A Post-Christmas Wish

by Mike Mills

We are on our way to the doctor's office. We got sick just when it all started getting good, like days off and enjoying somethings or others. I guess you could say we have watched a lot of movies and old episodes of Arrested Development borrowed from my niece Emily. This morning we just felt sorry for ourselves and wished we didn't have to leave the house to go visit the doctor's office but whatever this thing is leaves us no choice. WE WANT OUR LIVES BACK. Here we go. Love you guys.

(three hours later we have the diagnosis: eat food to get our strength back, drink lots of water and electrolytes and get our lives back with immodium. And if we haven't seen Avatar go and see Avatar. After the immodium of course.)

Hi again

sums it up pretty well via oh lover

Been a bit out of it, in the swirl that has been the Gifted Market down in Soho. Or maybe it's Noho. Haven't gotten outside much but I know it's incredibly cold when I am out there. In the mornings there are big slushtastic puddles that turn into ice-rinks at night. But the people keep pouringthrough the door. I've met so many nice people, watched it snow from the inside out, and hopefully will have made many people happy with new shiny bonbons for the holidays. The artists, designers, vintage goods sellers and food purveyors (think amazing chocolate creations and homemade beer brewing kits) have outfitted me for Christmas, so this winter I have truly bought handmade and local all the way.

Today is my last day there. We'll pack up tonight and I can think about my Christmas eve menu! I'm not exactly sure what that exclamation point is doing there because I'm, to be honest, really tired. But rolling prosciutto around wilted escarole and baking pear tarts sounds pretty relaxing. And maybe drinking this with Jim all the while. How are you at this year's end?

Flutterbyes

I love:
maps:
garlands
&
butterflies

And then I won something so beautiful, from someone so beautiful, it gave me great pride to take these photos early this morning of the three things I love in one little (fantastically wrapped) package. Cindy from Quaint Handmade is starting a business: handmade garlands cut from gorgeous papers, carefully strung and so beautifully packaged, I let it sit for two days before I could even open it. She let me cvhoose which one I wanted and so for me I hardly had to think: yes butterflies cut from old maps. YES BUTTERFLIES!! Thank you Cindy!!!

p.s. I've extended my stay at the Gifted Market until Tuesday the 22nd so you have two extra days to visit me and find all kinds of great things from all kinds of great vendors...I may even bring my butterfly garland!
oxo

Gifted Moneyclip Mayhem

for your cheffor your cowboy

We are at Gifted in Manhattan until Sunday! Come and getcher moneyclips which seem to be flying like hotcakes (if hotcakes could fly). It's so much fun to see how people choose which ones to give.
"well, he really likes fishing but he's also kind of crabby?"
me: well, the crab is pretty good then huh?
"buuuut...he's also a pilot so the plane is perfect!"
me: "great!"
"hmmm..but you know what? I'm going to get him the pig because he is totally obsessed with cooking right now. And he's knd of messy. Yeah. The pig.

And so on. How are you this week before Christmas, my bunnies?

Best Gift Ever: Five Year Plan

Remember when I posted about this last month? Look how much it's grown! Jim and I are going to do it as a little gift to ourselves. Yoko Ono, one of the artists involved, posted about it on her blog, Imagine Peace! Go Aaron!

Not Going Wrong

click pics to link to ecookbooks!

Hard to go wrong with beautiful usable cookbooks or books about food, right? But I'm fiendish about cookbooks, in a "hoarders" kind of way. I always know the cookbooks I want and the ones I don't. It's one of the few things in life I'm really sure about it. I'd get any or all of these for others (but only because I really want them for myself--wow did I just say that out loud?).

(I guess just writing this reminds me to remind you to not forget about our Little Buddha Necklace which we hope will help to feed hungry New Yorkers this holiday season. For the next few weeks we're going to donate 50% of the proceeds from this sale to the Food Bank for New York City and offer you free shipping on this little guy...if you'd like, please help me spread the word!)

Monday Dose of Inspiration: Ideas for the Holidays

I thought making peace with polar bears would have been more difficult but maybe it's less dangerous and more obvious than I had previously thought. This is a very soothing idea for my tiiiiiny case of burn out. Wishing you gentleness and peace between all things this holiday season. I am inspired to say that kindness starts at home.

via acid cow

Holiday Spirit

lots of bonbons

the wild unknown

sesame letterpress

sovereign beck

porcelain skulls by beetle and flor

tamika rivera and patrick weder

The Gift Local sale at Flatbush Farm yesterday was a beautiful one. The light streaming in, the old bar and brick and ivory walls created a warm organic backdrop. The goods were so thoughtful, beautiful, sophisticated from handcarved walnut-wood rings, muslin scarves dyed with tea and saffron, porcelain skulls with 14K gold-glazed teeth to leather bags, and of course lovely jewelry ;) it was one of the prettiest sales of the year I think. I love the designers and artists that I have gotten to know over the years and new ones as well. So happy to have been able to show with them in this new setting. It was especially nice to see people coming out to see us instead of heading to the mall. Sweet Tamika, the event's organizer, says it best.

When Vanessa called me from the Gifted event (which is also quite nice and I'm back there today through next Sunday), I was on my fourth mulled cider with calvados and had just eaten a lunch of duck confit over lentils with frisee and organic sunnyside-up eggs.
Flatbush Farm is my new favorite place, hands down.

(Read here about the Brooklyn Rescue Mission which this event was created to benefit!)