Richmond Holiday Gift Guide

Here we are, the time of year when I overthink my gift giving. I mean how many socks, ties, and guitar parts can I get for one person! If you are anything like me, the gift giving involves creative thought, fun ideas, and the support of local vendors. We are fortunate that we have so many talented artists in the area and stellar shopping options. I decided to be a good little elf this year and provide you with some ideas of my own!

World of Mirth Blind Boxes

Local toy shop, World of Mirth never disappoints in the gift giving area and these cool mystery boxes are sure to be a hit.

Make a Gift, Give a Gift with Clayground

Whether you are the creative gift giver or giving to a creative recipient, Clayground has unique and affordable workshops for all!

The Gift of History and Art

A membership to any of our fine museums is a great gift with many perks!

• The Valentine

• Black History Museum

• VMFA (duh)

• Virginia Museum of History & Culture

• Branch Museum (really cool exhibits)

• Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens (they have good shows there!)

Give not thy love in words alone, but in wrapped delights.

We have some very talented thespians out there and what better gift to give than that of the theater. This isn’t your high school teacher’s Shakespeare.

All That Shines

I love getting jewelry for Christmas. Doesn’t have to be fancy, but does have to have some character. Check out these loves local to RVA.

• MuseGlass: Hayley Douglass is a true artist and makes the most divine pieces

• Sarah Tector: LOVE her creations

• Sun & Selene: The jeweleresses create the most stunning pieces

• Almas RVA: She carries some of the best local artisans in town!

Art from Local Artists

Frame one of these statement pieces and call it a holi..day.

• Ryan Meyers: Fun RVAcentric pieces

• Jamie Betts: Phenomenal local photographer

• Todd Hale: Cool and interesting pieces

• RVA Coffee Stain: I love this local artist! Also RVAcentric

• Check out the artists at Eric Schindler Gallery…so many great locals to invest in!

Cooking with Chef Tammy

Chef Tammy Brawley of The Green Kitchen teaches a variety of classes and is a gift that keeps giving, especially when you are invited to the table.

A Very Knife Gift

Join or Die Knives are some seriously pretty knives and make for a cool gift for any kitchen or utility use, they have other wares as well.

Other Suggestions

• Richmond Triangle Players Gift Certificate (fun shows and a good time!)

• Blanchard’s Coffee Gift Sets

• Rostov’s Tea Sets

• Make them a vinyl box set using records from Deep Groove or a local record shop.

• Gift Certificate to one of our incredibly talented tattoo artists

• Chef’s Table at Shoreline Seafood Market

• Buy Gift Certificates to our local performing arts:

  • Richmond Ballet

  • Virginia Opera

  • Richmond Symphony

  • RPAA Residents: any of these organizations would appreciate any support and most offer membership or gift certificate options.

• Check out any of the holiday markets and pop ups around the city for unique and handcrafted gifts!

  • December 7th: Broad Street Holiday Market

  • Dec. 22-Dec. 21: Holiday Makers Market with RVA Black Farmers Market

  • Nov. 28-Dec. 28: Made in RVA Holiday Shop

  • Nov. 29-Dec. 23: Bizarre Market

  • Saturdays-Wednesdays in November, Saturdays-Thursdays in December, through Saturday, Dec. 27: Holiday Bazaar Shop at Floris (VMFA)

  • Check out RIC Today for more

Have a merry holiday and hope you find the perfect gift for them!

Welcome to a New Dawn

No, this isn’t a Twilight reference, but rather one of hope and embarking on a new beginning. Will you join me?

We are finally at the end of this, excuse my French, #@&%$# of a year. Some people might think, ooo the clock just went past midnight, cue triumphant music. Sorry to say, but we aren’t out of this mess yet. What we are in is a new transition into something different. We have learned new things about how we live and probably who we are. I for one learned many a thing during this time. From what a slob I can be to improving communication to getting pretty creative with my meals. So, if anything, this time has provided growth and growth leads to progress leads to a better way of living, etc etc etc.

So what the hell does this have to do with buying and selling houses you ask? Forecasting a new year is difficult. Forecasting a new year during a pandemic, well it’s cloudy if anything. Home sales for 2020 will top the previous year with an 8.1% increase in median home sales.* It is predicted that the market will continue to be strong in 2021, and inventory will continue to be scarce, just as mortgage rates maintain their historic lows.

It’s a mixed bag of sorts, but one thing is for sure, needing a home is definitely in demand. Demographics are changing as some are extending families and finding new occupational paths, others are wanting different floor plans, and home improvement has seen a significant increase. Contractors can’t build houses fast enough to compensate for the lack of housing, and with increases in costs of production materials and lack of labor, there has been some constraints on new construction. As I said before, I think it’s a perfect time to be putting together that hopescape and making it happen.

To summarize, once the pandemic is over we can breathe again, literally, and open ourselves up to new possibilities. I don’t do resolutions when a new year arrives. It puts too much pressure and high expectations. The older we get, the more change becomes difficult, but what I like to do is take all the assets of the year before and apply them to improving the next year. Here are a few things I do plan on doing during 2021.

• More virtual tours. I’m planning on showing you all houses on my own, in different neighborhoods, so you can stay safe. I will be available for physical and private tours adhering to all the precautions, but I thought it might be fun to explore and show you all houses on my own accord. I’ll showcase two or three a week.

• Neighborhood Profiles. I’m finally getting this together for the website. Every month I’ll spotlight a different neighborhood in RVA and it will talk about the area from what’s near to architecture to history. I’ll be including photos and videos and interviews of actual neighbors from those areas.

• Putting the Sweet in Home. Stay tuned as I reach out to local businesses that incorporate all things home, including decorators, designers, builders, and landscapers.

• Lend An Ear Happy Hour: I’m planning on having a bi-weekly Q&A with a lender and myself to answer any questions you might have about buying a home and what lending options you might have.

I think I can handle this task list. I do want to continue to support local businesses and urge you to do so as well. I plan on doing what I can for my communities and neighborhood. It’s a good time to plan out some neighborhood clean ups, offer tutoring services, look after pets, and donate meals to healthcare providers and elderly neighbors. It’s a good time to work on your health regiment (a la Rebel Wilson), take more bubble baths, read more books, watch some documentaries, listen to more podcasts, play with your kids, play with your partners, have a road trip, plan for the future because you may never have this contemplation time again, well let’s hope we don’t have something like this jar our world again. This is temporary folks, the chaos will end and will be replaced by bigger and brighter things. So embrace the new year, burn the last one, and let’s move forward to better ways of living.

My New Home

I never thought I’d ever be selling houses. Time and time again people would approach me declaring I’d make a great agent. Four years later, here I am. I’ve taken the bundle of skills I have and now my journey is progressing into a career that I love and am excited about.

I’m happy to announce my new home at Nestiny Realty. I feel great things will come from this union and I hope it will make me a greater agent, one with more knowledge and one which will lead me to finding lifelong clients who will become friends. The best part of this business is building relationships with people and helping them on their endeavor to home ownership. There’s nothing more satisfying than handing someone those keys to a home which will serve many new memories to come and a community they will benefit from.

Home means so many things for me and having found Nestiny as my new real estate home is just as meaningful as the one I live in. I look forward to an enriching culture here and a new road to take my clients on. Let’s begin our adventures together and let’s find you a new beginning!