2016 Gift Guide: For the Cocktail Enthusiast

Today’s gift guide is all about gift ideas for the cocktail enthusiast! We’ve rounded up some of our favorite bar tools, syrups, glassware, and cocktail books for your favorite imbiber – there are plenty of options to go around! We even included a couple of favorite spirits, including a limited edition spirit that I would love to find under my own tree this year. Here are a few ideas to help get you started!

2016 Gift Guide: Gift Ideas for the Cocktail Enthusiast

1. Dress up your bar cart with one of these gorgeous shakers – a gold French-style shaker or this blue enamel shaker and jigger set!

2. Don’t forget to make drinking water available during cocktail parties! I’m loving this gold banded carafe (and it’s currently on sale!)

3. Basically the most beautiful bottle opener I’ve ever seen, by Sarah Cecilia via LEIF.

4. + 5. When in doubt, give booze! This limited edition Lost Spirits Polynesian Rum is at the top of my wish list and this Roundstone Rye whiskey from Catoctin Creek is a local favorite.

6. Of course, vintage barware and glassware always makes a lovely gift.

7. This copper and brass pitcher and cocktail spoon set is so beautiful.

8. Three of our favorite syrups from BG Reynolds (especially for Tiki cocktails) – and available as a gift set here!

9. These swing bottles are our favorite way to store home made syrups – and the larger size is great for serving big batch cocktails at parties or infusing liquors at home. We also suggest a sturdy funnel set and a simple embossing label maker to help identify random bottles in the back of the fridge.

10. Three cocktail books currently at the top of our wish list: Amaro, Smuggler’s Cove, and Regarding Cocktails

11. Speaking of infusions, this iSi Gourmet Whip is great for making quick infusions at home – here’s the tutorial!

12. + 13. Loving the brass inlay pattern in these wood coasters and the modern design of these black and gold coasters

14. A Lewis ice bag and mallet is a MUST for any self-respecting cocktail enthusiast, especially when it comes to ice-filled summer drinks. These tools allow you to control the size and coarseness of your crushed ice, and the cotton bag soaks up extra moisture so the crushed ice doesn’t immediately stick together and form a single large block of ice.

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on these links, you’ll help support Oh So Beautiful Paper while also purchasing some wonderful gifts. I only recommend products that I truly love and trust that you’ll love, too. My full disclosure policy can be found here.

2016 Gift Guide: Preschoolers and Their Siblings

For the past few years, I’ve shared a few gift guides on subjects near and dear to my heart – and today I’m kicking off this year’s gift guide series with an installment inspired by my two girls! Sophie is 4 years old and Alice is 2 years old, so we officially have two wild and crazy little girls running around the house! Alice hadn’t yet started walking when I wrote last year’s post, so this is the first year that we’ve seen the girls both really play together and seriously compete over toys. This year, I thought I’d share some gift ideas for preschoolers along with a few ideas for toys that will encourage siblings to play together!

2016 OSBP Gift Guide: Preschoolers and Their Siblings

1. I purchased a teepee on a total whim earlier this year, and it turned out to be one of the best purchases I’ve ever made! The teepee both encourages my girls to play together and to use their imaginations. The teepee has been a bedroom, a kitchen, refuge from a sudden storm, and a hiding spot from monsters. We don’t have a lot of space in our house, but we set the teepee up in an area by our laundry closet and just fold it up and stick it in the corner after the girls go to bed at night. I actually bought this teepee from Target’s Pillowfort collection for the colors in the design (light pink, light purple, and mint green), but I love the solid bamboo poles of the Land of Nod teepees. Either way, you can’t go wrong! My girls love theirs so much and play so well together in it, I’m seriously considering getting a second one just to keep at the grandparents’ house.

2. – 4. Blocks, blocks, blocks! Sophie comes home from school every day and immediately starts building these incredible structures with her various blocks: Magna Tiles, Lego Duplos, and regular wood blocks. Alice is starting to play with blocks, too, and I’m looking forward to the two of them building all sorts of things together over the years. I’ve had my eye on these Kiva and Kapla wood blocks for a while now, but I also love the idea of slowly expanding Magna Tile and Duplo collections at birthdays and holidays over the years.

5. Ikea has been really stepping up their kid toy section lately! Have you seen their new costumes? We were just at our local Ikea this past weekend, and I’m kicking myself for not grabbing this rainbow abacus or this wood stacking game.

6. We can never get enough art supplies in this house! I carry a set of washable markers and a drawing pad with me pretty much anytime we go with the kids, and we spend lots of time drawing and creating at home – so we go through lots of drawing materials! I love these washable Faber Castell duo-tipped markers and these Crayola Pip-squeaks markers for the kids.

7. Now that Alice is a little bit older, the girls are able to play together with their pretend play toys – their toy kitchen, doctor’s kit, and now train sets! I’m seriously loving the colors and elevation in this Metro Line train set. These bigger toys are definitely an investment, but so worth it for the years of shared play.

8. + 9. Puzzles! Sophie has been really into maps this year, and I think this floor puzzle from Petit Collage looks like a lot of fun! We’re also big fans of the Melissa & Doug wood puzzles – Sophie enjoys the 48-piece puzzles, while Alice is still pretty into the chunky toddler puzzles.

10. + 11. J.Crew and the Cat & Jack collection at Target are my go-to sources for cute accessories, from purses to necklaces. This necklace even glows in the dark! And how cute is this pink watch for little girls??

12. LOVE this pink superhero cape and hat set for girls from Lovelane!

13. Sophie has officially outgrown her tricycle, which means time for a big girl bicycle! I’m loving the clean design of this bike, and it comes in pink – which Sophie will definitely like.

14. Alice doesn’t quite yet have the leg length or strength for a tricycle – not that it stops her from trying! But now that big sister is ready to move onto bigger wheels, I’m looking for something other than a wagon or push trike that would help Alice keep pace. These micro scooters are at the top of my list!

p.s. Gift ideas for 3 year olds, 2 year olds, and 15-month olds

This post contains affiliate links. By clicking on these links, you’ll help support Oh So Beautiful Paper while also purchasing some wonderful gifts. I only recommend products that I truly love and trust that you’ll love, too. My full disclosure policy can be found here.

Seasonal Stationery: 2016 Hanukkah cards

Oh, the festival of lights! As a kid, I couldn’t wait to open my Hanukkah gifts. As an adult, I can’t wait for a guilt-free way to enjoy fried foods (pro-tip: if you are planning to make latkes at home, be sure to open all your windows BEFORE you start cooking). Whatever your personal motivation, sharing a joyful message with loved ones is what the holiday is really all about. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite iconography associated with the holiday including chocolate, misspellings, and the aforementioned fried foods (and yes, a few traditional icons such as dreidels and menorahs as well) to bring you a few awesome Hanukkah cards. – Shauna

Seasonal Stationery: 2016 Hanukkah Cards

1. Hanukkah begins on Christmas Eve this year, so this play on a famous Christmas carol feels especially appropriate – from People I’ve Loved.

2. Really appreciating the tight registration and geometric details of this three color letterpress card from Hammerpress.

3. Egg Press celebrates the sweeter side of the holiday with a gelt-themed design.

4. If simple and elegant is more your bag, you can’t go wrong with Los Angeles-based Sugar Paper.

5. Loving this clever bird menorah (letterpressed in four colors!) from husband and wife team Fugu Fugu Press.

6. Most Hanukkah cards feature a menorah, but this folk-inspired one from Hello!Lucky is one of my favs.

7. This Lark + Raven card made me laugh out loud. Perfect for your friend who celebrates Hanukkah and Christmas!

8. Paula and Waffle, you had me at cheese latkes.

9. Speaking of latkes, a good food pun is also always a good idea (from One Canoe Two).

10. ‘However you spell it, we’ll celebrate it!’ with holographic foil! This super fun design comes courtesy of Ladyfingers Letterpress.

11. For those purists out there, this gold foil menorah from E. Frances Paper is a sure win.

Be sure to check out our previous holiday card round ups here and here!

We’ll be back soon with a few more holiday cards, New Year’s cards – oh, and a few 2017 calendars, too!

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale Retailers!

You guys! Today is a really, really exciting day. I’m teaming up with Etsy Wholesale to share ELEVEN of my favorite independent stationery stores and boutiques across the country, all in the spirit of shopping small and local this holiday season. I’ve admired every single one of these fantastic stores and their talented proprietors for years, and it’s always a treat when I get to share photos of their beautiful shelves with all of you! Shopping small and local is such a great way to support both your local community and independent artists and designers by supporting the retailers that carry their goods. You can also browse the listings on Etsy Local to find even more independent shops that carry handmade goods in your area!

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Spruce

These eleven stores stock their shelves with exquisite greeting cards, accessories, gifts, home décor items, jewelry, and so much more – many of which are created by talented Etsy artists and designers on Etsy Wholesale. If you aren’t already familiar with Etsy Wholesale, it’s Etsy’s private wholesale market – where retailers connect with wholesale-ready independent designers and makers to stock their shelves with unique products. Etsy Wholesale offers retailers the opportunity to reach a wide variety of artists, including the ability to search for specific product types to fill gaps on their shelves and discover new artists. It’s such a fantastic resource for both sellers and retailers! And for those of us out shopping this holiday season, we’re guaranteed to find something really special on the shelves of Etsy Wholesale retailers. We also asked each retailer to share some of their favorite products from Etsy Wholesale sellers currently on their shelves, which you’ll find below!

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Photo Credit: Emilie Inc Photography

The eleven retailers below all have absolutely impeccable taste and are trendsetters in their communities. If you live near any of these shops, I hope you’ll stop by and say hello for me!

Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store / Brooklyn, NY

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

We love working with Etsy Wholesale sellers because their products are so unique and you can’t find them anywhere else. We can pick and choose from so many great resources all in one place and shop anytime! – Ann of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Annie's Blue Ribbon General Store

Seoul Little

There are so many Etsy Wholesale designers that we LOVE! But in terms of one I discovered through Etsy Wholesale – it’s got to be Seoul Little. Their jewelry is amazing, I wear their earrings EVERY DAY!!! – Ann of Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store

Broadway Paper / Milwaukee, WI

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Broadway Paper

My favorite part about working with Etsy Wholesale is the ease of buying. Having the ability to peruse, shop, order and pay for an order all in one place (with multiple sellers) is invaluable. I also very much enjoy the Etsy Wholesale email blasts that are sent out; I have ordered from a handful of the featured sellers. –Kate of Broadway Paper

Lucky Horse Press / Broadway Paper

Lucky Horse Press

My favorite designer that I currently carry that I discovered on Etsy Wholesale is Lucky Horse Press. Their unique look and clever greetings have gone over very well with our customers. – Kate of Broadway Paper

Clementine / Middlebury, VT

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Clementine

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Clementine

Etsy Wholesale sellers have the heart of handmade crafters with the knowledge of how to interact successfully with retail stores. Also, the checkout makes it really easy to make an order quickly. – Emily of Clementine

Little Goat Paper Co. Bloody Mary Birthday Card and Enamel Pin

Little Goat Paper Co.

I stock over 160 lines at Clementine and at least a quarter of them sell their work via Etsy Wholesale – they’re all my faves. But I did recently discover Little Goat Paper Co. and love their simple cards and corresponding enamel pins. With social media, writing for OSBP, and my friendships in the stationery world, it’s rare that I find something I haven’t yet seen, but her letterpress printed illustration of a Bloody Mary (“Hope your birthday is chock full of good things!”) and a pin to match…had me saying: Yes please! – Emily of Clementine

GREER / Chicago, IL

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

My favorite part about working with Etsy Wholesale sellers is the independent creativity they bring to our merchandise mix. And it feels great to support the passion and effort of so many small makers. – Chandra Greer

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Greer

Heirloom Tomato's / Greer

Heirloom Tomato’s

I can’t say I have an absolute favorite  product or designer we discovered on Etsy Wholesale – I love them all – but one of the newer designs that we’re excited about and amused by is a line of award ribbon greeting cards from Heirloom Tomato’s. I’m also a big fan of Alisa Bobzien, another designer we discovered on Etsy Wholesale, because I’m personally in synch with her design inspirations – books, coffee and positive thinking! – Chandra Greer

Alisa Bobzien / Greer

Alisa Bobzien

Gus & Ruby Letterpress / Portsmouth, NH

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Gus & Ruby Shop Photo Credits: Emilie Inc Photography

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

We love that we can discover smaller companies that we might not have been able to find easily and then share their incredible talents with our awesome customers. We care deeply about the artists and makers whose work we carry so supporting up and coming designers is such a treat. – Samantha, Whitney, and Byrdy of Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Card by Parrott Design Studio and available for purchase here / Photo Credit: Emilie Inc Photography

Harvest Paper Co. Matchstick Jars / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Harvest Paper Co. Matchstick Jars / Photo Credit: Demri Rosekrans

We carry so many Etsy Wholesalers so it’s really tricky to choose just one as a favorite. At this very moment, we’re really loving the bold, graphic pouches, buckets, and bags from Zana Products. Their quirky designs and fun patterns are so eye-catching and the quality construction and materials makes for some seriously awesome pieces. – Samantha, Whitney, and Byrdy of Gus & Ruby Letterpress

Herringbone Planters by Elizabeth Benotti Ceramics / Gus and Ruby Letterpress

Herringbone Planters by Elizabeth Benotti Ceramics / Image Credit: Demri Rosekrans

Inkling / Chicago, IL

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Inkling

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Inkling

Worthwhile Paper Co. / Inkling

Worthwhile Paper Co.

My favorite designer I’ve found through Etsy Wholesale is Worthwhile Paper Co. She’s been super easy to work with and is always finding creative ways to incorporate her designs into different products. Her line is evolving but she definitely has a distinct style and I always look forward to seeing what she comes up with next. – Stephanie of Inkling

Mac and Murphy / Charleston, SC

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Mac and Murphy

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Mac and Murphy

Chalkscribe / Mac and Murphy

Chalkscribe

It’s always fun to have a mix of products that keep up with pop culture and Chalkscribe does an incredible job creating hilarious greeting cards. Even though we order through Etsy and don’t get to meet the designer you always know with someone like Chalkscribe that you’ll be immediate friends. We love that about our brands on Etsy. – Ami and Liz of Mac & Murphy

Papél New York / Brooklyn, NY

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Papel New York

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Papel New York

I meticulously curate and hand select every item that enters the shop. So I find that Etsy Wholesale allows me to search for items that are not easily found elsewhere, and are made with care and integrity versus the big box vendors. Sellers are super flexible about minimum order requirements, sending samples before placing an order, and the like. – Raegan of Papél New York

Lemon Drop Papers / Papel New York

Lemon Drop Papers

Lemon Drop Papers is one of my favorite discoveries via Etsy Wholesale. Their tiny love notes are a staple at our counter and simply put, folks just love them. Who wouldn’t want a tiny card and envelope the size of a postage stamp?! – Raegan of Papél New York

Red Barn Mercantile / Alexandria, VA

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Red Barn Mercantile

For any retailer to stay in business they have to stay current and fresh. Etsy Wholesale artists make that easy for us. These are the creative minds that are coming up with the next cool thing. They are innovative and interesting, which keeps my store relevant to all generations. When Etsy launched this wholesale program it was a game changer for both makers and retailers. It’s an amazing platform for small businesses to find each other and grow together. –Amy of Red Barn Mercantile

Paula and Waffle / Red Barn Mercantile

I love Paula and Waffle for sweet, understated stationery and Upper Metal Class for modern and edgy jewelry. My customers have responded to both enthusiastically! –Amy of Red Barn Mercantile

Salt & Sundry / Washington, DC

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Salt and Sundry

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Salt and Sundry

We’ve been introduced to so many talented designers and makers through the Etsy Wholesale platform. I love that we can connect and learn the sellers’ stories and processes, and the platform makes it so simple to order. – Amanda of Salt & Sundry

Worthwhile Paper Co. / Salt and Sundry

Worthwhile Paper Co.

We have so many beautiful goods from Etsy Wholesale sellers in the shop! We just added the gorgeous letterpress printed and screen printed leather goods from Almanac Industries, which I can’t wait to receive. I’m also crazy about Worthwhile Paper‘s lunar prints and phases of the moon calendar. – Amanda of Salt & Sundry

Spruce / Bellingham, WA

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Etsy Wholesale a diverse community of entrepreneurs and small businesses in one marketplace and that allows us to bring in beautiful products sourced from all over the globe. Small businesses are the heart of any community and we love that if you shop with us, you’re really supporting a wide network of communities all over the world. – Brittany of Spruce Stationery & Design

Shop Small with Etsy Wholesale / Spruce Stationery and Design

Fox & Fallow

With the new year fast approaching calendars and planners are our favorite! A fresh start is always inspiring. Etsy Wholesale designer Fox & Fallow is a husband and wife team located in Brisbane, Australia and their 2017 positivity calendar has all the good vibes we need to take us through the rest of our American winter. – Brittany of Spruce Stationery & Design

Don’t forget – you can browse the Etsy Local listings to find Etsy retailers in your area. Yay for shopping small and local this holiday season!

This post was created in partnership with Etsy Wholesale. All content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I love figuring out ways to make holiday gift giving more personalized and meaningful, especially for adult family members. My parents and in-laws are usually my biggest challenges: they already have plenty of things and accessories in their home, but they’re always on our case for more photos of my kids. Zazzle offers an incredible range of personalized and photo holiday gifts – including a really impressive collection of artisan gifts! – and I was thrilled when they invited me to share some of my favorite personalized holiday gifts with you! You can customize pretty much anything and the beautiful products come so quickly in the mail. I love being able to include some meaningful and personalized items in our holiday gift-giving list!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I had to start with these adorable custom tote bags that we made using some of my 4 year-old daughter’s artwork. I’ve been a big fan of Zazzle’s custom tote bags ever since we collaborated with them on the Paper Party tote bags a couple of years ago, and I wanted to try printing some of Sophie’s black and white illustrations on a tote! The whole process was super easy: I just took a photo of Sophie’s artwork with my phone, upped the contrast to full black and white, and then uploaded the image to Zazzle. I went with the versatile budget tote since I like the handle length, but there are also heavyweight versions for errands and grocery shopping, including custom BAGGU duck bags!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These photo mugs are the perfect way to share a favorite memory with far-away loved ones! And I love having another way to share more family photos beyond just framed prints, especially since so many of our favorite photos are just quick snaps on our phones. I made a few mugs using only Instagram photos, and I’ve pretty much decided to gift a new mug to the grandparents (aka my parents and in-laws) every year. We’re all big coffee and tea drinkers, and I love that they’ll start their mornings with my girls’ sweet faces!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These little photo Post-it® notes make the cutest stocking stuffers! And if you need to scribble out a quick shopping list or appointment reminder, why not do it while also looking at a favorite family photo? I made these with my parents and in-laws in mind, but I also love the idea of making a few of these for your spouse to take to the office.

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

These beautiful custom name bar necklaces are the perfect gift for any mamas in your life: wife, sister, mom, or even grandmother. The necklaces are available in silver, gold, and rose gold, and I love the clean, minimalist design. So simple and chic.

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

I always struggle with “traditional” gift ideas for the men in my family. Books and magazine subscriptions are usually a better fit for holiday gifting than anything involving golf (or sports in general), grilling, or power tools. These monogrammed pocket squares offer an extra dose of flair for my fashionable husband that wears a three-piece suit to the office, while the engraved Waterford ballpoint pens are the perfect choice for my music teacher brother-in-law. I also love these personalized leather journal covers for my historian father-in-law who is constantly taking notes for his World War I book series!

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Personalized and Photo Holiday Gifts with Zazzle

Thanks again to our partners at Zazzle for letting us run wild with their many personalized and photo holiday gift offerings! Click here to explore their extensive collection of artisan gifts, here to create your own custom tote bags, and here to create your own custom photo mugs. You can also check out their collection of holiday photo cards here!

All photos by Nole Garey for Oh So Beautiful Paper

This post is sponsored by ZazzleAll content and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the sponsors that make Oh So Beautiful Paper possible!