With the holidays approaching, I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts – gifts to give on Christmas morning, gifts to give to other hostesses and gifts to give to friends at my own gatherings. Specifically though, I’ve been thinking about small gifts to give guests at a dinner party. Since dinner parties are often intimate affairs, I’m willing to spend a bit more on small gifts to give to my friends who attend. Recently, I stumbled across the website for the New York-based company, The Soap and Paper Factory (www.soapandpaperfactory.com). The company, which is run by three eco-conscious women, creates beautifully made soaps, stationary and beauty products, all made with the environment in mind. Each of their products is worthy of gift giving, though I particularly like their candles. Unlike other “designer” candle companies who use petroleum and other harsh products in their design process, The Soap and Paper Factory has a collection of clean burning soy-based candles. Every individually packaged candle is poured into an Italian glass jar that can easily be reused in the home as a small vase or a juice glass after the candle has been burned. Another thing, however, that I love about these candles is that each comes packaged in an individual box (made of recycled materials) that is printed with a modern, nature-inspired graphic. Since the boxes are so beautiful, I can avoid using (and wasting) wrapping paper altogether and I can also place one at every place setting without ever taking away from my tabletop décor.
