FV's Gift Guide 2024
SOMETHING NICE
Gift ideas from us to you
Hear me out on this one. I love Smythson products in general and this playing card holder would be the ultimate gift for someone who loves games, details, and is hard to shop for.
2). The Artist's Way
I recommend and gift this book all the time. It changed my life, it might change yours. It's useful for all kinds of creative people.
4). Making music is on my list for 2025. This Medieval beat machine by teenage engineering is so cool.
5). Jeni's ice cream is phenomenal. I'm sending this box of bestselling ice creams to one of my sweetest friends.
Everyone could use a little watercolor in their life. This pack of four seasons from Choosing Keeping offers a gorgeous range of hues. You can buy each palette individually as well.
Maira Kalman is thoughtful, meditative, and poigniant. A good gift for your favorite thinker.
This is the best hand cream I've found. It's deeply hydrating but not greasy, smells heavenly, and the Italian apothecary's packaging is classic and beautiful.
Stylish, colorful, and cheeky—the perfect gift for anyone who entertains.
Natalie Obradovich's photos of Italy in the summer are so transporting one can practically feel the mediterranean sun, taste the Aperol spritz, and smell the lemon trees.
This is THE light. It's small enough to toss in your bag and works beautifully for low-light photos, vlogging, and flawless selfies.
My 10 year old son is obsessed with Rubix Cubes and I can't wait to surprise him with a custom cube with photos of our dogs, fish, and family
1). Art Buddies
This year I am giving back to my community with the gift of time to my local volunteer program, Art Buddies, which pairs creative mentors with underprivileged kids in Minneapolis. It’s been such a joy to work with such inspiring children who lack access to art programs in their schools. Please support local art initiatives in your area and consider making a donation to Art Buddies!
2). Le Puzz
Le puzz offers playful, unique, and well designed puzzles, a holiday favorite of mine. Perfect for hunkering in on a cold Minnesotan evening!
4). LOOUZ Socks
These socks are the best socks. They’re equally comfy and cute. I bought them in (almost) every colorway! My favorite is the red/blue.
Have a print media lover in your life? The gift that keeps on giving is a subscription to a thoughtfully designed magazine, like Kinfolk.
1). This series of IMMATERIAL MUGS from Draw Down Books namely the "Aesthetics" mug. Designed well and cheeky, two requirements that any good gift should satisfy.
2). Basically anything from Draw Down is a win. They have one of the best selection of design and art books as well as some self published and very specific books such as THIS ONE that's just a catalog of arcade game marquees. And everyone needs a FLOPPY PINK HAMMER.
3). I will always include Pentimento in my gift recs. The artist behind it, Tim Haught, is the genuine article. He's smart and talented and one of the nicest people to boot. He often uses deadstock and found fabrics to make 1 of 1 pieces of clothing, such as THIS jacket . Tim also explores larger ideas through clothing, fabric, and sewing. Such as THIS SERIES of sweaters emblazoned with female vocalists lyrics in an attempt to say the "right things". Often sized for men (which is rare) his products can satisfy a wide variety of people on your list.
4). Who doesn't love a big thing made SMALL? This waste basket sized version of the NYC street trash can is really fun. They also make a tiny PEN HOLDER version.
5). We love games in our house, especially one that is a little out of the ordinary. Hues and Clues is a really fun, very simple game about color description and perception. You don't need to be an artist to be good at it either, if anything non-artists are better at it. While I'm talking about games, I just learned about THIS GAME called Masterpiece where you have to try to sell art at auction and also spot fakes. I'm not exactly a fan of linking art to capitalism, but it seems like a blast. It's no longer made so you'll have to check ebay for one, which is also the best place to buy board games no matter what you're looking for. Especially true if you;re trying to flesh out that Royal Tenenbaum style game closet.
6). If you need to buy a cat a gift, buy them a YEOWWW cat toy. Just know that it won't last long.
1). Over a decade ago, I bought these earrings in a rose gold color from a small shop in Santa Fe. I’ve since replaced them, in black, after losing one, and then proceeded to lose one of the black ones (I blame my hair, which steals them and apparently drops them on the street). This time I’m eyeing the silver versions, and am also tempted by the plumeria version.
2). I tried this body wash recently, and it’s the perfect scent, invigorating but not overpowering, and it lasted all day. I think little luxuries that can be folded into our regular routines make great gifts.
3). If you have feet and they ever get tired or tight, or if you have plantar fasciitis, like I had for years, this little spiky ball will become your best friend. If it’s been a real rough day, you can find me on my office floor, neck resting on this, with my spine on this. Ten minutes there does a world of good.
4). My favorite books of the year include: Lauren Elkin’s Scaffolding, Rita Bullwinkel’s Headshot, Isabella Hammad’s Enter Ghost, and Johanne Lykke Holm’s Strega.
5). I’ve been following All Above All for some time and with every year it seems clearer that abortion justice is a fight that isn’t getting any easier.
1). 50 Pies and 50 States; Treasury of Southern Baking.
There's nothing I love more than pie. If you know me, you know that I host a Pie Day every single year! It's the best holiday. These are two of my favorite cookbooks written by two of my favorite people.
There's nothing I love more than pie. If you know me, you know that I host a Pie Day every single year! It's the best holiday. These are two of my favorite cookbooks written by two of my favorite people.
2). Lycette Designs is one of my best-loved small businesses! Needlepoint is fun and a great way to mindfully disconnect from my other favorite activity, TikTok.
3). I'm obsessed with every single book Sarah J. Maas has written. I pledge my allegiance to Velaris.
4). Another one of my top small businesses is a store in NYC called Blue Tree. I recently bought a ring there and these earrings are high on my list.
5). My MOST favorite small business is Flat Vernacular! I have their Too Much NYC Stuff wallpaper in my bedroom and love gifting this easy-to-frame art print to fellow lovers of NYC.
6). I know I keep saying how much I love small businesses but it's true, I do. Greenwich Letterpress is one of my favorite NYC shops and I love these sweet Central Park notecards.
7). Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors is my favorite book of 2024.
