GIFT GUIDES! GIFT GUIDES! GIFT GUIDES!
Savi's Silly Substack, Edition 37
Gift guides below. Look at this SICK piece Peyton made for her furniture final!!
Something Funny My Friend Said to Me
“Edward Patterson” - Grace Jarrett
Something Yummy I Ate
Friendsgiving was a huge success and I was very proud of my Ina roast chickens <3 But, spatchcocking them at 8 AM is not something I want to do again in the near future.
I had Pearl Dive’s chopped salad for the first time, and it gave Le Dip’s warm shrimp salad a run for its money. If having fried crawfish and the bites of french fries you find at the bottom of the box as a salad topping is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
Something I Listened To
At the advisement of Ivy I’m finally digging into Gracie Abram’s repertoire and loving it.
Something I’m Wearing
Considering how depressing the office was this week, I put together some solid fits. Who says you can’t look good for funerals!
Another Thought
I love a gift guide and eat that content up whenever I get the chance, so here are my advisements. Yes, this 57-subscriber substack is brought to you by the following major sponsors. #ad
The best gifts to receive are ones that make you feel seen, or are something they think you would want but wouldn’t buy for yourself. My roomies hit both of these when they bought me my favorite Tarte lipgloss in a shade they thought I may not have reached for on my own.
I’ve tried to include items at different price points for different occasions. This is where I tell you I’m a grinch and HATE office secret santas, and that you should not spend much money on that ever. No, I do not want to spend an extra $20 at the most expensive time of the year on a colleague.
On that note, a great gift you can give is to discuss ahead of time to not do gifts, and to take that weight off their back. I’ve done this with both my family and Ivy this year. Just go to dinner instead. But also, making this was so fun…
Without further ado, please enjoy my major graphic design skills.
the anybody
something they mentioned long ago - these are always the best gifts because people love to feel heard. I keep a notes app on my phone of gift ideas for people so I can pull from it when I need, and so I can be good at these kinds of gifts!
an experience - concert tickets, sporting events, comedy shows, a day pass for skiing, a massage, etc. one of my favorite travel experiences was when Katie and me found a Jack the Ripper tour of London, led by a PhD level Ripperologist, on Groupon. i hope some lucky soul gets that for Christmas this year.
a travel kit - future bridesmaids, ignore please because I already have this written down to get you down the line. i have a ‘go-bag’ of minis in a cute little travel bag that I keep in my carry-on so I can save some time when packing. mine has face wash, face and body moisturizer, a nail file, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner, hair spray, perfume, a tinkle razor and a normal razor, toothpaste and brush, hair ties, body wash, mouthwash, deodorant, q-tips, and makeup wipes. i keep a backlog of refills from hotels in storage, but this has been SO handy for travel. put it all in a cute travel bag with a bow on top!
the beauty girl
reusable eye patches - i have a pair of these and love them. don’t tell anyone but I got them on tiktok shop.
custom hair clips - if you’re feeling rich, get them the Emi Jay one, but also don’t because there are plenty of cheaper options on Etsy with good reviews, like this one! you could probably even DIY it.
rhode set - every beauty girl wants to try their stuff but no one wants to bother with a brand that isn’t at Sephora. do ‘em a favor and save them on shipping.
your mother’s hot rollers from the 80s - these are the ones I have.
mormon girl curling iron - mormon moms are so in, and they use a 1.5 inch clamped curling iron on their 32-inch weft extensions.
gel nail kit - after working at a nail salon in high school, I have a hard time willing myself to pay to get my nails done after all the free service I got in between customers. doing your nails at home is a fun little activity too.
red light mask - this is the most expensive item on the list, and the one I’m linking is an expensive one at that, but if you really want to splurge, you would be making the beauty and wellness girly in your life VERY happy. this one is way cheaper and has good reviews.
the chef
butter mold - wishbone kitchen said they’re cool again so we listen.
a cookbook - you know I’m going to tell you to go the Barefoot Contessa route. get them the OG book. if they’re a girly pop feminist, they’ll like Cherry Bombe, a book full of recipes by female chefs.
fancy olive oil - i’m partial to Graza.
specialty tools - i am staunchly against one-purpose kitchen tools with very few exceptions, but I would love a salad spinner, mandolin, or potato ricer.
wusthof chef’s knife - a good knife makes a huge difference, and a chef's knife and paring knife are all Anthony Bourdain says you need. and yes, they’re worth the money. if they like to cook, they’ll be very happy with wusthof. andy got me one of the for Valentine’s a few years ago and I freaked out.
cooking class - if they live in DC or New York and like to bake, Milk Bar would be so fun. i’ve taken a Sur La Table knife skills class and highly recommend, but expect to be the youngest person in the room by 30+ years.
boos block - another great culinary gift I’ve personally received from Andy. chefs love boos.
espresso machine - duh. and you’re saving them hundreds of dollars on lattes.
kitchen aid mixer - no further explanation needed.
the fashion girly
stalk their pinterest - a lot of the stuff on there have direct links nowadays.
digital camera - for them to post their cool girl outfits on their cool girl instas
belts are so in - i like this red khaite knockoff.
and so are shoulder bags - ideally you’d spend hours scrolling through japanese eBay to find them the perfect vintage designer bag for a steal, but if you’re not into that, this brown Ralph Lauren bag, or the green, or the navy if they’re a silver hardware girl, is incredible but insanely expensive.
the homebody
max box match box print - if they love to be home, their home should be cute! my friend Max makes the best prints.
candle - because I can’t go a week without talking about Kacey Musgraves, I’m bringing up her collab with boy smells. one of my favorite substackers, pigmami, loves this brand Hazeltine that has adorable packaging.
fancy pajamas - there is no greater luxury than a pajama set and a weekend night in. my dream pair is the Polo Bear Ralph Lauren set with the slippers so I can be camouflaged in my Polo Bear sheets. i would love to cosplay as a rich northeast girl in the Roller Rabbit disco monkey set.
the bookish type
custom ex libris or ‘from the library of’ stamp - these are SO cool. i like this embosser or any of these stamps.
find their goodreads, buy them a bunch of their ‘want to read’ books, and wrap them up in a bow!
the gym girly
bala bangles - for their hot girl walks
running accessories kit - gu running gels, good running socks, a running belt, goodr running sunglasses or a new trucker hat (anthro has a ton of great options right now)
chalk bag for the cool climber in your life
spin shoes - i’ve had this pair since college and I love them so.
a new set - beyond yoga and lululemon are my favs because if it ain’t broke…
the boys
artist merch - get them a band tee! vintage would be sooooo cool. i’d never heard of imogene + willie before, but i’ve now linked them twice in this gift guide and if you have a deadhead in your life, i bet you they’d love this.
madewell mens - this is always a hit with andy. he has this sweater and two or three of these tees on my recommendation.
yeti cooler - this one is obviously expensive for a cooler but is around the price of what i typically budget for a family member. i met with a MedEvac team in Alaska, and they literally use these coolers in the air with their patients for BLOOD. they’re good quality.
the crafty one
a scrapbook or junk journal kit - journals, stickers, markers and pens, this tape roller thingy, etc. I follow this girly on tiktok who makes little kits for junk journaling, but holding onto receipts, packaging, etc does the trick and is less wasteful.
needlepoint - so much more expensive than you would assume but so mind-numbingly relaxing. i got myself this Waffle House project for my birthday.
Woahhhhhhh i really wish there was a bookmark feature on substack. so thoughtfully done, well-curated, and will be referring back often in the next few weeks! +pey's furniture project is sick. I think we need it for the house.
Mormon girl curling iron. Howling!