It’s that time of year!  The time to start (or continue) elfing for our friends and family.  I’ll be honest and share that I’ve done a bit of elfing for myself when I’ve come across can’t-pass-up deals for some of my favorite things.  As I’ve done in previous years, I’ve put together a few different gift guides in the hopes something will pop out as a novel idea for someone on your list.  Ultimately, though, I pick things that I like and that I think are worth sharing with others.  So, if you’re like me (and I imagine we have some similar interests if you read this blog), then you might find a few things to add to your Christmas list, too.

Of course, there are books included in each of my gift guides!  It’s just unavoidable.  There are some high gifts, some stocking stuffers, and a few things that fall in between.

gifts for the artist

I would recommend my favorite scissors and my favorite mechanical pencil to just about anyone, but they are great for artists and makers.  Even if they already have pencils and scissors, people who create things can always use another.  My three book recommendations are Steal Like an Artist, The Artist’s Palette, and Illustrator’s Sketchbook.  Steal Like an Artist is a book I both read and recommend regularly.  It’s a short, easy read, but it is packed with encouragement and simple truths about inspiration, innovation, and creativity.  It’s a great gift for anyone who does creative work as a profession or hobby.  I selected The Artist’s Palette because it’s a new release and it’s a fascinating look at the palettes of famous artists.  I’ve learned so much reading through it and I love seeing behind the curtain of some of my favorite creators.  Lastly, The Illustrator’s Sketchbook is another look into how artists play, think, practice, and work things out in the safety of their sketchbook.  A lot of contemporary artists are featured, but they also highlight classic artists like Beatrix Potter.

For making things, I selected this oversized leather watercolor notebook.  I ordered it earlier this year and I just love it.  I think anyone who sketches, paints, writes, or even does scrapbooking and flower-pressing would enjoy it.  And, if you’re looking for a yummy watercolor set, Michael Harding’s 18th-century watercolor palette will be a treat.

The Artist’s Palette Book | Illustrator’s Sketchbook | Steal Like an Artist Book | Michael Harding Watercolor set | Fiskars | Watercolor notebook | Graphgear pencil 

gifts for the gardener

My favorite thing about diving into a new hobby is outfitting myself with tools and materials and then finding my favorites.  While I’ve been an earnest student of gardening for a few years, I started ramping up my reading and tool-collecting this year.  These are some of my favorites so far.

Bunny Williams’ Life in the Garden and The Elegant & Edible Garden are excellent books.  Both are worthy of five-star reviews, definitely.  Life in the Garden is a hefty, informative, and gorgeous aspirational book.  Of course, we don’t all have properties with pool houses and orchards, but there is a lot of inspiration that can be applied to a 1/3 acre suburban plot.  If anything, it’s just a delicious book that you want to flip through again and again.  The Elegant & Edible Garden is more practical and offers applicable advice to the typical reader.  While it is practical, it doesn’t miss the beauty to be found in gardening.  Linda Vater focuses on aesthetics just as much as she does the nitty-gritty.

Linda suggested THESE gardening gloves and, after working through several pairs this summer, I will recommend them, too.  These have become my favorite and they have outlasted all of the others.  I also bought a pair of Felco garden shears at the suggestion of many of my blog readers and they are wonderful.  Some of the tools I discovered that became fast favorites are THIS Japanese weeding tool and THIS Sneeboer trowel.  I actually have been collecting a few Sneeboer tools here and there because they are just so beautiful and well-made.  They are heirloom-quality garden tools you’ll have for decades.  The Japanese weeding tool was an Amazon purchase, but it is so good at plucking out weeds by the root.  I have a lot of nasty, invasive weeds in my yard, so I’ve really put this tool to work!

Lastly, my mom and I found this Husky kneeling pad at Home Depot when we were, naturally, not looking for kneeling pads, but we both bought one and we both love them.  They are thick and offer great cushioning for your knees.  I also like that it’s big enough to sit on, which I often do when I have a tedious job to do in a small area.  They are also good for DIY projects inside.  I’ve been using mine when I remove the carpet glue from the basement floor.  It definitely beats other gardening knee pads I’ve used.

The Elegant & Edible Garden | Garden gloves | Felco gardening shears | Japanese weeding tool | Bunny Williams Life in the Garden | Husky kneeling pad | Sneeboer trowel

gifts for the cook

For the big-ticket kitchen items, I selected a Staub Coq Au Vin Cototte and a Kitchen Aid Mixer.  Jeff bought me the mixer as a housewarming gift for our first home over 20 years ago and it’s still working great.  It’s an expensive kitchen gadget but it ticks all of the boxes.  It’s aesthetically beautiful and it’s a workhorse.  I feel the same way about the Staub Cocotte, which is one of my favorite pots.  I use it for any one-pot meals and, it’s so pretty, that I keep it sitting out on my stove all the time.  I got it about ten years ago and sort of questioned the price tag, but I love it and would buy it again without hesitation.

I keep this exact marble pastry board on my antique kitchen table island and it is a great place to roll out dough and knead bread.  I haven’t read French Kitchen Lessons yet, because I asked for it for Christmas!  It’s by Cat Bude, known as @cat_in_france on Instagram and I just love her feed.  I can’t wait to try some of her recipes and, based on the cover and her photography, I imagine the book is a feast for the eyes as well.  And, I wanted to share a couple of stocking stuffers, so I included one of the wooden dish brushes in the “brush bouquet” by my sink and the oil bottle I keep by our range.

Marble pastry board | French Kitchen Lessons | Kitchen Aid Mixer | Oil bottle | Staub Coq au vin cocotte | Dish Brush

gifts for wellness

I’ve been working this year on my health, which has included walking daily and eating healthy, so I thought I would share a few of the things I’ve enjoyed along the way.  I read Atomic Habits a few years ago and it has stuck with me.  It’s an excellent book and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to make small, but impactful positive changes in their life.  The Apple Watch has helped me with tracking everything from my steps to seeing how my increase in activity has affected things like my resting heart rate and recovery time.  Mine is a few years old, so I’ve put a new one on my list.  I will admit that the Stanely cup is ridiculously large to carry around, so I have a smaller water bottle to use when I’m on the go, but the Stanley is awesome to use around the house or on long car trips and it really does help me drink more water.

My other picks are my favorites to wear on my walks and when I exercise.  Athleta makes the best leggings and they are running a huge sale on them for Black Friday.  I bought a couple more pairs because the prices were so low.  I usually wear the Ranier and Interval, but I also like the Salutation.  Their leggings are thick, supportive, and will last forever.  I seriously have pairs of Athleta leggings that are over 10 years old and still in great shape.  No holes or pills or fading. My walking uniform also includes Bombas socks, Hoka Bondis, and THIS UPF tunic from Lands End.  One of my “atomic habits” is to change into those clothes as the first step to taking a walk.

I will insert one more thing about Bombas.  Not only do I love how their socks feel on my feet, but their customer service is second to none.  I accidentally ordered the wrong size and because they couldn’t correct the mistake before the sock shipped, they sent me the right size at no additional cost.  This was for a pack of socks and it was my mistake!  They will also replace socks that wear out or get holes in them.

Atomic Habits  | Apple Watch | Stanley | Athleta Leggings | Hoka Bondi | Bombas socks | UPF sun shirt tunic

Some of Marian’s Favorites

And, I wanted to include a round-up of items just because I like them.  Book Darts or little metal page markers are the best stocking stuffers for readers, students, studies, and book nerds like me. I use them all the time.

The Wanderings Notebook and Graphgear pencil have been favorites for years and I think they are always good, thoughtful gifts for people who like to write, sketch, journal, or take notes.  I also included an inexpensive fountain pen that’s a great place to start if you want to explore the world of fountain pens without splashing out a few hundred dollars.

I just bought the Write On t-shirt because it’s perfect for a writer and I love Bella & Canvas t-shirts.  I also included the Marshall Speaker, which is a high-ticket item but it’s a great gift for people who love listening to music and like a vintage aesthetic.  And, I needed to add a book to this list, so I added John Derian’s second picture book.  I have the first one and it’s a great coffee table book.  It’s a huge book filled with royalty-free images in the public domain, so it’s a great book to use as a jumping-off point for ideas.

John Derian Picture Book 2 | Marshall speaker | Book Darts | Wanderings Notebook | Graphgear pencil | Fountain pen | Write on tee 

I hope you find something for someone on your list or perhaps something to add to your list!  Of course, if you need one more idea my book Feels Like Home is always a good gift.  The hardcover is currently only $11.99!  Happy shopping!

Which products do you think I should add to my Christmas list?  Any favorites to share?