Hello amici miei and merry everything!
Whatever words you use or traditions you honor, I wish you the happiest of holidays and send much love! We have had a wonderful month that included a fabulous trip to Tuscany with Kit & Vinny to search for the perfect Italian Villa for their wedding, some exciting site visits for Hannah & Colt and their beautiful Palm Beach wedding and have been working diligently on all of the details for our amazing 2024 clients.
I’m also excited to share that I was invited to talk with Cindy Novotny – listen to the podcast here!
In the midst of all that merriment is of course the knowledge that I have a list of gifts for loved ones this holiday! And my first gift is to you! I am sending my twelve days of gift-giving and dropping my top twelve gifts for this year!
My faves this holiday!
The gift of beautiful skin is one that gives all year long! I obsess over Leah Chavie Skin, and can’t say enough about her expertise and her facials! This is a wonderful gift for brides & grooms looking to get wedding-day ready, and really for anyone who wants to love the skin they are in! Purchase a gift certificate here, or give the gift to yourself and make an appointment and tell them Michelle sent you!
Chicago friends, Freeze & Float is a sanctuary for me and a place I love to go for mental, energetic and physical well being. The salt float is such a wonderful experience. Don’t miss the lymphatic drainage massage and my favorite – the cold plunge! 15 minutes of infrared sauna followed by a three minute plunge in their tub in a private room, repeated three times. It is not for the faint of heart but is wonderful for immunity, inflammation and overall well being! Learn more here.
For all of my equestrians – the holiday list at My Equestrian is an amazing place for little details in life.
I love the Equus Melamine Tray (pictured) for the farm!
You all know I love me some Florence, and one of my favorite places to shop is always at the Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy. It is the oldest known one in the world! And they still make everything in house. The candles are insanely good, and I love their Aqua Della Regina fragrance, inspired by 800 years of tradition – it’s their oldest fragrance and my absolute favorite.
I absolutely love this time of year (well really any time of year!) for lifestyle photos, family photos – even just going out by yourself and treating yourself to a day of great headshots! Collin Pierson is both my husband and a talented photographer, so I love the idea of a gift certificate or purchasing photos for loved ones!
Ok, let’s get glam, shall we? Gucci has a holiday list out that I am currently obsessing over, and it got me thinking! Many of you comment on my footwear at weddings, and Gucci makes one of my favorite pair of “fancy kicks” as I like to call them – so I am including them in this list, shop them here!
Designer and friend, Cheval, just launched her second season collection and it includes the “throw shine, not shade” sparkle high top that is adorable and another great option for a fancy kick. While you’re there be sure to shop the rest of the collection because there are some amazing options!
Now let’s talk energy – if you follow along on my social channels you’ll know that I am a firm believer in healing energy and creating vibes . My energy healer is Maria McCain and I can’t even begin to express how much I enjoy working with her. Maria’s Instagram can be found here and if you’d like to work with her let me know and I can connect you! She is a sound + vibrational therapy specialist, a reiki master and an Akashic records expert. Cannot recommend this enough!
Last, and never least – let’s head on over to the gift of delicious shall we? Gene & Georgetti offers gift certificates AND we now ship our steaks nationwide which means all of the carnivores on your gift list can get the gift of delicious this holiday season!
For gift certificates, visit our website at geneandgeorgetti.com
Infused Equestrian is a therapeutic, toxin free line of equine grooming and equestrian products that I am obsessed with. There are some great products that both horse & rider benefit from like the all natural fly spray (as someone with an endocrine disorder I am very mindful of chemicals and additives. And fly spray is a must in any barn – this allows me and my horses to be protected and safe from chemicals!). My favorite is this infusion starter kit that includes the noggin helmet spray that neutralizes bacteria but is all essential oils so it actually helps with hair growth too!
I think it is always so empowering when we feel our best and that can help with looking our best. Friend and expert makeup artist Aga Rhodes (she was featured in Vogue this summer!) is someone I love being around in general but learning from as well. Her makeup tips are built on decades of expertise in the makeup industry. She offers consultations which can make a great gift, but so can a makeup application! Learn more here.
And for those looking for wonderful ways to be charitable this holiday season, I wrote a blog on my personal website listing some of my favorite places to donate, and you can find them here!