What a holiday it has been. I feel very blessed to have been able to share this special time of year with family, good friends, good health, and good kitties.
I am so grateful to my customers, many or you new, many more of you returning. Thank you to each and every one of you for helping me surpass even my loftiest goals - what an unbelievable ride it has been this season! Even in a tough economic climate, the support that you have shown for handcrafted has been overwhelmingly positive, and I'm filled with hope for the new year.
I think it goes without saying that I wanted to shop handmade and local for the holidays, and I found some really amazing, unique gifts to give this year - many of them handcrafted by talented artisans, with sprinkles of vintage here and there. I've REALLY been looking forward to sharing these precious gifts with you all, and of course I didn't want to ruin any pre-Christmas surprises, so here is my handmade and vintage holiday wrap-up:

I commissioned these southwestern-inspired margarita glasses for my dad, made by my childhood artist friend
Aron Leaman. Absolutely magnificent blown-glass work.

My hubs loved these homemade popcorn seasonings (so tasty), magnetic and fridge-mountable, by
GneissSpice...as well as some healthy, scrumptiously-addictive roasted pumpkin seeds from
Gerb's that I picked up at Craftopia.

My brother LOVED this handcrafted bottle opener made by
HandySamCreations - the vintage, limited edition beer can really made this piece a winner.

I asked for these for myself - my latest obsession: eco-printed tees from
Zen Threads - SUPER comfy, and I am in LOVE all of their designs!!

My stocking was stuffed with DELICIOUS local honey from
Aquidneck Honey...

...as well as this amazing handmade, heated wrist compress by
TheFerrisWheels... after spending 40+ hours typing at a desk and another 40+ hours painting for weeks on end, my wrists couldn't have been happier to receive this precious gift, coupled with hand-crafted
arnica oil and lotion made in Vermont by The Body Lounge (these homeopathic remedies are
amazing).

Vintage Christmas Cookie cutters by
LaurasLastDitch - these are the same cookie cutters we used with my mom when we were kids! I can't wait to continue the tradition... now if only I could get my cookies to taste as good as Mom's... :o)

Personalized pet bowl from
Twisted River Clayworks in CT - I ordered the blue one for my sister-in-law. It is even prettier, sturdier, and more precious in person!

Of course, it wouldn't be Christmas without a Catnip Activity Mat or two from
Apiary Designs...

For my friend living abroad and Turkey, I found this amazing jeweler on etsy from Istanbul -
Misket. Simple and sweet unique designs at great prices.

I am an avid fan of
PoPko jewelry and was SO excited to receive these beautiful monarch butterfly earrings from my mom - made with real butterfly wings and cruelty free!
I also found some lovely and unique last-minute gifts in Downcity Providence - thank you
Homestyle and
Eno Fine Wines on Westminster Street.
We also found an incredibly easy way to give to a variety of local and global charities via
Greater Good Network/Gifts That Give More. 100% of every donation is directly donated to the cause of your choice - even if you pay via credit card, this nonprofit website will cover the cost of credit card fees to ensure that every cent goes directly to the charity.

Through this website we also found out about a really exciting initiative right nearby called
The Food Project in Boston - largely youth-focused, were volunteers are working to turn abandoned areas into urban farms, where roughly 40% of the harvest is donated to local food banks, and the remaining is sold at local farmer's markets, nourishing the community with healthy, local produce.
- Our Mission: is to grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership opportunities. Most importantly, we strive to inspire and support others to create change in their own communities.
Thanks again to everyone who chose to support handmade for the holidays, and for the many talented artisans for producing such lovely, unique work. Wishing you all light, love, peace, and happiness in the New Year.