A Playful Gift Guide by Jennifer Gross
Our second Gift Guide this season is curated by the masterful, multitalented Jennifer Gross! Jennifer's Playful Gift Guide inspires us to make more thoughtful choices when gifting for ourselves and others. Peep her thoughts on the process:
"I'm really interested in personal development and getting to know myself more and most of these are things I can do on my own. They're practical too. I have a tiny ass apt so if I get anything new I want to make sure I'll be able to use it. And they're fun! Like I have pencils anyway but might as well have a fun one that looks like a paintbrush."
KP: What do you do by day and what do you do by night?
JG: By day I'm a web developer; by night I'm a roller skater and I'm an artist. I like to be creative even if it's my roller skate videos or something else.
KP: Describe a recent ‘a-ha’ moment or precious moment.
JG: I've been grateful for a lot of things. I just went up to Anchorage and an a-ha was that I finally get it when people go into breweries and buy things. I went to the cider brewery - double shovel - and it clicked for me. I was like I get it! I got to hang out with 3 of my friends and just have cider.
KP: What are you looking forward to in 2022?
JG: I think growth. I want to pay my student loans; hoping to be in a bigger spot that Christian can run around, make my plants happy, and roller skate around. Growth and be excited about new possibilities.
I like this lamp. It's just cute. This is cool;
Who doesn't like The Office? I love The Office and I feel like for black households around the holidays, cards are pretty important. We'll be playing a lot of cards around the holidays (You gotta know Spades) and this is one of my favorite shows. I don't watch a lot of tv but whenever I do lay down I just re-watch The Office.
I like this one because it's kind of weird, hahaha. "I like your ears;" I like to notice different things about people, like I like looking at people's hands and I have a piece by Christianne Mae that's all the people and their hands, and I think this would match well in my house. I think it's about noticing small things about people and I do that, too.
I like these because they look like paintbrushes.
Wallet by Karen Eriksen ( NaMee's Mom! )
How to Draw All the Things for Kids
Because I have a child and because I probably need this book too, lol
I don't think I've ever followed along a Bob Ross video but I used to just have it on the tv and I just liked listening to him. He's really funny and philosophical about painting. I'm glad someone made it into a book because you can apply it to all areas of your life. And you know, maybe I'll do a bob ross video :)
Upcycle: 24 Sustainable DIY Projects
I like doing arts and crafts stuff. Most of the furniture in the house I've made, mostly because the doorway is kind of tiny and there's a weird wall, so I couldn't buy a couch if I wanted to because I couldn't get it in. So it kind of forced me to be more creative. I took wood shop in college so I enjoy it anyway. There's some fun stuff in there, look at that lamp!
Before the pandemic I got a mixer set and all these fancy glasses and so I thought this was cute for having people over and making cocktails. You don't always have to go out, and especially in a pandemic, you can stay home and make fancy drinks and you can actually hear your friends talking.
I like it just because I feel like a lot of the people you're close with you say they tolerate you. I don't really think anybody ever really *tolerates* anybody; I think we keep people in our lives because we like them, but for people who are anxious, I feel it's more for them that we can say, "I tolerate you." And it's cute too; I like the cats.
This is just funny, lol. Also why is there not a womanly guide? But as a single mom raising a little boy I'd just love to read what's in here, patriarchy and whatnot. Maybe there is something helpful in there. I think the pages in it are funny, even if it's not to critique it but to give it credit.
Because I think it has fun things to do, things I don't even think about. I also thought the checklist for what to wear outside was funny, because I've now been in Juneau 4 years and this will be my fifth winter and for some reason I don't keep up with my gloves. And as you can see I don't have a jacket on today and so I obviously need this guide.
Mountain Men of Alaska Calendar
This one was my favorite calendar. I've seen them every year and I really like it. I think it's really funny because all of my friends know I'm a bit boy crazy so of course you can get me a calendar with beautiful men in it. And august can call me, just saying.