holidays – STEPHY

Bonjour Holidays, Bonjour P.O.S.H

At some point in your life, you want something that feels authentic—something that speaks to you. So I always find the special thing to tell a story. If your recipients are from Europe, or French, or love European style, this is definitely a place for you.

**Address: 613 N State St, Chicago, IL 60654**

P.O.S.H is a local small business in town. In the holiday season, you should not miss its gorgeous window display. This charming dress captures the magic of the holiday spirit.

The owner sells a lot vintage and authentic items from European flea markets, and has some unique items from their travels. Here, you don’t need to go far to find special gifts, including vintage hotel silver, tabletop, dinnerware, French tea, tea towels, antiques, paintings. You also can find items related to Chicago, such as a vintage Chicago postcard.

***Lots of vintage collections here, a lot to look at, a lot to love.***

P.O.S.H is a perfect combination of European and Chicago styles, a small store that delivers a unique and warm message.

***You can feel the magical things from Europe and Chicago.***

You can not only find unique items here, but also many items that stir memories, like the corners of grandma’s kitchen, where I found cute kitchen items. I can smell her famous sugar cookies fresh from the oven.

***Grandma’s kitchen. Do miss her famous cooking?***

I see many French items here, like the Eiffel Tower and French books for kids. It reminds me to think of my JAX mom. It is a magical place that connects the special memories between her and me.

Have you heard of this saying: “The fragrance of adventure and poetry endlessly pervades each cup of tea”? In the French tradition, Mariage Frères has elevated tea to an art. If you have tried it, you understand the passion and reverence that tea aficionados have for these exquisite teas. If not, try it. I selected the Mariage Frères -Esprit de Noel Tea as a gift for my JAX Mom. She is French, and over time we grow closer every year, like a real mom and daughter. It is magical to be reunited, and we have a wonderful time enjoying this special tea together, laughing and sharing precious moments.

**No matter where we roam, there is no a place like home. I feel a strong connection with my family members in my home in the U.S.A.**

More suggestions for special gifts:

I hope you enjoy Stephy’s holiday gift guideline, and I hope you find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list. Wishing you all a dreamy holiday!

The season of sparkle and magic is once again here. Tis the season of gift giving to be sure.

I would like to share some ideas to help you find a unique, special gift for the special people in your life. I always find unique gifts for my close friends. To me, it’s more than just a gift: I am sending warm wishes to them.

Also, the following gifts are not only good for the holidays, but great for the whole year.

Your Home State is Calling

Do you have a special connection with your home state, as well as where you currently live? I have a strong connection with my home state – Florida, with tons of wonderful memories there. I now live in Chicago and love it there, too.

The distance from Jacksonville, Florida to Chicago is 863 miles by air and 1,061 miles by road. But real friendship is not affected due to distance and time. I know because this is part of my story. I met one of my close friends in Jacksonville many years ago, when I lived there. This person has always helped me a lot and still does today. I now live in Chicago, but we still have close contact. We live in different cities but still share moments together: happy or funny, sad or upset. My friend always encourages, helps and supports me, and sees that I am growing. I know that while time rolls on, authentic friends remain with me, and true friendships grows stronger over time.

Words of thanks for this special friendship are not enough, so I helped to create this piece of art as a gift specifically designed by me. I chose the two states connecting me – Florida and Illinois – and told the artist the specific cities – Jacksonville and Chicago – and how I want to link those two cities. I chose the white shadowbox wood frame, then the store staff framed this for me, and I gave this to my Jacksonville friend.

***From Florida to Illinois, time and distance prove real friendship.***

This framed design tells our story of friendship, and even better, shows the love we both have of Florida. We are Floridians, we love Florida, and we have lots wonderful memories there.

If you are like me and feel a special bond with two states, you can create a similar map to tell your story. Trust me, this “States in Love” piece makes for the perfect gift – and it’s great for yourself, too!

***Let the “States in love” pieces tell your story.***

The store creating this art – called FourSided – is one of my favorite stores in Chicago. It is a local small business and you can find special and unique gifts there. Other than this “states in love” puzzle piece, they have a lot of unique cards, posters and prints, framing and fun ideas. Good for your home decoration, too. The store also has cute decorations, a lot of balloons floating, and other ideas to show happiness.

Stop here and discover Foursided, a must stop for your holiday/occasion needs.

Tag Archives: holidays

The spirit of the season is out there III

The spirit of the season is out there I