The 2014 INDIE & INNOVATIVE Holiday Gift-Giving Guide

Looking for some unique last-minute gifts? Well, we’ve got your back. Our theme this year is Indie & Innovative — meaning we’re giftguide2014only featuring products and ideas from small locally owned businesses or independent entrepreneurs. Even if you don’t find the exact right gift on this list, we hope you will be inspired to look outside the (big) box (retailers) for some inspiration.

Character Development

Details bring a character to life, and there’s no better detail than a great accessory. Check out Dena Liston Designs’ great handmade, one-of-a-kind jewelry — perfect for gift giving in its own packaging, with free first-class shipping on any item on their website. Dena also offers other accessories and special items such as ornaments and wine-glass charms. Choose a silk scarf and have her turn it into a custom charm bracelet, or pick one of her signature beaded bangles in a favorite team’s colors or a special date, such as a birthday or anniversary. Don’t forget the metal-sensitive on your list with Dena’s metal-free leather and stone necklaces.

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sucker for loveCarefully chosen accessories can reveal a lot about a character without using a lot of words. For some truly unique and expressive accessories, check out  Wine Links by Squji Kat Inc., a woman-owned small business that celebrates bicycling and an overall commitment to smart commuting. Their personally-designed bike chain wine charms, bracelets and other bike themed items will make a statement for your bicycle buddies and family members.

And if you want to spend some time with some really colorful characters, check out Sucker for Love: True Tales of Loves Lost, Found and Imagined, and meet 10 talented storytellers.

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§ Featured Partner §giftguide heat pack

Another way to bring characters to life is to describe the way they carry themselves. But if you have a sore back or stiff neck muscles, you might not like the way you’d be described. So relax those muscles and revise your description with handmade hot/cold packs from Broadcasting Sunny. Reusable, microwaveable and freezable, they come with a washable caddy to hold the pack. Long straps are perfect for reaching the lower back or around the neck and shoulder. Take 20% off with discount code PPCGIFTGUIDE. If you are in the local area (Loudoun County, Virginia), please email broadcastingsunny@hotmail.com before ordering if you wish to pick up your order and save on shipping.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000039_00006]Strap on that hot pack and lose yourself in a gripping, character-driven book like the historical novel Wissahickon Souls, while those muscles loosen up.

Set the Scene

Scent is one of the least used senses when setting the scene. Which is unfortunate because scent can communicate volumes of information. UnfitCover-FinalMake sure that you’re always surrounded by the right scent with these soy wick candles in elegant recycled wine bottles. Candles are made with 100% soy wax in delicious scents such as Champagne Vanilla, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and more including seasonal scents such as Gingerbread and Christmas Hearth. They come in two sizes and are ready for gift-giving in organza fabric bags. Regular-$20 and Tall-$25. Located in Lansdowne.

The Champagne Vanilla candle would pair perfectly with an actual glass of champagne and the story of triumph over adversity and the power of love found in the novel Unfit. What better way to spend a cold winter day?!

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Freak Show coverAfter scent, sight and touch are the most powerful senses for creating a setting, especially if you surround yourself with unique industrial, repurposed, handcrafted, custom, and one-of-a-kind furniture found at Trohv Home and Gift. Trohv is the perfect place to find that offbeat or unique conversation starter.

And if you’re a fan of offbeat and unique, a copy of Freak Show Without a Tent is a must-have for your coffee table (and reading list!). A humorous travelogue/memoir about author Nevin Martell’s childhood family vacations through the wilds of the South Pacific and beyond.

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If you can’t find just the right accessory to create a reading mood at Trohv, try Now & Then in Takoma Park, Maryland. It is stocked with the work of local artists and carries everything from pottery to handbags to chocolate treats. You’ll find just the right accessories for your space. AfterBirthCover_Final

While you’re there, let the kids pick out some books, and while they’re reading back at home, you can catch up on some Pacifiers Anonymousmommy books, like the collection of essays on parenting in After Birth. Or if your holiday wish is to break your child of the pacifier or thumb-sucking habit, check out Pacifiers Anonymous.

Start a New Chapter

Are you or is someone you know looking for a fresh start in the new year? Don’t go with another juice cleanse or smudging ceremony. InsteadSME_small start from the ground up with a gift certificate from Golden Interiors for a 90-minute Interior Design, Color or Kitchen Consult for $250.

Want to jump-start a career or get a leg-up when arguing with your spouse? Buy Sell More Easily and learn negotiation tactics that are as useful for sales professionals as they are for everyday life. Want to go the extra mile and make sure the lesson sink in? Throw in the Sell More Easily Workbook!

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Work out some of that holiday stress and start on a new, bendier path in life with a yoga gift certificate to AJYOGA. Since 2008, AJYOGA has been helping people feel better by creating individualized practices. It’s your body and your spirit, so it should be your yoga, too. After all, yoga is for people, not pretzels. Gift certificates available in any amount. Call 703-727-3303.

YGW_smallHaving trouble achieving a Zen meditative state? Some self-hypnosis might be just the ticket. Check out Your Genius Within for self-meditation techniques that will help you learn what’s really happening in your brain while you sleep and how to harness it to reach your best self. Or, if you want to cut right to the chase, buy a Self-Hypnosis CD on a variety of topics.

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I hope these vendors sparked some ideas or even led you to the perfect gift. If you know someone who should be on the 2015 Indie & Innovative list, let us know and secure a spot in next year’s guide now!

Happy Holidays from everyone at Possibilities Publishing Company!