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        2019 SMALL BUSINESS GIFT GUIDE

        November 28, 2019

        BRIDES PHOTOGRAPHERS

        The Holidays are fast approaching and it’s so easy to fall into the consumer mentality — buying for the sake of buying. With the consumer mindset aside, let’s shop small and more intentionally. Let’s make bigger impacts on a small business owner’s life, and much smaller impacts on our planet. I created my 2019 Small Business Gift Guide down below to guide you to do just that.

        I want to give you small-business alternatives to what you need, and what you could gift to the loved ones in your life. Shop small, always.

        I created a list of my favorite small business shops and broke them down into different categories. Here is my ultimate 2019 Small Business Gift Guide! Whether you’ve been needing a pair of earrings, some skincare, a reusable mug, wall art for your room, a new place to eat, or you want to gift one, or more, of these things to somebody, now you have the direct links to do so! And the best part? They’re all small-businesses. Some are female-owned. Some are also sustainable and eco-friendly. And some are hand-made with love.

        Some of My Favorite Brands

        I hope you enjoy these businesses as much as I do. They help give character to my room (my plants and wall art and candles), to my ears and fingers (handmade jewelry). Some of them are my main skincare (cocokind and krave beauty). They keep me from using plastic water bottles and Starbucks throw-away cups (Byta cups). And they fill me up with delicious pizza when I’m craving it (Big Al’s Pizzeria).

        Most of the small businesses featured in this blog post are ones I have personally bought from, products that I use and own, and shops I have been to and will vouch for. Of the items here, I have not actually bought or used 3, but they came highly recommended and I looked them up to see what they stood for, I fell in love and therefore added them to the list.

        Here is my ultimate 2019 Small Business Gift Guide! I hope you enjoy!

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        2019 Small Business Gift Guide, Shop 31 Suns Earrings, image by Fatima Elreda Photo

        Woman-Owned, Hand-Made, Jewelry

        It’s no secret I love statement earrings and hand-made jewelry. I don’t own or wear any other kind, and I don’t leave the house without a pair. Statement earrings, I think, say a lot about a person. Aside from the fact they have some badass style, it says you care about what you wear, and who you support, and that you have so much character.

        I own at least one pair from each of these makers. I LOVE that each piece is made by hand, with so much freaking detail and love. I love these makers and if you want to gift jewelry, or treat yourself, hand-made and women-owned is the way to go and these are just some of my favorite shops and humans that make them!

        MAEK creating ceramics, 2019 small business gift guide blog post from Fatima Elreda Photo, image by Maek

        Eco-Friendly and Sustainable

        If you follow me on instagram, you know I’m an environmental tree hugger. If I can decrease my carbon footprint even slightly by reusing my Byta cup, and getting the cleanest skincare products to keep me going (Cocokind and Krave Beauty), I will, and I do. Here are some incredible small businesses from Chnge Clothing who sustainably use organic cotton for their clothing (and also making powerful statements with their work), to Timshel Shop, a small business in San Diego that sells sustainably sourced and ethically made products (including my favorite fig candle that I own from them)!

        In this list I’ve also included Maek Ceramics (who’s photo you see), who make HANDMADE ceramics of anything you can think of. Parks Project, they sell National Park clothing and donate money back into the parks to help protect them in several different ways. 

        If you’re looking to buy yourself, or gift, sustainably and ethically. Please take a look at this list and find the home goods you need minus the footprints they usually leave behind on the planet!

        2019 Small Business Gift Guide Fatima Elreda Photo, art by Rose Wire Design

        Wall Art

        The special thing about buying from small businesses is that I know I am directly helping a human move their life forward. Whether that be by paying the bills, rent, or putting food on the table. It’s a direct consumer-to-maker chain. Here are some of my favorite artists that line the walls in my room. RoseWireDesign created my logo AND I have two hand-drawn prints from her that I absolutely love. Alix Walsh creates the neatest and coolest wood burning art works, check out her instagram highlight. Sheilasarti‘s work is so elegant and her main subjects are women, in their most beautiful forms! Samyule Walker paints the most intricate pieces, I own two prints of his work. Maggie Martin creates cool and out-of-this-world art drawings and pieces, I own a skeleton print of hers as well as a floral shirt she drew. And finally, Hemleva makes the cutest keychains and pins for plant lovers!!! YOU NEED to check her instagram out too!!

        2019 Small Business Gift Guide, Mickey Hargitay Plants, image by Fatima Elreda Photo

        Local LA Small Businesses

        I LOVE HOUSE PLANTS! And my favorite place to get them is a location in Los Angeles called Mickey Hargitay Plants. Where the kindest staff exist, it’s easy to get lost for hours, where they have the best plant advice, where they pot your plants without an extra charge, an incredible selection of everythingggg you can imagine, and so many cute pot options!!

        I was recommended this cute woman-owned cake and pastry shop that I have yet to try, but you should!! It’s called Sweet Red Peach and yelp tells me it’s as good as my friend says it is!

        If you love Pizza and/or wings, you will love Big Al’s Pizzeria!! It’s a small shop in Maywood and it is Lebanese-owned *woot woot* !! They have some ridiculous yelp reviews and honestly deserve every star they’ve gotten. Go try it out!!

        I hope you enjoyed my list of my favorite small shops!!! They are located all over the United States, from San Diego, CA to Sacramento, to North Carolina, and Georgia!!

        I tried to write out a variety of different forms of gifts that I think of when I want to buy something for myself, or for a loved one. From jewelry, skincare, mugs, clothing, ceramics, home goods, paintings, drawings, wall art, plant lover’s gifts, and food shops!

         

        (click right above the “Submit” button and you can write there)!

        @FATIMAELREDAPHOTO

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