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

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

Happy gifting!

How I love thee, Porter Flea...

Did you make it out to Porter Flea's Summer Market this past weekend in Nashville? I did and, as usual, left with a bag full of goodies and a list of new artisans/makers to follow. My first Porter Flea was at Marathon Village several years ago and I was hooked. My favorite Porter Flea was at Cornelia Fort Airport - not that you asked. Some of my favorite things have been purchased at Porter Flea (like my Modern Arks record cabinet from the Cornelia Fort year). What I love most about this event is that my shopping moods are different at each one; thus, what I buy totally depends on my mood that particular day and there are so many FABULOUS vendors to choose from!

Usually, I drag my husband along to these events. At first he was a reluctant participant but a few years ago, he was zeroing in on cool items and started buying his own stuff. Last year, I got my friend, Jenna, to attend for the first time...I ran into her Friday night at the preview market and the next day she was texting me pictures of all her cool finds. This year, I introduced two more friends to the Porter Flea experience - I gotta admit I was worried. One friend lives in Nashville and is a choosy shopper - I love that she shares my cutthroat shopping approach when it comes to mall shopping, but Porter Flea...I wasn't sure how she would take to it. The moment we stepped through the doors it was if we stepped into Willy Wonka's candy factory and my worries melted away.

My friend got these beautiful leather coasters from Pantote. Image Courtney Faighes.

My friend got these beautiful leather coasters from Pantote. Image Courtney Faighes.

My other friend was visiting from out-of-town and also has a very refined shopping palate. She couldn't make the Friday preview market so I was nervous about her attending the frenzy on Saturday and advised her to get there as soon as possible after opening. I received a text 30 minutes in "I am loving Porter Flea!" and relief swept over me. She returned home with her own fabulous finds from Saturday's market.

So, on to my true mission for this blog post - what I bought at the Summer Market! I elected this method as opposed to clogging up everyone's Instagram feed, so I hope you enjoy a peek inside my shopping bag, so to speak...and get thee to Porter Flea's next market - you won't be disappointed!

From the top:

  1. Cheeky cards from West Park Creative
  2. Horrible Adorables specimen (this is going in my day job office)
  3. Pantote cross body bag with raw edge 
  4. Owlette bib (needed a baby gift!)
  5. TruBee's new beeswax candle and lip balm
  6. Nashville coloring book by Hen House Design and Go Forth Goods notebook cover (husband's Flea picks)
  7. Pantry items: Eli Mason Peach Pomme syrup, Delta Cheese Straws, Wise Butter and Baked in Nashville macarons (yum, yum!)

The gift of heirlooms

I'm diverting a bit off the traditional gift ideas path today...I recently came across an article written by Emily McCarthy for Southern Coterie regarding gifting heirlooms and it has stuck with me for a few weeks now, so I wanted to share it with you.

I think most of us, especially Southern ladies, find we develop an attachment to heirlooms of our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, fathers or any close friend or relative. Whether it's an article of jewelry, art, clothing, a book or dishes, we typically find ourselves drawn to something that speaks to us or has some sort of sentimental attachment. For me, that's my mother's class ring that she gave to me a few years ago. Another interesting, yet meaningful, gift in our family was my grandmother's pink ashtray that my dear cousin ended up with after our grandmother's passing a few years ago. Regardless of what you find meaningful, what's important is that it goes to someone - at the right time - who will cherish and appreciate the item.

The Pink Ashtray once used by my grandmother, Evelyn Worm. Image Tiara King.

The Pink Ashtray once used by my grandmother, Evelyn Worm. Image Tiara King.

The blog post on Southern Coterie links to Hannah Bergen's website which provides a kit for you to track your heirlooms - their history and the intended recipient. I hope it inspires you or a loved one to document and preserve valued items within your family.

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

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?

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

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

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

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

Image Nature Box

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

Happy Gifting!

Let's Shop...Small Business Saturday

The green flag has been waved and the 2015 holiday shopping season has begun (at least for those of us who didn't finish our shopping 2 months ahead of time)! Traditional retailers have been tempting us with their Black Friday deals for weeks, but today I want to talk about my favorite post-Thanksgiving shopping event - Small Business Saturday.

Image Pinterest

Image Pinterest

Basically, the day was created to encourage shoppers to get out and support smaller, local shops within their community (which, personally, I feel we should do much more frequently than one day a year). So, I'd like to encourage each of you to save some of your Black Friday budget to spend at locally-owned retailers in your area tomorrow, Saturday, November 28th. Be sure to post pictures of your Small Business Saturday purchases on social media with #southernggifts so we can see all your awesome finds!

Happy {Small Business} Shopping!

Happy Thanksgiving!

The gift-buying frenzy kicks off this Friday, but there's a really important holiday that shouldn't be overlooked this week - Thanksgiving Day. On this day, we partake in our turkey (or ham) feasts, indulge in all of our favorite holiday foods followed by down-time with family and/or friends and reflect and give thanks for the past year.

Image redstamp.com

Image redstamp.com

It's easy to think of gifts as physical items that we give to another person, but it's important to note that some of the best gifts could be as simple as the gift of volunteering our time to help others less fortunate or the gift of lending an ear to someone who just needs to talk through a difficult situation. There will be plenty of time to focus on physical gifts over the next few weeks, so take a pause and instead focus on the intangible gifts of your time and attention to your friends and loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving...and please pass the gravy!

Holiday Birthdays

Let me start by saying I love celebrating birthdays - not my own, of course, because I don't age - but I love celebrating other people's birthdays. I mean, a whole day dedicated to YOU and the fact that you were born! That's all fine and good if your birthday is in the middle of summer, but what happens when that special day happens to fall on December 23rd...or 24th...or even the 25th?! Or what about those birthdays that occur the first week of January - right AFTER the slew of gift-giving has occurred?! Don't even suggest that the person pick another day to celebrate their birth - that's their special day! So let's talk about ways to celebrate a birthday while also celebrating a major holiday - regardless of the time of year!

Image someecards

Image someecards

Full disclosure...I have family and friends who happen to have birthdays a day or two before Christmas - smack dab in the middle of holiday celebrations. Before I knew better, I wrapped their birthday gift in holiday paper. I did a Happy Birthday/Merry Christmas card (so embarrassing!) until one of them finally clued me in as to how cheated they felt having a birthday so close to Christmas. They felt as if it were an excuse to give them a unigift - one gift to fit both occasions. Not cool. 

Image redstamp.com

So, what can we do for our friends and family who share their special day with (or near) a holiday?

  1. Be mindful that their birthday is a separate event from whatever holiday you're celebrating.
  2. Don't wrap their birthday gift in the same wrap as the holiday you're celebrating. Don't even let the birthday wrap share the same colors as the holiday!
  3. Carve out time for the BIRTHDAY celebration/dinner/party. Don't try to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, by combining a birthday dinner with a holiday dinner unless that person insists. Even then, try to make them feel special by carving out time to celebrate just them.
  4. Birthday cake! Balloons! Sing "Happy Birthday"!
  5. Make them feel special. People bring joy to our lives - celebrate them! Without them, all the other holidays aren't the same.

Have other ideas for making a holiday birthday special? Please share them in the comments below! 

Happy holidays, happy birthdays and 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.

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!

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.

Local goodness. Image southern giftologist.

Happy gifting!

Get your {local} holiday shopping on!

Now that Halloween is over, the countdown to the biggest gift-giving season of the year has begun - but there is no need for anyone to panic! There is still plenty of time to figure out what to gift everyone on your list and I'm going to do my very best to help point you in the right direction. There are several local, holiday markets on the horizon that would provide a wonderful opportunity to think - and buy - outside the gift box this season.

Happening Friday, November 20th (noon - 7pm) and Saturday, November 21st (9am - 6pm) is the MADE South Holiday Market at The Factory in Franklin. This is a ticketed event for both days - $15.00 in advance; $19.00 at the door. I attended their first event a couple of months ago and it was chock-full of wonderful goods by regional vendors. Get more info here or check out my previous blog post about their last market here.

Image MADE South

Image MADE South

You're going to want to clear your calendar the weekend of December 4th - 6th for these next two markets. As I mentioned a couple of blog posts ago, Porter Flea is back for their holiday market Friday, December 4th (ticketed event 6pm - 9pm) and Saturday, December 5th (free event 10am - 5pm) featuring an amazing roster of artisans and their handmade goods. This event takes place at Silver Point Studios in East Nashville. Click here for more info or check out my previous blog post.

Image Porter Flea

Image Porter Flea

Also that weekend, there's a NEW holiday market taking place Saturday, December 5th (10am - 6pm) and Sunday, December 6th (noon - 5pm) - the WEHO Holiday Market & Art Crawl at the Track One building in the Wedgewood-Houston area of Nashville. This free market promises to bring together the "best of art, fashion, design and vintage" and will include artisans and vendors from Nashville and the surrounding region. This event is in conjunction with both the First Saturday Art Crawl in the area and the 2nd Annual Designers in Music City event presented by The WJA Nashville Chapter. Get more information about the WEHO market here.

Image WEHO Market

Image WEHO Market

In case you're wondering, yes, I plan to attend all three markets! If you go, please tag your photos with #southernggifts so I can see all the awesome goods you find. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

 

 

Off the beaten path...Belle Chèvre in Elkmont, AL

My day job requires semi-regular travel between Nashville and Birmingham and several months ago I noticed an "attraction sign" for Belle Chèvre Creamery just over the Alabama state line. This past week, I decided to venture off the beaten path of I-65 and travel 5 miles to the center of Elkmont, AL to visit the tasting room and shop at Belle Chèvre - and I was so glad that I did!

The cheese board. Image southern giftologist.

The cheese board. Image southern giftologist.

I managed to arrive shortly after they opened at 10:00 a.m. and was greeted by Julie who promptly offered me a cup of freshly-made French press coffee and samplings of their locally-made goat cheeses and ice creams. The space was bright and relaxing - a great little out-of-the-way stop. Not only do they offer their products for sale, but they also serve breakfast and lunch items if you need a bite to eat. The shop also offers other items such as hats, soaps, t-shirts and various other goods.

The tasting station at Belle Chèvre. Image southern giftologist.

The tasting station at Belle Chèvre. Image southern giftologist.

Image southern giftologist

Image southern giftologist

So what does any of this have to do with gift giving? I’m so glad you asked! Their goat cheeses were delicious and I’ve seen a few of them available at Whole Foods here in Nashville. It would make a great item to bring to a dinner party, get-together with friends or to serve guests at your next party or girl’s night in…just add some crackers and wine! Or, as a gift to yourself, stop in at Belle Chèvre next time you find yourself traveling around the Alabama/Tennessee state line and take a moment to savor some delicious, locally-made products!

IMG_3155.JPG

MADE South Market Follow-Up

I went to the MADE South Market last weekend and WOW...what an amazing event! Purveyors from all over the South were in attendance and I enjoyed discovering some new artisans that I wasn't familiar with. Today I'll share with you my purchases and some of those vendors I'm now following and keeping in mind for the upcoming gift-giving season!

Here's a peek inside my shopping bag. Image southern giftologist

Here's a peek inside my shopping bag. Image southern giftologist

I blame it on the fact we visited right before lunch that I bought so many food-related items, but it was all in the name of research! Here's what I went home with - some for gifts, some for me:

  1. Guitar notecards from Oak + Ink
  2. Candies from the new Seersucker Candy Co. 
  3. Old Fashioned mix from Eli Mason
  4. Nokes Granola
  5. Molly & Me pecans
  6. Gents ginger ale & cocktail mixer
  7. Great Bear Wax Co. Autumn candle - can't wait to start burning this just as soon as the weather cools off a bit more!

Here are some other vendors that caught my eye that I'm keeping in mind for future gift-giving occasions:

McQueen Pottery: I fell in love with several of their pieces and can see their pottery making a wonderful house-warming or wedding gift.

Cotton & Pine Creative: It's no secret I'm a sucker for cool stationery, prints or other paper products and these guys have a fun selection of all of those.

I foresee gifting several of these coaster sets this year. Image Cotton & Pine

I foresee gifting several of these coaster sets this year. Image Cotton & Pine

Mitchell Bat Co.: I will admit at first glance I thought "oh, baseball stuff" and yes, they have some really cool baseball bats and related products. However, what caught my eye were the neat Tennessee products - hats, t-shirts and pennants. I see their products making great guy gifts!

How great is this pennant for a kid's room, man cave or college dorm room? Image Mitchell Bat Co.

How great is this pennant for a kid's room, man cave or college dorm room? Image Mitchell Bat Co.

There were so many other great artisans representing at MADE South Market that will likely appear in future blog posts as we get closer to the holidays. I hope the folks at MADE South will host this event again next year and if they do, be sure to check it out!

Happy gifting!

 

 

Let's gift...cocktail mixers

It's no secret that gifting a bottle of wine or six-pack of beer is an easy, timeless hostess or housewarming gift. Stock-the-bar parties are a no brainer - gifting alcohol is typically one of the easiest, go-to gift ideas. But how can you set your gift apart from all the other bottles of "insert liquor here" gifts? By pairing that bottle of alcohol with an awesome, local cocktail mixer. 

Let's start with Bang Candy simple syrup. I have tried at least four of their flavors by now and love how versatile these mixers are - you can find a flavor to pair with most any liquor. What I love about these, too, are that they mix well with iced tea or soda water to make a delicious non-alcoholic beverage. One of my favorites this summer was mixing the Lavender Mint syrup with iced tea. For the alcoholic variety, my go-to is the Spiced Smoked Orange with bourbon. With Fall knocking (hopefully) at the door, try the Pumpkin Spice in your coffee or latte - delicious! More recipes can be found on here on Bang Candy's website.

Gift it: 1 Spiced Smoked Orange Bang Candy syrup + 1 bottle good bourbon + Bang Candy boozy caramels OR

1 Pumpkin Spice Bang Candy syrup + 1 bag of local coffee + Bang Candy marshmallows

I typically buy my Bang Candy syrups at Hester & Cook. Image southern giftologist

I typically buy my Bang Candy syrups at Hester & Cook. Image southern giftologist

I consider the next two true cocktail mixers - sorry, I don't think these mix well with anything other than alcohol, but if you know of any non-alcoholic recipes, please post them in the comments below! I recently picked up a bottle of Walker Feed Co.'s Blackberry Margarita Mix from the Batch store - yum! Just mix it with tequila and you have yourself a delicious drink! I believe their Southern Bloody Mary mix is their most popular but they also have Honeysuckle Sour and Strawberry Rhubarb flavors which I have not yet tried. 

Gift it: 1 bottle Walker's mix + 1 bottle appropriate liquor + some fun cocktail glasses or napkins

Image Walker Feed Co.

Image Walker Feed Co.

Lastly, I'd like to introduce you to Eli Mason cocktail mixers. I love being able to mix up a delicious cocktail at home without a bunch of fuss or a lot of ingredients and with Eli Mason's Old Fashioned cocktail mixer I can do just that. Find their other mixer flavors here, where to buy here and drink recipes here

Gift it: 1 bottle Eli Mason Old Fashioned mix + 1 bottle good bourbon + 1 box of Willas shortbread cheese biscuits

A warm summer evening calls for a cool cocktail. Image southern giftologist

A warm summer evening calls for a cool cocktail. Image southern giftologist

Cheers...and happy gifting!

 

Let's gift...a book

Over the past few years we've seen e-readers and iPads take the place of traditional books and magazines. However, I'm still a believer in the old fashioned book - especially coffee table books...or grown-up picture books as I sometimes call them. I realize I'm quite likely in the minority on this, but I still believe paper books can be great gifts.

Coffee table books can bring beauty to a room and are great for browsing - especially if the subject matter is reminiscent of a great trip, a place or theme one really enjoys or just filled with beautiful pictures. Local guide books or picture books also make great gifts. I love the Wildsam Field Guides which highlight certain U.S. cities and are great for those who love to travel or are just are enamored with a particular city.

Regional books I keep on my bookshelf. Image southerngiftologist

Regional books I keep on my bookshelf. Image southerngiftologist

Giving the gift of a great - perhaps regional - cookbook can be a wonderful gift idea whether the recipient loves to cook or not. Many cookbooks are essentially beautiful picture books - I was gifted with a cookbook from Blackberry Farms and enjoy it for the beautiful photos as much as the delicious recipes it contains.

Cookbooks! Image southerngiftologist

Cookbooks! Image southerngiftologist

Last, but certainly not least, a book from the Images of America series makes a great gift for those who enjoy history or have a very specific interest. I have a family member who's a long-time fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and gave him an Images of America book about the Cardinals a couple of years ago - and he loved it! These historical picture books span so many subjects - you're likely to find the perfect one for your recipient.

Images of America books from my own collection. Image southerngiftologist

Images of America books from my own collection. Image southerngiftologist

So the next time you find yourself stumped for a gift idea, head on over to your local bookstore (they do still exist!) and browse the shelves for the perfect gift...a book.

The $10 - $15 gift challenge

A friend of mine recently asked for help coming up with hostess gift ideas for 6 ladies that were throwing her a shower. Easy, right? Well, not so much when she says that her budget is between $60 and $70 in total. At that point I could have easily pointed her to the $10 Starbucks gift cards but that's not the southern giftologist way, and I knew we could find something local and/or creative within this budget. At some point we all are faced with finding gifts in this price range - hello, white elephant or secret santa gifts during the holidays?! And so I present 5 ideas for gifts that come in at $15 or less - for those times we need to gift on a smaller budget:

1. Tin candle from Southern Firefly. The Grapefruit Mangosteen is one of my favorites, but they have several scents to choose from. These candles can also be found at several stores around Nashville or on Southern Firefly's website. Pair with a decorative box of matches to complete the gift!

2. Travel-sized laundry products from Roux Maison. Elevate the laundry game by gifting a couple of these trial-sized products. Sold in sets of 3, you can order a couple and mix and match depending on the recipient. Choose from stain remover (supposed to be one of the best), scented detergent, delicates detergent or swimwear detergent.

image southern giftologist

image southern giftologist

3. Fun office supplies from Poppin. Yes, I realize this is my second post to mention this company and no, I don't work for them, but they ARE one of my go-to sites for gifts. And who doesn't love office supplies in bright, fun colors?

4. Shopping lists or notepads. I love the ones from Rifle Paper Co. and Southern Fried Design Barn both of which I have seen at Green Door Gourmet. Add a recyclable grocery bag, tote or a decorative hand towel and you have yourself a useful gift.

Hand towel and notepad from my personal collection

Hand towel and notepad from my personal collection

5. Last, but certainly not least, consider giving the gift of local food products. There are so many wonderful companies out there making delicious products that could (and likely will) fill an entire blog post alone, but for the sake of space on this post I'm only going to mention a few. Two of my go-to places for local products are the Batch Shop at the Nashville Farmers Market and Green Door Gourmet. 

  • Box of Willa's Shortbread cookies or bag of Nola Granola and a fun snack bowl from West Elm or Anthropologie
  • Jar of Nashville Jam Company jam or TruBee honey accompanied by a pretty spreader, spoon or loaf of fresh, artisan bread
  • Bag of Soberdough bread mix and a bottle or two of local beer (one for the mix and one for drinking while the bread is baking!)
  • Six-pack of local beer with a bag or two of Sweet Meat Jerky (great guy gift!)
Local goodies I purchased at the Batch store

Local goodies I purchased at the Batch store

So there you have it - some of my ideas for gifting on a budget. If nothing else, I hope I've helped spark an idea or two of your own or introduced you to a new product or store that can be a resource for your gifting needs.





This is a blog about gifts

Welcome to the southern giftologist blog, where we’ll traverse the gift-giving (and receiving) waters! Exciting, right? It is to me! I can’t explain it, but I enjoy shopping for gifts for other people more than I enjoy shopping for myself. Over the years, I’ve had friends and co-workers routinely ask me for gift-giving advice or ideas and, generally, people seem to really enjoy the gifts I come up with. I have no special training in this area – by trade, my job is in corporate America and I do LOVE my day job! But, crunching numbers all day leaves me craving a creative outlet, which I have found in shopping for and giving gifts or coming up with cool gift ideas…and so this blog was born.

So, what can you expect from this blog? I’ll share gift ideas for any occasion, we’ll talk about stressful gift-giving scenarios, we’ll explore local stores in my wonderful hometown of Nashville, TN, and we’ll feature local products and goods – which will hopefully inspire your own creative gift-giving ideas and challenge you to think outside the {department store} box and steer you away from that gift card tree when you’re just too tired to think about giving the perfect gift.

Let’s begin, shall we?