Hi there, Bella here. I'm in charge of all things e-commerce at G&P, but you can also find me working the sales floor as well as typing away at the keyboard, working on the next blog feature. Today, we're talking local businesses - and as a KC native myself, I can't wait to get started.
Shop Local. A phrase I'm sure you've heard before, as it's always been important to frequent your local businesses. However, that phrase carries infinitely more weight now than it did before. To put it bluntly + to reiterate something we probably all know by now, small shops, organizations + restaurants are struggling. These businesses offer something so special. These businesses are our friends + neighbors, they are the fiber + backbone of our community. Growing up in Brookside, I remember throwing together spare one dollar bills + quarters, hopping on my bike, and heading over to Foos Fabulous Frozen Custard for a sweet treat, followed by a wide-eyed peruse of the hidden wonders at a store named STUFF. There was always something exceptional + inspiring about a place born out of passion + dedication - and that can be felt in every specialty shop, neighborhood eatery + local organization.
As this Saturday is Small Business Saturday, we are giving you the ultimate Kansas City gift guide, which highlights local small businesses offerings and their complimentary Golden & Pine product pairing. Bestow upon your loved one the gift of shopping local. I know my childhood heart would swell on Christmas morning if I unwrapped a funky necklace from Stuff + gift card to the best custard in town.
We have three themed gift guides included below. The first on the list, and my personal favorite, is for the local food connoisseur.
Okay so let's talk natural wine, because this is big. What is natural wine, one may ask. Isn't all wine natural? No, no it's not. Natural wine has zero additional chemicals or additives thrown in during the wine making process. And Big Mood Natural Wine, located in the ever-evolving Crossroads Art District, is Kansas City's first wine shop to exclusively offer vino of the natural variety. Pair it with G&P's Glass & Mango Decanter + our gorgeous deep purple, handcrafted Weave Cocktail Napkins to create the most elegant gift in town.
The charcuterie board decoration game has reached new levels of delicious recently, and More Cheese Please KC is the MVP. Click here to custom select the ultimate cheese spread. And bonus, this woman-owned + run business delivers! This charcuterie offering pairs wonderfully with our Marble + Acacia Board, which is so beautiful it would even make a few slices of American cheese and saltines look good.
The Reiger has been a fundamental part of Kansas City culture since its conception in 1887, where it thrived in Kansas City’s West Bottoms Livestock Exchange district. A classic in every sense of the word, you can't go wrong gifting some of their famous whiskey this Holiday season. And pair it with G&P's ice-cold Drink Rock Set and our elegant + Smokey Chroma Glassware. Honestly, it's the height of sophistication.
4. Dolce Bakery
At Dolce Bakery, one of our lovely neighbors, every batch is made from scratch. And seriously, after you experience a bite of their deliciously dense cakes, pies, and cookies you'll understand the Dolce obsession. This pairs well with Marble Cake Stand - there's just something about this stand that elevates food to the next level. Not that Dolce Bakery isn't already next-level.
5. Caffetteria
With many of their ingredients sourced locally, Caffetteria offers gift cards and to-go orders for those who don't necessarily want to dine in. They also offer mouth watering crafted cocktails in their grab n' go section. Pair any of their delicious options with our Minimal Sand Dinner Plate by Convivial. And bonus points, Convivial's Studio is located in the Historic West Bottoms here in KC.
Has anyone not yet heard of Billie's Grocery? This new restaurant concept has taken Kansas City by storm with their California inspired dishes and Australian inspired cocktails. Plus, they offer cooking classes that also include beverages of the adult persuasion. What more could you want? Pair any of their sweet treats with our Brindisi Pedestal for the ultimate presentation.
With an emphasis on supporting coffee equity through the supply chain, Messenger Coffee opened their flagship roasting facility and cafe at 1624 Grand Boulevard in the heart of KC. Grab a bag of beans for some lovely home coffee brewing as a cute little stocking stuffer. Pairs wonderfully with the Wren Coffee Mug by Sarah Veak, another beloved Kansas City artist.
Show some love to our KC microbreweries this season! It was so hard to choose just one to include in this list. Get into the Holiday spirit by grabbing a crowler (Crowler: Growler in a can) of their Campfire Porter. Not a dark beer person? Their Strawberry Blonde is the perfect easy drinking beer for casual gatherings. Check out their menu here. And while you're in the area, stop by some of the other breweries in Brewery Alley: Casual Animal, City Barrel and Nimble Brewing, to name a few. This gift pairs effortlessly with our Marble Coasters + our gorgeous Copper Bottle Opener.
While we can't quite travel to Paris at the moment, the French Market's cheese selection is the next best thing. Stop by and have your choice of the most savory, delicate cheeses on the market right now. This pairs oh so amazingly with our Brass Cheese Set - you'll have a knife for every type of fromage out there.
Our next local gift guide is for those natural, clean + sustainable beauty lovers out there. Read on to discover some seriously impressive pairings.
1. WelWythn
Our lovely, glowing neighbors at Welwythn know the best natural remedies for your skin, hair, body + mind. Listen to them, they know best. More specifically, we absolutely love their Sisters Balancing Shampoo + Conditioner. And, for the ultimate hair treatment, pair the set with G&P's Desert Geo Towel by Georgie Home.
2. Hand + Land
Since 2015, Nicole + Jess have supplied Kansas City with non-toxic, sustainable products that are good for bodies and the planet. More specifically, their Indie Lee De-Stress Body Wash is the perfect way to unwind, with it's calming lavender + coconut oil. Throw in our chic + extremely soft Tierra Bath Mat by Morrow Soft Goods, and you've created a glorious night of pampering.
KALOS Experience is a Kansas City based mind and body workout experience combining movement with meditation and stretch - and we know you've probably heard of it. Check out their website to find out more about their classes + gift card offerings. And as scents are also very important to the meditation process, G&P's Golden Cedar Room Spray + Black Bird Tilde Incense create the ultimate calming sensation.
4. Skin KC
SKIN is a line of natural skin care and body products made with organic ingredients and oils each with a specific healing component in mind. Who wouldn't want dewy, glowy skin for the Holiday season? And the gift wouldn't be complete without G&P's Wooden Facial Brush by Iris Hantverk.
We are all in need of some healing after the year we've experienced. Sage Center for Yoga and Healing Arts is located in the heart of the Crossroads Arts District, and they offer yoga classes as well as massage, chiropractic, skincare and counseling services. Check out their website for more information, or look into the Ayurvedic Self-Care Handbook which focuses on everyday, holistic healing rituals. And, in sticking with the theme of healing + meditation, this experience pairs wonderfully with our Appointed Notebooks, the best journal for recording thoughts.
Offer the gift of thoughtful beauty this Holiday season. Etiquette Beauty provides facials, waxes, along with fantastic, natural skincare products. We especially love their Laid Bare Bath Soap, an indulgent mix of coconut milk, uplifting grapefruit and a soothing blend of pink Himalayan, epsom and sea salts. Our Havana Candle by Boheme pairs beautifully with a soak in the tub, as it evokes the scent of a late afternoon breeze, wafting through a bungalow over clear blue waters.
Sometimes the best gifts come in liquid form, and fresh orange juice from the Unbakery & Juicery is no exception. Swing by this KC favorite on 63rd street and have your pick of the best juices + healthy treats in town. Plus, our Clear Chroma Glasses + Pitchers by Hawkins New York serve as a gorgeous sipping vessel.
Sometimes finding the right hair product can be extremely difficult, but Hair Parlor KC makes it easy with their low-tox brands + their commitment to a green lifestyle. Gift some gorgeous + ethical styling cream along with our Nova Block Bath Towel by Georgie Home, and you will have the ultimate care package.
And finally, we have our gift guide specifically curated for the local trendsetter. Read on for all things fashionable, elegant + sustainable in Kansas City.
1. Hammerpress: Letterpress & Design Studio
If we're being honest, a holiday card that's doesn't scream HOLIDAY and incorporates non-traditional colors is very, very cool. Pair it with locally made ceramic ornaments + wall hangings by Katherine Moes that you’re going to want to keep out all year long. There’s not many ladies who wouldn’t love this special, under $50 treat.
This year there won’t be a holiday party every weekend to keep us festive, so we’re all going to need some day-to-day reminders at home that this is the most wonderful time of the year. Insert a beautiful Elizabeth McKenzie Thanksgiving Floral Arrangement into one of our locally made, speckled vases and voila, holiday pick me up for as long as those florals last.
3. Kanso
We love when something functional doubles as art, and this Menu Kettle Tea Pot from Kanso will look amazing sitting out on the stove all day and everyday. Pair it with one of our fun printed kitchen towels from Geometry and every tea loving gal will be jumping for joy.
4. Pearl & Palm
In the year where we all stayed home, even your stylish pals are on the search for cozy. Allow us to introduce you to this soft, plush, bathmat-as-art masterpiece: the Cliffside Bathmat from Pearl & Palm. And while you're at it, go ahead and peruse the elevated essentials offered by Pearl & Palm, run + owned by KC native + lover of all things beautiful, Emily Emke-Hays. Pair it with our Mountain Grid towels + consider the bathroom refreshed.
5. Clairvaux
We never realized how necessary a fanny pack was until discovering the Bumbag Beige Shearling from Clairvaux, a gorgeous shop that has found it's home in the heart of Fairway. I mean, it's obsession-worthy. Bonus: even when this pack is not in use, you'll be looking at it as it hangs on our handmade concrete hooks.
6. Dear Society
Rock these Amber Tortoise Totem Earrings on those days you’re feeling posh - and you know, actually leaving the house. When you’re not, lay them in our beautiful vanilla bean speckled tray where you can appreciate the fancy finery.
7. EB and Co
EB and Co., a Brookside boutique known for the latest in quality jewelry, leather handbags + hair accessories, has recently added fashion-foward + functional masks to its repertoire. Gosh, if we had been told we'd be styling masks with our outfits in the year 2020, we'd have called bull. And with the purchase of this new accessory also comes the need for a stylish place to store it - we think it fits perfectly inside our speckled, Vanilla Bean Tray.
8. Scoobie
And finally we give you Scoobie, a ridiculously stylish, woman-owned business, + one of our favorite neighbors here in Prairie Village. Their Burgundy Plaid Scarf is the perfect way to brave the winter chill. Pair it with Golden Light one of our favorite books here at G&P. It's the perfect book to snuggle up with after a day in the snow.
Cheers to supporting small businesses, shopping local and a happy holidays!
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