The holidays have a way of
arriving before I am ever fully prepared. Even if I start planning
parties and presents in July, I am inevitably scrambling to pull it
all together last-minute.
This year will be different. I swear. No, really, it will.
Don't get me wrong, I will certainly be whipping up batches of
scones, individual pies, pesto, and hot cocoa mix in the wee hours
before the morning they are supposed to be delivered, or running
through the wine aisle at Trader Joe's minutes before
yule-tiding my friend. But this year, I am intent on ordering
plenty of delightful gifts to pair with the food and booze, pretty
little things to attach and tuck in that will inspire me -- or will
at least make the package look far more prepped and perfect than it
actually is.
I'm going to order those little gift accompaniments from
Tartella, an ooh-and-ahh
site that carries simple, beautiful linen and paper products that
seem to call out to people who love to cook and those who love to
eat. Here are my four favorites from the site that I'm totally
on to make my rushed gifts look -- voila! -- magnifique:
The napkins (pictured
above) and
tea towels
(here) certainly make a sweet gift solo. But wrap a
loaf of your favorite homemade pumpkin bread in them or tie one
loosely around a bottle of infused olive oil and you've just
Martha-ed up your gift to gorgeous proportions.
No matter how far in advance
you make your famous shortbread or maple butter to pass out to
teachers, neighbors, and playgroup mommies, give your hard work the
credit it deserves by including the recipe for each gift recipient.
You'll be passing on a great recipe (not to mention the love
and secrets that go into it) and
one of these cute
cards (that are so far from the cookie-cutter kind in
every Target in America). It's like two treats in one!
The cooks marks come
with a preprinted with handy measurement conversions
and doll up a cookbook so much more than a bunch of Crisco-stained
Post-It Notes. If you're giving a friend Giada's latest or
one of Rachael's classics, this is an intuitive addition to the
present. It would also be ideal to throw in with stainless steel
measuring spoons or with a pile of favorite family recipes
you'd like to share or even atop a basket of cookies. Add a
sweet note to the back, and this is sure to be a nice reminder of
your friendship long after the snickerdoodles have been
consumed.
If you are way more
ahead-of-the-game and ambitious than I am, you are probably already
whipping up some DIYed wine bags to wrap your bottles of
home-concocted merlot in. this season. If you aren't that
crafty or fancy, you can certainly pretty up the wine you grab from
the grocery shelf with
one of these quirky, corky
little wine bags. Choose paper or 100% organic cotton,
both reusable as many times as you can stuff your favorite shiraz
inside.
Love the style but don't see what you need?
Tartella does
custom products as well. I know! Squee!
