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| Shirt from Concord Button Downs |
I have received many requests for a summary of favorite 2012 items profiled on this blog for gift ideas. I have pulled those together, and added a few new items as well, including some things I have given as well as received.
1. Concord Button Downs Shirts. Concord Button Downs is a new company making beautiful Men's shirts, manufactured right here in New England. We could not be more pleased with its rich dyes, handsome tartans, silky smooth cotton and generous sizing.
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| Sporting a Minuteman Icon From Concord's Old North Bridge |
2. Wool Tartan Throws. Wool Tartan blankets, made in Scotland and available from Bridgham & Cook in Freeport, are very had to actually give away once you have them in your possession.
3. Guernsey Sweater. I got my authentic Guernsey in Guernsey, but they are available from Newport's Royal Male. See entry here.
4. BBC Videos. As I have often said, I cannot get enough of British murder mysteries. This year we added the complete Morse series, as well as some more Midsomer Murders to our collection (we buy the UK editions, which are less expensive and uncut, provided your DVD player is region free, or the Blu-rays themselves are region free.). The list is nearly endless, including Downton Abbey, Foyle's War, and Sherlock. Many BBC programs are also available on streaming video services.
5. L.L. Bean Socks. We wear practically no other sock in the cold weather that these from L. L. Bean (and they are made in the US). These stocking are perfect stocking stuffers.
6. Leather Man Ltd. Belts. Leather Man Ltd. Belts are also worn most every day in our house and are good stocking stuffers, made in Essex, Connecticut. There is still time to custom order.
7. Christmas Cove Stockings. We have the larger versions for our stockings (Loons, Lighthouses, and Chickadees) and the little ones (below) for ornaments. These are made on the Maine Coast. (I eschew the heavier Victorian Christmas decorations, vastly preferring the lighter touch that these represent.)
8. Car Code Flag Monograms. Another personalized stocking stuffer, code flags can be adorned almost anywhere, including a car. See entry here.
9. Ivy Style Book. If you did not pick up enough copies at the event, the official book of MFIT's Ivy Style exhibit is also available on Amazon here.
10. Quoddy Shoes. We have simply worn our Dawson Mocs and Boat Shoes almost exclusively for the past couple of months. They are beautiful, tough, and impossibly comfortable. And they are hand-made in Maine. See entry here.
11. Handmade Wood Products. This solid cherry cutting board was hand-made by Tom Boothby on the Maine Coast. I bought mine at the Granite Hall Store.
12. Magazines. I am the grateful recipient of several enjoyable magazine subscriptions (yes, from older friends), including English Home and Country Life.
13. The Fisherman's Crew from Wool Overs. The Fisherman's Crew from Wool Overs is one of our new favorite sweaters. They are reasonably priced, with unisex sizing, and a perfect Navy; I have already given several as gifts. See entry here.
15. Donations. Charitable donations are always appreciated. I am especially partial to Volunteer Fire Fighters, who collectively have been kinder and more welcoming to us than just about any other group. This would most definitely include Bristol Fire and Rescue, who have indeed "rescued" us.
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| The patch they gave to us is exceptionally good looking, designed by First Responder Service Chief, Jeri Pendleton, and features Pemaquid Light, which is just down the road from their firehouse. |
16. CSAs, Farm Shares and Farm Dinners. Various local farms have subscription services, such as CSAs, Farm Shares, or Farm Dinners. The food is delicious and the relationship to the source is invaluable.
17. Vintage Glassware. I love old glassware. And although most of this small sampling of ours came from various grandmothers, pieces are readily available at church fairs and are usually very reasonably priced.
Any other gift suggestions are always appreciated.
20 comments:
We tried Inspector Lewis at your recommendation and loved it instantly. We tried Inspector Morse once we had exhausted the supply of Lewis episodes and just could not get into it. Do you have a recommendation for where to start if we found the very first episode a bit dry? Very grateful for all your recommendations, by the way. I love things (whether entertainment, knowledge or clothing) that last forever.
@Alison - I have found some of the first episodes a little dark. Some of my favorites are: Last Seen Wearing; Last Bus to Woodstock; Ghost in the Machine; Driven to Distraction; Happy Families; The Death of the Self; Day of the Devil, to name a few.
Great list--the wool throws are very reasonably priced, the shirts look nice, and antique anything is always great. In addition to Bean's house socks, their outlet store in Milford always has tons of ragg socks made in the USA by Woolrich for $10, which I have been buying for years and love.
Boat totes of course make great gifts, primarily because they are so useful--I'm getting one for a cousin. For those who drink, I find that a top-shelf bottle of champagne or something special is fun, particularly because it may be an extravagance not normally indulged. (And the giver may be fortunate enough to get a sip, too.) Fire-builders would appreciate a generous box of fatwood. And of course home-made gifts are often the best--my aunt makes us beautiful wreaths and sprays with fresh greens, and my mother typically knits something for someone.
Muffy, if the first picture is one of yours, what brand of khakis are those? Thanks.
I love the Concord shirts. Thank you for bringing them to my attention.
Thank you, Muffy. I continue to use your 2011 list for ideas, and I know I will use this one as well, even beyond this holiday season. I also need to figure out how to make it a hint list for presents for me... Hmmmm....
The Bridgham & Cook tartan scarves are also a good choice - beautiful, soft and very reasonably priced, plus an impressive selection to choose from. My husband was quite impressed that they carry his family tartan, which is not one of the common ones. The Bean totes are also on my list each year. The little extra to have them monogrammed adds a personal touch, and everyone can use them.
What about Critter Chino Pants - are they a good present?
Yv
For more wonderful murder mysteries -- try the "Rosemary & Thyme" series from the BBC -- just the settings along (gorgeous homes and gardens) are well worth a watch!
I second that "Rosemary and Thyme" comment and who can get enough of Miss Marple (the older version) and Poirot ? For town-dwellers, theater tickets and cinema passes are also a great idea ...
I'm doing a bit of online shopping today and I keep referring back to this post. Did you see those adorable balsam pillows from Christmas Cove? I just ordered a few, well, quite a few, to send to my relatives. (and a few for the house, as well). Balsam is on my top ten list of wonderful smells.
Great list with a great range. I still want to buy The Daily Prep burgee!
What a great list. Thanks so much for sharing. Another New England company I like is Vermont Rolling Pin. Beautiful and solidly crafted rolling pins for the baker in your life.
@Dawn, That is a great suggestion. Here is the link to Vermont Rolling Pins ( http://vermontrollingpins.com). My solid wood rolling pin (shown in this picture) I got from my grandmother, and I would replace it immediately if anything happened to it.
Love love love this list! In the sock realm, we're fans of winter socks from Wigwam (http://www.wigwam.com/aboutus.aspx).
Wigwam uses domestic wool & workers, and the socks are thick and come in a variety of colors.
Another Xmas list item: chocolate.
I want the cows.
Just in case anyone was wondering what to get me for Christmas.
My favorite light-hearted Christmas gift for the Anglophile is "They Call Me Naughty Lola: Personal Ads from the London Review of Books."
Example: "I'd like to dedicate this advert to my mother (difficult cow, 65) who is responsible for me still being single at 36. Man. 36. Single. Held at home by years of subtle emotional abuse and at least 19 fake heart-attacks."
Great gift ideas! I, too, love old glassware. We'll be hitting our local Christmas festivals and the Christkindlmarkt soon, I'm sure we can find something for the hard-to-buy-fors there! We haven't even started our shopping, so seeing your idea list has me in the spirit now! --Holly in PA
Bean doesn't seem to sell those socks (online at least). I'm in NYC. Are they old stock? Thanks for the shopping tips and taking us away with all the pictures.
@Anonymous 6:08 - The Ragg Socks are still available. I forgot to include the link in the entry but here it is: www.llbean.com/llb/shop/32996. Click on color option Gray, as the striped version is what you will see first on the screen.
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