Gifts

With the same appeal as the hugely popular PhotoStamps—those U.S. Postal Service–authorized stamps that you can customize with your own pics—Blurb is due to be the next big trend in personalization: It allows you to make a linen-bound, professional-quality book for next to nothing. Upload the free software, import your images, play with layouts, and create a bespoke volume; the end result is ready in about a week and looks as sleek as anything you'd pull off a Barnes & Noble shelf. Prices start at just $12.95—and there's no minimum per order.
blurb.com

Run by two siblings—who only refer to themselves as "little" and "big"—this winning gift-goods spot was inspired by their mother, who had a rare talent for picking out perfect presents. Spoon Sisters makes it easy to do the same: Its highly imaginative wares surprise and delight, whether it's a shoe-shaped door stopper, a cup with a nose printed on the side (when you take a sip, it appears as if you've acquired a new proboscis), or a maze-like pan that bakes brownies into a squiggly shape to create a maximum of tasty crispy edges.
spoonsisters.com

Last year we wrote about how the highly regarded interiors blog Design Sponge had spawned an online boutique—the first blog we'd seen do so—and we've since watched more venture into retail. One of the most successful is much-loved craft blog Poppytalk's new e-commerce spin-off, which culls an extraordinary spectrum of wares from homespun talents across the country, like scrap-paper mobiles by Oregon's Frazier & Wing and bird-motif pewter measuring spoons by Massachusetts' Beehive Kitchenware.
poppytalkhandmade.com

The past five years have seen a boom in hip stationery, from whimsical wedding invitations to subversive greeting cards-—but there's a fine line between amusing and contrived. Luxe only carries paper goods that have both personality and broad appeal, including retro Sidepony cards scripted with witty messages, Carrot & Stick leopard-print letterpress notebooks, argyle-pattern boxed note sets, and vibrant Snow & Graham anemone-print wrapping paper.
luxepaperie.com

The site for the long-loved New York City apothecary features products from its own signature line (try the lip products), along with a mix of items that are strictly practical (Badger balm) and ones that are luxurious (Diptyque candles).

Products: beauty, boutique, gifts

Bigelow Chemists