Unusual, Caring, & Artistic Presents For Family, Friends & You

Combining ethics with shopping

Buying presents makes me happy—especially when shopping small & buying from good people. Below are some of my favorites: places I’ve frequented, places with ethics and beautiful products—shopkeepers who’ve earned my return business many times.

BELMONT BOOKS (not just for books), TEES & SWEATSHIRTS

I can’t stop buying these Belmont Books tees because a) they are SO comfortable, b) the purple is the best purple ever, and c) they support Belmont Books, a local bookstore that is a) filled with incredible choices, b) owned by the best people (truth in advertising: great friends own this shop, and c) filled with staff who genuinely know how to recommend books—here’s looking at you, Tildy & Audrey.

SWEETEST THINGS SHOP

I’m not even a big lavender fan, and I’m in deep love with these candles from the Sweetest Things Shop. I met the owners at SOWA Open Market (home to great Boston crafters) and fell in love with them and the best-made candles. The wicks are unusual and work better than any I’ve used, and candles burn forever! (And they have much more in their shop!)

GIRL NOVEMBER CRAFTS

Have you ever fallen in love with a washcloth? A cleaning cloth? First, I fell in love with one a friend crocheted for me, and then I fell head over heels with these from GirlNovemberCrafts. I mean, I fell hard. I look forward to washing my face the way I used to look forward to eating a chocolate chip cookie. Okay. A bit of an exaggeration. But man, these are a pleasure to use—I don’t know how else to say it without sounding as though I’ve gone bonkers.

PENZYS SPICES

Anything from Penzy’s makes a great stocking stuffer!! They are a company with a moral center and a heart of gold. I use the above spices from the wonderful Penzeys to make the most beautiful chicken soup (bringing my Jewish chicken soup to a new neighborhood). Here’s their description:

Bangkok, Thailand is one of the world’s great, great food cities. Much of this greatness comes from the way cooks there bring flavors together to move past interesting and arrive at delicious perfection. Our Bangkok Blend is a great example. Looking at the label seeing Spices that might be new to you like Galangal or Lemon Grass you might be asking, is this a Blend for me? Rest assured it is.

Hand-mixed from: ancho chili pepper, garlic, ginger, Tellicherry black pepper, galangal, crushed red pepper, lemon grass, cayenne red pepper, paprika, basil, and cilantro.

Tasty and enticing, Tsardust Memories is both a reminder of the past and a gateway to the future. Excellent in anything hearty, but really useful in meat-free dishes as well. From long-simmered soups and stews, to quick-cooked chops and burgers, to really simple pan-seared carrots, Tsardust Memories brings goodness and delight to please all, right to the table. 
Hand- mixed from: salt, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg and marjoram.

Spirit Czech Glass Buttons and Beads

Vintage buttons? Yes–an excellent gift for sewers, crocheters, knitters who add buttons, or…anything. I’ve bought from Spiritbuttons on Etsy and have never been disappointed. (The above is Czech glass.)

KINTSUGI GENERATIONS

I am a profound lover of Kintsugi (Kintsugi is a Japanese art form in which breaks and repairs are treated as part of the object’s history. Artisans carefully mend broken ceramics…read more here). The bowl above is from (what else?) Etsy: KintsugiGenerations. (One of many great Kintsugi artists on the site.)

CHRISTIAN K. BONNER

And if someone in your house breaks things (like me), perhaps they’d like to make restitution by creating some Kintsugi magic for you (if my husband is reading, you know you’d be better at this than me!) Here’s the perfect present for someone with that precision and art gene.

FRUGAL BOOKSTORE

The only thing better than buying THE 1619 PROJECT for someone in your family (cause, history; cause, truth: A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story offers a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present.) is buying it from a local bookstore—and if possible, a Black-owned local bookstore. I purchased my copy from Frugal Bookstore: Changing Minds One Book at a Time, located close to my house. The owners have a great philosophy (below) …plus, support local!

“We are a community bookstore located in Roxbury with a passion of promoting literacy within our children, teens and adults. We’ve got all these great books (and getting more all the time) at incredible prices that we want you to see.

Real, hold-in-your-hand, feel-the-paper, turn-the-page-while-sitting-in-the-tub books. We want you to love books as much as we do and we’re committed to doing whatever we can to make that happen.

Ayesha Mayadas Jewelry

I first fell for Ayesha Mayadas Jewelry (and the fantastic Ayesha) at Paradise Arts Festival in Northhampton, and though I vowed to visit her studio shop . . . pandemic. But her website is terrific (easy to navigate), and she’s easy to reach for help. Her eye for precision glowing jewelry goes from simple, elegant pieces to bold and eye-stopping. An artist she is—and her prices run from $100 to very special-occasion prices. My husband special-ordered a necklace for our very-important-anniversary, and I haven’t taken it off yet.

I’ve since connected with Ayesha, in person and via email, several times, and she never fails to disappoint—not in her warmth, vision, or execution.

The website description says it better than I:

Metalsmith & artisan Ayesha Mayadas brings a fresh perspective to fine jewelry with unique designs born from her personal exploration of contrasts. Born in Calcutta, India and lived in Upstate New York.  An artist at heart, yet trained as an engineer.  Roots steeped in tradition, yet her aesthetic is unmistakably contemporary.  Her pieces are fluid, yet clearly defined. Bohemian yet stylish.  

Each piece of jewelry features organic lines and fluid forms and is designed to perfectly complement the curves and silhouette of the female form, Ayesha Mayadas Jewelry is conceived and created with the wearer in mind. It is ageless jewelry that becomes a part of you – jewelry that endures through time.