Monday, December 10, 2012

Looking for Christmas ideas?

I've collected some of my favorite gift ideas in this post. All of these are unique, awesome, and absolutely worth buying! Plus they are all sold by small, family owned businesses, so not only do you get great presents, but you are supporting some wonderful people as well! 

Jewelry? Check!

My friend Shaylynn (who has been featured a few times on Confessions of a Seamstress) is an enormously talented young lady and runs a store on Artfire to host her whimsical creations. She specializes in wirework, with a steampunk and fantasy flair, and also offers religious pieces. I love how she uses everything from watch parts and guitar strings to rhinestones and beads to create her effects!

Some of my favorite pieces:




Books? Check!

This year Catholic author Regina Doman and her family expanded their publishing company, Chesterton Press, to begin carrying titles by other authors. I've loved every single title I've read, and I'm looking forwards to reading the others!

Titles I love?

Fairy Tales retold... I don't think I will ever be able to convey how much I adore these books. If you haven't read them yet, pick up copies for yourselves as well as any teens on your shopping list! 

Ben Hatke is a talented artist and writer, and his first book has been received with enormous delight by young readers. Perfect for kids of all ages, and tons of fun to read as a family as well! I read the whole thing in one sitting and can't wait to read the second volume, which is also carried by Chesterton Press.

Chesterton Press offers some really good adult fiction as well, but so far Rachel's Contrition has been my favorite. Powerful, evocative and well-written, it is a fabulous choice for any of the women readers on your list. 

Soaps? Check!

The Goat Milk Soap Shop is run by my friends Amanda, Megan and Teresa. Although I've not yet tried the soaps myself, they're on my list, especially since they carry bars that are fragrance free, which is wonderful for those of sensitive skin! They also carry goat milk soaps with essential oils, and regular fragrence soap made from high quality organic, natural ingredients. If you've got any questions about the soaps, the girls would be more than happy to answer them!

I'm looking forwards to trying:

Scent free and made with goat milk - sounds like the perfect soap for the allergen-plagued! 

Made with essential oils, this also looks like it would be a great smelling choice to add to my list!

And if chemical scents didn't bother me, I would love to try the delicious sounding Cherry Almond!


Baby stuff? Check!

I have a few baby quilts left, and I'm selling them each for just $35! If you're interested in one of them, just send an e-mail to elenatintil [at] gmail [dot] com. (They also make great lap quilts!)

 Blue Stripes

 Honeypot

 Pink Power

 Violet Flowers

Southwestern Evening

Like the quilts, but don't see a design you like? Custom versions start at $50 apiece.

Hopefully this post has given you some ideas for your Christmas shopping and perhaps made the whole process a bit easier! 

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