Not for Navigation - Unique Gifts for Men (and Women) - Part 4

Okay this one we have to share with the women...Not for Navigation's hand-crafted collection of coastal inspired, high quality bags, totes, duffels, and pillows are just way to cool to be just another unique gift for men.  They would make a great gift idea for the women too!

When owner Heather Jernegan came in this past Friday, both Mark and I knew immediately we had found another great product for Blackstone's.  First, Heather is a local Massachusetts native.  Second, Heather's products are made here locally!  We like local, made in USA products at Blackstone's.  And, lastly her products are unique!  We hope you will agree too!!

She has a growing selection of topographical maps to select from that can be screen printed onto a wide variety of products currently totally around 13 items...this is why I have to share this unique gift post with men and women equally.

Baseball Gift Ideas - Unique Gifts for Men - Part 3

Baseball is the all American past time.  Those of us who live in Red Sox nation can definitely attest to this statement.  Finding a unique guy's gift for someone who is a passionate baseball fan can sometimes be challenging.  He already has just about every Red Sox memento available.  Enter him in a world series trivia contest and he is sure to know just about every baseball stat known...and then some.

Thanks to my trustee baseball fan Mark, I have learned a fair amount about this sport.  In our quest to always find unique gifts, we have hit on three great ideas (no pun intended) for this holiday season.  The first is perfect for all those guys who love to cook and grill.  Cole & Mason's baseball Junior King Pepper Mill fits the bill.  Measuring 48 inches, it is easy to wrap and disguise under the Christmas tree.

Does he like to host game night at your place?

He will definitely be the envy of all his friends when he serves drinks at the next guys baseball night party in his new Fenway Park Stadium mugs.  Complete with an image of Fenway Park on one side and brief history on the backside, this mug is truly a unique gift idea for any person on your Christmas list.  Add a pack of our Go Sox custom Caspari napkins and you will have made his next baseball night nearly complete...now if you could just ensure the Red Sox make it to the world series in 2010, we would be all set!

Need a unique gift for your favorite coach, team player or fan?  How about a unique gift for Dad? Or a unique gift for Grandpa?  Our Baseball Bat Walking Cane is made from the Original Louisville Slugger, a solid Northern White Ash baseball bat, handcrafted to perfection with a flame-tempered finish.  And, as I will repeat frequently in my blogs, it is still proudly made in the USA - Louisville, Kentucky.

Stay tuned for my next Unique Gifts for Men part 4 to be followed by Unique Gifts for Women!

Mova Globe - Unique Gifts for Men - Part 2

Move over other gifts for guys.  Mova Globe is fast becoming one of Blackstone's hottest - and definitely most unique gifts for guys (okay ladies it is also a unique gift for women too!).

How does a Mova Globe work?  As my business partner Mark says, "would you like to see our magic trick today?  It's a Mova Globe a perpetual motion rotating globe that can rotate just like the Earth does... forever...with no batteries or power cords.  Mova Globe is the first embodiment of a magical new class of objects brought to life by the energy of room light and by the force of the earth’s magnetic field.  This point always wows everyone who is learning about our Mova Globes for the first time.

These objects come from the near future, a time when technology advances far enough to make things simple, autonomous, and magical. Their perpetual, quite motion brings a tranquil point of focus to a room or an office, truly making a Mova Globe a unique gift for any guy in your life this holiday season!

For those of you curious to know more details about these magical and unique globes, read on...

Mova Globes will operate virtually anywhere indoors with an average room light, with no batteries, wires, or maintenance of any kind.  Mova Globe comes with an elegant three-finger stand, but the globes will operate on any stand or surface of your personal choice (except for those made of iron or metal alloy that can be magnetized.).

• No batteries and no wires required.
• Quiet and visually pleasing motion.
• Soothing, meditative and inspirational.
• Approximately 6.5 inch in diameter.
• Includes an informative user manual and an elegant acrylic stand. 

Mark is a probably the best story teller you will every meet so if you have a chance to visit Blackstone's, be sure to ask him about the Mova Globe!  If you are lucky, he might share a few other stories with you too...time permitting!

Visit our website to see other ideas of unique gifts for men.

The Man Can - Unique Gifts for Men - Part 1

Last year you bought him a sweater.  The year before it was a good book.  Guys always think its hard to shop for us...but what about them?  Especially when you want to find something unique.  Something different.  Starting with this entry, I will begin to provide suggestions for unique gift ideas for that special guy in your life...husband, boyfriend, brother, father...in my case, also a business partner.  Looks like my business partner Mark helped me this year by finding his Christmas gift and my first great product to blog about.  The best part for me is it is made locally in Massachusetts!  I am all about Made in the US - and better yet - made in Massachusetts (that's another blog to come)!

Product 1 - The Man Can by Plum Island Soap Company (located on Plum Island near Newburyport, Massachusetts).

The Man Can contains everything a man friendly selection of products for his shower and shaving needs including:
1 Bar Manly Soap
1 Very Masculine Bay Rum Oil
1 Extremely Spicy Shave Gel
1 Really Scratchy Bath Mitt
1 Jar Fisherman's Hand Butter
And, as the can says...(There's nothing tougher than a fisherman)…(Except maybe a woman)!

Neptune 1 Studio - Sneak Peak at Beauport Series

Our relationship started in the winter through a simple phone call.  Hi she said, my name is Phyllis and I am with a business called Neptune 1 Studios.  We make a line of decoupage plates that I think might be quite well suited for Blackstone's.  The year was off to a very slow start.  Mother nature kept throwing us one snow storm after another.  Shoppers were not out shopping yet somehow something told us that if we tried this line we would not be sorry...thanks to a great product made by Sue and Phyllis - locally made I might add - we have been anything but sorry.

Neptune 1 Studios first collection from the Lee Mansion came with their leading man, Neptune, part of the Lee Mansion's wallpaper images.  Next came Ashley Bowen, whose original paintings from the 1700s that were rescued by a local man who found them in a trashcan!  The Ashley Bowen series includes harbor paintings this young ship's rigger painted whenever in port.  Sue and Phyllis even included some of his ship logs under several of the images.

What could be next?

A teaming up with one of Historic New England homes, and meet the Beauport Series - Zuber's Decor Chinois Wallpaper from the Sleeper-McCann House.

I hope you are able to visit Blackstone's this holiday season and see all three collections firsthand.  These collections are a fabulous snapshot of American history as well as beautiful pieces to display and, best of all, they are food safe!

Christmas is here...Meet Snap from JingleNog

The Christmas season is upon us with it's magic gradually spreading throughout Blackstone's daily.  Melodic Christmas melodies fill the air.  Displays are being transformed into winter wonderlands of miniature holiday scenes complete with German pewter figurines and holiday mice (Wee Forest Folk figures), and lest we forget, the famous eleven dot angels from Wendt & Kuhn.

The ceiling - once famous many years back for its array of ornaments glinting from end to end - is now transformed for the second year into a winter wonderland of twinkling lights and delights.  New to our ornament collection this year are JingleNog's ornaments, which are all hand made with mouth blown European glass. Produced in Italy and Poland, the line is designed by JingleNog's owner and creator Melissa Byrne.

Meet one of Melissa's ornaments now available at Blackstone's...   

Snap
Quite the dancer, we are not really sure where he got the talent from. Snap is always ready for a good time and a little nog. Rumor has it that Snap once danced with Ginger, Posh and Spice. Oh those Girls!
Who knows what would have happened if he had devoted himself to kicking a soccer ball instead of kicking it up on the red ballroom carpet. We will never know. Or will we?

Item Details

• Mouth Blown, Hand Painted and Glittered in Poland

• Sterling Silver Lined Molded Glass Gingerbread Man Ornament

• 5.5" Tall

At long last...my first blog!

Unlike my first website for Blackstone's that I had up and running within weeks, my first blog has taken me nearly six months to bring to life!  Whew!  I did it, together with a revision to our store website - that now includes online shopping - and many long hours spent working at the shop with my fellow co-owner Mark.  Life as an independent shop owner this year has certainly kept me (us) on my toes.  Hosting events have been one of our key successes starting with WGBH's Brass Sisters - Marilyn and Sheila Brass for a double booked back to back Saturday book signing and bake-off competition.  Visit our website to learn more about this hugely popular event - www.blackstonesbeaconhill.com.

With the holidays fast approaching our friends the Brass Sisters are coming back again to share some wonderful heirloom recipes from their two cookbooks - HEIRLOOM COOKING and HEIRLOOM BAKING.   I hope you can join us for this meet the authors event on Saturday, November 21st from 11am to 2pm.

Stay tuned for more details about our upcoming Fourth Annual 12-Days of Christmas Celebration that includes for a third year, folk artist and children's book illustrator/author Will Moses!