Small Business Saturday Series v.2

And we’re back for another installment of Small Business Saturday series.  As I write this, I’m thinking I should have included these last week, so that you could use them to plan for your Thanksgiving holidays… but alas.  I did not.  

I’m encouraged by the number of people who are focused on sharing small businesses this year. It can be hard to remember these shops because we’re so used to the convenience of certain retailers. A scroll through my instagram or Facebook feeds always reminds me of the people who are creating things I love – and now more than ever – I feel compelled to share them with you without it seeming inauthentic.

Note: None of this is sponsored. These are all businesses (and more importantly, people) that I follow with products that I feel confident in recommending either because I purchase their products and I enjoy their content.. 

Holiday Food Delivery & Gift Ideas

Last week’s Small Business Saturday series travelled to Italy for food and wine. I’m staying mostly local this week – and maybe you’ll even find something to add to your Thanksgiving table!

Puddin’ Hill 

Mary of Puddin’ Hill is a place that is close to my heart (and not too far from home). This Texas bakery ships nationwide, so if you’re looking for something delicious for your holiday table (or someone else’s), let me recommend the praline pecan pie minis.  Puddin’ Hill used to have a bakery in the town where my dad grew up in East Texas.  No trip to Greenville was complete without stopping there for candy.  It is now only available in Palestine for visitors, but they do ship nationwide.  They have sweet and savory treats, including a fruitcake that my grandmother really loved.   

Emporium Pies

Emporium Pies is local to the Dallas area, though they are shipping nationwide for Thanksgiving!  If you don’t have time to make a pie, skip the grocery store pie and support this delicious local business.  I know I’m late to the party on Emporium Pies, having only tried them after deliberately putting them on my 101 in 1001 list, but they earned the hype.  I’m a big fan of the Lord of the Pies (apple), though they often have delicious seasonal specialties, so this can be a year round business to support.     

Edelweiss Cooking School

It’s no secret that we love to take cooking classes when we travel.  One of the things that we’ve enjoyed the most in Salzburg is taking an apple strudel cooking class!  We loved it so much that we did in 2016 and 2018!  We loved the semi-private experience, and I made this apple strudel in alternating years and will be making it this year.  

In response to the current situation, Johann is offering a apple strudel and pretzel class online!  If you’re looking for a fun activity to do while staying home this week (or for Christmas), I highly recommending taking this class with Edelweiss Cooking School!  It makes a great gift and you could do it with family in various places since it’s hosted by the almighty zoom.

Art and Travel Mementos

Jen Leo Studio

I have fallen in love with the beautiful, bright colors of Jen Leo’s art ever since I discovered her work while writing my April post about how to support Italy.  She does a modern twist on Florence and Italy and is always brainstorming new ideas on her instagram.  If you know someone who loves Italy as much as I do – or need some bright art to get you through the winter season- make sure to check out Jen Leo’s etsy shop.

If you want to check out other contemporary Florentine artisans, check out Creative People in Florence and Georgette’s guide to made-in-Italy gifts.

Stampe Ippogrifo d’Arte

If you’re looking for something a bit more traditional but also extremely unique, check out L’ippogrifo Stampe d’Art for beautiful hand-colored etchings.  This shop is located in the Oltrarno of Florence and offers only original works.  Far beyond Florence, their online shop offers animals, landscapes, kid-friendly prints, flowers and of course, views and cities.  If you’re wondering how these etchings are made, they show behind-the-scenes on their instagram account.

I actually used to have a vintage set of Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Vecchio prints in my home until my moving truck was stolen. I haven’t been able to work up the emotional wherewithal to replace them. (Complicated feelings, y’all.) This might be the year though.  

I’m highlight this business because they were in danger of closing after the first lockdown in Italy and I expect the second one will be even more difficult.  I think it’s particularly important to bring light to the work of true artisans whose crafts are in danger of being left behind if we don’t support them.  

Victoria’s Stories

If you are looking for journals, cards, or even beautiful prints, check out Victoria’s Stories shop.  I love her vintage-inspired travel journals and I find her prints absolutely beautiful.  Most recently, her set of London Christmas cards caught my attention because it reminded me when I used to design my own cards.  She is actually one of my favorite travel photography accounts to follow on instagram.  She’s also been showing behind the scenes of refurbishing furniture for her London home while hunkering down, so that’s fun to follow, too.  (I love creative people.)    

Small Business Saturday Series Footnote

As you think about Black Friday shopping, I encourage you to think about the small businesses, creatives, or people that are going to need your support more than ever this year. Yes, there are a lot of retailers hurting, too. Many have filed for bankruptcy or gone through re-orgs. That said, a scroll through my instagram feed is always a reminder of PEOPLE I follow because I love what they create. There are a lot of HUMANS that have been affected by the pandemic and sometimes their “side hustle” or passion project may be what is keeping them afloat – whether they share that information with you or not. (Corporations aren’t people, no matter how many politicians pretend otherwise.)

Make sure you’re checking them out as you’re making your lists and checking them twice. If you’re scaling back on shopping this year, remember that sharing the work of these individuals can be helpful to them, too.  It’s free to share and promote and I find it’s always appreciated.

Happy Saturday!