Designed and Made in New England

Every day since Black Friday tidal waves of gift guides wash up on the shores of blog land depositing a dizzying array of stylish, useful, fashionable, exotic, beautiful and very special and coveted by someone items.

I can hardly get my head around gifting before the first week of December which makes my list light years late in blog time. Undeterred, I sought out things designed and made here in New England, moderately priced, high quality and I should like them well enough to give for the holidays.

famous Vermont Common Crackers should be on every holiday cheese board. Buy them on line at FH Gillingham and Sons General Store in Woodstock, Vermont. But nothing beats a romantic weekend skiing in Vermont and then you can stop in the store. Wouldn't that be a nice gift.

Enfants terribles transplanted from Minneapolis (next to my home town) to Brooklyn established Tri-Lox, the darlings of sustainable building practices, fine craftsmanship and reclaimed materials. Like these cedar coasters. For the family room, cabin, beach house, or maybe a man cave if you are so lucky as to have one. Waxed for extra protection, a set of four is $25 but you can save $5 by liking them on Facebook.

Clearly, crackers and coasters will not do. May as well hand out chunks of coal!

So I expanded beyond New England, eased up on pricing and came up with a free-ranging crazy quilt of gifts and ideas, and posted all on pinterest. Check out the couture cashmere scarves from Baltimore blogger Meg Fairfax Fielding, Boston designer Erin Gate's stylish ceramics, and from Vermont, Daphne Markcrow's beautiful orange Paddock iPad case.

What would you like for Christmas?

Thanks for reading,
Linda Pakravan

click on this link to get to the list: 2012 holiday gifts and ideas