Tag Archives: gift ideas

On the receiving end

Happiest of holidays to you! While you can never go wrong with booze (a common gift given and received), Ms. S&C was on the receiving end of a few other shoes and cocktails inspired gifts this year. All courtesy of Mother S&C!

To tell the truth, Ms. S&C doesn’t know a whole lot about wine. She gets her regions confused, her grapes confused, then there’s the Old World vs. New World, wine etiquette, and the science and artistry of wine-making. She wants to know more about these things, so bring on the Wine Wars Trivia Game!

winewarstriviagame

Living in a small house, with tiny closets, and the inherited trait of never wanting to throw anything out (a trait of Mother S&C mind you), additional shoe racks are a welcome gift (and necessity, as clearly one wasn’t enough!).

shoeracks

And lastly, here’s a sassy little stocking stuffer that’s already made its way to the office. While Ms. S&C can agree (somewhat) on the message, she likes to emphasize quality over quantity :)

notepads

Any other fun shoes and cocktails inspired holiday gifts out there? Any self-gifts? Please share!

S&C Gifts: reading material

Need last minute gift ideas for the literary cocktail enthusiast in your life? Here are some titles worth adding to the library.

Humor: check out David Sedaris’ “Holidays on Ice.” It’s quick and funny, and even if you don’t get past the first story “SantaLand Diaries,” about a thirty-three-year-old man applying for a job as an elf, it is worth it.

holidaysonice

History: “Imbibe!” by David Wondrich features great stories and original recipes for tons of classic cocktails. Full of facts and historical contexts, but very readable. And a must-read for any aspiring cocktail expert.

imbibe

Memoir: J. R. Moehringer’s “The Tender Bar” is described as a “raucous, poignant, luminously written memoir about a boy striving to become a man, and his romance with a bar.” If you’ve ever felt like a bar was your second home (for good or for bad), this is a story for you.

thetenderbar

Happy gift-giving and holiday cocktail imbibing! (PS: Any other books to recommend? Please share!)

This calls for a Bloody Mary, or a Mojito

A Hallmark moment? You tell me.

On a recent trip to Durham, Ms. S&C picked up these gems at a great independent bookstore, The Regulator. (You can also find these and more fantastic greeting cards online at Seltzer.) I don’t know who the lucky recipients will be, but it makes me happy to know I have them.

I can think of a hundred reasons when this card could be appropriate:

And, perhaps the new S&C mantra?

These are just a few of many great finds in Durham. Shopping and dining experiences to come. (I hope, but you’ve seen how much I’ve blogged lately.)

posted by Ms. S&C

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list–part 3

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list continues… Not all of Ms. S&C’s gift items have to be one-of-a-kind vintage-y cocktail ware, or shoes that would break any normal person’s budget. Sometimes, a simple mug of hot chocolate will do just fine.

When Ms. S&C visited Chicago a few months ago, she tried hot chocolate (at Rick Bayless’ XOCO) that changed her life. (You can read about it in one of her Top Chef blog posts).

Now, she is spotting specialty hot chocolate on menus everywhere, including in her own neighborhood. Artfully Chocolate, a funky little chocolate boutique in Del Ray, Alexandria, has quite the hot cocoa menu and mixes. And, they are a perfect accompaniment to their already incredible selection of gourmet truffles — in delectable flavors such as chipotle cinnamon and toasted coconut. The gift box of 4, 6, or 12 pieces is a perfect, perfect gift for your chocolate-lover!

Happy Holidays from S&C!

posted by Ms. S&C

Ms. S&C’s holiday wish list–part 1

The indulgence of a compiling a wish list is frivolous, yet hard to deny oneself — especially during the gift-giving season. Ms. S&C strongly encourages you to think of (and give something to) those less fortunate during the holiday season. However, if there was someone out there (wink, wink, Mr. S&C) who wanted to spoil a certain blond blogger during the holiday season — well, here’s an idea.

The Hour, a chic boutique located in Old Town Alexandria, specializes in modern and vintage cocktail ware. They also offer a selection of framed vintage cocktail advertisements and portraits of women (from the New York Evening Post, in wonderful 1950’s and 60’s garb). Below is one of their classy art pieces, that I adore. I’d also be happy with any of their other très stylish glassware collections. Any cocktail enthusiast would. Great place for gifts!

Vintage print that Ms. S&C adores, and is available at
The Hour in Old Town Alexandria

Happy Holidays from Shoes & Cocktails!

posted by Ms. S&C

It’s the thought that counts

Have friends and family that you still need to shop for?  Don’t know what to buy for your work gift exchange?  Gift-giving has gotten oddly competitive and so out of hand, it is now an exhausting chore to give gifts.  You stress about spending too little, or too much, and then there’s the fear of your recipient going home saying, “What am I going to do with this?”  Gifts do require some thought and some amount of time and/or money.  But, Ms. S&C is here to help with some holiday gift ideas that should please a few and not bust your budget.

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  • The eco-friendly — pick up some organic fair-trade coffee, a coffee mug (I like these whimsical ones from Anthroplogie), plus a bottle of Bailey’s Irish Crème for good measure.
  • The wine pairing — there are plenty of great things to accompany a good bottle of wine.  (Don’t know what wine to choose?  Go to a wine store and they’ll be happy to make recommendations – just point them in the direction of red, white, dry, etc.)  Combine the wine with some fancy cheese, or another gourmet food item that compliments the flavors.  (Cheesetique is my favorite local cheese shop, and they are always great about helping navigate their large selections.)
  • The guy’s night out — combine a six-pack of his favorite beer (Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale is a great choice this time of the year), a deck of cards, and a set of poker chips.
  • The straight-up boozer — you can find plenty of add-ons to go with his/her favorite spirit:  fancy olives for the gin drinker, or a cigar for the gent that likes Scotch.
  • The pampering — there’s got to be a lady in your life that deserves some pampering.  Pick up a spa gift certificate, (SpaFinder.com gift certificates are accepted at a ton of salons across the country), and make it a pedicure package with nail polish and some luxurious foot cream (I love any of the lavender stuff over at L’Occitane).

S&C wants to know: Have other shoes and cocktails gift ideas?  Share your suggestions below!