Let's gift...the girlfriend swag bag

Hello, July - how did you sneak up on us so quickly?! 'Tis the season for beach trips, girlfriend getaways, bachelorette weekends and weddings, so today I'm sharing a gift idea that can be customized and used for your gal pals for any occasion!

The "girlfriend swag bag" can be customized to your recipient and/or occasion. Image southern giftologist.

The base of your gift would be a fun cosmetic or make-up bag - then you can fill it up with general necessities (such as mine above) or make it more focused to a particular theme: makeup, hair, nails, luxe toiletries - be creative! The possibilities are endless! The best part is you can go as low-end or high-end as you like to fit your budget.

Happy Summer and Happy Gifting!

What's in my bag, above: Essie nail polish, Herbivore Botanicals body oil and after sun spray, gum, face blotting papers, fun keychain, designer bandages, blister bandages, pill case (with Tylenol and Advil), Emi-Jay hair ties, mineral water face spray (great to keep in your cooler by the pool or beach), Scout cosmetic bag, rollerball perfume, Nash+Jones natural lip balm and Marvis toothpaste. 

Let's gift...travel goods

I've had travel on the brain, which you will see reflected in this post and likely another one or two in the future. We are also on the cusp of "Wedding Season" so I wanted to offer an alternative gift idea to the standard registry fare. This gift was inspired by one my husband and I received from some dear friends when we were married - a personalized large boat tote with two large, fluffy beach towels. As active boaters, this has been invaluable and used year after year and so I used the "boat tote" concept as a base for a fun, travel-related gift that can be customized based on the recipient and their lifestyle.

Just a few elements that would make a wonderful travel-related gift - courtesy of my Olioboard.

It seems that most everyone either heads to the beach, lake or mountains for a vacation at some point during the year, so start with these items as a basis for your gift:

1. A sturdy tote bag - my favorite is from LL Bean.
2. Add some good beach towels for those that enjoy the water.
3. Make sure they stay hydrated with a good water bottle or two. I like the fun colors and designs of the Swell bottle.
4. Sun safety is very important so throw in a bottle of sunscreen suitable for the outdoors.
5. Treat your recipient to a great pair of locally-made (in Nashville) flip flops by Southern Polished.
6. Wildsam Field Guides or any local interest guide would make a great addition to your gift.
7. Lastly, make sure they have travel snacks for their journey by providing some yummy, local goods like this gift basket by High Note Gifts.

Are your idea wheels turning yet? The beauty of this gift idea is that you can customize to fit your budget and/or your recipients lifestyle. In closing, I leave you with this little story...

Several years ago I had the honor of attending our former exchange student's wedding in France. I wanted to gift them with something unique from the U.S., so I had a large LL Bean boat tote personalized for the bride and groom and also gave them some Nashville treats. The gift was a hit with the French newlyweds as they frequently visited the French coast and I will never forget the bride's new obsession with the "Goo-Goos" (insert cute French accent here).

Happy Gifting!

Gift wrapping goals

Maybe it's just me, but the first couple of months of the year are a bit of a "gifting lull" after the craziness of the holidays. There are a few birthdays here and there, but it's nothing like the Graduation|Mother's Day|Father's Day|Wedding Season that seems to descend upon us beginning in early May. 

In previous posts, I've talked about my gifting goals - creating a gift budget and stocking up on stationery and greeting cards - so that I'm always at the ready. Today, in that same vein, I want to share with you my gift wrapping goals for 2017.

Has it ever happened that you had the gift ready, the card ready annnnndddd...you realize you are lacking a gift box/bag/appropriate wrapping paper for said gift? No? Lucky you! For some reason the gift delivery vessel often slips my mind and leaves me unprepared. Not this year! I have found various gift bag sets at both Michaels and World Market, so I've stocked up on small, medium and large gift bags to keep at the ready. I also added tissue paper and ribbon to my supply bin.

But wait! There's more! I decided to go with a signature color for wrapping most gifts - obviously it's not a one-size-fits-all solution, but it should cover roughly 80-90% of my gifting occasions which leaves me more time to focus on finding the perfect gift.

Of course my signature wrapping was going to closely match my logo colors! Image southern giftologist

Happy gifting!

Stationery goals

Hello, 2017! A new year means many of us set resolutions and goals for the upcoming year. For those of you who have followed my blog, it should be no surprise that I am a big fan of handwritten notes and cards, so today I want to share with you one of my goals for the new year - stocking up on stationery.

Life happens, right? Births, deaths, celebrations, not-so-celebratory events - yes, some of those occasions could be acknowledged with a text or a Facebook post, but some should not. Aside from picking up the phone for an actual conversation, a handwritten expression is sometimes the most appropriate. Besides, who doesn't love opening the mailbox and seeing that someone took the time to sit down and write a note of thanks, sympathy, celebration or even a simple "hello"? 

Notecard by West Park Creative. Image southern giftologist

The challenge I have found myself faced with in the past was not having the proper card to send - and who has time to run to the store for a card every time "life" happens? So this year, my goal is to curate my own mini-Hallmark, if you will. I will strive to have some card or stationery on hand that can cover those more common needs of expression - thank you, sympathy, congrats - or simply, hello.

Top two cards by Breathless Paper Company and bottom two cards by Tiramisu Paperie. Image southern giftologist

Keeping a well-stocked stationery collection doesn't require a lot of space - I just used a plastic container and organized my cards by occasion. Having a book of stamps - gasp! retro! - on hand also helps keep me prepared for any card-giving or note-sending event - fun pens optional!

All-occasion note set by R&B Printery. Image southern giftologist

So the next time you run across some fun, locally-made cards or stationery, stock up - you never know when "life" will happen and have you reaching for the appropriate card. Happy gifting!

Let's gift...something practical

What would your reaction be if I suggested gifting sheets, laundry detergent and soap this holiday season? I will admit - I am gifting some of those items this year. One of my goals when giving is that the item is useful to my recipient. Do I always achieve that goal or follow that rule? Of course not! Some gifts are meant to be fun, frivolous objects. But today I want to share with you some of my top practical gift ideas - with a twist!

There are a couple of people in my family that are very difficult to buy for - I mean, every year it's a struggle. One year, a particular couple was moving from one house to another right after the new year. Do you know what we gave them for Christmas? Bubble wrap, packing tape, sharpies and labels. Their reaction? Complete joy. What was our last-ditch attempt at figuring out a good gift probably turned out to be the most used and appreciated items we've ever given them. 

So I present to you some ideas for practical, yet gift-worthy items:

All photos courtesy of product websites (clockwise): Humphreys Street, Emi Jay, Red Land Cotton, Roux Maison, Music City Suds, Mason Pearson and Nash+Jones.

1. Soap: Humphreys Street or Local Economy hand soaps or all-natural bar soaps from Nash+Jones, Humphreys Street, Music City Suds or Little Seed Farm make great gifts. I'm currently digging the honey almond bar from Nash+Jones and the peppermint bar from Humphreys Street.
2. Hair ties: The "Hair Candy" line from Emi Jay is fun and makes a great stocking stuffer.
3. Brush and comb: The ones pictured above from Mason Pearson are a splurge but the Rake Comb is my absolute favorite!
4. Sheets: The husband and I treated ourselves to a set from Red Land Cotton recently and they are by far the best sheets I've ever had. Apparently I should have been buying quality 100% cotton sheets from the beginning. They also offer sets of dinner napkins and fun tea towels which would make great hostess gifts.
5. Room spray: Who doesn't need a room spray from time to time?! Conway Minty by Music City Suds is my go-to and has been gifted to others on more than one occasion.
6. Laundry detergent: Roux Maison's delicate detergent and stain remover are part of my laundry arsenal. They have scented and non-scented detergents and also specialty detergents for swimwear and sportswear.

There you go! Don't be afraid to treat someone to some specialty "practical" gifts this holiday season or better yet, to treat yourself to some of the products mentioned above!

Happy Gifting!

Let's shop...fresh blue mornings

Wow - where did fall go? It seems as if the summer just ended and now we're on the cusp of the biggest shopping season of the year. While most everyone is mapping out their Black Friday shopping, I know that most of you are mapping out your Small Business Saturday shopping for November 26th - right? I thought so...in that case, let me introduce you to a lovely shop in Nolensville, TN - fresh blue mornings.

the shop is a bit hidden - it's on the lower, back side of the strip center that houses other shops and restaurants. image southern giftologist.

I was introduced to this shop a year or so ago by my friend, Meredith, who lives in the area. We visited around the holidays and I found these awesome sheets of retro holiday wrapping paper which I loved. So, I wanted to get back over there to see what holiday (and non-holiday) goodies Laura, the owner, had stocked.

holiday goodies - including a retro holiday wrap pack with twine, washi tape and tags. image southern giftologist.

So what can you expect to find at fresh blue mornings? Well, aside from the very cool old-school pink handset telephone that serves as Laura's business phone, the shop is full of grown-up party supplies, cards, candles, notepads, fancy matchbooks, washi tape, stamps, gift wrap, stationery, pens, pencils...basically great gift options!

this pack of prints was less than $20 - they could be framed or hung from clips on the wall..a fun gift for a teen or college student. image southern giftologist.

So be sure to check out fresh blue mornings on Shop Small Saturday or anytime you're in the Nolensville, TN area and say hi to Laura! Happy Gifting!

the pink telephone! image fresh blue mornings

Let's shop...Southern Jerky Co.

As I've mentioned before, I love finding local shops that carry local products - I am continually amazed at how many great local food makers and artisans we have in Nashville. With my day job in the Cool Springs area of Franklin, it's hard to find stores in that area that specialize in all things local. But, thankfully one does exist! I'm excited to introduce you to Southern Jerky Co. located on Seaboard Lane in Brentwood - the Franklin part of Brentwood, as I call it. I first tried Southern Jerky at the Taste of Tennessee Wine Festival a couple months back. At the end of the festival I went back to purchase and the line was at least 15 people long (great for her, bad for me) so I decided to make a visit to their storefront one day - and that day was a couple of weeks ago.

Inside Southern Jerky Co. Image southern giftologist.

I wasn't sure what to expect (other than jerky, obviously) but what I found was also a wide array of local products. Jennifer, one of the owners, was on duty when I stopped in and graciously gave me the rundown of the Southern Jerky products and invited me to try as many samples as I wanted. They make jerky (beef and chicken) and these delicious protein bars. I loved the location and the product selection! Southern Jerky can also put together gift baskets of the products they carry - a great gift for any occasion. With this weekend being Father's Day, they will have representatives from some of the brands they carry in-store on Friday and Saturday offering samples of their goodies, so if you're still looking for a gift (or treats) for Dad, this is your place! Check out their Facebook page for the latest happenings.

So next time you find yourself in Cool Springs, be sure to stop in Southern Jerky, pick up some delicious products and say "Hi" to Jennifer. Happy gifting!

Yummy items that came home with me! Image southern giftologist.

Let's gift...birthstone jewelry

Have you seen the calendar? Mother's Day is May 8th! My dear grandmother used to wear a "mother's ring", as we called it, with a birthstone for each of her 7 - yes 7! - children. I remember, as a child of the 80s, birthstone jewelry took up pages and pages in the JC Penney and Service Merchandise catalogs (yes, I just dated myself). Maybe times have changed or maybe I'm way out of touch (or possibly a little of both), but birthstone gifts don't seem to be quite as common as they once were. However, as we look ahead to Mother's Day (or any special birthday) let's look at two local artisans who offer a modern twist on birthstone jewelry.

I first saw Dear Mushka's work at last year's Made South Market and love her simple, yet beautiful designs. These beautiful gemstones are candy for the eyes! Create a set for Mom or treat your best friend, sister or daughter to a special piece or one of the other fabulous pieces available on her website.

Birthstone bracelet, earrings and necklace from Dear Mushka. Image Dear Mushka.

Another Nashville artisan that I've had my eye on for a while is m.florita. While her Nashville-pride jewelry is what I typically see on my social media feeds and around town, I recently caught sight of her gemstone pieces and think they also deserve a place in the spotlight! The bracelet below reminds me of a current-day mother's ring...but in bracelet form. I think my Granny would have approved. This piece and several other gemstone items can be found on her website or at her shop in the Arcade in Nashville.

Hammered bangle & gemstone bracelet by m.florita. Image m.florita.

While we've focused mostly on these gifts for Mother's Day, we can't overlook the upcoming wedding season! The above pieces (and many others from Dear Mushka and m.florita) would make beautiful options for bridesmaid gifts as well. 

Happy gifting! 

My Granny's mother's ring

Gift Flash!

Looking for a useful - yet not too boring - gift for a new graduate or soon-to-be newlywed? Consider an etiquette or home/garden reference book. While not a book used daily, necessarily, they sure come in handy when you have a specific need or question. And besides, not everyone loves Googling and sorting through thousands of search results every time they have a question!

Some of my most-referenced reference books...image southern giftologist.

Happy gifting!

Let's get organized and create a gift budget!

Hey, everyone! How's 2016 been treating you thus far? Like bears, those of us in the accounting world kinda go into {work} hibernation during the early part of the year, so I hope you'll excuse my brief absence. To me, Spring signals the beginning of a slew of gift-giving occasions that lead into Summer - graduations, weddings, Mother's Day, Father's Day...so on and so forth. Many of us are so busy with our daily lives that one day we look at our to-do list or look at the calendar and realize we need a gift for X occasion, like, yesterday! So, in the spirit of the new year and new resolutions, let's talk about a gift budget.

Like a regular financial budget, you have to set aside a bit of time for this process, but think of how it can pay off in reduced stress and feeling prepared for your gift buying! So let's get started...

First, you need a calendar/list of all your important gift-buying occasions (birthdays, anniversaries, holidays) and how much you typically want to spend for said occasion. Then, think about how much of a runway you want to give yourself - a deadline if you will - for buying that gift. You can also add notes or ideas for each recipient so you're more focused on your shopping. Here's an example:

I need a birthday gift on May 20th and I want to spend $50 on my recipient. Since I know early May is super busy for me, I want to have that gift purchased by May 1st. So, since I'm a paper-list person, I make a note to start gift shopping around April 20th (however, with all the great apps for smartphones out there, some of you may use that method for your gift reminders). That way, I'm thinking ahead about what I want to buy, I'm not stress shopping and best of all, I'm done well ahead of schedule! 

Yeah, I'm an old-fashioned paper kinda gal...image southerngiftologist

The great thing about budgeting in this manner is you can be proactive and intentional in your gift-giving without running for that gift card tree in a panic. So, let's be organized in our gift-giving this year...who's with me?

Last minute gift ideas

Here we are...Christmas Eve...and I'm guessing there is someone out there racing around today for last minute gifts. Whether it's the thrill of last-minute shopping or a complete "I have no idea what to get so-and-so", I'm here to offer up some ideas (some of which my loyal readers will recognize from previous blog posts!).

Cozy throws make a great last-minute gift. Image Peacock Alley Instagram.

1. A beautiful water carafe - pair with some fun paper or cloth cocktail napkins
2. Coffee-table book - pair with a ceramic bowl and some local snacks
3. Local/regional cookbook - pair with a fun dishcloth and cooking utensil 
4. A cozy throw, quilt, sheets or fluffy towels - who doesn't love brand-new linens or cozy blankets? I picked up a new throw at Peacock Alley in Nashville yesterday - so soft and comfy!
5. Local cocktail mixers - pair with a bottle of appropriate alcohol, cocktail glasses and bar snacks
6. Spa gift certificate - give the gift of relaxation! This is one exception to my "no gift card" rule.
7. Museum or zoo membership - as I discussed in a recent blog post, give something the recipient can use all year and may not typically buy for themselves
8. Basket of local goods - there are so many wonderful, local products available so put together a local gift basket of items your recipient may like!

Happy last-minute shopping!

Let's stuff those stockings!

We're in the final days of Christmas shopping and many of you may be at the "stocking stuffer stage" - your remaining gifts are fun, little things for the stocking. This past week on Instagram and Facebook, I shared some of my favorite stocking stuffer ideas which I will recap below, along with some other fun ideas. Hope it helps someone with their final holiday shopping!

Fun pens or pencils

Moonshine Boot Wax

Local bath or hand soaps - Little Seed Farm, Music City Suds or WOW Soap

Paper coasters and/or paper straws

Small pottery bowls for rings, keys, decor

Fun coin purse with a gift card, cash or coin assortment (great for vending machines at work!)

Notepads, list pads or sticky notes

Travel-sized candles

Fun box of matches

Cocktail napkins

Jewelry

Fun keychain

TruBee lip balm or honey

Bang Candy Company marshmallows, caramels or syrups

Cocktail mixers - Walkers, Eli Mason or Barsmith

Roux Maison travel-sized stain remover or detergents

Local snacks/seasonings/chocolates - Batch Nashville store at the Farmer's Market has an abundance of fantastic gifts that will fit nicely in those stockings

Room spray from Music City Suds (love Conway Minty!)

Fun socks

stocking stuffers! image southern giftologist

Happy gifting!

Let's gift...A Membership or Subscription

The holiday shopping season is in full swing! Are you done with your shopping yet? Still wrestling with what to gift to friends and family members or not sure what to ask for yourself? Then let's talk about membership and subscription gifts!

A great idea for a family gift - especially if the family has children - is a membership to your local zoo. We have been members of the Nashville Zoo for many years and membership offers access to members-only events or just being able to skip the ticket line when we do visit - which can be as many times as we want during the year. Even during the winter you'll get that one random warm day where the sun is shining and a walk around the zoo is perfect for getting some exercise and fresh air. This is also a great gift idea for older friends and family members!

Image Frist Center for the Visual Arts

Another membership idea that you can tailor to the interest of your recipient is to a museum or outdoor garden. Here in Nashville, we have many museums but probably the most recognizable ones are the Frist Center, the Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum and Cheekwood Gardens. An annual membership allows the recipient to visit as many times during the year as they wish and again, offers access to members-only events. It truly is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year.

Image Cheekwood Art and Gardens

Other fun membership gifts could be to a gym, yoga or other fitness class, the local YMCA or even AAA or some other roadside assistance membership for those who make frequent road trips. Have a craft beer fan in your life? How about a local Mug Club membership to their favorite local brewery? This is an especially great guy gift!

Lastly, there are subscription gifts - and I'm talking about more than just a magazine subscription (which I feel is still relevant for some recipients). What about hopping on the trend wagon and gifting one of the many "box subscriptions" out there such as Nature Box or Birchbox? A quick Google search of "subscriptions gifts" indicated there's something out there for pretty much every interest. These monthly or quarterly subscriptions can offer a fun surprise of new products to try throughout the year.

Image Nature Box

Have other great subscription or membership ideas? Let us know in the comments below...

Happy Gifting!

Holiday Gift Idea: Local for Local

Ok, so the holidays are fast approaching - have you started thinking about your gift list yet? Here's an idea for those of us who exchange gifts over the holidays with friends or family that live in another state - consider a "Local for Local" gift exchange!

Nashville goods. Image southern giftologist.

The concept is simple - agree on a dollar amount (or not!) with the only criteria being that the gift must contain locally-made or sourced goods from each respective state or city. How easy is that?! And what a great way for each of you to seek out and discover local goods not only from where you live but also from another area!

Does your recipient like to cook? Your gift could be as simple as a local cookbook!

So if you and a buddy decide on a local for local gift exchange, post a photo on social media with #southernggifts so we can all see the cool stuff you gave and received! Note: You could also apply this concept to "secret santa" and "white elephant" exchanges that you're involved in.

Local goodness. Image southern giftologist.

Happy gifting!

Let's shop...High Note Gifts

I understand - life gets busy and shopping for gifts can become a burden or chore. Next thing you know, you're stressing out about that gift for "insert occasion here" that you need to find but time to do so is what you really need. Wouldn't it be great if there was an online shop where you could find unique, local gifts to send for any occasion? Well there is! Today, I'd like to introduce you to Nashville-based High Note Gifts.

The Bourbon Bundle. Image High Note Gifts.

This online shop offers the best in locally-made goods from the Nashville area. They create their own gift combinations but will also work with you to customize gifts to meet your gifting needs. Want your gift to include certain local products? They can do that! Best of all, they work within any budget to make sure your gift is perfect for your recipient and for your wallet. Additionally, they offer corporate and special event gift services - just contact them with details of your occasion and budget and they'll work on creating a gift to fit your needs.

Just For Her gift. Image High Note Gifts.

For the holiday season - Halloween through New Years - they're offering special holiday-themed gifts. I follow them on social media and love seeing their creative ideas!

Trick or Treat basket. Image High Note Gifts.

So what are some occasions where you might find High Note Gifts to be your go-to source? Pretty much any gifting occasion! Get well, housewarming, birthday, welcome-to-Nashville, farewell-Nashville or simply a thinking-of-you gift. 

Welcome Home gift - I think this would make a fantastic housewarming gift! Image High Note Gifts.

So next time you find yourself struggling to find a gift for that upcoming occasion, consider letting High Note Gifts take the stress from you and put together a custom, local gift that's perfect for your recipient.

Happy gifting!