Uncommon Goods: A Review and Giveaway!

Over the summer, I went into a little shop with my mother-in-law and could have perused for hours.  The shop was full of little odds and ends from jewelry to household items, apparel, children's toys, to magnets and games and knickknacks galore.  There were so many beautifully crafted handmade items, and I kept thinking about this little shop, wishing there was a way for me to shop all of it's goodies online.  One day out of the blue, I got an email from Tom at UncommonGoods, and I realized this was it!  This was an online collection of handmade items you would find at your local shop or craft fair...all in one place.  I chose a few items to review, and honestly y'all (can a northerner say y'all?) it was hard.  It took me a couple of weeks to choose because I wanted everything!!! I decided to focus on things to make entertaining more fun - and here's what I chose...

The first is the Shibori Bread Dipping Platter.  Isn't this gorgeous?  I just fell in love with the colors and design, and knew we would use it often, even though we're not big bread eaters.  This item is made to order by the artist, so I'm sure each piece is a little unique.

Next up is the classy Chip and Dip Serving Bowl Duo.  This will get a ton of use in our house.  It's deceivingly small looking, but the bowl fits a whole bag of chips and a small jar of dip or salsa.

I was really excited about these City Map Glasses.  They have the city streets and neighborhoods and coordinates etched into the glass.  There are over 20 cities to choose from, and they are dishwasher safe.  I'm ready to start a little collection based on the cities we've lived in or visited.  I picked Boston and Washington DC to remind us from where we came.

From the UncommonGoods website, a little back story:

In 1999, Dave Bolotsky visited a Smithsonian Museum craft show in Washington D.C. and was captivated by the variety of unique handmade goods and the talented people behind them. He saw there was a significant public demand for beautiful design. At the same time, he realized that the artists working to make those pieces were often traveling great distances in order to sell their wares at the show. Inspired by his experience, Dave had a vision to create something that had never existed before—an online marketplace to connect makers and their creations with individuals looking for truly special goods, regardless of the physical distance between the maker and the shopper. Dave turned this idea into UncommonGoods. He continued traveling to craft fairs and trade shows, meeting artists and finding stand-out merchandise, while running the business out of his home on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Before long, the company had outgrown Dave's apartment, and moved through three successively larger offices in downtown Manhattan, eventually settling in our current location in Brooklyn, NY.

I have no regrets about the items I chose (love them all!), but I'm already looking at the next ones on my list.  I love this cute candy dish, a gift for a powerful woman in your life, my father-in-law could use these rocks, fun puzzles for kids, and their ever-changing sale items (yippee!).

How about a $25 gift certificate for one of you?

Fun, right?

Just leave a comment telling me your favorite "entertaining recipe".  You know, the one you bring to the family parties because everybody just has to have it.  Make sure to include your email so you can receive the gift certificate :)

A lucky winner will be chosen by the end of Thursday, October 4, and the winner will be announced on Friday, October 5th.  Good luck!