Title: A Small Business Gift Guide This Holiday Season

[MUSIC - Luscious Jackson Band: Citysong]

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It. I'm Alison Stewart live from the WNYC studios in SoHo. Thank you for spending part of your day with us. I'm really grateful you are here. On today's show, we'll speak with rapper and producer Lyrics Born, whose latest and possibly final album is titled Goodbye, Sticky Rice. He joins us for a listening party. We'll also talk about the 25 most influential cookbooks with Kurt Soller. He's the editor at large of T, the New York Times Style magazine. Glory Edim is here to talk about her new memoir. It's titled Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me. That's the plan, so let's get this started with shopping locally.

[MUSIC - Luscious Jackson Band: City Song]

Alison Stewart: Cyber Monday. Who said Cyber Monday? Now that Christmas and Hanukkah are just three weeks away, we are suggesting that you forego your desire to hit click on the websites of some big-name stores and do a little local shopping, or if you can't get out, maybe you can buy online from a local vendor and get it in the mail. Joining us now with a few suggestions is Caroline Weaver. She is the founder of The Locavore Guide. It's a book and website dedicated to local stores and how we can use "our regular errands as a reason to get out and engage with your surroundings and visit neighborhoods you've yet to explore." Caroline, welcome to the studio.

Caroline Weaver: I'm thrilled to be here.

Alison Stewart: Listeners, where did you shop this weekend? Are you a shop owner? You can give us the elevator pitch for your store. Honestly, did you buy something for yourself this weekend? We want to hear about all of it. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. You can call in or you can text to us at that number, 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. Where did you shop locally this weekend? That line I took from your website of thelocavore.com. When you started the Locavore, when did you start it? How did you hope people would use it?

Caroline Weaver: I started it because it just-- with the way that sponsored ads work on Google, it's getting harder and harder to find, actually, local shops. You end up on the eighth page of Google or you're used to people on TikTok shouting recommendations at you. I just wanted to create a resource that was unbiased, that was an easy way for New Yorkers to find actually local shops.

Alison Stewart: Such a great website by the way. All right, let's dive into your list. We're going to go start in the Bronx. I don't know if this is Cerini or Cerini. It's Coffee & Gifts. How do you pronounce it?

Caroline Weaver: I took beginners Italian. I believe it's pronounced Cerini.

Alison Stewart: Cerini. All right, Cerini Coffee & Gifts. What is Cerini? What kind of atmosphere is it like inside?

Caroline Weaver: Oh, it is a really fun shop on Arthur Avenue, and they specialize in coffee things. You can go there to get a really beautiful moka pot, you can get roasted coffee beans, you can get a variety of really hard-to-find imported Italian grocery items and gifts. They have beautiful porcelain. What I go there for is Pocket Coffee, which is--

Alison Stewart: Pocket Coffee.

Caroline Weaver: Pocket Coffee is a Ferrero product that is an Italian-Italian product. It's difficult to get here and it is-- they come in little boxes. It's a great host gift. They are little chocolates that have a third of a shot of espresso in them.

Alison Stewart: Woo, like that already. [laughs]

Caroline Weaver: They're so much fun to pass around after dinner, and this is one of the only places in the city that sells them.

Alison Stewart: It's interesting. A Yelp reviewer usually Yelp is like, "I'm mad at, but it was five stars across." It said when you're looking for an espresso machine, quality Italian coffee, authentic imported specialty products, or just an immersion experience, Cerini is worth a visit. What kind of gift can I get for someone who's just really into coffee?

Caroline Weaver: Well, you could go there and get a little set of espresso cups. You could get a specific type of bean. You could get little spoons. Something that they sell there that I like to buy, they have these little-- you see them in Italian grocery stores in Italy, but these little kits that have a tiny, tiny nutmeg grater and a nutmeg.

Alison Stewart: Ooh, that sounds really good. I bet they also have good instant coffee. I know people don't call it instant coffee, but it really has come far when you think about it.

Caroline Weaver: Oh yes, it really has. Instant coffee is not the same as it used to be.

Alison Stewart: All right. That's Cerini Coffee at 2334 Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. All right, we're going to head to Astoria. Newtown HQ, you said it's good for pop culture gifts, especially great for teens. What would I find here that's on the budget? You have a budget, you have to stick to it. What's something I could find here that, "Mm, I don't have a budget. I could just spend as much as I want."

Caroline Weaver: Newtown HQ is so much fun. It is full of games and toys and stickers and stationery by local artists. Cindy who owns it is Mexican, so she makes a point of selling the goods of other Mexican artists. The thing that a lot of people go here for though are blind boxes.

Alison Stewart: I heard this. What is a blind box?

Caroline Weaver: A blind box is-- I believe it's originally a Japanese thing. Sonny Angel is the most popular one, but they are toys that are themed and they come in little boxes and it's a surprise which one you're going to get. You choose the type and the series, and then you open it up and it's a surprise. They're usually around $10. It's, for younger people especially, just a really silly and fun and easy gift.

Alison Stewart: Oh, that's great for $10. What if I have a little bit more to spend? What do you think?

Caroline Weaver: Oh, well, you know what? I don't even know what she sells at her highest end. There are some really cool artists-made home goods there. You can hit a lot of age groups as well. Great stickers as well.

Alison Stewart: We got some text that says, "Hello. I am a New York-based clothing designer, made and designed in New York City. We also sell local soap makers. It's called Nomia, N-O-M-I-A. It's at 650 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn." Thanks for making the call. Shopping local tips. Look for schools, hosting makers markets. P.S. 122, Mamie Fay Elementary School in Astoria, Queens, has one this Sunday. Let's take a couple of calls. Maria is calling in from Englewood, New Jersey. Hi, Maria.

Maria: Hey. Good afternoon. How are you today?

Alison Stewart: We're doing well. What are you going to recommend?

Maria: Arielle's Gallery is on 20 North Dean Street in Englewood, New Jersey. They've been there for over 20 years serving the community. He has handcrafted silver jewelry, very moderately priced jewelry as well, hand-blown glass vases. We have one that's over 4 feet tall. He does custom framing, so if you want to create a memory, he can frame anything. We did a doorknob of a woman brought back from her house in Ireland, and she reframed the doorknob. We could frame anything. It's so fun there.

Alison Stewart: That's Arielle's Gallery in Inglewood, right?

Maria: Yes, 20 North Dean Street. You want the phone number?

Alison Stewart: No. People can find it.

Maria: Okay, thank you very much. Have a fantastic holiday season, everyone. Bye-bye.

Alison Stewart: All right. Bye. Let's talk to Catherine from Brooklyn. Hi, Catherine.

Catherine: Hi, Allison. How are you?

Alison Stewart: I'm doing okay.

Catherine: I'm calling to tell you about A.MANO, Brooklyn. It's a gift and home decor shop. We carry a lot of work by local artists. I'm right next to Brooklyn Clay Ceramic Studio, and so I get a lot of artists whose work I sell in there. We have lots of candles, cards, gifts. We have a little cafe where we sell Irving Farm Coffee and Balthazar Bakery pastries and Colson pastries.

Alison Stewart: Great. Thanks for the shout-out. Let's talk to David, who is calling from Manhattan. Hi, David. Thanks for calling All Of It.

David: Hey there. I just want to say I just got done listening to Brian. You and Brian have to be two of the world's greatest treasures. I love the show. I own a wine spirit store in West Chelsea on at 140 10th Avenue between 18th and 19th. We opened about a year ago. We have lots of different kinds of champagnes, wines, spirits, imported glassware from Italy, both handmade for cocktails, and wine glasses. We have wine books, we have subscriptions, we have classes. Lots of gifting options at our store.

Alison Stewart: Love it. Thank you. What's it called, by the way?

David: The name? Thanks. It's Community Wine and Spirits. You can find us at 10th Avenue between 18th and 19th or on the web at communitywinespirits.com.

Alison Stewart: Love that. Thank you so much.

Caroline Weaver: Can I interrupt for a second?

Alison Stewart: Oh yes.

Caroline Weaver: That's a fabulous store. Also, can I confess something? I intended to include it in this edition of my guidebook and I forgot. I promise you--

David: I love your website though.

Caroline Weaver: Thank you. I promise you your store will be in the 2026 edition. It is high on my list.

David: Oh, that's awesome. Excellent. Thank you so much. I appreciate you.

Alison Stewart: Thanks, David. We really appreciate it. Everybody, our colleague, Brian Lehrer, invites listeners to call in and share their small businesses. We add them to our map as a searchable database. You can find it at wnyc.org/shoplistener. You can add your small business there as well. Brian's going to be talking about this on his show tomorrow, so be sure to tune in. We'll make sure he gets some of these suggestions that people are sending our way.

My guest is Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore Guide. We're talking about local shops, a way to keep your dollars inside New York City. Where did you shop this weekend? Maybe you're a shop owner. Give us the elevator pitch for your store. Honestly, we want to know, what did you buy yourself over the weekend? Give us a call. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. We're going to get back to your list. We're going to go to Greenpoint, Brooklyn Craft Company at 165 Greenpoint, a very modern craft supply shop. When you say modern craft supply, what do you mean?

Caroline Weaver: This isn't the type of craft supply store that we probably all visited with our grandmothers. There are no doilies. There are no little-- I don't know-

Alison Stewart: Cutesy stuff.

Caroline Weaver: -cutesy stuff that nobody actually wants. It's a really cool craft shop. I feel like most people know somebody who's really crafty. It's the kind of place to go if you want a gift for a crafty person but you yourself are not a crafter. You can go there, you can buy a really cool kit. You could purchase a class for them to go to. They host a lot of classes. You could find a really wonderful little pair of embroidery scissors. There are all sorts of things there for people who craft and people who don't.

Alison Stewart: I thought it was interesting that they show you a class on how to make a tote bag. We here at Public Radio appreciate the tote bag. What's the vibe inside?

Caroline Weaver: It's a very bright and colorful shop, and it's very welcoming. The people who work there are so knowledgeable. It's the opposite of going to Michael's or Hobby Lobby with your mother.

Alison Stewart: All right, that is Brooklyn Craft Company in Greenpoint. Here we're going to look at Twenty Sided Store in Williamsburg, 280 Grand Street. It's a store that sells games. What kind of games?

Caroline Weaver: They sell tabletop games. They sell board games, but they especially sell card games. You can go there to buy really cool dice for Dungeons and Dragons, which people are always into. You can buy all of the packs of Magic: The Gathering cards, but you can also get card games for kids. You can get after-dinner card games. You can get icebreaker card sets. They have a lot of cards by Indie game makers. It's not just the big brands. They have hundreds and hundreds of types of cards. You can get tarot cards. It's a one-stop shop for cards.

Alison Stewart: One of them games cracked me up. It says, "Monikers is a dumb party game that respects your intelligence."

Caroline Weaver: That sounds fun. I would play that.

Alison Stewart: [laughs] Exactly. Let's talk to Monica from Brooklyn. Hi, Monica.

Monica: Hi.

Alison Stewart: Hi. Tell us about what's going on.

Monica: Hi. My name is Monica Escobar Allen. I founded The MoMeMans, which is a kids' brand based on my meeting doodles from my full-time job.

Alison Stewart: Your meeting doodles you made into a side hustle is what you're telling me?

Monica: Yes. Then eventually my boss was like, "You should do something with that." I quit and I now freelance to keep the bills paid, but hustle with my little project.

Alison Stewart: We love it. What's the name of it?

Monica: The MoMeMans, M-O-M-E-M-A-N-S.

Alison Stewart: Monica--

Monica: It comes from my name. We sell organic baby onesies and blankets. I've even written some songs that-- I have a couple of albums on Spotify and all the streaming platforms, and I animated some music videos on YouTube.

Alison Stewart: Wow, you sound really busy. We appreciate you sharing it. Thanks so much. Let's talk to Ari, who's calling in from Ridgewood. Hi, Ari.

Ari: Hi. How are you today?

Alison Stewart: Doing well.

Ari: Well, my wife and I run BODYHOO Studios. It's B-O-D-Y-H-O-O. We are circus sideshow performers. We teach from a different point of view. We have pilates machine classes, yoga flows, and aerial hammock classes. We feel like movements of celebration, so diverse people of all kinds are welcome. We have a great community. We have classes, we have workshops, but we offer a party. You can book a party to try aerial hammock with your friends, have some champagne afterwards. We are right off the L stop in Ridgewood, New York.

Alison Stewart: Thank you, Ari. Let's talk to Sylvia from Manhattan. Hi, Sylvia.

Sylvia: I'm on radio.

Alison Stewart: [laughs] On the radio.

Sylvia: Hi.

Alison Stewart: Hi, Sylvia.

Sylvia: Hi. I'm on the phone with my daughter, Jasmine. We have a small family-owned business on Staten Island, and Jasmine is in charge. Jasmine, take it away.

Jasmine Hi.

Alison Stewart: Okay, Jasmine, give me your elevator pitch.

Jasmine: My elevator pitch?

Sylvia: I caught her off guard.

Jasmine: You caught her off guard, mom. For Laurel Beauty, okay. It's your one-stop shop for all your beauty needs.

Alison Stewart: There you go. Thanks. That's on Staten Island, by the way. Rachel from Greenpoint. Hi, Rachel.

Rachel: Hi. My name is Rachel Beider, and I own PRESS Modern Massage, which is a local chain with locations in Union Square, Columbus Circle, Williamsburg, and Greenpoint. It is the best muscle-melting massage you will get in New York City.

Alison Stewart: That's an elevator pitch if I've heard one. Thanks so much for calling, Rachel. My guest is Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore website and the guide. We're talking about ways to keep your money local this holiday season. She's put together this great list for us. All right, let's go to Crown Heights. Oh, boy, this is another one for me, Marche Rue Dix.

Caroline Weaver: That's correct. You nailed it.

Alison Stewart: First of all, tell us about the owners of this shop.

Caroline Weaver: Oh. The owners of this shop are from Senegal. Going to this place is like going on a little mini vacation. It is so fun. You can go there and buy your gifts and also have a delicious lunch. You can get a facial, you can get your nails done. It is truly a one-stop shop. They sell tons of beautiful clothing by independent designers, a lot of home goods clothing, skincare products imported from Senegal. They also make their own line of beauty products with Black beauty in mind, but also for everybody. They have amazing skincare products and their own line of nail polishes. You can find something for everybody there, and you'll be sure that you won't be able to find it anyplace else. It's very special.

Alison Stewart: Mercado Central in Carroll Gardens. Their slug line is, "Our products come from the heart of Spain, not just from a particular region, but from a collective passion for food." What kind of food can we find there?

Caroline Weaver: First of all, they boast that they have the largest selection of tinned fish in New York City, which I believe to be true. They have so many tinned fishes, but they also do amazing gift baskets. If you want to do a gift basket that's more interesting than Harry & David, go to Mercado Central. They'll hook you up with something really, really special with stuff that you actually want to eat, or amazing olive oil. I think that's a really cool host gift. Tie a really beautiful ribbon around a fancy bottle of olive oil, and bring that instead of wine.

Alison Stewart: I was going to say a certain celebrity who puts out a list every year spied their-- I think they're potatoes fritters. We won't say who it is, but in case you don't want to get that because I'm sure they're selling out, what else you can get? Olive oil. What else?

Caroline Weaver: Olive oil you can get. Tin fish you can get. You can get ham. You can get charcuterie things. You can get cheese. You can get all sorts of jarred things.

Alison Stewart: All right, let's get to some text. Yes, it is possible to shop local in midtown Manhattan. A lovely new cheese shop called Spitfire opened recently on the corner of 8th Ave and West 55th. Great selection of delicious cheeses and wonderful advice from knowledgeable proprietors. They also sell delicious sandwiches and coffee drinks in a comfortable, bright, welcoming atmosphere. We also have a Grand Bazaar market, Columbus Avenue in West 77th. Vendors of vintage clothes, specialty products, purses, jewelry. One really great artist called Barlow are there. This says, "I have a friend who insists that eating at McDonald's is shopping local because the franchise owner lives in his town." Is he correct?

Caroline Weaver: I don't know.

Alison Stewart: If someone knows, give us a call. Here's another wine store. Just moved to the Upper East Side. Love my new neighborhood wine store. McCabes, expert staff. Real community place. Love the weekend tastings. 3rd and corner of 77th. Midtown Manhattan is a gem for unique fragrances. Scent Elate, incense from around the world, some as cheap as $8. Essential oils, perfumes, crystals and stones, candles, bracelets and more. Even just walking in is a sensory experience at 313 West 48th Street.

We are getting some great suggestions. My guest is Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore. We'll get more calls on the line. Let's keep going with your list rider. Bridal Gifts. You know that this gift store has a sharp curatorial eye. How would you describe their sensibility?

Caroline Weaver: It is a gift shop that is not overwhelming. You don't walk in and feel like there are 1,000 things to look at. The owner, Alma, does a really amazing job of choosing local brands to sell and also just really beautiful handmade things. They're wonderful little gifts for kids that are the kind of stuff that aren't going to annoy the parents of the kids you're giving them to. Nothing plastic, nothing that makes noises, nothing obnoxious. Just really, really beautiful stuff that you know you're getting a good price, you know it's probably made locally, and you just don't have to think very hard about it, which is what I like about it.

Alison Stewart: I understand they have three different locations. Is that the case?

Caroline Weaver: They have two. They have two in different areas of Park. One of them is relatively recently opened. They also sell really cool, very niche neighborhood merch, which is a new thing that a lot of gift shops are doing. They'll make beautifully designed merch for their neighborhood.

Alison Stewart: All right, we're going to go to Staten Island. Every Thing Goes bookstore at 17 Brook Street. It says on its website, "A well-organized treasure trove of unique, affordable, mostly used merchandise." What can I get there?

Caroline Weaver: Every Thing Goes is the only independent bookstore on Staten Island. It is a whole lot of fun. They host events, they have a cafe, and they have a really eclectic selection of secondhand books and records. It's a really fun place to go if you just are buying for somebody who loves books and you don't really know what you're looking for.

Alison Stewart: All right, let's take some more calls. Sonali in the West Village. Hi, Sonali. I hope I'm pronouncing your name right.

Sonali: Yes, you are. Hi, my name is Sonali. I'm the founder and CEO of Soieli, a hand-painted silk hair accessories brand where all of our pieces, from scrunchies to hair headbands, are designed as one-of-a-kind art pieces, where each piece is hand-painted with designs inspired by impressionist art. Soieli is spelt S-O-I-E-L-I. You can find all of our pieces online at soaeli.com or on our Instagram.

Alison Stewart: Love it. Thanks so much for calling in. Let's talk to Calvin in Canarsie. Hi, Calvin. Thanks for calling All Of It.

Calvin: Hey. What's up? How's everything?

Alison Stewart: We're doing great. How about you?

Calvin: I'm doing unbelievable.

Alison Stewart: Excellent. Tell me about your business.

Calvin: My name is Calvin Sennon. I'm the executive chef and owner of Caribbean restaurant TriniJam BK. My wife is Jamaican, I'm Trinidadian. We serve up some of the best home-cooked food, Caribbean style, that you can find. Fresh, made daily. You guys can come out and visit us.

Alison Stewart: Love it. Let's talk to Dean. Hi, Dean.

Dean: Hi. My name is Dean Fengya. I'm down in Point Pleasant Beach, so a little bit out of the way from a lot of what you're covering.

Alison Stewart: That's okay.

Dean: A listener. First-time caller. I have a store called Globetrotter. It's a retail store, but I actually address it as a piece of conceptual artwork and an art installation. I've been backpacking around the world for the last 45 years. We practice a form of business called fair trade cottage industry. We don't do factory work. We work directly with the people. It's old-world materials and all indigenous native handicraft. I also do antiques, and we have pottery, jewelry, furniture, sculpture, giftware from around the world. Like I said, it is a retail store, but it's really an art installation. It's something to be experienced in a lot of ways. We don't really have an online presence in any way.

Alison Stewart: What's it called again?

Dean: It's a labor of love.

Alison Stewart: What's it called, Dean?

Dean: It's called Globetrotter. We were covered a couple of years ago in Jersey's best magazine. If you put in Globetrotter retail store or-

Alison Stewart: Take your time.

Dean: -Jersey shatters retail norms. I'm actually really nervous. I've never been on the phone for radio.

Alison Stewart: It's all good, Dean. Thank you so much for calling in. We appreciate it. Let's go to Edge in Brooklyn. Hi, Edge.

Edge: Hey. I am the owner-operator of Edgewares Customs. We've been open for a year and a half roughly. We are a PEV repair shop doing e-scooters and e-bikes. We are up to code with the FDNY. Everything we sell is UL-certified, so they're all safe. We also are a custom shop. We have very unique, one-of-a-kind things that I make in the shop myself.

Alison Stewart: Love it. Thanks so much. We are talking ways you can shop locally with Caroline Weaver. We'll have more with Caroline and we'll take more of your calls after a quick break. This is All Of It.

[music]

Alison Stewart: This is All Of It on WNYC. I'm Alison Stewart. My guest in studio is Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore Guide. She's also the founder of this book, The Locavore Guide 2025. Before we go any further, I have to ask you, putting this together must have been quite a challenge. How did you start? Where do you start with a book like this?

Caroline Weaver: I started with my personal favorites and with my own database. When I walk around New York City to catalog its shops, I have 14,000 shops in my online database, and I flag the ones that I find the most interesting as I go. I had something to start with, and I tried to fill as many categories as possible. There's some pretty niche things in here.

Alison Stewart: What's an example of a niche thing?

Caroline Weaver: There's a really amazing snow sports shop in South Brooklyn. It's the only one in the section. Many people probably know this, but there's a typewriter shop, there's a trophy shop in here. There are all sorts of shops.

Alison Stewart: All right. Let's get back to your list. We've got Pillow-Cat Books in the East Village. I have to admit, I went on this website and I bought something for someone. [laughs] Tell us a little bit about Pillow-Cat Books.

Caroline Weaver: It is a wonderful, cozy, tiny little shop that specializes in animal-themed books. It's not just Peter Rabbit or Pete The Cat or books that are for kids. It's also really esoteric, really niche vintage books. There are a lot of vintage Japanese books, there are a lot of vintage Snoopy. They almost always have copies of The Muppets Take Manhattan, the old vintage one. I bought a Miss Piggy cookbook, a celebrity Miss Piggy cookbook from the '90s recently where there is a Toni Morrison rice recipe-

Alison Stewart: Oh, my gosh.

Caroline Weaver: -in it. It is amazing, and it was $25. It's a really, really special little shop.

Alison Stewart: Okay, say that one more time. A Miss Piggy cookbook?

Caroline Weaver: Yes. It is a Miss Piggy cookbook from the '90s that is recipes of other celebrities.

Alison Stewart: Oh, my goodness. I did not expect to hear that today. Let's talk to Andrew in Brooklyn. Hi, Andrew.

Andrew: How to do.

Alison Stewart: How to do, Andrew?

Andrew: I'm Hopalong Andrew. Howdy do all. [laughs] I'm Hopalong Andrew, and I play cowboy music for urban cowpokes of all ages. It's a live show thing, but I've made this wonderful coloring book and, of course, a CD and T-shirts and all that, which are available at shows and on my Etsy store.

Alison Stewart: All right. Do you want to give us your website?

Andrew: Sure. It's @hopalongandrew and Hopalongandrew on the web. I perform all over, mostly Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Alison Stewart: Andrew, thank you very much for calling in. Let's talk to Alice in the East Village. Hi, Alice.

Alice: Hi. Wait, I'm just trying to get my phone off speaker. Sorry. I call in because there's something called the Brooklyn Cat Cafe. I think it's in Brooklyn Heights. It's easy to look up. I didn't have time to look it up before I got on. It has something called kitten parties. You pay them a certain amount of money per person and you hang out with kittens for half an hour, and it's just unbelievably fun. They have all sorts of things there. They have movie night with cats. There's all sorts, not just that. The kitten parties are definitely the elevator pitch. Go there for a kitten party. Take somebody as a surprise who loves kittens, and it's just so much fun.

Alison Stewart: Excellent. Thank you for calling in. Listeners, we want to know where you shop this weekend locally. Are you a shop owner? Give us the elevator pitch for your store. Honestly, did you buy yourself something that you wanted this weekend? We want to hear from you. 212-433-9692, 212-433-WNYC. You in and join us on air, or you can send us a text. My guest is Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore Guide. All right, what else on your list? We have Laura Lombardi on the Lower East side. What does she make?

Caroline Weaver: Laura Lombardi is a jewelry designer, and she makes everything on the premises in her shop. What I like about this brand is that it's really cool jewelry. You can get it for a teenager, you could get it for a fashion girl, you could get it for somebody who's really in the know about fashion. It's timeless enough that you'll keep wearing it, and it's a good price point. Most of the things sold there are around $100, $120, $130. They do replating, which is really great because you can buy something, it tarnishes, and then you can just go back and get it replated.

Alison Stewart: What's interesting listening to our callers is a lot of people were calling in suggesting experiences for people. Do you find that that seems to be a new thing-- not new thing, but a trending thing?

Caroline Weaver: It is definitely a trending thing because I think these days especially people are so aware of the amount of stuff that they have. It's a much safer bet to give somebody something that is consumable or something that is an experience. Especially in New York City, you can learn to do anything here. You can find any experience. It's a really great, really creative gift option.

Alison Stewart: All right. Did you buy something for yourself, self-gifting? Did that happen for you this weekend? It happened for me.

Caroline Weaver: Oh, I don't know that I did any self-gifting, but I did go to get the things I need for my Christmas cards, which I do it at City Papery on 18th Street. You can get your cards printed there. You can buy your envelopes, you can buy all your gift-wrapping things, or you can buy the pens you need to address the envelopes. It's the only place I know left in Manhattan, at least, where you can do all of that in one place. One place. I love to needlepoint, and my favorite is bad bitch needlepoint. I can't say it, but it's gorgeous. I bought it. It says, "Bleep it. Let's go to Martha's Vineyard."

Alison Stewart: Oh, that's good. My sister and my niece live there. I sent it to everybody and they said, "Buy it now," so I did. My guest has been Caroline Weaver, the founder of The Locavore Guide. Thanks to everybody who called in with their suggestions. Caroline, thank you so much for joining us as well.

Caroline Weaver: Thank you for having me.