There are many reasons to be thankful living in the Napa Valley. Just one of them is the abundance of unique small businesses owned and operated by creative locals. Recently I was given the compliment of being a "good gift-giver" (blush). Well it's easy to find very special things if you avoid the chain stores and seek out the plethora of handmade or vintage treasures to be found in the Napa Valley.
A couple of things not to miss if you want to find truly beautiful artful gifts is the White Barn Winter Fair on December 6-8th. Some of my favorite finds have come from here, and this year I plan to buy myself one of those Magic Carpet Yoga Mats.
By the way, Small Business Saturday is November 30th, and I encourage you all to take the Pledge to Shop Small. As our economy slowly recovers, its of the upmost importance to support our independent, locally owned businesses. Here's a list of places where I'll be "investing" this season.
In St Helena & Calistoga & Beyond
- Centerpiece Napa Valley
- Acres Home & Garden
- Blackbird Calistoga
- 14 Feet (a new discovery in Cloverdale)
And, if your feeling chilly and just want to shop in your "comfy clothes" you can visit Etsy.com and enter your city on their Shop Local page. Some of my Etsy picks are:
- Eden Scissorhands (sewn goodness)
- Barn Simple Press (letterpress love)
- The Turtle and the Ray (jewelry reimagined)
- Feralia Vintage (BFF - best frickin finds)
So, skip the chaos of Black Friday (sounds nasty anyway) and Shop Small to Score Big. This has been a message of the committee to Save Creativity in the Napa Valley.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!