The temperature is dropping and that only means one thing – the most wonderful time of the year is here! The crew at Buie & Co. can hardly wait, so we’re counting down the days with our first-ever Austin, Texas Gift Guide.
2020 has affected all of us in many ways – especially those that are running and maintaining small businesses – so it’s time to bring some holiday cheer to the year. Our team has pulled together this curated list of all our favorite local artisans, designers, shops and stops so that you can support small and give local this year.
With vacations on hold and travel plans paused, 2020 has been the year of road trippin’, and lucky for us, we’ve got a great big state to explore. Give the gift of adventure this Christmas with a Wildsam Texas Field Guide. From Big Bend on horseback to visiting legendary dance halls, this book will serve as your travel concierge to the Lone Star State. Find out more about your Texas roots through interviews and essays from musicians, artists, barbecue luminaries and more.
Wildsam Texas Field Guide: $20
Maufrais
Fashion trends come and go, but style is forever, and nothing is quite as timeless as an iconic Stetson hat. Maybe it’s all the Yellowstone we’ve been watching, but a fresh felt is at the top of our list. Head to Maufrais on South Congress for a tailor-made custom hat shaped just for you or someone else on the nice list. Add a hat band or feather and it’s guaranteed to be the best gift under the tree.
Hat: $250
Walking into Toy Joy is like Macaulay Culkin entering Duncan’s Toy Chest in Home Alone. We love this spot for the nostalgia it brings; immediately you’ll feel like a kid again. Looking back on our childhood, the Buie team all had one thing in common – the best memories were spent playing outdoors. For the little ones on your list, grab this Austin bat kite for a day out at Zilker Park. (We love the nod to our resident bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge!)
Kite: $30
Blame it all on our roots! Renew your connection to nature by gifting a houseplant with a beautiful vase from Plant + Vessel. This Black-owned business is run by powerhouse artist and boss babe Traci Ward, whose work has been shown at the Blanton Museum of Art, the Austin City Hall and shops across the U.S. and Canada. While it’s hard to choose our favorite piece, we love the texture of the Terracotta Frosting Planter. The Terracotta clay absorbs any standing water and promotes healthy growth. This is the perfect gift for the budding horticulturalist in your life.
Terracotta Frosting Planter: $32
Deck the halls and your threads with pearl snaps of prickly pear and plaid. Headquartered in Clarkesville, Howler Brothers is the quintessential Austin cool men’s apparel company with a loyal fanbase across the country. Founders Chase Heard and Andy Stepanian created the company through many shared callings: surfing, fishing, paddling and the good things that come with these pursuits. Keep your outdoorsman (and lil’ amigos!) looking flantastic around the firepit this winter with the Rodanthe Flannel.
Rodanthe Flannel: $89
While many of our favorite Austin treasures have been closed the past few months, the 2020 Austin Alphabet watercolor print allows you to revel in them from home. From Alamo Drafthouse to Zilker Park, this piece features Austin’s signature places and spaces all around town. This one is for all ages as it can live just about anywhere, from the baby’s nursery to the home office.
Austin Alphabet 2020: $45
Inspired by Argentinian craftsmanship, Zilker Belts offers more than 20 different styles of hand-stitched belts and dog collars. Zilker Belts believes in thinking globally and acting locally; from the ethical, hand-crafted manufacturing process to the local causes they support. Whether you need a gift for a buddy or a furry friend, Zilker Belts has something for everyone.
Zilker Dog Collar: $59
Ubuntu is based in Kenya and headquartered in Austin. The company’s namesake is an African philosophy that means “I am, because we are.” It describes the interconnectedness we all experience, and our dependability on one another to thrive. Cofounded by a Kenyan and a Texan – their mission is to create beautiful products that provide mothers of children with special needs and others in their community with sustainable employment. You can support local and this great cause by giving one of their colorful Love bracelets.
Love Bracelet: $25
From Chacos to tacos, armadillas to tortillas and bats to ten-gallon hats, the ‘Austin Is Cool’ kids book is your guide to all things groovy in Austin. Author, Illustrator and Austinite Annie Mayfield created this book to open the minds and imaginations of all the little explorers out there. Pick one up from Alexa James Baby, and find other neat gifts by local doers and makers for the tiny tots on your list this year.
Austin Is Cool Book: $21
For that one person on your holiday shopping list that already has it all, gift an experience! Antonelli’s Cheese Shop, a beloved Austin staple, offers private virtual cheese tasting classes. Their master cheesemongers will walk you through a plate of seven delicious cheeses and food pairings to boot. Learn about the cheesemakers, flavor nuances, and styles of each cheese – a tasty treat to try now or later!
Virtual Class: $40-165
Though it’s getting colder outside, things are heating up in the kitchen! For the naughty one on your list, check out Yellowbird – a habanero hot sauce company homemade right here in Austin, Texas. Their locally-sourced, organic Pick-Three Spicy set might be the perfect gift for the wild one that’s looking to spice things up.
Pick Three Pack: $27
We believe in the importance of supporting small businesses and local artists, and so does East Austin’s Take Heart boutique. Take Heart values the energy and craftsmanship put into the items they carry in their shop. The shop showcases local and US artists, as well as a selection of international designers, with an emphasis on Japanese design. Want to up your glassware game with an impressive mug collection? The Japanese Boulder Mug might help you do just that.
Boulder Mug: $15
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s the importance of self-care. Divine Luxury ATX is a small, Black-owned, plant-based bath and body brand created by Nikki Jackson-Sagirius. She believes in a fresh approach, so all products are made in small-batch and give life to her motto: “From Nature’s Land to Your Hands.” Give the gift of at-home, organic luxury with the Bath Essentials Set, which is sure to turn your mundane bath into a relaxing spa escape.
Live well. Celebrate more. Travel often. That’s the motto Austin-native Katie Kime lives by. She creates happy and bold prints that make it easier for women to do just that. While we may not be able to travel as much as we’d like, we can still connect with our loved ones near and far the old-fashioned way: hand-written notes. This holiday season, give (and receive!) the gift of Katie Kime’s beautiful stationary so you can pen pal with your favorite peeps.
Folded Notecards: $28
Though our holiday parties will be much smaller this year, you should never come empty handed. The Austin Winery has the perfect bottle to impress any host. This local maker uses small-scale, low-intervention wine making techniques that use 100% locally sourced Texas fruit. The award-winning Work Horse vintage, with notes of spiced fruit, plum and a mesquite finish, is sure to please the palate and the party.
Work Horse Vintage: $27