Holiday Do's and Don'ts

 I've adopted a few "Holiday Do's and Don'ts" for the 2021 holiday season. 

1) Not shopping at Amazon this year, instead, trying to support local or online small business.  Honestly, there are so many great small businesses out there that we can support.  I still love Etsy.   Love these glass horses made by Heisey in Ohio. People collect these. Color will dictate price.   These vintage horses are so adorable.

Start a collection of Heisey horses for that horse lover on your list and provide this book to educate the receiver. (Hint, I'd try to find this book for less on Thriftbooks):

2) No "holiday emails" - what happened to the art of the nice handwritten note? And if you have to send email, please no misspelled words or incorrect grammar.  I love the notes that I receive from readers - such a treat.  You can never have too much stationary.  Ever.  My stationary stash is almost as large as my needlepoint stash but still smaller than my glass and china stash, I mean collection.

3) No gift cards for someone you know well. Part of gift giving is the thought that goes into selecting the gift.  Gift cards are a lazy gift. Isn't the fun of it picking out the perfect gift for someone you care about?  Creativity is key.  Give this vintage bulb box (I love these) with Paperwhite bulbs and rocks (you set the bulbs in the rocks) with instructions on how to grow. I buy my rocks at Lowe's or Michaels.

4) Better shop extra early this year with the supply chain issues. Do not wait for last minute bargains this year - they likely don't exist. The Black Friday sales are already out.  I ordered these plates for a gift and they finally arrived this week (was not sure they were going to get here but alas, they are here).  Santa is not working overtime this year - he's shutting it down by mid-December.

5) Be festive.  There was little festivity last year due to Covid and we are still not back to "normal" and frankly, it may be a long time before we get back there again.  But dress up, cook great meals, set your table, turn on the holiday music. Tartan from Tuckernuck!

 6) Shop vintage.  Love this vintage print which is quite reasonable. I'd frame it myself, buying a plain wood frame from a hobby store and paint it a wild color.  So easy to do and can be inexpensive.  

7) As a creature of habit there are certain gifts that I give every year. Someone on my list will get Ariat. I love their clothes and live in their shirts all winter long.  Someone will definitely be getting one of these.  Dover and Smartpak have the best selection. Do stick with what you know and love.