I'd like to comment...on presents

Yes, I started my holiday shopping, but it's complicated.

This summer, when local retailers started putting out all things Halloween, I thought I might pull my hair out (I didn’t thank goodness. I’m partial to my shorter, graying hair). I like things to happen when they are supposed to happen, so jack-o-lanterns in the sweaty days of July felt very wrong.

Technically the Christmas shopping “season” starts with Black Friday, except now all the deals are “pre” Black Friday. Christmas stuff started appearing on shelves in early September. It’s too much. And yet, here I am, pre-Black Friday-ing you.

So, we’re doing this, are we?

For me, holiday shopping starts with Mountaineer Week’s annual craft fair. These days, my approach to all things WVU are complicated by having (voluntarily) left earlier this year. In a lot of ways the craft fair is less about the university (I mostly saw community people there, few students, faculty, or staff), where WVU mostly hosts. I’ve been going since I first was a graduate student. I like finding cool gifts from local artisans. So here’s a few, with links directly to the producers.

Last year, I found THE BEST pumpkin mug. I’d wanted a pumpkin mug for the autumnal months, and ended up using this one all year. The handle felt good in the hand, the glaze was beautiful, the colors saturated. So, I was thrilled when Stephanie’s Pottery was back this year. I got several new items in more wintry colors. I also found out her pumpkin mugs went viral last year. I’m not surprised. They’re awesome.

I did also get some as gifts, just so that you don’t think I only found presents for myself.

Each year for several years now, I’ve purchased from Sassy Gals Gourmet Treats. Specifically, I get loads of their bourbon roasted and cinnamon roasted pecans. My family is full of nut people (in all senses, but especially we are nut eaters), and so the one time I did not remember to get the Sassy Gals roasted pecans, I heard about it.

These also make a festive addition to a cheese and fruit platter if you’re hosting a get-together. I like to include them with sliced pears and apples and assorted cheeses (and now I’m hungry).

Every family seems to have one of those people who is just crazy about the holidays. In my family, my mom is the Christmas junkie. Listens to Christmas music year-round. Keeps the tree up well into February. She can never have too many Christmas items. However, if we get her jewelry, speficically earrings, they have to be a) unlike any she already has and b) super, super light weight. She hates heavy earrings and will lament them the other 364 days of the year.

So, imagine my delight when I found super, super light weight earrings that are unlike any mom has previously collected (she just turned 76, so you can imagine the volume of her collection) from Golden Rose Creations.

The to-go cup coffees with the little gingerbread men delighted me, because I know she has nothing like them and loves gingerbread. And the little pink hats are both cute and not so Christmas-y, meaning they’re more winter-seasonal for longer wearing. Not that it would matter to my mom.

I also found some lovely cards, which features a fox! Perfect for sending this time of year, with glad tidings and such:

The great part about blank cards with pretty pictures? They can be all purpose holiday cards, from Hanukkah to New Year’s. I found two different snow scenes with this fox, which I’m excited to add to this year’s mix of holiday mail from me.

In a lot of ways, Mountaineer Week is my precursor to Small Business Saturday when it comes to my holiday gift list. I love finding things by local artisans, and giving something unique. I’ve always believed in being thoughtful when giving presents. I don’t always hit the mark, but when I do, it’s satisfying.

Books, of course, are top of my list. Probably everyone in your life needs a copy of Postscripts, Fierce and Delicate, and/or What We Do In the Hollows (perhaps paired with the cryptid wares by Liz Pavlovic) , right? (Hurrah for shameless self promotion!) As for books by others? Well, first off, it was terrific to see a table full of WVU Press titles at Mountaineer Week.

You can order lots of fantastic titles online, and you can also find many of these at Morgantown’s new and fabulous Monkey Wrench Books.

Pro tip: bring a list of the titles you want to give with you when you go to your favorite indie bookstore. If they don’t have it in stock, they may be able to order it for you. This really helps your local places stay financially healthy (particularly in Morgantown, which has lacked a great indie bookseller for far too long!).

So, some ideas for books-as-gifts (because I cannot help myself!):

• For the person who needs a post-election salve: I Hate It Here, Please Vote For Me by Matthew Ferrence is a perfect post-election book, with a bittersweet if hopeful-looking ending. And who doesn’t want to read about poetry as a platform?

• For the dancer who is too old for Ballet Shoes and took young for Gelsey Kirkland’s memoir: Lauren in the Limelight, by former Miami City Ballet dancer and current faculty member at Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miriam Landis. Her other novels are delightful as well. Landis is a wonderful ambassador of the art form in the written word. And bonus! For the dance enthusiast from Appalachia, check out Eddy Pendarvis’ Another World: Ballet Lessons from Appalachia shocases the stories and rich tradition of ballet in our neck of the woods.

• For your friends who binge Bridgerton and never tire of Jane Austen? Consider Puck and Prejudice by Lia Riley. A hockey player in Regency England, you ask? Yep. I’m not making this up.

• For the person who loves noir, and also Gen X music: Negative Girl, by Libby Cudmore. It’s a weird mashup, and by weird I mean delightfully so. And I can’t believe what a perfect name for a P.I. Martin Wade is, one of the protagnist/narrators of this neo-noir. Better start listening to your Elvis Costello now.

• Poetry? Where would I even begin? But some recent titles I’ve dipped into are Jonathan Chou’s Resemblance/ 與, David Prather’s We Were Birds, and Diane Seuss’ Modern Poetry, which is a Finalist for the 2024 National Book Award for Poetry. I could do a whole post on giftable collections of poems, but I’ll stop for now with “recently read.”

Another great way to find books, is to follow Booktenders on Instagram. Ashley often posts videos about new books on this forum, and it’s a fun way to find new titles, both to give and to keep. Also, for my friends on that side of the Mountain State, they have an incredible selection of Appalachian titles.

Sometimes it’s great to give an experience as a gift. Earlier this year, I induged in a class on champagne hosted by Shiloh Caffrey, owner and founder of We Drink Bubbles. As a sommelier with a Masters in Champagne (and why did I get a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing when I could have done this!), her class was three sessions online, with bottles shipped to your door in advance. These sessions touched on the history of champagne, the types of grapes and terrior (a French word that describes the environmental factors that affect the character of wine grapes), and the grower-producers she specializes in. Tastiest class I’ve ever taken.

If you happen to be in the market for a bubbles-centered gift, some other packages We Drink Bubbles offers includes a kit for hosting your own champagne tasting. Pair that with either the book or the movie The Widow Clicquot. Or find a bottle to take with you to a Cozy Dinner at Modern Homestead. Elevated, experience-oriented, and buying local all in one.

Maybe my gift list isn’t complicated at all. The holidays can feel so bogged down with expectations and present-giving stresses. And it shouldn’t be. The best gift you can give anyone is that of your time. It’s worth remembering.

News and Notes

• If you follow me on Instagram and the like, you might have seen that I made my first beef bourguignon. The night was chilly, so it was perfect for this dish. The recipe I used was from The Lemon Bowl.

• A fun new song from my favorite WV-based band, Hello June: California (Charlie Brown Superstar Remix)

• Some great chilling out music? Miles in France 1963 & 1964. Sophisticated and cool.