Couture Crunch
If granola wasn’t in your holiday gameplan, it is now. Hudson Henry is what other granolas want to be when they grow up. Baked in tiny Palmyra, Virginia, this divine mixture even made Southern Living swoon. Pick some up at Westside Produce and Provision in Norfolk. $11.85, WestsideProduceandProvisions.com
Sweet Heat
AR’s Hot Southern Honey, straight outta RVA,
has flavor fiends around the country hot and bothered. Drizzle it on cheese. Add some sweet heat to fried chicken. Schmear some on a biscuit. You can’t go wrong. Grab a couple bottles at the Cheese Shop in Williamsburg. $10.50, CheeseShopWilliamsburg.com
Cake POWer
With all due respect to a certain legendary local pound cake, “accidental baker” Jen Anglin, who opened POWnd Cakes by Jen in Norfolk in 2019, has hit a hole in one with her melt-n-your-mouth “cakes so good…they’ll knock your socks off.” Get in the holiday spirit with a cranberry pecan or caramel apple cake. $6-$35, POWndCakesbyJen.com
Ready to Rock
Virginia-made Red Rocker Candy comes in a variety of highly addictive mixes. But their OG with candied pretzels, oat cereal, graham cereal and roasted almonds coated in a silky white confection is everything you need to snack on while you’re watching Elf for 100th time. Grab a tin or two at TASTE. $7.99, TASTEVA.com
Sparkling in Pink
Is it even the holidays if you don’t add some sparkle? We asked the folks at the charming Kelsick Market in Gloucester for a recommendation on the perfect sparkling rosé to pop open at your next party. The winner: South Africa’s Lubanzi Rosé Bubbles, “a one man band of fresh strawberry and cherry notes.” $17, KelsickMarket.com
Statement Pieces
If you’ve not visited Robin Boutique-Boutique in Virginia Beach, featuring handmade accessories and wearables for women, add it to your holiday to-dos. While you’re there, don’t miss their line of glass necklaces crafted by Parisian designer Samuel Coraux, including this unique piece for the bold fashionista on your list. $175. RelovedFabrics.com
Flights of Fancy
No two exactly alike, these fused glass monarch vases are crafted by Richmond-based artist Jenny Thomas and a hot seller at Stravitz Art Gallery, owned by award-winning sculptor Richard Stravitz, at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Get one for the art or nature lover in your life before it flies away. $450, StravitzArtGallery.com
Personalized Perfume
Eastern Shore-based CustomParfums handcrafts one-of-a-kind fragrances for clients using precious oils and luxurious materials that personify their owners. Trained perfumer Lisa Gomez also creates a limited number of unique scents for retailers such as Local-ISH Art Gallery and Asbury Collective in Cape Charles. $350-$450, CustomParfums.com
Crazy for Color
These “flower bomb” earrings add “little pops of color to brighten any day,” are handmade by Dior Sullivan Designs and available in a rainbow of hues at Sha’mar boutique in downtown Hampton. But we’re loving the happy green and totally tangerine pairs for the holidays. $40, ShopShamar.com
Show and Shell
A collector’s item with a storied history, the oyster plate tradition continues with these made by Abigails, the perfect way to showcase those beautiful bivalves fresh out of our seasonal local waters with a side of mignonette. Yes, please! Pick one up at Little England Mercantile in Gloucester or Virginia Beach. $55, LittleEnglandFarm.com
Leona Baker
Leona Baker is the former Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Virginia Magazine. She is a writer, creative, communications professional, food freak, news junkie, nature and travel lover and mom. She holds a degree in English from James Madison University and a degree in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She previously served as Senior Copywriter for Spark 451, Director of Marketing & Communications at Virginia Wesleyan University, and Senior Editor of Port Folio Weekly.
