I'm Nicole. I am a wife, mother, shop owner on Mackinac Island, and lover of handmade. The little things and little moments inspire me. Follow me on my blog as I write about shop news, my travels, island life and motherhood.
Nicole
xo.
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little luxuries
In 2015, I opened The Artists Market of Mackinac Island, which is truly an incredible place.
When I was buying goodies for Little Luxuries, I kept on seeing more handcrafted and unique goods that I knew needed a special place. I wanted a place where artists from all over the country would be showcased right here on Mackinac Island. Which is why in 2015, I opened The Artists Market on Mackinac Island, which is truly an incredibly special place.
The Artists Market of Mackinac Island is home to over 100 artists each season and every season we bring in more! Some artists have retired from their careers and end up finding a creative hobby. Others have put their creative minds to use, supporting themselves through college with this hobby. One of our youngest entrepreneurs is the artists behind Ava’s Candles. Ava is just in middle school, but her and her mom create these beautiful candles with Petoskey stones shaped around the wick. Our artists are from all over the United States, with a lot coming from right here in Michigan!
One of my favorite parts of The Artists Market of Mackinac Island is introducing YOU to small businesses from the heart of the United States. Each time you shop at The Artists Market, you are truly supporting a small, local shop that helps to support over 100 other small artisans, families and students.
If you’re looking for a truly unique gift that you won’t be able to find elsewhere, go visit The Artists Market of Mackinac. This little shop has a special place in my heart and brings a smile to my face every time I see an order go through because I know we’re helping other family’s stay in business.
Xo,
Nicole
June & December Notepad: The perfect notepad for the paper lover on your list! Made in Michigan, this notepad will inspire you with its pretty florals all year long.
Lollia Hand Creme: Delightfully paired, these signature Lollia favorites will be your skin saving go-to when you're on-the-go. Formulated with rich Shea Butter, Aloe & Macadamia Nut Oils to leave skin supremely soft.
Weekend Money: Once a memento of old-school amusement parks and Summer camps, these vintage-inspired rubber coin pouches adorned with the latest Three Potato Four designs are our new favorite accessory!
Lavender Sachet: Lavender sachets are great to give or tuck anywhere for a fresh scent for years!
Swig: Triple insulation technology allows our top-selling stemless wine cups to keep drinks cold up to 9 hours and hot up to 3 hours. Their unbreakable construction makes them perfect for enjoying chilled wine or cocktails by the pool, hot tea in the morning or even ice cream sundaes before bed (Swig calories don't count! 😉)
Quotable Mug: Give the gift of this Quotable mug to the person in your life who loves al the cute sayings.
Handsanitizer Wipes: Disinfect anytime, anywhere. Made with alcohol-free Benzalkonium Chloride, which means gentle on your skin. Safe and effective alternative to alcohol-based products for skin and surfaces.
Nablus Soap: Rich and herbal, Nablus sage olive oil soap is a sage experience that will delight your dermis. Made with 100% certified organic virgin olive oil
With the holiday countdown on, this week I wanted to share a few of my favorite places that I have been doing my Christmas shopping with this season.
While I love shopping small and supporting local business, sometime as a busy mom and business owner, it can be hard to get out of the house and shop in person. This year, I have mixed my small business shopping with some online shopping. My go-to online shops this Christmas season are Amazon, Target and Land’s End.
I love to talk about my favorite small businesses that I support in the state of Michigan, but I also have a few that I like to support that are across the United States. Some of my favorite small businesses that I have been supporting this season are:
- Grandpa Shorters & JW Shorters These local Petoskey shops have many personalized Michigan items and unique gift ideas. They also offer beautiful pieces of jewelry that feature Petoskey Stones.
- North Goods in Downtown Petoskey offers locally made artisan goods. I find inspiration in this store and so many creative gifts. As you know I love handmade, North Goods is my go-to handmade shop to visit.
- Freckled Hen Farmhouse: I love to shop Freckled Hen Farmhouse’s online shop! I have yet to make the trip down there, but I love to follow them on social media and see what beautifully curated gifts and products that they carry! Recently, I bought an adorable A-frame wooden ornament for our tree. It's so cute!
- Magnolia: I had the opportunity to go to Waco and visit Magnolia and absolutely loved it. I can’t wait to go back again! This year, I am loving their metal holiday signs that are in their shop!
- Vogue Salon offers Aveda products that I really enjoy and like to give as presents. Or I treat myself during the cold, harsh weather in Northern Michigan! The travel size hair products make great little gifts and I'm a fan of Aveda's make up line.
- Kilwin’s in Petoskey has the cutest Christmas decorations! Not only that, they also have wonderful baskets full of treats, or smaller pieces of sweets if you need some filler for your holiday stockings! If I am in need of a small chocolate gift, Kilwin's is my go-to.
Check out all of theses shops to see all the unique products that they carry! In addition to these stores, I wanted to share with you some great deals and gifts I have ordered online recently.
Over the Black Friday / Cyber Monday weekend, Target had Melissa & Doug toys for Buy One, Get One 50% OFF! John just turned ONE recently (read about his birthday party here!) and absolutely loves the wooden toy collections from Melissa and Doug. I can’t wait to see him open the toys we got for him this year.
Another line that I love at Target is the Hearth & Home line from Magnolia! If you follow me on Instagram you know that my personal style aligns very closely with that brand. So I loved scrolling online to see what their holiday decor looks like.
Land’s End is a classic. I tend to forget to shop here. They were running an amazing sale over the Thanksgiving weekend and I was able to purchase awesome bean bag chairs for the boys - and they are embroidered with their names on them! I love the quality and customer service of Land’s End. Their items last for years and they are always so attentive to help if there is an issue. I also was able to find the perfect personalized gift for Andrew (but shh! Don’t tell him!)
While Marshall’s has an online shop, I usually just run in there to find the perfect hostess gift (when I’m not on the island and can't pick something up from Little Luxuries). This holiday season, I have found so many beautiful hostess gifts and some wonderful pieces of holiday decor. Marshall's can be dangerous for me as I go in looking for one item and walk out with much more!
I hope that you find some great holiday gifts!
xoxo,
Nicole
