PicoBlog

Think of this week’s edition of A Tiny Apt. as not simply a mini gift guide but a public service announcement. For your home. Your friends. Your beloved Person who is consistently nonplussed by any gift you give them. (We love them, but they suck.)

I’m way behind on gift guide emails—reading them, not sending them—but when I opened my week-old Secret Strategist newsletter, and there before my eyes was the loveliest pepper mill I’d ever seen, I immediately thought…Gee, that would look so nice in my kitchen. Or on my dining table. Or in a tiny ribboned box en route to someone who loves a good arty kitchen thing as much as me! Even though I’ve been pining for a set of three or four or eight vintage Dansk pepper mills after seeing them expertly arranged at my friend Jen’s house at Thanksgiving last year, they are always outer $$ limits when I DO find them. (Believe me, when I eventually find one at The Goodwill, you will hear about it!)

But then alas, I see this goodie by Semi-D for $120 (above); a fresh, colorful pepper mill that conjures the unfettered joy of old-school Life Savers. Which is when it occurred to me that a beautifully designed pepper mill that grinds to perfection seems like not only a very nice gift but maybe the best gift. Especially if you accompany it with some actual pepper corns (which the Semi-D site does). Since I live for a vintage challenge, I immediately commenced some vigorous hunting for not only the coolest vintage pepper mills (that were not $1K/a pop) but the ones that will curry you ALL the favor when it comes to who wins this year for getting that person the most thoughtful/original gift. (Perhaps trivets or ashtrays you can use for tiny jewelry and stray LEGOs is next?)

ALSO, ATA GIVEAWAY ALERT: As you know, for the month of December we’ve been doing a giveaway every week for ATA Paid Subscribers, and this week I'm psyched to welcome my friend Micaela, the founder of the eco skincare brand My July. A few months ago, she sent me a pot of her very decadent organic body butter, which I now keep by my bed religiously. I love it not only because it's super rich and hydrating for my gnarly winter hands (and not greasy at all, which is a BIG pet peeve for me), but because when you rub it in your hands it unlocks the warmest, most intoxicating elixir of ginger, cardamom, and clove…it’s like this tiny everyday luxury that has made bedtime so much better. Just drop a comment below that you want IN on this perfect little My July holiday treat, and Micaela will choose four of you at random within 48 hours. And for everyone else, she's offering 15% off using the code CHRISTENE15 for all first-time orders…so go get some gifts!

And so, HERE are 10 extra-cool vintage pepper mills with a genuine vibe to match And, make sure you make it ALL the way to the bottom where I’ve included a short list of December recs, too…including Joan Didion’s OTHER vintage sunglasses, which are devastatingly cool and (naturally) I am already hunting for them.

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