Shop Local | Shop Small

Written By Sara Maximoff

“Shop local!” is a cry most of us can get behind, but it hits home when you’re a small business owner.

In October, we had a flash sale on dahlia bouquets. We sold enough at a downtown popup and farm pickups to pay for our daughter’s birthday party. If you shopped with us, your money did amazing things: It paid for nine kids to have the time of their life at an outdoor party at The Funny Farm. They petted goats, rode horses and ponies, raced around, looked at donkeys, shooed kittens away from the pepperoni pizza. It also supported the family who runs The Funny Farm.

This year, we’re committing to doing as much of our Christmas shopping as possible (hopefully 100%!) to local and/or small businesses. And this year, with talk of Christmas being stuck on a container ship, and folks who are trying to make a go of it outside of the normal 9-to-5, for whatever reason, it makes more sense than ever to buy from your friends and neighbors.

Wouldn’t you rather put that money in the pocket of the family who dresses up a miniature pony like a unicorn and lets birthday guests ride on it? Jeff Bezos has never let me ride a unicorn—not even once.

So here are our picks for the BEST Christmas gifts from folks doing beautiful work with small businesses.

For all-around shopping and browsing

We love The GreeneHouse. Not only do they have an actual greenhouse stocked with plants, flowers, trees, and shrubs, but their indoor space is chock full of amazing gifts. You’ll find plenty for the plant lover, but also for the foodie, the kid, the black thumb, and the one who likes to smell nice things. The folks at The GreeneHouse allowed us to use their parking area and inside counter for our subscription dropoffs this year, and we are ever so grateful! (But we’d still give them a plug even if they hadn’t done us a big favor!)

Up the road in Bristol is Fina Florals. I got to see a lot of the shop this year while making weekly deliveries of flowers to the shop. There are flowers by the stem, home goods, upscale bath products, jewelry, and more. It’s a perfect place to shop for girlfriends, or for anyone who generally loves plants.

Charlotte’s Florals is another one of our customers, and her shop is the epitome of boho chic. She curates a small and mighty selection of lovely gifts, so you can give bouquets, candles, print items, perfume, or hats from her shop. She emphasizes local products and supports other small businesses here, so bonus points for that!

For you Virginia folks, Made By Hands is a lovely place to shop! In addition to making lovely arrangements (filled with Field & Flour blooms, by the way), Made By Hands has all manner of gifts—jewelry, candles, home decor, and snacks! (Don’t rely on their website—actually go into their store on Jackson Street. It smells so good in there!)

For classes

I’ve been to a few classes at Serenity Knoll and love the experience! Their lineup is diverse—sushi, croissants, pizza, pie, tamales—so you're bound to find something you want to learn how to make! Most events are BYOB, and you can enjoy your meal on their lovely patio with a view!

My friend Chris raves about cocktail classes at Catoctin Creek. They’re virtual, so you don’t even have to designate a driver! This would be great for a couple—or post-bedtime parents.

For amazing things

You probably know how much we love Turtle Farm Pottery. Casey, Laura, and Noah churn out the most beautiful things from their homestead near the Red River Gorge in Kentucky. Our home is filled with pots and vases and mugs from their studio, and we love having useful beautiful things made by our sweet friends. (Josh and Casey’s story of how they met rivals the cuteness of how Josh and I met. They go back further, too!) My recommendation for pottery: bud vases, pitchers, and latte mugs. Those are my favorite pieces. Oh, and honey pots!

Our buddies over at Bales Farm have delicious beef, pork, chicken, and eggs—all farmed responsibly and humanely. Aliceson has gone one step further and released a cookbook! Aliceson is a powerhouse in the kitchen, and I can’t wait to get my hands on my copy soon. Her recipe for pimiento cheese dip alone is worth the cover price. No exaggeration there.

Speaking of not exaggerating, healing balm from Efflorescence is the best thing I’ve ever done for my cuticles. It’s not just that it feels good and it moisturizes, but it actually does HEAL. My cuticles are usually an absolute wreck, but this balm has improved them tenfold this year. Kara does this work as a calling, and I strongly believe in her. When I had the winter blahs in January, Kara brought a whole kit to lift my spirits and help heal me. She pours her heart (and quality healing ingredients) into her products. Her bath salts smell amazing, and her sugar scrubs are absolutely the best. My favorite scents? Glad you asked. I love the eucalyptus mint, lemongrass bergamot, and rose, but I’m also dying to try the grapefruit citrus. The generous self-care bundles make a great teacher gift!

Ginko Gallery has beautiful hand-turned wood products. Craftsman George Wurtzel is locally famous for his gorgeous biscuit cutters, and nationally famous for an appearance in a Subaru commercial. We love George for both things! His pieces are stunning, and he is a lovely person to have in Greeneville.

Services

I took Miss Freddy’s Backup Bootcamp class last year, and it was one of the best investments I’ve ever made. It takes some time, but the end result is worth it: My photos are organized, safe, and easy to find and use. If doing your own photos is too daunting (totally get it), you can hire her for remote organization services! Technology is amazing! Bonus: Courses are 30% off right now. Want to go big? Bundle with other gifts: An external hard drive + Backup Bootcamp, for example.

I’m gifting myself a digital video highlight reel from Heartstrings Creative Company. I have a bajillion videos of Kalina this year, and Taylor is crafting them into one lovely video! I’m so excited to see it! I watched a bunch of favorite Kalina videos on the eve of her birthday this year, and I realized what an amazing treasure video is. The baby giggles! the dimples! the wobble in her walk! It was all right there—and for a minute, so was I. I was able to cheat time a little.

Chelsea Ridd Cosmetics in Greeneville is a master esthetician and permanent cosmetics artist. Her work is beautiful and incredibly precise.

Other places/people I love

The Cabins at Spring Creek are just down the road from us, and they’re the perfect place to have a weekend away. Erin hosts guests in the cutest log cabin, and she is a perfect host. Upgrade your stay to include homesteading lessons, and go back home knowing how to make soap and bake homemade bread. Their farm is gorgeous—tranquil, peaceful, fresh, and homey.

Season tickets to attractions are some of our favorite gifts. Kalina is hoping for a pass to Brights Zoo. We’ve done Dollywood and children’s museums in the past, and we love having a favorite place to go to as much as we want!

A whole bunch of our favorites will be at the Greene County Partnership’s Shop Greene Holiday Market November 27!

Fan Favorites

We asked for your input, and we got so many great ideas! Lots of you loved The Greene House (listed above), just like us. Here’s what you said:

Sara Maximoff
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