Stocking Fillers 12

This probably won't come as much of a surprise but, I actually like making and writing thank you letters and cards. If there is only one thing I manage to teach my kids over and above life's little social essentials, it will be to recognise the imperative of knowing when to say 'Thank You' and then really meaning it. It IS the thought that counts. Likely, there will be a few thank you letters to write when Christmas is over so how about these simple and delicate Thank You Tags £4.50 with bird motif from vintage stationers Edge Inspired. Measuring approximated 7cm x 4 cm (business card size) and sold in packs of ten, they would make a lovely embellishment for a thank you gift and are pretty enough even to be sent on their own with a little ribbon in a tiny handmade envelope and a short hand-written sentiment on the reverse. Pure class!

Showcase: House Knutsford

It's so nice when amazing shops introduce themselves. I checked out new Twitter follower House Knutsford's beautiful website this evening and have decided not to go to bed until I compose a wishlist of stunning gifts from their collection. It's a tough job but I suppose I'll just have to do it! 

1. Jeeves Pendant Light £150 by designer Jake Phipps

I can see these looking fabulous in a pantry or wine cellar but they would look just as effective in a dressing room or walk-in wardrobe. I love their bold shape and the way the gold metallic lining gives off a warm glow. Their long black cord allows for low suspension to give a lamp effect. Position it over a vintage telephone on a console table for a surrealist look.

2. Rose Flower No.12 Soap £12.50 

I like nicely packaged, good quality soaps but I rarely use them to wash my hands. I like to put them in drawers to scent my clothes and keep my boudoir smelling beautiful. This packaging looks almost too nice to hide away so I might need two: one for the drawer and one for the toiletries bowl in my guest room.

3. Caracalla Bagaglio Salvatori/Shelby No. 5 Aston Martin Holdall £295.00

Make a man very, very happy. One for the boys this and for car lovers everywhere. 57cm x 32cm x 28cm and every sumptuous inch made from and embellished with high quality leather.

4. Joseph Joseph Index Plus Chopping Board Set £65.00

I own the earlier version of this without the knife block and I have given it several times as a housewarming gift. I find it is particularly suitable for boys because, even if they completely ignore it, it looks undeniably cool on the work top in a trendy bachelor pad. The four boards are colour coded according to type of food: raw meat, cooked food, fish and vegetables and they all fit neatly into a silver knife block with handy tabs to 'file' them away when not in use. 

5. White Dog Light £65.00

A bone china lamp that glows from within to give off a low, warm light. Great for fending off the monsters under the bed. Also available in rabbit and owl designs. 

6. Queen of Everything Mug £11.00

Finally, and at the risk of completely over-exposing mugs this week, I have to just slip this little bone china one in because it is so pretty and a nice stylish antidote to all the relentless 'Keep Calm & Carry On" kitsch that seems to be absolutely everywhere at the moment. As I mentioned in my earlier post (A Grateful Cuppa), I think delicate, elegant mugs with unusual designs make lovely thank you and housewarming gifts especially if you pair them up for a couple.

A Grateful Cuppa

I love to give mugs as thank you presents. And I don't mean the big chunky mass-produced kind with daft cartoons and slogans. I like to find exquisite little pieces that look like works of art, wrap them up in generous amounts of soft tissue paper and present them snuggly nestled in mini gift bags with ribbon handles. The days of matching crockery are long gone. Modern style dicatates that we collect things for our home that we find beautiful and that 'complement' rather than 'match' eachother. The more eclectic, the better. Personally, I always choose my mug according to what I fancy to drink and for a rare afternoon's feet up with the papers and a pot of fresh loose leaf Earl Grey, I would have to choose something like this (above). The small Love Birds Red/ Pink Stipe Senseo Mug £6.95 is just one of a range of beautiful designs by Pip Studio. Delicate and vibrant, I love the little robin and the subtle gilding. They are definitely available in Selfridges because I bought a few as thank you gifts for some friends who helped us out with a project we had to deliver recently but I have seen them in other independent gift shops. Pack two different ones together as a great thank you present for a couple.   Decorative, eye-catching and practical, they make a great impact when you really want to let someone know how much you appreciate them.

Windows Are Illuminated

I've just sent one of these to my aunt who made me lunch today. We had a lovely afternoon and she's just had her kitchen and living room completely updated so I wanted to find her something decorative to go in it. The kitchen in her lovely Victorian semi has always been the centre of her house and home life and family is the driving force in her life. This cream house lantern £6.95 from Strawberry Fool has room in the back for a tea light that allows a warm glow to flicker through the windows. So pretty and a memorable way to say "Thank you for having me. Your house looks great".

Seasonal Sauce

I don't own a gravy boat. I've thought about it a lot over the years but never actually got round to seeking one out. The only time I ever seem to need one is on Christmas Day when putting the finishing touches on lunch. And for that reason, I must admit to being very taken by this lovely new seasonal Gravy Jug & Stand £34.95 by Emma Bridgewater. Resplendent in cream, green and red and printed with delicate little hearts and the word 'Joy', it would indeed be a pleasure to roll out this little beauty once a year at Christmas dinner. If you go elsewhere over the period, I think this would make a lovely thank you gift for whomever is responsible for directing operations in the kitchen over the holidays. I would probably place it on a large sheet of crisp cellophane with a teeny, tiny potted poinsettia inside it and close the whole lot up with a thick, green, satin ribbon. Scruptious!

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Secret Santa Struggles

If you are struggling with this year's Secret Santa at the office, may I venture a suggestion: Tea. The perfect gift for a Brit. I can't even count on one hand the people I know who don't drink it in one form or another. I have given mug cosies to people on all sorts of occasions. I once gave one as a welcome gift at work and they also make great Get Well Soon gifts (although I've yet to find one with 'Chicken Soup' on it which would be absolute perfection). I love these simple but bold Mug Cosies £12.00 by British designer Bridget Wilkinson - crocheted and attractively embellished with felt, buttons and little tapestried labels - they look like mini works of art. And they come complete with, what I would describe as a really good solid mug. This is a selling point for me as I loathe 'apologetic' crockery. I've picked out the Earl Grey one because that's my tipple but they are all absolutely lovely. Perfect as a thoughtful but unostentatious present and of almost universal appeal. So there it is. Secret Santa solved. Now stuff it with a packet of the recipient's favourite blend and and a vintage style infuser (like this one) and you'll wish you could put your name on the gift tag.

Say It With Herbs

We once drove down to Dorset to visit a friend who had quit the rat race to raise her new family in one of those dreamy old english villages. To say she had 'gone native' was an understatement. In one seemingly gigantic step, she had graduated from a small two bed flat in London to a beautiful old thatched cottage complete with Aga and authentic low beams. No word of a joke, my husband and I were salivating before we even reached the front door. In addition to this, they had a rambling garden that climbed all the way up to the top of a little hill in which they kept bantams and grew all of their own vegetables. Sigh. Anyway, I digress. I was staying for a few nights and I needed to find them an appropriate gift to thank them for their hospitality. Now, I confess that I have been guilty of turning up with the odd bottle of wine (good stuff) on certain occasions and there's very little wrong with that if followed up with a nice, handwritten note, but, given the drama of their lifestyle change, something was holding me back from doing so now. Even a good bottle of red seemed too paltry an offering, so I found an old balsa wood crate, cleaned it up a bit and filled it to the brim with farmer's market fresh herbs and vegetables. I figured she could have lots of fun on the Aga with the produce and use the crate for something practical to keep plants in in the garden afterwards.

How much more spectacular would my gift have been if only I had known about Growing Gifts. This Cornflower Blue Apple Crate £16.50 (L30 x H21.5 x H16cm) can be personalised with up to fourteen letters per line and makes the perfect vessel for a present to say thank you or anything else for that matter. The picture suggests that it works just as well as a unique wedding gift. I also now have my mother (a keen gardener) in mind for Mother's Day. So versatile and shows both thought and originality. And so far as treating someone goes, it doesn't get much better than that.