As we head into the holiday season, it’s my pleasure to share a handful of items that I love and think will speak to fellow creatives who yearn to make pretty (and yummy) things, and surround themselves with beauty while dreaming of their upcoming travels. Whether this guide inspires ideas for gifting to others or for treating yourself, I hope it hits the mark and you find one or two new discoveries.

Enjoy – and, if you pick up any of these items for you or someone on your Christmas list, let me know, I’d love to hear about it!

Wishing you the Season’s Best,
Carolyn

THE GUIDE

1) ORANGE BLOSSOM & HONEY by John Gregory-Smith:

One of the biggest surprises for my Marrakech: City Exploration Clients was how amazing the food in Marrakech was – mainly because they had no expectation of what to expect before the trip. While Moroccan food is made mostly with ingredients we recognize and eat routinely in North America, the spices and preparations give it a taste profile that is beyond the ordinary and unforgettable to anyone who takes a trip to this land of Orange Blossom and Honey! This book is a combo of travelogue, cookbook, and full of coffee table worthy photos that will have you itching to visit this amazing country.

2) EUROPA DIFFUSER by Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella:

I love purchasing scents that will take me back to the moments and memories of my travels. This year, I brought home the Europa diffuser at the Santa Maria Novella flagship store in Florence and it has been glorious having its melange of Bergamot and sweet orange, roses and violets grounded by woody and mossy base notes waft through the house. Beautifully packaged, the products from this Farmacia, from fragrance to skin care are a real luxury. (Free US shipping and samples for orders over $150USD)

3) “ONE OF THOSE CREATIVE TYPES” T-SHIRT by Lindsay Letters:

I’ve been a fan of Lindsay Letter’s calligraphy for over a decade, and this t-shirt was in my cart as soon as it launched! The collection features a variety of sweatshirts and t-shirts with sayings that are brilliantly in tune with lovers of art and creativity. (There is currently a 25% off Thanksgiving Sale on Lindsay’s online shop.)

4) NAKED 2 EYESHADOW PALETTE by Urban Decay:

I try to keep my makeup and skincare regime as streamlined as possible when travelling and this eye shadow palette is the only eye colour that I bring on my trips for almost ten years now. It doubles as eye shadow and liner and, with shades from light to dark, I can create looks from barely there to smoky and dramatic. (There is currently a 25% off Black Friday Sale on this item on the Urban Decay website.)

5) THE VAGABOND’S WAY by Rolf Potts:

This book, with 365 daily readings, is a manifesto for those who love travel and can’t wait for their next trip. The author shares:

The book’s various sections mirror the phases of a trip, including:

• Dreaming and planning the journey: “All life-affecting journeys—and the unexpected wonders they promise—become real the moment you decide they will happen.”
• Embracing the rhythms of the journey: “The most poignant experiences on the road don’t occur in the presence of some grand monument, but in those quiet moments when we recognize beauty in the ordinary.”
• Finding richer travel experiences: “Developing an instinct to venture beyond the obvious on the road allows you to see places not merely as checklists of sights to be visited—but as mysteries to be investigated.”

6) HAND SOLDERED JEWELRY by Rochelle Gaukle:

If you like handmade jewelry, my friend Rochelle, a master solder artist who frequently makes pieces for the guests at my retreats, creates exquisite pieces that are as beautiful to give as receive. She can also make custom pieces if you have a family photo or special piece of ephemera that you’d like memorialized into a special keepsake.

7) MOZZA & RICOTTA CHESE MAKING KIT by Cheesemaker.ca:

It’s impossible to travel to Italy without being a devotee to amazing cheese (fresh pecorino has my heart), and I love that these kits make it easy and fun to become a cheesemaker in my own kitchen! (From Nov 24-27 use discount code: BFCMCheesekits for 15% off)

8) BUTTER, FLOUR, SUGAR, JOY by Danielle Kartes:

Some people add such joy to your social media scroll that you want to support everything they do; Danielle is one of those people. If I’m having a bad day, I know that if I head to her Instagram feed I’ll find something that will encourage and uplift. I love that about her, so I couldn’t help but purchase her newest cookbook release – and, it helps that I am a dessert gal through and through, haha! Containing beautiful photography and full of descriptions that feel like you’re sitting in the kitchen with an old friend, she has another hit on her hands. (The Black Bottom Banoffee Pie is one that I’m eyeing for one of our family gatherings over the holidays, yum!)

9) EVERY CHRISTMAS by Michael W. Smith:

This album has a tender place in my heart. It combines an EP he released last Christmas with 6 new songs. One of the songs from last year’s EP, “Freeze the Frame” (YouTube | Spotify), was my anthem for our 2022 Christmas as it seemed likely that it would be my mom’s last, due to the advancement of her ALS. Its words were a reminder to stop and soak up every good memory that I could. This song also hits my friends with grown kids hard, combining the wonder and melancholy of how Christmas changes as we get older…

All my favourite people / Gathered in one place / This cold December evening / My eyes go face to face

Drinking in the joy I feel / For all the love we share / There’s no song as sweet as family / Voices in the air

Can we freeze the frame / And stop the hands of time? / Make the moon stand still in the sky? / My only wish this Christmas Eve / Is that we could all remain forever here / Can we freeze the frame?

Hard to make it happen / But everybody’s home / And the ones who once were children / Now have children of their own

Time around the table / And time around the tree / These moments in these rooms tonight / Are everything I dream

Can we freeze the frame / And stop the hands of time? / Make the moon stand still in the sky? / My only wish this Christmas Eve / Is that we could all remain forever here / Can we freeze the frame?

It’s something close to sacred / I’m on the edge of tears / We don’t need the presents / It’s just the presence / Of the people gathered here

Oh, Can we freeze the frame / And stop the hands of time? / Make the moon stand still in the sky? / My only wish this Christmas Eve / Is that we could all remain forever here / Can we freeze the frame?