Hostess Gifts
Food 52 Cutting Board
Food 52 is a hub for countless wonderful food items, unusual cooking utensils and countless one-of-a-kind goods for anything food-, cooking- or kitchen-related, curated from unique sources all over the world. We love so many of the items we find on their site, but we are especially smitten with this brand new wood cutting board they created. The F52 team knows how much good cooking starts with simple chopping and slicing and so they’ve designed a board that is equally appropriate for prepping as it is for serving. High-quality maple, extra deep grooves to catch and pour off liquid (sans mess), plenty of surface area and even a phone slot on one side, for the absolute easiest way to follow a recipe as you go. This would make a great hostess gift.
Wolfum Games & Trays
Wolfum makes wonderful wood games, trays and printed goods using original designs and responsibly-harvested materials. All of their items are U.S. manufactured, heirloom quality home goods, that are aesthetically arresting and useful. Wolfum’s revolutionary technique of printing directly on wood reinvents how the design-savvy, eco-aware shopper decorates and accessorizes their home. They aim to create truly sustainable products by designing items that will stand the test of time. We especially have our eye on their stunning backgammon set – which comes in both standard and travel sizes – as well as the unique wooden mini trays.
Glassybaby
Glassybaby began when the simple light of a candle in hand-blown glass gave hope to Lee Rhodes. This hope helped her heal from cancer three times and inspired a business devoted to giving hope, beauty, kindness and millions of dollars to help people, animals and our planet heal. Made in Seattle and with low-water techniques, their artisan glassblowing creates sustainable, colorful beauty. Each votive and drinker come in uniquely-named hues and shapes as varied as your various moods. Glassybaby is a tried and true favorite of ours for any occasion, but especially for giving as a hostess gift. A fun tradition can be giving one Glassybaby each year, eventually creating a collection for the recipient.
Utility Canvas Bags
Utility Canvas was started in 1990 as a synthesis of its two founders’ individual interests – Jillian Kaufman’s in fashion and Hal Grano’s appreciation for the sturdy and useful canvas packs he used as a canoe guide in Maine for many summers. This collaboration resulted in simple, practical, versatile designs that never forsake style. Utility Canvas products are all made of the highest quality materials and workmanship and the majority of them are made in the U.S. Now in its 25th year, Utility Canvas products continue to stand the test of time, making them a great gift for any hostess. We especially love their chic canvas bags that come in numerous great colors and styles.
Hudson Grace Gnomes & Match Holder
Hudson Grace has a number of great items that make for excellent hostess gifts. We love collecting their charming holiday gnome statues in red, white and gold (you can truly never have too many around your house during the holidays). They’ve also reproduced a beautiful antique marble match striker in both white and black that we’re sure any hostess would love. These would make a timeless addition to a table or mantlepiece and look great when set out in a grouping.
City of Angels: Houses and Gardens of Los Angeles by Firooz Zahedi
Best known for his work as Elizabeth Taylor’s personal photographer, as well as for his lengthy resume working with some of the most iconic celebrities of our time, Firooz Zahedi has recently released a book focusing on some of Los Angeles’s most impeccable examples of home design and architecture, entitled City of Angels. For anyone who is interested in architecture, interior design, art collecting or garden landscape, this is the book for you. Written by Jennifer Ash Rudick and handsomely photographed by Firooz himself, every page is filled with curated rooms and spaces that not only provide inspiration but also intrigue.
Cabana Anthology by Martina Mondadori Santorgo
Cabana Anthology is the best of the best from Cabana Magazine, the cult favorite of decorators the world over. Interviews, profiles and photography from the first five years of the the gloriously opulent publication make this compilation a must-have for anyone who loves design. In the words of its author, Cabana Anthology explores the “intellectual and emotional intimacy with buildings and their surroundings...the intense relationship of thought, place and the person. Cabana Anthology is about the magic of atmosphere and aesthetics inspired by the classics and Italian art history, and interiors where old and new are assembled to reflect the soul and history of a person or a family, not a stylist.”
Ottolenghi Simple: a cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest eponymous cookbook in a series, Ottolenghi Simple: A Cookbook, promises 130 Middle Eastern-influenced recipes that can be prepared in 30 minutes with ten or less ingredients, in a single pot, using pantry staples. Brunch gets a make-over with Braised Eggs with Leeks and Za’atar; Cauliflower, Pomegranate, and Pistachio Salad refreshes the side-dish rotation; Lamb and Feta Meatballs bring ease to the weeknight table; and every sweet tooth is sure to be satisfied by the spectacular Fig and Thyme Clafoutis. With vibrant photographs of each brilliantly, deliciously simple meal, this elemental Ottolenghi is a must!
Fleur Collection Modern Holiday 3-wick candle
The Fleur Collection Modern Holiday 3-Wick Candle comes in beautiful decorative silver or red glass. Classic holiday memories are created with the gentle pairing of crushed Siberian pine and juniper, infused with notes of clove and citron. These are just perfect for any room in the house to bring in the scent of the holidays.
Luxe Pads
Luxe Pads by Black Ink are nothing if not special. With 275 sheets of luxurious quality paper (160 sheets of extra thick paper for their Luxe Foils), these customizable luxury paper pads are just the thing for the pen-and-paper aficionados in your life. Weighing in at 3.5 pounds, the Luxe Pad is 275 sheets of doodles, notes, shopping lists, to-do’s…a whole year’s worth of desktop paper! It's a notepad that moonlights as fine stationery. Initials or Expressions can be added for a personalized touch – a perfect gift for a consummate hostess.