'Tis the season y'all, and I couldn't be more excited! (Like, so excited that we may be putting up decor today. Don't you judge.) I wanted to put together a little gift guide of my favorite local items for those of you looking to gift (or be given) Nashville-inspired swagger this year.
Click brand names to access link to online stores—or, simply pick up locally!
The Cherry Bombs and Muzzle Loaders are life changing + are my newest addiction (and are available through their Seersucker line
here.) Peppermint Bark for days. Smoked and Bourbon Brittle. Duck Fat Caramels. Friggin' Olive and Sinclair. So good!
I. AM. OBSESSED with these handmade shoes (and fab shoes in general, for that matter.) They've got the total package: beautiful design, high-end quality, with a reasonable price. You can also find accessories for every budget
—including Belts, Wallets, Totes, and more. Oh, and purchasing a pair supports a beautiful cause, helping give jobs to and supporting craftsmen in Peru.
There are a lot of folks in town doing their thing with reclaimed wood, but there is something special about Christopher's pieces at CRT. His eye for design is spot on, with superb quality and great pricing. There are plenty of Nashville and Tennessee-inspired items, plus a handful non-regional items to class up your home decor. Get your order in by December 7 for guaranteed Christmas delivery.
Impress your coffee-snobbish friends with beans from my new favorite coffee spot in town
—which, FYI, are roasted locally. And my goodness, they are divine.
Looking for a one-stop-shop for your holiday giving? Look no further. Build your own Batch (essentially a gift basket filled with local goodies), or select from pre-configured bundles of their own. Any way you go, your gift will be filled with a fab variety of all-things-Nashville.
Ever since GooGoo launched its premium line earlier this year, somehow it became possible for me to fall in love with this brand even more than I already am. Handmade in their downtown Nashville locale, this gift is perfect for chocolate lovers.
Stereotypical Nashville gift? Maybe. Still cool and gift-worthy? You bet.
The coolest collection of Nashville-inspired clothing. From hot-chicken inspired tees to Willie Nelson sweatshirts, you can't go wrong. Plus, l00% of the profits go toward assisting the needs recovery of those homelessness, addition, mental illness (added bonus.)
For boozier of family and friends (read: me), consider a spirit from one of the best local liquor distillers around. Might I steer you toward the Triple Smoke Whiskey, perfect for a smoky old fashioned
—particularly at this time of year.
To be honest, I'm SO picky about candles. And these hand poured soy candles do not disappoint. They are smartly priced, local to Nashville, smell FAB, and come in vintage-inspired bottles. My favorite flave: Amber and Smoke.
This brilliant collection of recipes and stories by local Jennifer Justus is a MUST for any food lover, or lover of this beautiful town. Alongside its recipes, Jennifer shares personal thoughts about her Nashville—the people, music, history, and food that make it special.
I'm all about the good cause for the holidays. Fashionable HQ is based here in town, but, they employ women throughout the world looking for opportunity. Handmade items include gorgeous leather bags, tea towels, scarves, and more.
The PERFECT gift for your fully-bearded friends this holiday (and if you live in Nashville, that's surely at least half of your people.) Their gift set includes an incredibly-fine sampling of beard products: shampoo, conditioner, and oil all so brilliantly packaged, there is no need to wrap.
Want to be my BFF til the end of time? GIVE ME JENIS. Just in time for the holidays, the folks behind the best ice cream in the world have released a new batch of Thanksgiving-inspired flavors (Sweet Potato + Pecan Praline, Buttercup Pumpkin with Ameretti Cookies, Dark Chocolate Peppermint, you get the picture...) Now available to ship anywhere in the US!
Because you
know you need to share our city's love for the world's best spicy "Nashville Hot" fried chicken with your friends and family at home. And, Coops is as simple as it gets: Find your favorite store bought fried chicken (and y'all, have you ever had Publix fried chicken? Life changing.), scoop some Coops into a bowl and melt, brush it on your chicken, enjoy. SO good.
Y'all - first and foremost - do NOT get your mother products from that big box bath shop. Don't do it! In Nashville, we support local. Why? Because local is always better. You won't find a better quality lip balm, shower gel, or bath/body product around
—or a better cause to support. Thistle Farms is a community of women survivors of addiction, prostitution, and trafficking in Nashville. I've had the privilege to hear some of the stories of women who work here, and my word, they have quite a powerful testimony. I think the folks at Thistle sums up why they do what they do best: "This product bears witness that love is the most powerful force for change in the world," which in my opinion, is the true meaning of the holidays.
.jpg)
.jpg)
