Gifts for you, for me, for everyone!

It's the most wonderful time of the year

& it's the most wonderful time of the year to be a blogger!

Blogging inspires, connects  & continues to feed our curiosity and nourish our souls. You are an amazing & talented bunch & I am so grateful that you all take the time to stop by.

I have also discovered some really nifty stuff that I wanted to share with you all.

Here is a shortlist of just a few of my favorite things to give & to receive this holiday season.

 Enjoy!

As I mentioned last week, iomoi makes sending your latest & greatest emails newsworthy events when you use your own custom-designed

e-stationary!

Click on the monkeys & they will show you

the way to design a free sample for yourself!

And to keep the art of  handwritten notes

alive and well, just look, iomoi offers the best

selection of stocking stuffers around!

Check out Jen Ramos' collection of iomoi goodies I found at Made By Girl.

Back to emails for just a second...

How much fun would it be to send

  snazzy e-stationary on a

iPad...

Way fun!

This gal looks like a happy blogger!

To learn more about the amazing things

that you can do on one of these,

check it all out at

Apple!

How sweet it is ...

that these two are still

making beautiful music together!

Carole King & James Taylor

are still singing the songs we loved back then

& these days they sound better than ever!

Do you love the scent of fresh-cut privet...

A privet candle from

 Hound Hill Design

fills the air with that crisp green earthy scent

I crave on the coldest days of winter.

Speaking of earthy, the day I discovered

My Sparrow was the day

I fell in love with Henry!

The Henry Woven Bench from My Sparrow is all about comfort and bringing things into your life & home that make you smile.

Did I mention that I would adore having all of this beautifully wrapped by Sande Chase at a

Gift Wrapped Life?  Well, I would.

Smile & look fresh as a flower in a suit or t-shirt & jeans sporting a hand-stitched bloom on your lapel from

Emerson Made.

Each bloom Emerson makes is one of a kind, varied, and has its own unique character and soul.

Kind of a flower soul mate! 

Speaking of flowers...

Indulge yourself with the scent of clementine leaves sparkling in the morning dew

above a heart of orange blossom

and water lily with the

   Jo Malone

Orange Blossom Gift Set.

I don't know about you, but during the holidays I actually look forward to spending time in the kitchen.

It's where everyone loves to gather & I love reading old family recipes even though I know them by heart. So why not wear something pretty while I whip up something gourmet!

Ashley over at Ice Milk Aprons

has designed

a gourmet line of heirloom aprons

that will keep this hostess looking

crisp and pulled together.

  All of Ashley's ideas make for a meaningful

gift-giving experience!

Now, let me ask you, do you know how much

 I love bicycles?

I've had my favorite beach cruiser from our California days forever. I'm not selling it...way to sentimental.However, I'm thinking that my cruising days are behind me and that I would do swell on this Classic Ladies 3-speed from Schwinn

 . It's a beauty! 

And last but certainly not least...

Planting a tree

is a beautiful way to honor someone!

Seeds of Life

is a delightful farm that specializes in growing trees that can be given as a gift and planted to honor a special friend or family member.

A tree or seedling suited for a special teacher comes beautifully wrapped and is the perfect way to say thank you for helping our children to grow & learn.

A living tree symbolizes strength and endurance

as these kinds of gifts have the potential

to last centuries.

So... there you have it, my friends,

the makings for an enjoyable holiday season.

Start your day on a bike ride with your kids.

  Around the block or through the park,

just get outside and play!

Send a festive invitation to friends on your iPad

using your e-stationary. Fill your home with music

from James Taylor & Carole King

and fill the air with the scent

of fresh-cut privet. As you prepare

to greet your guests, put a dab of orange blossom

behind each ear

and a beautiful flower on your lapel.

Tie on an heirloom apron

& Serve a gourmet dinner in the kitchen

that everyone will remember.

Look forward to giving & receiving gifts beautifully wrapped by one of our dearest of friends.

Then sit back

and relax with Henry & friends.

You deserve it!

Sounds to me like a

 a lovely way to celebrate

the holidays.

I look forward to reading all of your

wish lists & gift-giving ideas 

that many of you are famous for!

Happy giving everyone...XO Lisa

I also want to thank one of my

SoCal friends, Christina Fluegge, for inviting me

to share my gift list at greige!

I just love Christina's stylish responsibility,

which makes greige design

and her My Sparrow, two of my favorite places to land.

I love what Emerson Made.

"EmersonMade is a company that believes in celebrating the uniqueness of the individual, the joy of being alive and all the smallness that makes up the Big Beautiful." EM

EmersonMade started as a one-woman operation in NYC where Emerson would sell her flowers, sometimes right off her lapel to other snappy dressers on the street!

 

EmersonMade has bloomed into a full-scale operation where she and her partner and the ArtistFlowerMakers build the blooms each season!

Emerson's partner just happens to be her adorable husband Ryan, the Big R.

Each bloom they build is one of a kind, varied, and has its own unique character.

They specialize in hand-dyed and hand-stitched blooms and accessories to accompany their growing apparel line.

"In 2008 Emerson and Ryan left New York City for a farm with green pastures, this is where the EmersonMade Hens and Ducks reside also!"

I adore her Ballet Dahlia clutch to tuck under my arm on special occasions.

Each flower is packaged in a beautiful gold jewel box that makes the perfect gift.

Hand-cut-stitched-built by EmersonMade.

EmersonMade Friendship Carnations really work wonders in the "I Like You" department.

Turn a special day into a special year with her glorious 5 inch Poppy and Happy Birthday Ribbon.

Ungloom Marguerite Daisies are 100% linen and wool felt, hand-stitched and bloomed by the EmersonMade FlowerMakers.

With the help of her beloved photographer BigR, Emerson does all the styling, design, content, photographs, collages, and artwork associated with EmersonMade.

Emerson and Ryan are fun, loving, creative, stylish and homemade.  I love that!

Speaking of home...

  They moved from New York City to a seaside town in New Hampshire two years ago and what a home-sweet-home it is!

"We have a lot of guns around, this one is a quick grab to protect the farm from any varmints."  E.M.

"We had to completely renovate it - it was a shambles when we got it! We wanted it to feel open, relaxing and inviting. The type of place that immediately puts guests at ease.

This is our library." E.M.

"Another view of the library! It is beautiful in there during the day because it is north facing and gets no direct light. It glows with the reflection of the trees!"  E.M. 

This is where we eat! We wanted to be able to eat dinner next to the fire. It's open to the kitchen since that is where we spend most of our time. The table and chairs are from our collecting excursions. We have those fold-up chairs all over the house! If you want to have a party in the grass you can bring them outside! The chairs get around."  E.M.

I love the collection of ironstone in their farmhouse kitchen. "The fantastic sink was found on craigslist for a bargain price, and we had the butcher block built. We use it for all our food prep."  E.M.

"We designed our pantry so that everything would be visible. We have mostly unrefined ingredients because we don’t eat sugar, flour, and processed ingredients so we just line it all up in here and grab what we need." E.M.

"We had to tidy up that bedside table! Usually, it is piled sky-high with too many books about health, gardening, and new projects!"   E.M. 

Laundry room sink and folding table. "That rooms gets lots of light! We got the sink from an old man who collected beautiful sinks in his barn way out in the woods!"  E.M.

All photos courtesy of EmersonMade.  House photos via Amy Azzarito at design*sponge.

 

You can also visit with Emerson and get caught up on the latest entry in her journal here!