Small Business Christmas Shopping Guide!

 

Yes yes, it's not even December yet and we've already been reminded for WEEKS that Christmas is nearly here. We for one have not even started our Christmas shopping yet, because we intend on shopping independent, local, and/or small this year, so no worries about things being stuck on ships, wahoo!

Joking aside, it has been yet another tough year for small businesses, so your support is more important than ever! As far as we are concerned, buying gifts from a small business is like buying two presents, because actual people are absolutely made up with your orders! 

But we knowwww that it's hard when you just want your shopping over and done with and Amazon, Waterstones, Boots and the like all seem like the quickest and cheapest option. SO that's why we've put together this gift guide that we hope will appeal to the different kinds of people you're buying for, get your shopping done fast, and included big and small prezzies too :) We sadly couldn't write about all our fave small businesses or we'd be here until next Christmas, but we have got a lil list of some gorgeous pals at the end!

A lot of these guys are Liverpool based, but most of them deliver nationwide so still awesome businesses to show support to!!

We of course wanted to show off our super cute range of gifts as well, so scroll to the bottom for our vouchers and stocking fillers!

Primoza

This company is just bursting with joy - their signature product is this genius growable calendar, which I actually tried to make one similar for Mark last year and it was so hard, so I was thrilled to see this!

Their aim is to bring people closer to nature, and believe that anyone can become a gardener. With so many of us learning to grow, these calendars make such a good present for any green-fingered loved ones!

Suitable for those with teeny windowsills or proper gardens, and they even do greetings cards too!

Click here to shop!

[gift in photo: £19.90]

Our Lovely Goods

Eeeeeverybody loves a candle, but these guys are next level! Founded by Ebi and Emmanuel, they are inspired by their Nigerian Heritage to create beautiful products that remind you of home.

Not only do they have the most beautiful vegan soy wax candles, but they do gorgeous gift boxes, tea, skincare, jams and socks! Really a stunning gifters paradise (and maybe pop something in there for yourself too)!

[gift in photo: £20]

Black Cat Liverpool



Black Cat, formerly Craft Taproom, is based on Smithdown Road in Liverpool and we absolutely love them. Aside from putting on boss live music and quizzes, they do the best curated beer boxes which make the best gifts!

From the 'local box' to the 'sober box', the 'pale' and the 'sour' box, they make the perfect secret santa presents or add on prezzies.

At the mo these are pick up only, but so so worth it!

[gift in photo: £12]



The Chain Designs




We couldn't do a gift guide without mentioning our gorge pal over at The Chain Designs!

You probably already follow them on Instagram, but if you have any vintage babes in your life, The Chain has the most amazing homeware and clothing made to order.

If you're after main presents, their floral blankets and cushions are stunning, or if it's stocking fillers you need they do the best mugs and coasters (trust me, we have them all)! 


[gift in photo: £13.95]


John Shedwick Photography


This is one for the Lakes lovers - and who doesn’t love the Lake District?! Our incredible pal John takes the most breathtaking pictures; he climbs to the top of fells at 4am, stares into the eyes of sheep and heads out in the snow, all to capture that perfect picture! 

You can get all his photos in almost any size and choose whether you want a frame, so they make the perfect present whatever your budget!

[gifts in photo: from £20]

Arta's Flowers


Oh my gosh I just fell in love with Arta's when she opened her Lark Lane florists a couple of months ago! 

With a shop in Liverpool and London, Arta herself is so lovely and could tell you exactly where each stem was grown, often times super locally! She makes the most stunning bouquets based on areas of Liverpool - or pop in and design your own with her! You can get them locally delivered for free or arrange further afield delivery too.

Click here to shop!
[gifts in photo: £30]

Swaying Daisies


So I only recently came across Swaying Daisies and I am absolutely in LOVE, they are literally so groovy and sooo perfect for little stocking fillers, with prices from £2!! All inspired by absolute icons like T-Rex, The Beatles, Dolly Parton and Britney!

Personally I am absolutely treating myself to a new notebook and stickers!


Lunya

This is one for the foodies!
Lunya is a Catalonian Deli in Liverpool, AND the largest Spanish online food and drink store in the UK, so perfect for loved ones who wished they had been to Spain this year! Specialising in artisan ingredients, either sourced locally or hand selected by themselves in Spain! 

They have a huge selection of gift hampers for wine, cheese, churro, gin or paella lovers alike!

[gift in photo: £29]

Wilderness Hair

If you know us you know we are huge fans of Lou from Wilderness Hair - we wouldn't get our hair done anywhere else! So we know more than anyone that she has worked sooo hard on her gorgeous gift sets, 'Nomad' and 'Lost in Bali'. 
Not only has she created beautiful ethical shampoos and conditioners (which are dead hard to find!) but she's also made an experience to go with them, with incense and a playlist for you to unwind and really get transported to another place.
They make the perfect gifts for literally anyone with hair, or if you're local you can grab a gift card to get your hair done at her salon in Liverpool!

[gift in photo: £50]

The Confection Club


The Confection Club are a super cute Liverpool based brownie and cookie company who deliver all over the UK! They have white, milk, and caramel brownies and cookies or you can even mix and match your order, and they are absolutely delicious! If you can resist the urge not to buy some for yourself, you can also include a little 'Lucky You!' note in your box - adorable!

[gift in photo: £14 / £17.50]

News From Nowhere


So if you have mega organised family members, they may have told you already what they want for Christmas, and if they're anything like my family it's probably a book. The first thing you do is google it and find it on Amazon - well stop! Because there are indie book shops that will deffo have the book you're looking for!

One of those is the absolute Liverpool institution, News From Nowhere. They deliver nationwide, but if you're local they will even come on a bike, which obviously made us fall even more in love with them!

They are a non-for-profit radical community bookshop, ran by a women's cooperative established in 1974, and they are just an all-round amazing organisation to support. And chances are they will have the book you're looking for!




Girl On Purl Action


And of COURSE we had to give a huge shout out to our gorgeous pal Gemma, who not only collaborates with us on our 70s inspired crochet collection 'Girl In The Garden', but also makes the most adorable crochet creatures! Such perfect stocking fillers for those who love the cute and colourful. 

She also sells crochet patterns too - which make awesome gifts for crafters in your life! To find out more about Gemma and her crochet career, you can read our blog dedicated to her here.

Click here to shop!


And that brings our small business shopping guide to a close, we hope you have discovered some gorge new places to shop and been inspired on your quest to complete your Christmas shopping! 

As for some other pals we love, if you're into colour, vintage vibes and/or need to buy clothing or earrings for someone (*cough* yourself *cough*), check out Elizabeth Whibley, Ziggy Pop Shop, Pomshell, Mary Benson, Ada Binks, Studio Dawn and Mod Shoes!

All that's left to do is shamelessly plug our Christmas-suitable pieces - we know vintage isn't always the easiest thing to buy for people, so we have gift vouchers, patches, earrings, handmade berets, t-shirts and accessories that make the perfect gift add-ons or main prezzies for any groovy people in your life, so click the images to shop!

        




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Music with Mark! Garage Legends: The Monks vs The Sonics.

Image
Hey guys, welcome back to another music with Mark! The 1960s are my favourite musical decade and for me, The Monks and The Sonics are two of my favourites. They had relatively short careers but were hugely influential on me, my tastes and how I like to dress. When we're working away in our studio sorting through mounds of vintage clothes or making some handmade treasures, we love nothing more than playing their albums and turning it up to 11. The Monks: In Monk's Robes Dave, Larry, Roger, Eddie and Gary were a group of American GIs stationed in Germany and formed The Monks in 1964. They dressed in black, wore winkle pickers, a rope around their neck and even went as far as to shave bald patches on their heads (tonsures). While I'd not go as far as shaving my head, I definitely dug their choice in shoes and along with The Horrors, they inspired me to get myself off to the vintage markets and vintage shops in Camden to hunt for shoes like theirs. They released their only albu...
Read more

TOG Talks with The Meyer Dancers!

Image
Happy July TOG babes! It might be a bit late to say that but the month is flying by! With festival season in full swing, we thought we would bring you a blog that you can read for those long journeys to the fields. This month we are so excited to chat to the grooviest dance troupe in the UK - The Meyer Dancers!! London is so lucky to have this sensational sisterhood, teaming with energy and embodying everything about the 60s and 70s! Having appeared on TV, music videos, and at festivals and events all across the UK, The Meyer Dancers are a pillar of the vintage community, so we get to know them a little better! We have been a fan of you guys for so long! Tell us how you founded the Meyer Dancers? A group of us met whilst studying dance over 10 years ago, we shared a joint passion for music, all things vintage and the colourful essence of the 60s and 70s. We were inspired by the strong female characters in Russ Meyer movies so that's where our name originated from! We started t...
Read more

Music with Mark! Beat the January blues.

Image
Hey! January is here and with it a slight malaise. I try to shy away from the doom and gloom of January and blue Monday because it’s the start of a new year and anything is possible! I promise I’m not going to go full on Almost Famous and suggest listening to Tommy in full while burning a candle, but January is a good time for ritual and ceremony! So these are some of the songs I like to listen to on days when I need a bit of a pick me up. ROADHOUSE BLUES – THE DOORS I could write a whole blog about The Doors and I probably will at some point because they’re my favourite band. They’ve got loads of songs that are a pick me up but this song has the line “I woke up this morning and I got myself a beer” while I’m not explicitly advocating morning beers, the thought reminds me of summer festivals and also, sometimes, it is just nice to have a morning beer. Jim was on to something. This is The Doors at their blues rock best - driving guitars, sexy harmonicas and wonderful almost honky-tonk ...
Read more