A boss whose patience and good humor keep morale high. A colleague who always has a listening ear. An employee who goes above and beyond.
Showing appreciation to the special people in your workplace will make this season and your entire year more joyful. We believe in the power of thoughtful, personal expressions of gratitude, and these gift ideas capture that spirit. We focus on options in Austin, Texas, our home base, and we encourage you to shop locally whenever possible. Homegrown gifts carry another level of distinctiveness and meaning.
Stationery
We’re passionate about the art of the handwritten note, and beautiful stationery makes writing a treat. Our favorite Austin source for stationery is Paper Place, where you’ll find a bountiful selection. Paper Place products are perfect for TROPHYOLOGY stationery cases.
Tickets or memberships
A memorable experience can be the best gift. In Austin, we have a wealth of ways to give an entertaining night out or relaxing afternoon at local venues.
A few ideas: Tickets to an event at ACL Live, Long Center subscriptions, gift memberships to the Blanton Museum of Art or Paramount Theatre gift cards.
Spa treatments
If you’d rather give a relaxing experience, we recommend Milk + Honey in Austin for its range of services and spa packages. We’re also huge fans of massage therapist Dana Wyss, who has specials on prepaid services. Snow Pea Wellness Studio offers a range of relaxing treatments, including one of the best facials we’ve ever had.
Gallery Leather products
Gallery’s journals and notebooks are exquisite. Our favorite is the Leather Desk Journal — Ruled, in Black Croc. The gold-edged pages are a lovely detail. And the story behind Gallery’s work — items are hand-crafted in the U.S.A. from quality materials — makes it extra special. www.galleryleather.com.
Metal business card case
Give your recipient a sleek, stylish way to keep track of business cards or credit cards. A metal case can also be elegantly personalized, either inside or out. We recommend exploring the options at a vintage shop such as Austin’s Room Service or a stationery shop such as Paper Pace. Online, Executive Gift Shoppe has a variety of engravable options.
Delicious gifts
You’ll be supporting Austin-area farms and artisan food producers by giving a membership to Farmhouse Delivery or JBG Organic. For a night full of local flavor minus the prep work, treat them to an installment of Dai Due Supper Club.
Ongoing joy
Deliver joy throughout the year with these gift ideas. Austin’s Zhi Tea has a variety of “tea clubs” that will have your recipients sipping happily months after Christmas. Our friends at Casa Brasil Coffees in Austin will keep them happily caffeinated. The Austin Wine Merchant wraps and delivers within Austin. For flowers, Organic Bouquet offers three- to 12-month delivery packages. Austin’s Pollen Floral Art is currently taking a (baby) break from deliveries, but is a name worth remembering for next year.
We hope these ideas will help you make the season memorable for your recipients. And we wish you many moments to treasure now and through 2014!
