Confession: we both LOVE present hunting. Brittany gets the gold star for actually being organized about present-giving. She makes lists, sets budgets, and almost always has her treasures acquired and sent in a timely fashion. Sara, however, is…nonlinear…in her present-gifting. She is equally likely to give birthday presents 10 months late or 3 months early, but they always arrive eventually!

Regardless of timing, we both totally enjoy the thrill of finding the little treasures that will make our friends shriek with glee, getting that little “zing” when we’ve found the perfect thing for the right person. Don’t get us wrong, we absolutely love making presents, too – we’ve written many a poem for our people. But if you want to supplement your baking/ crafting/ writing this year, here are some of our favorite small businesses to acquire treasures!

1) Your Local Bookstore (or, if necessary, Amazon/Barnes and Noble/etc. We know this isn’t necessarily shopping small, but it IS still supporting authors, and that is good!): We firmly believe that books are pure magic – they are literally portals to other worlds! We LOVE the idea of creating “magic book bundles” as gifts too. Pick some of your favorites from the last year, peruse our list of cozy and curious winter reads from last month, or simply stack The Starless Sea, Snow White Learns Witchcraft, Strange the Dreamer, The Bone Key, and a pre-order slip for the forthcoming Star Daughter on top of each other, wrap it all up with some beautiful ribbon, and call it a day!

2) Lumina Noctis: This is our favorite stop for botanical perfume and herbal apothecary goodness. Everything smells DIVINE, and we highly recommend the rose facial serum. Lindsey is also a fantastic photographer and artist, so take a look at that side of her business as well!

3) Minou Bazaar: For gorgeous, affordable jewelry inspired by fairy tales with an Indian twist, Minou Bazaar cannot be beat. Meenoo has a great eye for bold, luminous colors, and her moon jewelry in particular is stunning.

4) Sihaya and Company: We are completely addicted to Christina’s candles. Some scented candles can smell artificial, but not these. They always smell completely balanced and absolutely exquisite. They also have a gorgeous glittery overlay and beautiful custom labels. We both literally stockpile these at least once a year for gifting (and for keeping!) The “Sisterhood of the Moon” candle is one of our all-time favorites.

5) Crow and Pebble: Luminous, cruelty-free makeup inspired by folklore, fairy tales, and literature? YES PLEASE. In addition to Lady MacBeth lipstick and Shirley Jackson eyeshadow, Crow and Pebble recently released a line of DnD inspired eyeshadow that fills our nerdy hearts with utter glee.

6) Terri Ann Foss’ Art: You really can’t go wrong with these witchy art pieces… and her packaging is AMAZING!

7) A Subscription to Enchanted Living Magazine: This magazine consistently goes above and beyond in terms of fascinating articles and beautiful design. They also have an online shop with tons of lovely, enchanting items! Full disclosure: the last two issues have articles by US, so if you’re looking for an extra does of winter-y Carterhaugh magic before our Kindling a Light in the Darkness course begins on January 8th, this is where to look!

8) Charmed Books: These tiny little book charms are SO cute… and honestly even better in person! Slowly but surely we are both acquiring enough of these for a whole charm bracelet! They are a perfect gift for someone who loves a special book.

9) Viva Las Vixens: If book clutches are more your thing, you really can’t go wrong with Viva Las Vixens. We are obviously especially big fans of this stunning Grimms’ Complete Fairy Tales model!

10) Jenny Davies-Reazor: Absolutely gorgeous ceramic and mixed-media artworks inspired by folklore.

11) Cyberoptix: Cyberoptix makes hand-printed neckties, scarves, and the like, and the quality is just excellent. We especially love their Solar and Lunar Eclipse tie (and matching scarf!)

12) Silvan Arts: Absolutely lovely silver jewelry inspired by nature. Each piece is made with incredible care. Brittany’s had her eye on the gorgeous cathedral ring for ages… someday!

13) Blood Milk Jewels: If you’re looking for gorgeously made jewelry a little on the darker side, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Blood Milk Jewels. They’re a little on the more expensive side, but 100% worth it for quality and design. These babies become absolute staples of your wardrobe.

14) Folk Owl: Angela of Folk Owl describes her work as “hand-felted accessories for nature spirits,” and we couldn’t agree more! Her shop is a little empty at the moment, but more items are coming soon. Follow her instagram account for updates (and look out especially for her cuffs… they are amazing!!)

15) Swan Bones – The Art of Kelly Louise Judd: Sara and Brittany first saw Kelly Louise Judd’s art in a gallery in New Orleans when they were there for the American Folklore Society’s Annual Meeting in 2012 and it is just so. cool. Each picture seems to evoke a forgotten folktale, one you can just almost remember.

16) The Medieval Mouse: “Nature and Fantasy-inspired creations” – perfect! Totally sweet and innovative pieces. Her packaging is also amazing!

17) Persephone’s Bijoux: You seriously can’t go wrong with these “pretty things for weird women,” they’re all just fabulous. We each own more than one pair of earrings from this shop!

18) Parrish Relics: And last, but certainly not least, we just can’t make a list like this without mentioning the lovely work of Jen at Parrish Relics. We are both obsessed with her pieces (and each of us own more than a few!) She is sadly closed until 2020, but if you’re looking for a gift in the new year, absolutely check out her shop (sign up for updates though… her pieces go VERY quickly!!)

And, of course, we can’t make a gift guide without at least mentioning the two courses we have available now do make lovely (and unique!) gifts too!

We hope this was helpful. If you get overwhelmed, remember to take a moment and recall why you’re gifting this year. It doesn’t have to be a chore… let it instead be a magical treasure hunt for the people you love most in the world :).

Do you have any favorite shops (or shops of your own?) Please share with us in the comments!