Holiday – The Goods

Gift Guides

Uncommon Gifts for the Earth Mama

November 21, 2012

The Earth Mama is a special lady. She’s in touch with her surroundings. She’s down with nature–whether it’s the wind, grass, and trees encapsulating her country hideaway, or the energy of the bustling city streets and other people, all sharing the planet and working with one another. She’s been called a hippie, a new ager, a granola girl, and a bohemian. But she doesn’t mind, because she dances to the beat of her own music and knows that her tune is just one song on the universe’s eternal playlist. So what do you gift someone with such deep love for the sublunary world? One of the organic, handmade, responsibly-created goods on this list could be the perfect uncommon gift for an unconventional gal.

Zen Elephant Garden Sculpture / Inspirational Totem Necklace / Embroidered Belt / Roaring Fork Valley–Renee Leone / Hand of Buddha Jewelry Stand / Agate Coasters / Stone Finish Organic Bowls / Garden Pens / Wool Landscape Scarf / Beer Soap 6 Pack

Gift Guides

Uncommon Gifts for the Cyclist

November 20, 2012

Some cyclists consider themselves two-wheel commuters. They’d rather hop on a bike to get to work than worry about getting stuck in traffic or dealing with packed public transportation. Others do it for sport, because a ride is great exercise and a race is a thrill. Of course there’s also the hobbyist; the velophile who gets a kick out of building, maintaining, and spending time with their prized bicycle. Some well-rounded tandem travelers are all of the above. Whether the bike lover in your life is a weekend rider or a full-time pedal aficionado, they’ll love the chance to give one of these uncommon gifts for cyclists a spin.

Personalized Couple Tandem Bike Art / Bike Chain Star Ornament / Triple Cruiser Tie / Recycled Desk Pendulum Clock / I Tricycle Babysuit / Bike Glow Safety Lights / Bicycle Tumblers / Bicycle Handlebar Bells / Cycle Care Kit / Bike Door Mat

The Uncommon Life

Pin the Halls Holiday Pinterest Contest

November 16, 2012

Do you decorate your home to perfection each holiday season? Are invites to your holiday party as anticipated as the first winter snowfall? Have you been scouring Pinterest for some winter inspiration (winspiration? no, that was horrible) to out shine last year’s holiday performance?

Enter the Pin the Halls contest by creating a winter wonderland board for a chance to win a $250 gift card to UncommonGoods. That’s a lot of gifts!

Leave the link to your Pin the Halls board in the comments below or on the original pin in our It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like… board and you’ll be entered to win.

We’ll announce the winner on November 30 on the blog. How much that person wins is up to you. For every 50 entries we see, we’ll add $50 to the grand prize, up to a total of $250. So after you share your board with us, be sure to tell your friends and family to enter too!

Good luck and happy pinning. We can’t wait to see your decked-out boards!

You must be 18 years of age to enter. Deadline is November 30, 2012 11:59AM EST. Sorry, this contest is only open to those living in the US.

UPDATE Congrats to our winner, Zillie Zallie! Visit out blog next week to see what we loved about her board.

Gift Guides

Uncommon Gifts for the Smitten Couple

November 14, 2012

When they look at each other, they still get butterflies. And when you look at them, you know they’re in it for the long haul. You catch them holding hands and stealing kisses. They finish each other’s sentences. You couldn’t be happier for them, and you can’t imagine either of them with anyone else. So, how do you tell the perfect couple you’re happy they found one another? With the perfect gift. Here are a few that those love birds are sure to love.

Love Token Necklace / Squirrelly Love / Personalized Wedding Wishes Vase / Beating Heart Pillow / Love Carries All-Zlatka Paneva / Custom Animal Couple Portrait / Love is Art Kit / Wine Purse / Personalized Tree Trunk Glassware Duo

The Uncommon Life

Guess the Cover Facebook Giveaway

October 16, 2012

The UncommonGoods Holiday catalog was just sent out and should be on doorsteps by the end of the week. We are so excited for this holiday season and for you to see our favorite items that we want to play a guessing game. One lucky Facebook fan will win the item on the cover of our holiday catalog. What is it? We’re not telling!

The Contest
On October 16, 17 and 18 we will post a different clue on our Facebook Timeline about the mystery item on our catalog cover.

Leave a comment on the clue with your guess.

You can only leave one comment per clue, but can comment on all three!

On Friday, October 19 one winner who has guessed correctly will be announced and contacted.

Open to US citizens in the 50 states.
Must be 18 years or older to enter.

The Uncommon Life

Marie Antoinette, Grace Kelly and the History of the New Year’s Toast

December 30, 2011

(source Champagne; Pascal Vuylsteker)

In a couple days we will gather with and count down the New Year. Whether you are watching the ball drop from your television or in the center of Times Square, there most likely will be a glass of champagne in your hand. I was curious as to why we choose champagne for toasts on momentous occasions like weddings, birthdays and holidays and found out some pretty interesting knowledge.

(source NotCot)

For the longest time, champagne was mostly drunk by men who were attracted by the unofficial endorsement of royal and noble men. Men of all classes and statures flocked to the bubbly on a regular basis, but in the early 19th Century champagne manufacturers thought it was time to start appealing to women. In order to get the attention of ladies, bottles were designed with labels depicting beautiful scenes that like romantic dates, weddings and christenings (not as romantic but very important to women as a special event). The tactic worked but also influenced drinkers to save champagne for more special occasions instead of daily happy hour.

Most drinkers reach for a champagne flute, a tall thin glass that connoisseurs recommend for a better drinking experience. A flute will not over-expose the drink to oxygen and directs the nose toward the wine allowing for optimal flavor. However, coupe glasses are known to come in and out of style for their chic shape although they may weaken the flavor of champagne. They are rumored to have been made from a mold of Marie Antoinette’s left breast as a birthday present to her husband Louis XVI. They were meant to signify the drinks coming from the kindness of her heart. I prefer these shallow, bowl-like glasses because they make me feel like Grace Kelly.

(source Anatomy of a Classic)

However you choose to drink your champagne this New Year’s Eve, please do so safely. When combined with carbonated water, alcohol is consumed more rapidly and champagne’s bubbles work the same way. They aren’t lying when they say champagne goes right to your head!

Design

Uncommon New Designs: Pick a Place

December 23, 2011

Maybe it’s the recent popularity of the History Channel’s How the States Got Their Shapes, or maybe it’s the thrill that goes along with your city being featured on any sort of top cities list, but goods depicting geographical locations are definitely in style.

We’re loving state love, and our buyers were thrilled to find this gorgeous, handmade Heart Strings State Love Wall Art, now up in our community voting app.

For those who would rather wear their state love than hang it on the wall, results on the State Quarter Rings are coming soon.

But, the location love isn’t just home state pride. There’s a bundle of band new city love at UncommonGoods, too.

From Dave Marcoullier’s City Skyline Wooding Routings (now available for LA, San Francisco, and New York) to Patrick Chirico’s Brooklyn Bridge Pillow Cases, hometown love is warming our hearts.

Of course, we don’t want to exclude those who see home as where they rest their head. And, gifts for travelers are always in style.

Whether you’re a true rambler or a world traveler at heart, our new Hobo Charms and I Am…Pendants help you celebrate free spirit and whimsy.

Will your hometown always be close to your heart? Is wanderlust your guide? Or have you adopted a new place to call home?

Gift Guides

Tip: Use Socks to Disguise Your Christmas Gifts

December 21, 2011

When I was a kid, my brothers and I would love to try to guess what our folks got us for Christmas. With so many mysterious treasures under the tree, taunting us, we couldn’t help but lift, shake, and squeeze them in hopes of guessing their contents. Okay, the truth is, we still do it.

Cassie, Luke, and Beau, 1993
Much to our dismay, my mom is an expert at making sure that her gift selections stay under wraps until Christmas. She has put rocks in boxes to throw off the weight, stashed tiny gifts in giant boxes, wrapped notes explaining that the gifts were actually somewhere else (e.g. “Look in the closet for your real gift”), among many other tricks. One of the sneakiest ways she’s gotten me, and yes, I’ve been fooled by this more than once, was the good ol’ sock trick–with new socks, of course.

The sock trick is an easy way to disguise an easily guessable gift. It’s also a way to get away with giving kids socks for Christmas. You’ll just need a few pairs of socks, wrapping paper, tape, and ribbon.

First, figure out how many pairs of socks it will take to cover your gift. The 100 Shapes Stencil Book is pretty small, just over 7 x 7 inches and about 1/2 an inch thick, so I used four pairs of socks to make my gift package extra cushy.

Wrap the socks around the gift, making sure that the “padding” covers both sides. If you keep the pairs together, you’ll get a little extra cushion.

Once the gift is hidden in socks, you can continue wrapping as usual. I start by placing the gift on the paper, then cutting off the amount I’ll need. I tend to stick to a simple wrapping technique. I fold the sides of the paper over the gift, tape, and fold the ends up toward the middle before taping again. I also finish it off with a simple a bow.

If you’re looking to get fancy with your wrapping technique, you can get some tips from a pro by checking out our How to Wrap a Gift Box and How to Tie a Gift Bow videos.

When you’re finished, the present will be nice and squishy, so the recipient will probably think they’re getting a sweater, decorative holiday towels, or something else less fun than the awesome gift you really picked out for them. And they get some bonus socks.

What’s your favorite way to disguise a gift? Have you ever been tricked by a sneaky gifter? We’d love to hear how! Share your sneaking gifting stories in the comments below.

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