The Last (Tiny) Gift Guide

Think of it as the teeniest holiday shop ever—25 perfect things AND 9 marvelous giveaways for YOU, including 3 Mansur Gavriel bags, my fave 14k gold hoops, a Modernist planner, and more ❤️.

“Before I Can Exist, I Have to Enter the Gift Shoppe.” (A poem by Lisa Russ Spaar, and while it’s not (at all) about the ceremonial fanfare of holiday shopping, I saw the title in The New Yorker recently and I felt seen 🎄.)

Growing up in the ‘70s and ‘80s a department store at Christmas time was my idea of nirvana. Good Christmas’y smells, sparkly lights (including the lava-hot bubbly ones), shiny bows, and heaps of presents everywhere. (It is VERY possible that holiday time’s rousing cacophony of shimmery patterned holiday wrappings was the gateway to my compulsion infatuation with mixing patterns…with everything…forever.😬

Department stores are nothing like they used to be. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still delight in the magic and transporting vibes those seasonal escapes could offer. (And, hey, God bless New York magazine for collecting so many vintage images and memories from people who were there every December on the front lines, like Simon Doonan and those Barneys New York Madonna windows😭🎄😭🎄, making our Fifth Avenue dreams come true.)

Which is why I wanted to make today’s final ATA gift guide a little bit more magical than usual. Mixing equal parts smart/snazzy/accessible gifts with a whole satiny sackful of glorious GIFTS for you, too—aka: fanciful/FREE treasures you can be in the running to win by just dropping a comment down below—one of the many perks of being a paid subscriber here at A Tiny Apt.

Among the goodies up for grabs today—three iconic Mansur Gavriel bucket bags, a pair of my go-to Zoë Chicco 14-karat gold hoop earrings, the most stylish and useful 2025 planner ever…and more. Scroll down for details on all the giveaways from people/brands I LOVE as well as 25+ other delightful things to give this month (including supporting some fantastic small businesses). So, ready? Officially entering our Last Tiny holiday boutique now…🎄

The Potholder That’s Also Kitchen ART.

I love my husband very much even though he recently char-broiled one of my beloved very sold-out Artek potholders. The whole debacle sent me on a quest for cool potholders. And I found a few! Clockwise from top left: Royal Design woven potholder; Ferm Living potholder set; Dusen Dusen graphic potholder; MOMA/Serving Friends potholder; MINNA potholder set; Little King potholder; MOMA/Serving Friends potholder; Finnish Design Shop potholder; (center) Etsy quilted potholders (LOVE).

ATA GIVEAWAY #1—the Atelier Saucier napkins that will make you want to host more. I am a SUPER FAN of modern-and-sustainable homewares gurus Atelier Saucier who make the most delightful and epic things for tiny apartments and ANY apartments:) Hence, I was so psyched when they offered to gift one of you a set of four of their classic University Stripe napkins. Who wouldn’t want to coordinate a little cocktail party asap festooned w/these? The ATA rules: Comment below that you want the napkins, and our friends at Atelier Saucier will choose one of you at random within 48 hours (if you win, we’ll message you directly). Go get ‘em!

The Fashion Sides/Accessories w/Main Course Attitude.

I would happily buy any of these nine treats for myself or any of my most adored people (note: the Madewell ring has alluring pinky ring vibes, so I would size down on that one or get two and stack:). Clockwise from top left: Numbering Necklace at No.6 Store; Sophie Buhai carnelian and silver earrings; Rachel Comey acrylic and gem earrings; COS crystal bow earrings; Ina Seifart Brillenkette Glasses Chain at No.6 Store; Mondo Mondo Gold Lover earrings; Anni Lu red enamel hoops; Madewell rhinestone statement ring (as a pinky ring!); (center) Madewell studded belt (with everything!). Ooops…forgot this wonderful onyx beaded choker at COS, too.

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GIVEAWAY #2—One pair of my favorite Zoë Chicco 14-karat gold hoops EVER. I basically haven’t taken these 14-karat gold hoops off since they sent them to me (thank you ZC❤️), and I suspect if you win them, you won’t either. The ATA rules: Drop a comment below that you want to be in the running for these Zoë Chicco hoops, and their team will choose a winner at random within 48 hours (we’ll message the winner directly). For everyone else, they’re offering a 15% discount using the code CHRISTENE15 for a limited time. So, if you have a few more gifts to buy, now’s your ✨ chance.

ATA GIVEAWAY #3—A super collectible Mansur Gavriel Bucket bag. Our legendary friends at Mansur Gavriel are giving three of you one of their signature leather Bucket bags in this gorgeous gets-better-with-age natural shade. Thank you Mansur Gavriel—we love you and your bags RULE. The ATA rules: Drop a comment below that you want to be in the running for one of these bags, and Mansur Gavriel’s team will choose three winners at random within 48 hours (we’ll message the winners directly).

Say What? I’ve been LOOKING for a Modernist Planner!

ATA GIVEAWAY #4—The Modernist Planner because YES. Wanna join me in getting a tiny bit more organized and inspired in 2025? Cuz we’ve got a giveaway for that, too 🤓. When the lovely people over at Blue Crow Media—makers/designers of the most delightfully chic maps and calendars—sent me my own copy of this exquisite Modernist Planner, I immediately knew I wanted it to be one of the giveaways here. This journal-calendar is packed with gorgeous photography, inspirational interiors, and plenty of blank space for notes and planning…and YEP, it’ll fit nicely in your bag, too:). The ATA rules: Drop a comment below that you want to be in the running for this sublime Modernist Planner, and BCM’s team will choose one winner at random within 48 hours (we’ll message you directly).

Okay, a FINAL ROUND of special gifts I’m VERY Into…

Clockwise from top left: LUREX sponges…who knew? And YES pls!; did you know a cups/saucer set for classic collectible Hellerware designed by Massimo Vignelli is only $70 (it’s also pretty terrific when you gift it vintage, too); this stunning handwoven table runner from Family Heirloom Weavers is only $30; my most favorite incense ever (along with Palais du Tokyo) is Astier de Villatte’s Stockholm; shearling inserts from the Vermont Country Store (they have loads of other cozy bits and bobs, too, like these way-cool slippers); the screen-free digital Camp Snap, recommended by a friend for my daughter who is getting very into photography; this lovely emerald green glass candlestick from GreenRow; a graphic pillow from FermLiving that I actually want; my dear friend Missy Robbins’ emporium of edible Italy-by-way-of-Brooklyn delights is extremely seductive…she told me this is the BEST panettone she’s ever had, and I believe her.✨

OKAY, My LAST ATA GIFT TODAY #5—The Daily Skincare Routine by Cocokind. I’ve been enjoying the botanical-dense skin potions from Cocokind lately, and was over the moon when they offered to give three of you a full set of their signature Daily Skincare Routine. The ATA rules: Drop a comment below that you want to be in the running for one of these three Cocokind sets, and their team will choose the winners from the comments at random within 48 hours (we’ll message you directly if you were chosen:)❤️.

ALSO noteworthy…

My friend Virginia Chamlee over at the beautiful vintage-rich Substack “What’s Left” featured me and my wondrous 1970s Yves Saint Laurent Morocco collection cape this weekend, the very cape I thrifted nearly 20 years ago on Long Island for…well, almost nothing. Here’s the story…and thank you Virginia for always making space for the stories behind these rescued treasures to be told. Coming soon on A Tiny Apt. is my Winter Micro Wardrobe (it’s quick and it’s handy) and a fun piece I’ve been working on about what makes a smaller home so amazing (the details we often overlook).

Last thing: Has everyone caught up on the last last last 😢 episode of Somebody, Somewhere? If you have don’t tell me…I’ve been saving it for after I sent this monster out, sooooooo over and OUT. xxCb

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I’ve got even more treasures, closet gems + vintage doo-dads right here on my ShopMyCloset. Don’t forget, if you buy something we might earn a (tiny) commission.✨