Charlie

CHARLIE's Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa…any way you slice it, one thing is certain: it’s time to shop. Each year we bring you the coolest, most unique products and tell you why they are our go-to gifts of the season. The best part? You can avoid the Chain Shame* with any one of these locally produced and/or available gifts. Enjoy CHARLIE’s 2010 Holiday Gift Guide! #TeamSanta

1. Stand Up Paddleboard
SUP. No longer the “”Sup, dude” stereotypical surfer greeting. Instead, it’s all about the Stand Up Paddleboard craze. Men, women, children and even dogs were all walking on water this summer with the trendy aqua fitness activity. From organized classes to casual meet-ups, folks are all about balancing, paddling and taking in the scenery on their boards. So you’ll be a hero if you get that special somebody one to call their own. There are a ton out there, but we love this faux-wood, retro Naish Nalu 11’6″ board. Surfs up.
Available at Half-Moon Outfitters. $1,699 (board), $219 (paddle)

2. Cuff Bracelets
This year, it’s all about the cuff. And not just one cuff. Stack ‘em right up that arm. The best part is that it goes with every bracelet she already has – mixing and matching various sizes, colors and textures is in, in, in! We love these handmade Dannijo cuffs. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…two cuffs if he’s smart.
Available at Hampden Clothing. $645 (Sparo II – left), $365 (Brooch – right)

3. Guilded gRAWnola Holiday Treasure
We fell in love this year. With gRAWnola. The delicious, super-healthy, raw foods version of granola by local Holistic Chef Ken Immer took Charleston – and Whole Foods Southeast – by storm. This holiday season, you can give the gift of health in a convenient and festive glass jar. Making its “limited offering” holiday debut is Guilded gRAWnola Holiday Treasure: classic gRAWnola nuggets dusted with edible gold flakes, complete with gourmet dark chocolates. Om.
Available at Charleston Cooks! $20

4. Anywhere Table
Everyone loves a little something for their home, but it’s usually a tough thing to buy for someone else. What’s their style? What do they need? Enter the Anywhere Table. Nightstand, sofa side table, cocktail table, kids tea party table, little person bar stool…it can be used for just about anything. The style works with fresh/modern or formal/ritzy decor. If home is where the heart is, time to pony up.
Available at Dwelling. $1,669

5. Grill Charms
Helping grill masters breath easy since 2010. Never again will the griller in your family have to worry about keeping track of which steaks were meant to be rare, medium, well done or in between. These cufflink-looking grill charms stab right into a piece of meat to clearly mark each one, signifying temperature preference, spice preference and other differentiators. Created by a local breast cancer survivor who braved ABC’s Shark Tank to raise capital funding to launch her product, these are a perfect gift or stocking stuffer.
Available at Newton Farms and In Good Taste. $20

6. Ambre Babzoe Jacket
That Hansel is so hot right now. And so are feathers. Any glam girl will love peacocking her look up with this show-stopping feather jacket. It’s the perfect piece to add elegance to an evening gown or edge to a jeans-and-tee ensemble. Soft as a tweety bird; fierce as a lion.
Available at Cose Belle. $355

7. Jack Black Shave
Post-Movember, are you dying to get your man to shave that ridiculous caterpillar off his upper lip? Jack Black will change his life forever and spare you from ever having to nag him to do the daily chore. The Beard Lube and Cooling Gel are the essentials, but get him the whole line and your guy may just break on through to the metro side.
Available at Stella Nova. $44 (Jack Black products pictured above), $260.50 (Trumper Grooming set)

8. BookBook
Yes, we all know the iPad is going to be the #1 gift this year. Make #2 the BookBook from TwelveSouth. It is beyond amazing that we have a company this cool right here in Charleston, designing sleek accessories for Mac products. The BookBook is one of the best we’ve seen – an iPad cover (and stand) moonlighting as a leather bound book so vintage you may think to blow dust off it. Perfect for the modern techy with a love for the classics. Fair warning: Oprah featured it on her “Favorite Things” show, so a waiting list until 2019 may ensue.
Available at TwelveSouth. $70

9. 843 Tee
Nothing could be more local than branding yourself with a big “8-4-3″ area code. These tees, designed by a recently-local-moved-Pittsburg designer are vintage-looking, eco-friendly, soft as they can be Charleston-inspired tees. We love the iconic 843 tee, but there are plenty more, from Folly Beach to Mt. P. I got bros…in different area cooodes…
Available at II Brunettes and House of Sage. $30

10. Deluxe Meat Basket
One thing about us Charlestonites: we love our meat. So bypass the hum-ho gift basket and this year, give them a basket-o-raw-meat. That’s right, Ted’s, our favorite local butcher shop, is putting together a deluxe basket that includes 2 Tenderloin Fillets, 2 New York Strip Steaks, 2 Kurobuta Pork Chops, 1 lb. Artisanal Bacon, 1 lb. Ted’s Housemade Sweet Italian Sausage, Polish Kielbasa, Polish Mustard and Ted’s Signature Seasoning. It’s all the very best quality – no mystery meat here. Carnivores rejoice.
Available at Ted’s Butcherblock. $125

*”Chain Shame” – new term coined by @SLANT_HQ meant to describe the guilt one feels when buying something not local. Generally felt by those residing in Charleston, where Lowcountry Local First initiatives and “Buy Local” bumper stickers are ingrained deep within subconsciousness.

Story by: Caroline Nuttall
Photos by: Karson Photography