Over the past year or so I have been trying to be more conscious about what I purchase and these are two items I have put a lot of consideration into before buying them. They came from smaller companies and I decided to give them as gifts (for myself and others).
I first heard about Zoetik (rhymes with "poetic") jewelry over a year ago from the NYTimes. They've been on my wishlist for that long and I finally pulled the trigger a couple weeks ago. I liked their designs as well as the fact that they made everything hypoallergenic. I bought a necklace for myself and another one as an upcoming Christmas present for a friend. And what a nice surprise - the founders included a sweet thank you note and free gift (a dainty bracelet). All are shown above - they are beautiful and I have been wearing my necklace ever since I got it.
When I moved to San Francisco I was pleasantly surprised at all the local chocolate companies that weren't Ghirardelli or See's. Poco Dolce chocolates are made just a few blocks from my apartment and I first picked them up at a coffee shop in the neighborhood. Their small gift boxes are easy to travel with, so they are getting distributed among East Coast relatives who won't be able to find these quite as near to their homes.
