Welcome to the gift guide that I have been most excited about!

What have I done here? Well, I’ve rounded up all of my favorite local makers and shops in one easy shopping guide.

But first, why is shopping local so important?

Did you know that a study in 2014 found that for every $100 you spend in a chain store only $43 remains in the community versus $68 when you shop at a local small business? Additionally, when you shop online (which we all do – I mean, Amazon Prime) virtually no money stays in your local community.

Besides, by keeping money in your community, you also create local jobs, help the environment, and embrace what makes your community unique!

1. Lauren Sumner Pottery  /  Air Plant Holder (we have one in our house!); Custom holiday ornaments
2. The Zen Succulent / Green Fan Air Plant Terrarium
3. Tierra Studio / Plant Killer Club Tote (yaaasss) / Seriously though, if you are of the #teamblackthumb no need to fear because Tierra Studio has you covered.
4. Vert & Vogue / Durham Beach Tote (I bought this from V&V and use it all the time – see it in action here)
5. Feelgoodz / Women’s Sage Slipper; Men’s Timber Slipper / I recently did a post about Feelgoodz, here, and I can’t tell you enough about how much I love my slippers. They make a great gift!
6. CR2F / I love these mugs. All of her prints are fantastic. Who doesn’t love to rep their city?!
7. Peppertrain / Peppertrain – Jolie | mocha; Peppertrain – The Everyday (necklace) | black leather; Peppertrain – Jolie | beige + white
8. Cat Call Collective / Joy Joy Joy Card; Happy Holidays Present Card / If you haven’t checked out Cat Call Collective yet – you absolutely should. Their tiny shop is the bomb (see schedule for their tiny shop below!)
9. Wind Blown Handmade Jewelry / Blockade Necklace / This pendent necklace is one of my favorite pieces and is on my Christmas list! I just recently met the artisan behind Wind Blown and she is such a beautiful human. Not only is she immensely talented, but also she shares her skill with others through workshops where you can learn how to make a piece of her jewelry.
10. Ann Howell Bullard / Leopard Square; The Black Keys Circle / This woman is amazing and her bags are just as amazing. I had the pleasure of meeting Ann Howell over coffee one day and learn more about her artistic process and how she constructs her pieces. She hand makes each bag – some take 12 hours to complete! That includes both the construction of the bag itself and the painting. They’re incredible.
11. Good JuJu Herbal / Vegan Skin Care Mini Set (the best!); Her products are great! The exfoliating bar is my favorite. See my previous post about Good JuJu Herbal here!
12. Elizabeth + Afton / Stella Ornament; Alexandra Zip Bag

Keep in mind that these are just a small handful of all the truly incredible local businesses we have in our community! I’ve also created a list of my favorite local shops, all of which are committed to promoting local makers and entrepreneurs.

• Edge of Urge – Raleigh-based shop that is one of my favorites. I don’t make it to Raleigh very often but when I do, I always stop in. A great vibe, with great variety.
• Voda Boutique – I just recently went to Voda for the first time last month for their holiday runway show with neighbor, House of Landor! Love love love their space. I purchased the beautiful green dress I’m wearing in this post that I’ll be wearing at some of our upcoming holiday parties.
• House of Landor – This is what vintage dreams are made of! What I love about House of Landor is that they sell all sorts of vintage goods – including some amazing clothing pieces!
• The Zen Succulent – This was probably one of the first places I went to in Durham when I moved to NC. I met Megan (owner) at a pop-up she did at Anthropologie in Durham and I couldn’t get enough of her enthusiasm and love for what she does. Her storefront is one of my favorites in Durham. Don’t worry if you have the dreaded black thumb, Megan and her team can mend anyone’s thumb afflictions, or hook you up with a really great air plant.
• Vert & Vogue – Not only does V&V sell truly beautiful, ethical goods, but they support their local Durham community. Let’s just say that Vert & Vogue has a je ne sais quoi that you won’t soon forget!
• Wax Poetic – Not exactly a shop, although they do carry an array of amazing, all-natural skin products, as well as other goodies from local makers. WP ended up on my list because, (1) I’ve been a loyal client of theirs since I moved to Chapel Hill, so I can say without a doubt that they are amazing, and (2) if Nathan gave me a gift card to WP, I would be as happy as a clam (ps. where does that phrase even come from?). This all female run, and employed, business is located in Carrboro and is the perfect place to get away for a little pampering and self-care.
• Indio Gift Shop – Located in Brightleaf Square in Durham, is home to a wonderfully curated collection of goods from small makers across the U.S. They also host a wide variety of workshops which would be a great gift idea for the new year!
• Cat Call Collective – Their tiny shop will be traveling all over the triangle this holiday season!
  • Dec. 2, 3-8 — Downtown Carrboro
  • Dec. 3, 10-4 — Downtown Carrboro
  • Dec. 9, 10-2 — Downtown Durham
  • Dec. 9, 4-8 — Downtown Carrboro
• Uniquities – My favorite clothing boutique in Chapel Hill/Carrboro has been in business since 1992 and you can definitely see why. They’re bringing fashion forward threads to Chapel Hill in their boutique on Franklin Street.
• Liberation Threads – They feature both local makers and designers as well as American designers. Truly an amazing space. I haven’t met the store’s owner yet, but I think we would get along as she left her job as a physician to start this business. Definitely check out their store in downtown Durham!

Where can you shop all of these (& other) amazing makers? Well, besides their store fronts, there are a bunch of holiday events happening in the triangle where you can shop a lot of them all in one place! Yes! *happy dance*

Dec. 2nd, 10-5: Elf Market at The Arts Center / Carrboro, NC

Dec. 6th, 6-9 (free, but RSVP required): Night Market: A Holiday Shopping and Cocktail Party at The Durham Hotel / Durham, NC

Dec. 9th & 16th, 10-2: Holiday Pop-up Market at Sola Coffee / Raleigh, NC

Dec. 10th, 12-5: Durham Patchwork Market at the Durham Armory / Durham, NC

Whether you’re local or not, shopping small is so important to the economy. Let’s keep our dollars in the triangle this holiday season!

Here’s more info about the Sustain-a-Bull (Bull, get it?!) project to support Durham local businesses (here).

*This post WAS NOT sponsored. I did this because I love each of these makers/entrepreneurs & I knew you would too. Happy Holidays!