipes he developed using their vodkas. In the meantime if you are in a hurry, you can check out other recipes here.
If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in Jackson, take a tour of Cathead and try a tasting Thursday ā Saturday. Until you can visit, Ā here is a photo-tour of the distillery…
We’ve also sampled their Gin and it makes the perfect Summertime Gin and Tonic! Next up is the Hoodoo Chickory Liqueur (barrel pictured above). We are excited to see where this spirit will take us.
Being full of holiday goodwill, Steve’s gone wild and the most of the store is 25% off (some exclusions apply). Visit us the shop on Dec. 28 – 30 for best selection, and online savings with the code WILD2017, expires midnight 1/1/2017. Ā Start 2017 off right by saving!
25% off some exclusions apply including Match Pewter, Le Jacquard Francais, Gien, Royal Crown Derby.
Here inĀ the steve mckenzie’s showroom, we’re currently in the midst of a fantastic art show, featuring Mississippi artist, Kristen Ley of Thimblepress! If you aren’t already following Kristen’s work and dynamic personality on social media, you should be. She’s a gal to keep an eye on for sure, and we feel so lucky to be able to showcase her art in store throughout the month of June. During the rest of the year, we typically have a wonderful selection of Kristen’s handmade, letterpress note cards, which are not only beautiful, but too cute and cheeky!
Kristen Ley
Kristen is such a creative, and fun-loving individual, we thought you’d enjoy getting to know her a little better. She graciously agreed to participate in this “Who you NEED to meet” feature, and we’re so excited to share a bit more about Kristen and her work with Thumblepress with you here…
sm’s: Can you please share a bit about your background/how you startedĀ ThimblepressĀ and how you gained the courage to break out on your own?
K: I majored in graphic design in college and had a marketing and branding firm for 5 years with a friend of mine in Charleston, SC. I moved back to Jackson, MS in our fourth year of business and opened an office. We both ended up getting offered full time jobs that we could not turn down and at the time in the market, having an 8-5 job started to look shiny and nice. I worked at the high school I graduated from, Jackson Academy, for 2 years doing marketing, branding, and advertising work for the school. In those two years I purchased my first letterpress and began to learn and obsess over the craft after getting off work everyday. My first Thimblepress office was half of a garage I shared with my roommate at the time and my bedroom. Printing where there was no central air or heat was interesting duringĀ the extreme seasons; from printing in barely nothing during the summer to ski gear in the winter. I learned a lot in that garage, about myself and what I wanted Thimblepress to be. My job was super supportive of my Thimblepress pursuits. I traveled for craft shows all over (i.e. Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, South Carolina, Nashville, Jackson). I really started to fall in love with printing, and the idea of making things I love; things I poured my soul into for a living. Even with a full time job, I was able to attend my first wholesale show in Chicago, and then the National Stationery Show in May of 2013. After the stationery show in NYC it was very clear where God wanted me to be. I prayed a lot about starting another business full time. I questioned it and wondered if that is where God wanted me to be. I had my mom and aunt as my little prayer team trying to see what God wanted me to do. I began asking him to slam doors shut and blow them open. Boy has he blown doors open. In June of 2013 I was able to confidently leave my full time job and go at it with Thimblepress full time. God honestly gave me that courage to take that huge leap of faith. Without Him, none of this would be possible.
sm’s: What inspires you/your designs?
K: I am constantly inspired by the colors, seasons, and places around me. Right now, I am really inspired by color and lots of it. I have always had a love of bright colors, but ever since I have been making the confetti Push-pop’s and staring at buckets of color, I have found myself painting with lots of beautiful colors all intertwining. I am also inspired by travel and getting out of my comfort zone. When you make yourself a little uncomfortable you tend to grow as a person, and ultimately as a creative individual.
sm’s: What your vision is, not only forĀ Thimblepress, but also the individual pieces you craft?
K: I want to create work that makes people happy. I want to create work that inspires others to chase their dream. It still makes me so happy and honestly gives me chills anytime anyone buys even the smallest thing I make. Everything I create is hand-painted, hand-drawn or hand-made. There is so much soul and love that goes into every piece we make, so when someone wants to send a card to someone that they love so dearly and do it with one of my cardsā¦ that moment is special for me. My vision is a day to day vision. I try not to get so wrapped up in the future. Yes, there are things we plan for, things we create and have in waiting to get produced, but I am letting God steer this ship. Ultimately Thimblepress is about happiness, memories, family and color.
sm’s: What do you see as mainstays in your collection?
K: I think our State Flower collection is something that will stand the test of time. It is classic, unique and something I really poured my soul into.
sm’s: What are the differences in your collections – i.e. how do you create such unique designs that still work together under theĀ ThimblepressĀ brand?
K: I love to make things. I have always loved lots of different things. I have lots of different friends all with different personalities, walks of life, looks, and ages. A lot of people see our work and note that there is a lot of range in terms of the looks in Thimblepress, and to me that is just a reflection of me as a person. I am a very eclectic person and feel like I have different periods of creation when I’m inspired by different colors, mediums, styles, etc. I am sure I could be a little more cohesive and make things go together a bit more, but that is just not me. I am a million puzzle pieces that don’t fit together, and that is okay with me. In essence, its kind of like confetti, which we all know I love.
– What’s on the horizon forĀ Thimblepress?
K: Hopefully to stay in business. ha! Seriously though, I have the best team ever. I am thrilled to see how our team will grow in the next year and if we have to expand and get more space.
We are hoping to create more home goods and accessories. We started searching for manufacturers in the USA to help manufacturer some of our ideas about a year ago, so we are continuing that journey. I am excited to show what we have done!
sm’s: As an artist/business person how do you recharge?
K: I love to travel and experience new cultures, people and food. The great thing about what I do is that it allows me to travel a good bit, and if my pup Willow get’s to make the journey, well that just sweetens the deal. When I am at home and have pulled all nighters, I love to paint, watch netflix or just nap in the sun. I’m pretty simple. š
We just love Kristen and all of her Thimblepress designs, and we think you’ll be just as excited about her original artwork as well! Be sure to come into the steve mckenzie’s showroom and check out her beautiful and vibrant artwork that’s on display now.
And thank you so much to Kristen for sharing a bit about herself and her journey to creating fabulous handmade goodies with Thimblepress!
