Clockwise from Top Left: Ceramic Herb Pots £3.99 at Robert Dyas, Nice Biscuit Platter £35 at NOTHS, Bee Trinket Box £7.95 at Rigby & Mac, Dasher the Reindeer £6.50 at Hotel Chocolat, Orange Fox Pillow $20 at Etsy, Pyjama Trousers £24 at Hush, Brown Bear Pillow $20 at Etsy, Burgos Throw £49 at Urbanara, Cow Print Milk Jug £36 at NOTHS, Bacon Jam £17 for 3 at Love Your Larder, Toffee Apple Jam £3.50 at Love Your Larder, Sophie Conran Measuring Cups £22.95 at Rigby & Mac, Red Wine Print $14 at Etsy
Welcome to the first in my series of 4 Christmas Gift Guides coming at you across this week, helping you catch that last little gasp of inspiration in time to make your Crimbo gifts extra special this year. This Christmas I thought it was best to work around themes, each of which contains a little bit of Lil as I am at the close of 2012. To start us off, the element of my personality tussling for the most room inside my head: the Homemaker.
As someone currently trying to make a home out of a relatively blank space, the things that I value most are 1) Comfort 2) Style. I’ve put these gift ideas together for the girl who enjoys nothing more than gathering bits and pieces to make her nest. Like me, she wants to kick off those shoes at the end of each day and flomp into a pile of soft and comfy textures. You can indulge her with a pair of the cuddliest 100% cotton PJs so she can lounge in style, like those pictured from Hush. Or better yet, splash out on this Burgos Throw from Urbanara, you know how I feel about a waffle-cut: heaven! So, that’s comfort down, next up: style. Matt and I have plenty of prints from Etsy up on our walls to help our rented space feel less bare. Check out TRPrints on Etsy, they have an amazing cocktail collection (we bought “Whiskey on the Rocks”) plus plenty of other prints, suitable for any room in the home. And lastly, who says you can’t combine both comfort and style? Make art squishy with a homemade Brown Bear cushion on your sofa!
If your budget is a little tighter, something tasty can be a great, cost-effective way to treat a homebody during the festive season, so check out foodie heaven Love Your Larder for little packets of deliciousness; a jar of bacon jam is guaranteed to get a reaction! Not sure how I feel about that yet if I’m honest… Something I am sure of though is gorgeous, classic kitchenware and I’m racking up quite a collection. Sophie Conran Measuring Cups are a modern classic, a must for any home baker worth their, err… salt. Milk jugs, tea sets, cheese boards and cake stands are all little pieces of luxury that the homemaker may not be able to treat herself to during the rest of the year, and they’ll certainly go down well. Hey, she might even invite you round for tea as a thank you!
What are you buying the home-birds in your life this Christmas? Look out for the second instalment of my Gift Guides “The Reluctant Exerciser” later this week.
