Season’s Greetings!
I’m all about keeping gift giving simple during the holidays so when you can find gifts that are beautiful AND personalized, too, it’s a win-win for all!
In 2015, I suggested experiential gifts, books and more.
In 2016, I suggested sensory gifts and more books.
But after living through Hurricane Harvey this year, many Houstonians have realized that we don’t need a lot of the stuff that we have. During the evacuation, most of us protected family heirlooms, art, and jewelry. The rest of our “stuff” didn’t matter.
So this year, I’m recommending artistic gifts … and of course a few more books!
My favorite artistic gifts to give this year:
- Art you can wear! My dear friend Mista Whitson lives in the gorgeous mountains of Asheville, NC and she is a gifted watercolor artist. I hired her to paint Eric’s family farm as a wedding present to him and then she surprised us with a wedding present of a watercolor of the two of us from our wedding day. They are two of the most treasured pieces of original art we own! Now Mista is designing tiny watercolor pieces of art that you can wear as jewelry! Necklaces and earrings that are simply delightful and always make me so happy to wear them. She will create custom orders for you and ship anywhere in the country. The price is right and she’s delightful to work with. Tell her I sent you!☺
- Stunning jewelry that feels good. My first “real” job at 16 years old was working at Cappiello Brothers Jewelers in my hometown of Ridgefield, Connecticut. I learned about fine jewelry during those years and still remember taking more than a year to save up $400 so I could buy myself my first piece of “real” jewelry – an amethyst and diamond ring. (I still have that ring and plan to give it to Riley some day!) Other than books, jewelry is probably what I buy myself the most often. I saw one of Heather Chappelear’s stunning Coptic Crosses in a photo a few months ago and knew I had to own it. What I didn’t know is that the beads are made of white turquoise which is a very healing stone and every time I wear that necklace, I feel balanced and beautiful. Amazed that a piece of jewelry can make you feel that way? Buy one of Heather’s creations and see for yourself!
- Whimsical art. I’m not usually one to buy street art, but when I passed Katie Leese’s booth in New Orleans, I couldn’t take my eyes off of her adorable birds. Bright, colorful and with positive messages, these make great little gifts and the price is right!
- Heirloom art. If you want to give a meaningful gift to a loved one, look no further than commissioning Catherine Gauche to create a masterpiece of your child. I adore Catherine’s process because she invites the child to her studio to paint the background… Riley had a blast! Then, Catherine goes back and paints a portrait of your child over the canvas that your little one created using a photograph that you furnish as a guide. When I received this piece of art yesterday, it literally took my breath away. I can’t share it here because I’m giving it to Eric as a Christmas present, but it’s definitely one of the best investments I’ve made in giving a meaningful gift from a brilliant artist.
And of course More Books – When in doubt, buy books! While I love to give books that I’ve personally read, it’s important to keep in mind who is receiving the gift and what their hobbies and interests are. A few of my favorites from this year:
- Patti Digh’s The Geography of Loss. For anyone who’s experienced loss, this is a stunningly gorgeous book helping us to create maps to navigate the journeys of our lives.
- Sheryl Sandberg’s Option B. I got to hear her speak in Houston earlier this year and I was so inspired by how she faced the sudden death of her husband with such grit and grace. This book is about how to live life to the fullest, even when it doesn’t turn out how you think it’s going to.
- Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and Turning Pro are excellent gifts for anyone in your life who is creative but gets blocked from time to time (um, that’s all of us, right?!) They are small books with a BIG impact. If you buy these for a friend, be sure to buy some for yourself, too.
Hope you got a few good ideas here. If you have more creative gifts to share with me, I’d love for you to hit reply and tell me about them!
Here’s to smooth and easy holiday gift shopping for all of us!
Elizabeth
P.S. And by the way, if you’re a woman entrepreneur in Houston, you may want to give yourself the gift of a Vision Board Retreat with me on Friday, January 12th. A great gift for yourself and your business (or a friend and her business!) to help set you up for success in 2018!