Holiday Gift Guide: Last Minute Gifts

Has life gotten in the way of being able to pick out gifts for your friends and family? Did you think you checked everyone off your list but then realized...oops, I forgot so-and-so? Well, I have five great gift ideas that will make any giftee feel that they were on top of your list. Hey, no one needs to know that they were almost forgotten! These gift ideas can be picked up right before the Christmas (thank God for holiday hours!) and placed under the tree with care before the big day.

Laura James Jewelry

This last minute gift idea will make any woman swoon! From detailed vintage necklaces to bold cocktail rings and earrings, these pieces are sure to grab a compliment or two every time you (or a lucky giftee) wears it. All pieces are one of a kind and hand crafted by designer Laura James. Below is one of my fave pieces, the Vintage Signed Florenza Moonstone Pendant Necklace. I also have my eye on the Emerald Cut Vintage Ruby Red Glass Stone Statement Cocktail Ring and the Vintage Emerald Green Glass Drop Earrings--just the right colors for the holiday too!

                                  

Laura James Jewelry will be open from 10-7pm until December 23 and from 9am-3pm on Christmas Eve.

Green City Bottles Corona Tumblers
Guys think it's hard to find gifts for girls but isn't it a bit harder to find guy gifts? I mean most shopping was created for us girls and maybe, just maybe the guys are left out in the cold. Well, I have just the gift that will make you look like a gift rockstar. The Green City Corona Tumblers, available at The Boulevard at Southend are made from upcycled beer bottles and are sure to get guests talking at your next gathering. All glasses are hand cut, sanded and polished to ensure safety. What a great way to give back to the environment and reduce waste!

The Boulevard at South End will be open from 10am-6pm until December 23 and from 10am-3pm on Christmas Eve.



Sky High Sports
A 40,000 foot trampoline park allows children and adults to jump around to their heart's desire. There are three main areas including a mosh pit filled with soft sponge-like squares and an area to play dodge ball. Of course, there is open play for anyone who wants to bounce around freely and organized activities like AIRobics, a low impact exercise class for others. This would be a great gift for kids...and kids at heart. Check me out (below) being one of those "kids at heart".

Sky High Sports is open today and tomorrow from 10am-10pm, Friday from 11am-midnight and closes at 4pm on Christmas Eve.

The Wine Palette
Get to know your creative side with this gift from The Wine Palette, a locally owned sip and paint establishment in Plaza Midwood. At the Wine Palette, you can bring your own bottle of wine, have a glass or two while an instructor guides you through making your own masterpiece. Trust me, you don't have to be Picasso to get into this creative class. It is for everyone and would make for a great holiday gift.  Below is a painting a friend creating at The Wine Palette for my HoneeBee Blog Launch!

The Wine Palette will have holiday inspired classes this week and will be open from 6-8pm on Wednesday and Friday and 7pm-9pm on Thursday. They will be closed on Christmas Eve.

Magazine Subscription
This gift fits just about everyone because you can match someone's interest to a particular magazine and order the subscription on their behalf. There's the person who reads the gossip mag before boarding a plane and the businessman who is addicted to Forbes....and so on and so forth. This is a creative gift but does not break the bank and as an extra bonus every time the magazine arrives in the giftee's mailbox, they think of you! Below are a few ideas, maybe one will be the right fit for your giftee.

To purchase, you can visit the respective magazines website, pull a subscription card from the magazine or for discounts visit http://www.discountmags.com/ or a similar site for a deal.

Bzzzz: Be sure to check out my interview with WCNC News Channel 36 featuring these items today at 4 & 5:30pm.

HoneeBee Gifts Blog Party Week!!

Sooo...this week I am having my HoneeBee Gifts Blog Party and I am excited (and nervous!!) about the event. I decided to have the party to share the redesign of my blog but wanted everyone to attend to also get to know what HoneeBee Gifts is all about. Of course, it's about creative gift ideas but I wanted to go beyond the surface and really show everyone what that means. If you have been following my blog you have a good idea:) but let me go deeper...
HoneeBee Gifts includes my thoughts on one of a kind gift experiences (no gift cards allowed here), gift tips and spotlights on companies that provide great gift options. At the event, everyone will get a glimpse of gifts I have featured on my blog--and get a chance to win for themselves or a lucky giftee. Of course, I can't have an event without sharing a gift! That would be insane! All attendees will experience The Wine Palette, a sip and paint establishment and can create their own piece of artwork and take home with them that evening. There will also be wine and a dessert bar to enhance the gift experience.  So far, I have gotten a great response about the event and I can't wait to meet new friends and see everyone buzzing around on Saturday. If you have not RSVP'ed yet, please go here to do so!

Experience: The Wine Palette

Want to become your own Romare Bearden...or get to know your creative side a bit better? Why not give it a go with The Wine Palette (TWP)?
TWP is a locally owned company who wants you to express yourself through art. The concept is simple--enjoy a sip of wine while creating your own masterpiece! Being an amateur painter myself I love this concept...and what isn't better with a glass of vino? You are allowed to bring your own wine to the party, and food if you'd like too. The owners, Neha Negandhi and Monika Shah (who also happen to be sisters!) want to make the environment just right for all their customers and they truly go the extra mile.
When I visited the studio they were hosting Raise Your Palette Night where they partner with a local charity and 50% of all proceeds made that evening go towards the charity. That evening's beneficiary was Promising Pages, a local non-profit group who provides books and literary programs to children in need. Neha welcomed all the attendees to the event and Monika was the paparazzi of the evening, taking photos of the guests. In addition to Raise Your Palette events, TWP hosts private events (why not blow out your birthday candles at TWP?) and will even come to your office for team building opportunities with your employers.

While having your social painting experience, there is an instructor that walks you through creating your artwork, step by step so there is no reason to be intimidated. There are various designs that can be created such as landscapes, guitar, zen tree, etc and all are posted on their online calendar.

When it was just an idea

When speaking with Neha she shared how The Wine Palette was born. Her first "sip and paint" experience was with friends in Atlanta. She literally had not picked up a paintbrush since she was 5 years old but felt so accomplished after putting the finishing touches on her painting with her friends. She loved the idea and had a great time doing it. She called her sister, Monika that night to share how much fun she had. When her sister came to visit she took her to the same sip and paint place, along with a friend to experience it firsthand. After that visit, the sisters really began to think about the idea of creating their own sip and paint place. Neha said she and Monika "just kept talking (about it)". She went on to say that the idea "took hold of us, it wouldn't leave us". The idea was born in January and now seven months later it is a reality".

While Neha said that owning a business is all consuming and like birthing a child, she still walks in the building, sister by her side and they look around and say "I can't believe I created this". What a wonderful feeling!

Gift this experience

The Wine Palette would be a great experience for the wannabe artist, anyone creative or someone with a keen eye for design, or so they think. Taking it a step further, I could see this as a great date night...a guy taking a girl to TWP would get extra points for gifting such a unique experience, don't you think? This could also be a fun Girl's Night Out or an impromptu drop-in after a stroll down Central Avenue.

source: thewinepalettenc.com