It’s crunch time, people, and no matter how diligently and carefully you’ve navigated this season’s shopping, you will have at least one gift you forgot to get, or were never planning to get but now must. This is where online shopping comes in. It’s fast, it doesn’t require leaving the house, and it often includes gift-wrapping. Never fear: We’ve collected a few of our very favorite online shopping sources for that inevitable moment of panic.
— Shaila Wunderlich, [email protected]
1. Private-label pampering. The prototype of all online gift sources, Red Envelope (redenvelope.com) was launched in 1999 specifically as a gift-giving resource. Many of the site’s items are private-label — including a gorgeous six-piece set of Jewel Bud Vases ($40) — and all the products are available beautifully wrapped in a variety of packaging. Check out the “Last-Minute Gifts” section for a list of items guaranteed for next-day delivery.
2. Nature inspired, artisan made. Buyer beware: Sundance (sundancecatalog.com) occupies one of those dangerous shopping territories where you enter with the intention of buying someone a gift, such as the Artisan Hammered Flatware ($35 for set), and exit with a present for yourself (we have a soft spot for their jewelry). Robert Redford started the company about 40 years ago as a way to foster nature-inspired, artisan-made goods.
3. Local and lovely. P.O.S.H., Chicago’s own State-Street-based tableware boutique, has always been a go-to source for the special, the shiny and the precious. The store’s restrained gift-wrapping style of a white box and simple bow allows the beautiful treasure inside — perhaps a Vintage Silverplate Serving Fork or Spoon ($32 each) — to take center stage. Enjoy the same specialties and gilt-less wrapping when you shop at the store’s online site (poshchicago.com). Note: Be aware that certain items are not available for gift-wrapping.
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4. Run away from run-of-the-mill. Like the name says, Uncommon Goods (uncommongoods.com) is the place for unique, unexpected gifts — the kind you can be sure your recipient will adore and most likely will not have seen before. Shop according to category (home decor, jewelry, dining, desktop, etc.); price point (under $100, under $75, etc.); or recipient (“for her,” “for him,” “for baby,” etc.). We love the hand-blown Daylight Stars from artist Stephen Kitras ($30 each).
5. The gift of green. For the gardening neighbor for whom you weren’t planning to buy — until she showed up at your door with a gift for you — Old House Gardens (oldhousegardens.com) will mail her a pretty card with the promise of heirloom flower bulbs to come in the spring. In April, she will receive a sampler of bulbs ($30) hand-selected for their compatibility with Chicago’s climate.