Holiday shopping at TFT
I have been through it the last month or so, you guys. Truly. This post is a bit delayed, but we are here and we are ready for holiday shopping!
I even planned a holiday logo and have stickers, coordinating ribbon and tissue ready to go!
Every year or so since opening, I regroup and update the shop inventory based on what sells, what inspires me most, and a few other considerations. Funny, when I first opened the shop, I had very little, if any, inventory. The thought was to special order items, and ship directly from vendor to customer. But over the years, it has completely flipped. I learned that when selling one-of-a-kind pieces, a full inventory is necessary. (With the exception of aptware - still super elusive and my biggest and best selling item - which is still special ordered and almost never in stock.)
So to kick off the holiday shopping season, I wanted to share what’s in stock and ready to ship! These are the things that have continued to inspire me, have stood the test of time, and have sold well. Featured items include: French pottery, Czech Christmas trees, Trace Mayer museum bees, Julia Forte paperweights, Lucy Cope matchstrikers, and Lucie de Moyencourt ceramic shells. I’ll also share cricket cages and Italian finials, and had to include the ever popular acrylic trays from Reprotique, which have been in the shop since day one.
As many of you know, the first and foremost reason for opening this shop was to provide French pottery to obsessed customers like me. I have tweaked and expanded my selection of vendors through the years, and am thrilled to offer a wonderful selection of French pottery from Apt, Nîmes, and Paris.
So many platters!
A wonderful collection…
Plates and Bowls
What a fun addition the trees were to the shop. Never would I have believed how popular they would be when I first came upon a small collection of vintage rhinestone Czech trees a few years ago. I assumed it would be a one-and-done feature, but since then, I have befriended several vendors from the Czech Republic, and have a steady supply each year. It’s harder for me to travel in November and December thanks to the popularity of these little treasures as I am busy shipping through the holidays, selling out every single year.
Museum bees have been good to me. Trace was so kind to allow me to sell his infamous bees, and I have immensely enjoyed selling thousands of them over the last few years. The exposure to this community has served me well, and I love being a part of the hype.
CZECH CHRISTMAS TREE MUSEUM BEES
Which brings me to the Czech tree museum bees! I came across these tiny versions of the Czech trees - usually in the form of a brooch or pin - and each year I send a batch to Trace who transforms them into museum bees for my customers. They are a hit! A darling holiday hostess gift, a Christmas gift, a stocking stuffer, an ornament for the tree, or even a decoration for the holiday table tied around a napkin.
I came across these gorgeous little globes and fell in love with the colors. Julia also makes these Coronelli Blue celestial spheres and I am happy to order one for you. Aren’t they lovely?
The spheres are cast in solid, heavy jesmonite plaster and then dipped into specialist paper marbling inks, creating a continuous pattern around the globe. Next, they are highly polished and make a lovely paperweight or decorative object. I adore them in a small collection of colors.
I put some in a French pot on a shelf and just love how they look…
I believe a crystal matchstriker is the prettiest thing you can add to your home.
So inspired and excited about these handmade ceramic shells from South Africa! Just look at these gorgeous collections! They come ready to hang with a handmade (and beautiful) wire hook fitted perfectly to each shell.
Here’s the collection I did in Naples. I just love it. I didn’t really plan, I just bought as many pretty shells as I could, sold about half of them, and then shipped the rest to Florida. It’s easier than you think. They are so fun to play with and I highly recommend starting a collection asap!
Here are a couple blogposts with more info about Lucie’s shells: here and here!
And here are a few options currently in the shop!
Last, but not least, I wanted to remind you all that I have some gorgeous ITALIAN FINIALS available. The colors are absolutely yummy!
I have quite a few CRICKET CAGES in stock, and if you are new to the blog, you can read more about those HERE. (I have even more than what is currently on the website, so please reach out if you are looking for a collection and I’m happy to send photos.
I love them for votives or flowers or all by themselves!
And the ever-popular ACRYLIC TRAYS which made an appearance at Hillary’s wedding last summer! They are great for so many things!
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season ahead of you! If you’d like to do some shopping, feel free to visit THE FRENCH TANGERINE where you can find all of the items above, plus a bit more.
I will be cooking for Thanksgiving this year, and plan to put up some decorations in early December. We will spend most of the next couple months in Omaha, and then I’ll look forward to warmer weather in Florida after the new year begins.