Jenn's Guide to Shopping Small

Picture it: 2019, any shopping center in America. Hustle and bustle, frazzled people are everywhere, shopping bags are flying around, kids exhausted and ready to go home. Lines out the door, just for the chance to buy something that can be obtained any number of places. While that setting absolutely has a certain je nais se quoi, the most appealing change to the holiday season for a pandemic ridden 2020, is the urge and necessity to shop in a different way. It is certainly true that there are retailers such as Amazon where you can literally find anything and everything in one place. However, while most of us are shopping from home this year, we are called to support smaller shops that have seen a decline in business during this difficult time. Below, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite go-tos for shopping small, in a more personal manner. You can find nearly anything in this list from books to soap, essential oils to handcrafted jewelry. While most of these are physically located in Tennessee, all of them ship and also travel to different fairs to exhibit their work as well.

Wine. Century Farm Winery, Jackson, TN. The name carries almost as rich a body as their wines. Designated as a TN Century Farm, this distinction is only awarded to farms that have been in continuous agricultural production for over one hundred years. In this winery’s case, the same family has operated the farm, producing various agricultural products for nearly two hundred years. The farm features a ten-acre vineyard growing eight varietals of grape that are then produced into over twenty wines, several of them having won various awards within the wine industry. Every aspect of the process of making wine is performed on the grounds of Century Farm. They grow all of the fruits used in production, process and ferment them on site, and bottle them for sale as well. I must confess, I was the furthest thing from a sommelier prior to visiting this winery for the first time in 2008, five years after the winery began. However, this winery is genuinely where my love affair with wine began. And to think, the winery was not originally imagined to be a business, necessarily, but more of a retirement hobby for owners Carl and Jo O’Cain. However, their wines are just too good not to share with the world and Jo’s son Bart Horton joined the winery at the helm in 2017 where the winery has continued to flourish. Beautiful wines, beautiful scenery, and beautiful people with genuine Southern hospitality await you at Century Farm. Please visit them in person if you’re in Tennessee, at 1548 Lower Brownsville Rd., Jackson, TN. The good news for everyone is that they also ship from their website at www.centuryfarmwinery.com. You can also follow them on Facebook at Century Farm Winery and on Instagram at CFWinery.

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Mulled Wine Bag, White or Red Muscadine, Peach Lady, Forbidden Zin

Papercraft. Faith Hope Love Papercraft, Nashville, TN. Faith Hope Love Papercraft offers quality handcrafted paper goods from greeting cards to invitations to memory books. Each custom item is painstakingly handcrafted to suit the needs of the client and we also offer a variety of pre-designed cards to match any occasion. Scrapbooking has been a hobby of the owner (also the author) for approximately twenty-five years, beginning with documenting many travels. What better way to be able to work on papercraft more often? Start a business, of course! Please feel free to check out any of the products available at www.faithhopelovepaper.com and follow the store on Facebook at Faith Hope Love Papercraft.

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Personalized stationary, assorted packs of cards, and memory books.

Soaps. Gilchrist Soaporium, Nashville, TN. If you are looking for beautiful handmade soap, perhaps for a spa basket gift, this should be your first stop! Recently opened in 2020 by Terry Naylor, this shop offers handcrafted soaps that are both gorgeous to see and are also safe and lovely to use. Terry has done all of her research into crafting soaps that are completely free of harsh and abrasive chemicals. What started as a relaxing hobby (with a bit of exciting chemical mixing danger) has blossomed into a beautiful business that you will love getting to know. Having an art degree, she has quite the eye for crafting soaps in beautiful colors and molds. She originally started in making the soaps for herself, her family, and her close friends, but we are all very lucky that she decided to share them with the world! A very special added bonus of purchasing from Gilchrist is their give-back program: every batch of soap produced contains one bar that is set aside and given to charities such as homeless aid or providing sanitary items to remote peoples. As the business is just getting started, please be patient as www.gilchristsoaporium.com is currently under construction and you can soon follow Gilchrist Soaporium on all social media channels.

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Essential oil scented soaps that are relaxing or invigorating.

Jewelry. Jane Osgood Designs, Nashville, TN. Begun in 2001 out of an urge to create and occupy time and hands, Jane Osgood Designs offers handcrafted jewelry of all sorts. Specifically concentrating on coils of gold filled and sterling silver, Jane wraps, shapes, and connects components to create beautiful, organic designs. In addition, many items also contain precious and semi-precious gemstones as an added touch to the already beautiful creations. Designing and creating new pieces is something that drives Jane and has provided comfort and solace to her in troubling times and is also an outlet to celebrate the good times in life. You will love to celebrate good times wearing her pieces, for sure! Head over to www.janeosgooddesigns.com to check out her selections! P.S. – she also makes custom pieces!

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Hematite by the Yard Necklace, Pearls by the Yard Necklace, Alhambra Stud Earrings.

Pottery. Made by Robinmarie, Nashville, TN. This delightful artistic endeavor is more of a hobby than an established business. Robin Preston, the owner began throwing stunning pieces of pottery in 2012 and loved it so much that she soon had more pieces than she had places to put them. Thus, Made by Robinmarie was “officially” created. The hobby itself began as part of a bonding moment with her mother, who had always wanted to try throwing pottery. Robin bought her a 9 week class and decided to buy herself a seat to take it with her! Robin’s pottery is exquisite and she creates many custom pieces that can be commissioned through her Facebook and Instagram pages, MadeByRobinmarie as well as find her at art shows and craft fairs (in non Covid times, of course). Robin describes herself as “just a girl who loves playing in the mud” and what glorious creations come out of her playfulness!

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Beautiful dishes and vases.

Gourmet Popcorn. Music City Popcorn, Franklin, TN. Use your imagination. Come up with any flavor that you can possibly dream. Now imagine it on popcorn. This place is real and it is called Music City Popcorn. They feature savory flavors, sweet flavors, candy flavors, fruit flavors and each and every one is absolutely delicious. The popcorn is always fresh and they use real ingredients from cheese to Kit-Kats, imitation flavoring need not apply. Music City Popcorn has been in business for ten years and they have created relationships with many of their clients. As a former Director of Sales for a hotel in the area, I can assure you that their popcorn makes a delightful client gift. If you are a popcorn lover, or just a lover of good treats in general, head over to www.musiccitypopcorn.com and check out all they have to offer! You can also follow them for new updates on their social media platforms at MusicCityPopcorn.

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: An assortment of mini bags featuring a savory flavor (I recommend Dill Pickle), a fruit flavor (Banana), a candy flavor (Oreo), and a sweet flavor (Peppermint).

Essential Oils. The Oil Spot, Richmond, Virginia. Founded by Dory Tucker Doyle in 2014, originally as an online business selling essential oils, The Oil Spot has truly blossomed into an amazing aromatherapy studio in the heart of Richmond. Dory works with clients all over the US and Canada, however, providing many different services such as products and consultation in order to educate, guide, coach, and facilitate knowledge on holistic health treatments. Dory is the proud mother of twins, an amazing little girl and little boy (who are the kindest, gentlest humans) and it was through a health struggle of her son that she discovered the healing powers of essential oils and holistic medicine. As a baby, at only six months old, he had significant rashes all over his body and the poor little guy was miserable. As most mothers can related, Dory was near desperate to get her son some relief. She spent a considerable amount of time researching and asking questions regarding oils and the proper ways to use them. She tried an oil from a health food store (which are typically lower quality than through businesses such as The Oil Spot) before she found true essential oils. These oils have helped all the members of her family not only in physical health, but also mental and emotional health as well. Please head over to her website, www.theoilspotrva.com or her Etsy shop, www.etsy.com.shop/theoilspot, or Instagram , TheOilSpotRVA. Dory also hosts a podcast that is on all podcasting platforms (https://theoilspotrva.com/podcasts/).

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: The Essentials book (a Guide to Inspired Living through a toxin free lifestyle), Mindfulness Cards, and any of the oils collections!

Small Gifts, Home Décor, and Apparel. Two Pink Llamas, Dickson, TN. Two Pink Llamas is operated by Dayna Cullom and her daughter in law, Kristie Harp. The business was started in 2018 and they feature a variety of items such has handpainted or vinyled tumblers, screened tshirts, and wood framed home décor. There are items for every occasion and they also take custom orders. Check them out on Facebook at Two Pink Llamas Designs!

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Handcrafted tumblers, screened tshirts, custom art for home décor.

Children’s Books. Sonia’s Usborne Shop, Nashville, TN. Sonia Fernandez Le Blanc began selling the widely popular Usborne books after attending a party where she was shopping for her own children. Being around the Usborne catalog brought back wonderful memories of a book that she had as a child to learn Spanish. Once her daughters fell in love with the books as well, she was hooked and decided to share this joy with others. While she originally began selling back in 2017, the business has received new invigoration as her “day job” as the head of a self-directed learning school in Nashville saw great unfortunate changes due to Covid. Usborne books are designed as entertainingly educational for children. Books for smaller hands feature lots of sensory aspects and as the children grow up, so do the interests in the books until you get to adventure reading with Bear Grylls and beautiful graphic novels. Having these books to grow up with at home provides comfort in learning in what can often be a confusing and very rigid world. Not only does Sonia sell books, she is currently authoring one of her own as well, an epic based on the lives of her family, one that we can’t wait to read. Sonia’s Usborne shop link is https://11192.myubam.com/shop and her private Facebook group is “Sonia’s Renewed Usborne Book Obsession.”

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: The “That’s Not My…” series for babies and toddlers, graphic novels for pre-teens and teens, and the “Understanding…” series for elementary school children.

Woodworking. Wood That She Could, Nashville, TN. Stephanie Sefcik started Wood That She Could as a business in 2020 but she has proven herself adept with power tools and building materials since college! The business centers on home improvement projects and custom home goods and toys. Stephanie learned much of what she knows in the Vanderbilt Scene Construction Shop and in repairing and renovating her first home. Now, she gets to create for others and the pieces that she constructs are simply beautiful. Wood That She Could takes inspiration from a Harry Potter motto, uttered by Ginny Weasley, “you sort of start thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.” And Stephanie has nerve and skill galore. Go check out her designs on her website, www.woodthatshecould.com or check out her Instagram at WoodThatSheCould. She also has an Etsy shop for her digital illustrations at www.etsy.com/listing/911362752/hogwarts-pet-digital0art?ref=shop_home_active_1&frs=1.

Suggested Products for Great Gifts: Wooden toys, digital illustrations, handcrafted end tables.

I hope that you have the opportunity and desire to visit some of these small, family run shops and businesses. I promise you will not be disappointed in any of the products they have to offer, nor in their service to their clients. We have an even greater opportunity to make a difference this coming year by shopping small. I encourage you to learn about these shops and ones similar that are in your own neighborhoods, and help to promote our friends’ and neighbors’ businesses in a time where they need us most.