We are excited to share our guide for the holiday season and some tips for how you can feel empowered to make more mindful gifting choices, not only for this season but all year long! When it comes to the holidays, sustainability can sometimes feel like a complicated extra step, but it doesn't have to be. Read on to view our guide and some special *behind the scenes* moments from the shoot!
Cupola House Collective, image via Door County Pulse
For the KEEPER holiday guide we were thrilled to work with Door County's own Claire Kat Erickson (@clairethecowboy) and Laura Quackenboss (@xomestudio). We love working with Laura and Claire because like us, for them, the experience of the process is as important as the final product.
Claire Kat Erickson, photo by Laura Quackenboss
The day truly felt like a dream. Laura's studio is upstairs at Cupola Collective in a beautiful window lined room with white walls and original scalloped shelving. Prisms hang from the windows reflecting colors and patterns as the light pours in. We listened to Bing Crosby, drank pistachio milk lattes from Cupola Cafe (@cuploacafe) and talked about how good it felt to be creative again.
Pistachio Milk Matcha from Cupola Cafe, Claire Kat Erickson In Laura's Studio, photos via xomestudio
When the season ends here, it's as if the community takes a long concerted DEEP BREATH. The leaves start to change and it slows down, not really gradually, but all at once. The seasonality of this area and KEEPER was part of the reason I wanted to open the shop. To me, this constant rushing and selling (coming from a corporate environment this couldn't be more true) and working was ultimately unsustainable. It left me feeling wanting and spent, all at the same time. When I dreamed of KEEPER I dreamt of a different kind of business, a business that didn't play by the same rules of modern-day consumerism. A business that wasn't constantly selling but instead, hopefully inspiring. Yes, KEEPER is a retail business, but my hope is that it becomes much more than that. I couldn't think of a better place to open KEEPER than in my home state of Wisconsin, and working with kindred spirits and creatives like Laura and Claire makes the possibility of that dream feel all the more real.
Laura, Claire + Claire ❤️
So in the spirit of gratefulness and creativity and the feelings that this season evokes we bring you The KEEPER Holiday Gift Guide. This guide will hopefully serve as a path to delight your senses but also inspire sustainability for those you plan to give to this holiday season.
click here to view our self-care guide
Self Care: The term self-care can mean a lot of things to a lot of people. At KEEPER we feel it encompasses both a desire for comfort, as well as calm and introspection. Giving the gift of a guided journal or face mask inspires us to take a moment away from the stresses of everyday so we can ultimately be present for the things that matter most.
click here to view our Stay In gift guide
Stay In: I don't know about you, but at KEEPER we're true homebodies. When we think about winter, we get excited because it means we can stay home guilt free, take time to read, make a cup of tea and muse over a puzzle or craft by the fire.
click here to view our sustainable gifting guide
Sustainable Home: When it comes sustainability, a gift for the home is a great place to start. For many, a solid bar of dish soap or a plastic free scrubber is something they never really considered before. A thoughtful gift like swedish dish cloths can lead to a more sustainable home and more sustainable purchases in the future --what's better than this kind of open ended giving?
Lastly our Holiday Collection is full of recycled and hand-crafted goods to decorate and enjoy the season. We've even curated an assortment of Holiday Cards you can now shop online!
At KEEPER our hope is this guide brings you delight and inspires you to think about how sustainability factors into the season of giving. Would you like more tips to a sustainable gifting? Follow us on Instagram as we'll be sharing our favorite ways to give that don't include buying anything at all!!
Wishing you an inspired and peaceful Holiday and New Year,
Claire