oh to be a pelican...
+ eclectic and charming gifts for all...
Hi-Hi! I’m Natalie, from read.write.eat. Every week I chat about books, food, and writing. Today’s post is a freebie, with gift ideas, thoughts on avoiding the news, and how to enjoy being a magpie…let shiny things catch your eye.
hey-ho,
ICYMI: A holiday-flavored essay by me! Read it as a reminder to go easy on everyone and everything (that means you too!) this holiday season:
…
Walking along the cliffs in Santa Cruz, my hometown, I feel pangs of envy. Oh to be a pelican. Oh to float over the sea in a state of grace and ignorance…
Just after the election, in bed in the dark, I’d take up my phone to delete emails with doom-ridden subject lines from the NYTs and the Atlantic. How would knowing any of this make a difference? Seeking grace and ignorance…. and so, I started building a playlist full of songs about friendship because that’s what the world will require, has always required.
Please, send me your songs of friendship, let’s grow this list!
Of course I also clicked on baiting emails, like: “How to Choose the Best Flatware.” I don’t even need flatware. I have the same perfectly fine flatware I’ve had since my husband and I married 34 years ago. It’s plain. It’s practical. Recently our son was over, setting the table for dinner, and he said with fondness, “I’ve been eating off these forks my whole life.” Cue the violins! It was tender. I felt a surge of gratitude for being able to provide stability in a wobbly universe.
But/And Dear Reader, I rushed to click open that flatware email. Why? Because I’ve been trained by capitalism… I get a little frisson of pleasure looking at new shiny things. We are all magpies! Put a new set of flatware in my virtual shopping cart? Yes, please. It feels exciting. Packages in the mail are exhilarating. Because, because, because, the world feels out of our control and why not make our immediate surroundings a bit more cheerful, sleek, elegant?
Except I didn’t put flatware in my virtual cart. And I felt like a heel for clicking on the link. I fell prey to the machinery to get me to look the other way while dastardly things happen in our government. Oh, look, a shiny spoon!
And now, voila! I’m going to try and distract you! I know, crazy! But ‘tis the season of gifts and I’ve pulled together some fun things, splurges and trinkets, to make you and those you love happy! (Please note, I’m not getting any kind of endorsement kickback. These are things that caught my eye, or that I regularly use.)
🎉 the annual read.write.eat. gift guide 🎉
To begin, why not gift a paid subscription to r.w.e. to a pal who loves books, convivial conversation, writing, and recipes? I’m offering 20% off.
The newsletter is free this week. Enjoy and share wildly and widely. And, ONE SMALL THING BEFORE YOU HIT THE GIFTS? A brief pause to hit the ❤️ button at the top left or bottom left of this newsletter. It means more to me than you know. xoNatalie
round 1:
I have a friend with the world’s largest collection of paper cocktail napkins. In fact we had an intervention in which hands were pressed to her cheeks and she was made to promise never to buy Christmas cocktail napkins for the rest of her life. Even she LOVED these cotton cocktail napkins. I just ordered 12.
Pino Pro Table lighting. I’ve been admiring these lights for two years now. They cast a beautiful glow on the dining table and are rechargeable.
Italian Olivewood bowls for an Aperitivo table! They’re reasonable, come in lots of sizes and would cozy up beautifully to the napkins above!
Not pictured, a phenomenal Tapas spread. The only thing you’ll want is a good Rioja, and an invitation to pull up a chair at the table with your grateful friends!
round 2:
Ever since I saw this picture on instagram of a fav actor of mine, sporting overalls in her 70s, I’ve been hankering for my own. It’s kind of a challenge, right? Am I too old? Ms. Rossellini certainly isn’t. I found these cheapish ones online and I think you should buy them for your mom, your sister, your friend, or maybe gift yourself! Also, you can listen to this conversation with Ms Rossellini and JLD on the podcast, Wiser Than Me, in which they talk about freedom and serenity… I don’t know, pants without a waistband? Freedom and serenity IRL.
This journal! Love the cover. My advice, scribble some bad ideas inside for your gift recipient. (New Math, The Blacklist, Comeback Tours, Hydrogen-filled Blimps, DDT, a third cocktail) They’ll be delighted to find them.
Have you heard this awful line from some dude somewhere…something like: no wonder middle-aged women are grumpy, they have to wear Eileen Fischer. I call total bullshit on that! I love the comfort of EF’s sweaters +++ the sustainability and environmentalism she embraces! I wish I had the cash to give this scarf to all the women I love. A luxurious, giant hug.
round 3:
These little pots, Dansk Købenstyle Butter Warmer, in terrific colors, make me want to pour melted butter on everything! And, maybe you could include a Whirley Pop too, why not?
I think this book would be a total comfort read. The Barefoot Contessa centered her life and business on taking risks, leaving and then loving Jeffrey, claiming space in the world. In case you’ve been living off the grid for the last thirty years: a compendium of Barefoot Contessa Recipes right here.
Love giving Brightland Olive Oil, and love getting Brightland Olive Oil. They’ve put together a Foolproof Salad Dressing Bundle! Look, an adorable whisk!
If you're in need of a gift for the family chef, I think this page-a-day is old school and awesome.
round 4:
This entire website is a quirky necessary blast… Onsen Saru Hot Spring Bath Soak is another thing I’d like to give to everyone! We all need to chill, to soak, to calm the hell down. Maybe bundle the 3 items in this round. A bath, a book, a stand for it to rest upon.
A diva memoir! I’m all in to read a book by and about a bad ass woman who speaks her mind and has always wanted to live life on her own terms.
Orange is the new joy bomb. This book stand lays flat when you’re not using it. Take it in the kitchen as a cookbook stand, or perch on the tub rim so you can soak and read.
That’s it. I hope something tickled your fancy. Quick reminders:
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Tell your people you love them, and take good care of your skin.
xN
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