Southern Protocol

Now that Thanksgiving is next week (can you believe that?! So close to turkey and pumpkin pie…) we are officially in holiday season.. meaning that from here on in til the big day we’ll be bringing you cute, funny and perfect little gift ideas. Because if y’all are anything like me, you’ve only just begun to realize that we have a solid 6-7 weeks ahead of dinner parties, gift swaps, and family holiday celebrations. Yikes!

At the absolute top of any gift-giving list for me are Anne Taintor products – their tagline says it all: “Making smart people smile for 25 years!” The hilariously tongue-in-cheek products range from coasters to tote bags to office supplies and everything in between, and are equally chic with their vintage flair. I actually just bought a luggage tag that says, “So…how does a bombshell like me get through security”?

Check out their website, and be sure to become a fan on facebook, as I hear they often have giveaways and other festive contests.

Popcorn is my weakness. I would ten times rather have salty than sweet! So when I AM craving something sugary, caramel popcorn (or chocolate covered pretzels.. it’s lunch time!) is my dream satisfaction. And if I just happen to be the luckiest girl in the world, someone will magically show up with Garrett Popcorn Shop‘s caramel + cheddar combo popcorn.

What is this divine Garrett Popcorn Shop you ask? Only the best place to hit on Michigan Avenue in Chicago when you need to rest your feet from shopping! The company is a legend, and their shops are set up sortof like ice cream stores – you choose the combos of popcorn you want, and they wrap it up for you!

Luckily I don’t have to wait for my few and far between trips to The Windy City to get the decadent crunchy-salty-sweet handfuls of my beloved caramel and cheddar popcorn. We have brides that get it for us! But when our sweet Chicago-dwelling (or Chicago-visiting) ladies’ gifts run out, I can always order it online – and you should, too!

Their delish flavors include caramel, cheddar, butter and macademia; you can have them mixed together or separated in a tin. If you need a REALLY great hostess gift, this is the way to go. The tins are adorable and vintage looking (they have some other options, too), and can be shipped anywhere in the country!

I’ve really been into aprons lately. I actually have garnered quite a few, and 90% of the time forget to wear one while I’m cooking, but I still love getting them out every now and then. Whether it’s a waist-apron or a full-apron, they can be sassy, sweet AND functional!

All of our followers know that we love a good, homemade company with lots of family history, and it makes our day when they let us in on their favorite sites and steals. That’s exactly what happened today when we were tipped off about IceMilk Aprons, an apron making company that started as a way for a family to spend more time together and pay a tribute to their late grandmother.

The aprons are definitely a higher quality than the throw away varieties you find at places like Target; they’re meant to last, and meant to see a lot of cookies and casseroles come out of the oven! They’re beautiful colors, can come with girly monograms and big bows, and all have names that reflect a time in the kitchen. Not to mention that they’re PERFECT for all you entertainers, who are doing last minute seasonings and chopping before your guests arrive for your dinner party – tie on one of these and it’ll seem like that’s your chic hostess outfit!

You can also buy an “heirloom kit” so you can make your own memories making an apron with loved ones. They come with a heritage tag (a small piece of fabric that you handstitch initials on and sew to the inside of your apron), an apron, and vintage recipe cards to record all of your secret family recipes. And it all comes packed in a sweet as tea jam jar!

Visit their website, read more about their story, scope out the blog, and place an order for yourself or your favorite entertaining hero.

We all know a Suzie Homemaker; the one that bakes cookies for every event and looks fabulous doing it. Maybe that envy of the block is you, in which case you should consider purchasing this adorable cookie stamp for yourself!

I stumbled across this precious kitchen gadget in July’s Bon Appetit (another good issue! Lots of tips on grilling!) that stamps the word “homemade” on every cookie you make. So whether you really DID make the cookies from scratch, or just use the slice and bake, you can let everyone at your soiree know that you spent your time in the kitchen.

The stamps can be found at fireworksgallery.net for $16.50!

I love how every year right around mid-April all of a sudden EVERYONE is all about Earth Day. Obviously I think it’s just fabulous to raise awareness about preserving our beautiful planet, but it always makes me laugh when people are bandwagon advocates just for one silly day.

That being said, I am going to hop on said bandwagon in order to help all of you fellow passengers find a great little hostess gift in the spirit of being green: handmade recycled glasses made from reclaimed wine bottles and recycled glass beer bottles! We stumbled across the unique product on Etsy – a site that can easily draw us in for hours on end.

While the glasses would be perfect when used as they are intended – for your fun adult beverages – they’d also be great to use for vases and centerpieces. Their fresh green color would add a perfect touch to any patio party. Head over to the bodhicitta shop on the crafty website to peruse her earth-friendly gifts.

Wine is the most traditional hostess gift most of us give… Why not twist it up a bit and give a wine accessory instead? Perhaps something useful AND cute that’s also a conversation starter? And prevents you from sipping the backwash of others?

Wine charms are that perfect twist! (Wine charms: each guest is given their own charm at the beginning of the night to place on their glass, therefore helping them identify their drink all night). Especially for those hostesses who keep the wine and drinks flowing, this is a particularly fitting gift. You can keep track of your drink all night, saving confusion and preventing guests from using 5 wine or cocktail glasses a piece. What’s more, there are limitless themes of wine charms – various charms can take the shape of things to do with engagement, wine and cheese, different drinks, sports, fashion… seriously, limitless!

Because there are so many different options, and they can be found at virtually every homegoods store, department chain or retail boutique, you will never run out of charms to give. The beachy flip flop charms in the picture above would be precious for the hostess letting you stay in their beach home this summer…

Whenever you’re in a time crunch for a hostess gift, or are only slightly acquainted with your hosts, a nicely wrapped gift bag containing a delicious wine and cheese pairing is always still acceptable and very much appreciated. Just make sure that you let your hostess know the pairing is for him or her to enjoy at a LATER time; you should never expect your wine or cheese to be consumed at the party. Your hostess already has all of her drinks of choice selected and ready to go before you get there!

In the spirit of our upcoming Women and Wine Pink Carpet Event, our recommended wine and cheese pairing comes from the oh-so-cozy Avondale Wine and Cheese. Their knowledgeable experts selected a smooth pinot noir from Terrapin Cellars in Willamette Valley, Oregon (bonus: it’s a stylish label!). And to go with it, a coupole cheese (similar to a creamy goat cheese) from Vermont Butter Company. Fun fact: coupole cheese is named for its shape, which is described as “snow covered dome”.

Wine and cheese has a tendency to be a slightly more expensive hostess gift, so maybe save it for the elegant dinner parties; or just bring the wine alone!

Be sure to stop by our Pink Carpet Event on Oct. 22 to pick up these treats for yourself or your favorite hostess!

Sometimes we all need just a little something cheeky to make us smile…and Like I Give a Frock: Fashion Forecasts and Meaningless Misguidance has made me smile every day for the past week that I’ve picked it up. I mean, even the title’s gotta make you laugh, right? It’s guaranteed to do the same for every hostess who receives it.

The book, a page-after-page colorful collage filled with hilarious poems, fashion opinions and abstract watercolors, is written by the girls over at Michi Girl blog – an equally sassy Australian site. The book mirrors the blog in that, to be honest, it’s so completely random; ever wonder what that well-dressed, slightly-rattled woman at the nail salon, who is constantly glancing around, is thinking about? This is it. Rants on life and fashion run the gamut from  color choices (“No one looks good in mustard. Unless of course you’re a hot dog”), the Invisible Line (“if you’re reading this while sitting in a suburban cafe wearing nothing but a bikini, chances are you’ve crossed it”) and her irritability with the comparison of women’s bodies to food. 

If we all had a brutally honest, opinionated friend like Michi, the world might be a better place. Like I Give a Frock is the perfect, inexpensive “just because” gift for a friend (or for yourself!), and it’s guaranteed to make everyone fall in love with fashion and its idiosyncrasies all over again – or at least ponder important life questions, like when exactly are fishnets appropriate? (Answer = dear, God, please only on Halloween…)

The omnipresent question looming over every cocktail party-goer’s head: What on Earth can I bring as a unique and appreciated hostess gift? We all want to stand out in thanking our hostess, and O’Connor Monogramming and Gift Shop in West Ashley has your beyond-perfect solution: personalized cocktail napkins.

Obviously, cocktail napkins are a necessity for any polished get-together, and what better way to show good humor and spark small talk than with cutesy monogrammed initials or witty sayings via napkins? O’Connor’s – relatively new but wildly popular – has a wide variety of styles, colors and ideas for the napkins that will satisfy every personality.

For the sassy soiree-giver, their “Paper Napkins with Sayings” are a guaranteed hit. With phrases like “I’m still hot – it just comes in flashes now” or “Life is short so let’s drink the good wine now” your gift can add personalized comedy to the evening. 

Paper napkins with clever acronyms are also a guaranteed hit. A great option for a poolside bash reads “p.o.o.l – perfect outlook on life.” Or for that hostess who’s sure to have the best bar in town, perhaps “S.O.S – severely over served” would be more fitting. 

For a more traditional and long-lasting take, O’Connor’s offers their monogramming services to linen cocktail napkins. Customers can choose from an endless list of colors, scripts and trims, making each set of napkins vastly different from the next. We all love simple presents that we can give again – just mix up the colors and font! Not to mention that your dear hostess will think of you every time she whips out those linens to prepare for another laughter-filled evening.

While flowers are beautiful and bottles of wine are always appreciated, they are the simple solutions. If a party hostess is going through all the trouble of planning a get-together, show him or her your true appreciation with the most thoughtful – and undoubtedly unique – gift they will receive all season.

Paper napkins are priced at $6-8 for 10-20; linen napkins are priced from $25-30 for a set of six. O’Connor Monogramming & Embroidery is located at 1950 Maybank Highway. (877) 719.0746