6 Holiday Gifts for Foodies, Bookworms, and Self-Care Devotees

Stressed about what to get your loved ones this holiday season? Or looking to treat yourself to a little something special? We’ve got you covered. These six items made by Smith College alums are perfect gifts for anyone on your list—even if that’s you!

For the Self-Care Devotee

Ephemera Candle Company
Alise Brann Crossland ’00

Broken into scent categories of earthy, fresh, floral, spicy, and (more mysteriously) dark, Alise Brann Crossland ’00’s wood-wick candles transport your senses to new, exciting places from the comforts of your home. Inspired by classic horror movies, her Don’t Go in the Woods collection throws you nose-first into the damp, dark atmospheres synonymous with spooky stories. Alternatively, her Feminist collection comforts the soul with such scent combinations as cinnamon and vanilla, chestnut and wood, almond and lavender tea.

“I started researching and making candles for myself in 2020 because many scented candles give me a headache and I find a lot of mass-market scents to be flat and artificial. I officially launched Ephemera Candle Co. in 2022 with the Burn It All Down candle, released to coincide with the overturning of Roe v. Wade,” Crossland says. “I hand-pour everything in my 300-year-old house in Lancaster, Massachusetts, and draw inspiration from history, literature, and folklore.”

Our Pick: Favorites Candle Discovery Set ($45)
This curated collection of Ephemera’s bestselling candles includes Memento Mori (pumpkin and earth scents); La Boulangerie (buttery, fresh croissants); Witch of Wellfleet (rain and petrichor); Burlesque (rose and sandalwood); and the one that started it all, Fall of the Patriarchy (cognac and hazelnut). Each candle has a burn time of up to 16 hours and comes in a luxe golden tin, making this an attractive gift that’s enjoyable long after it is unwrapped.

Honorable Mention: Official Smith College Teas ($13.50)
Launched in tandem with the inauguration of President Sarah Willie-LeBreton in 2023, Smith’s two custom tea blends offer perfect cups of nostalgia. Smithie Breakfast is an organic, caffeinated black tea with fruity, smoky notes, while Botanic Blend is an organic, noncaffeinated herbal tea with fragrant, floral notes. Created by Megan Young ’07, the tea blends come in recyclable boxes and plant-based, compostable packaging, honoring the college’s continued commitment to sustainability.

For the Bookworm

‘BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories’
Jannah Handy ’08 and Kiyanna Stewart

Featuring more than 300 stunning photographs of objects from the past, BLK MKT Vintage: Reclaiming Objects and Curiosities That Tell Black Stories (2024) is co-written by Jannah Handy ’08 and her partner in life and business, Kiyanna Stewart (pictured from left). For this nonfiction book, the authors drew inspiration from their work collecting items for their online store, BLK MKT Vintage. Ranging from vintage presidential election buttons to 1920s yearbooks from historically Black colleges and universities, the items that appear in the book represent the rich histories and lived experiences of Black individuals.

Beginning with a foreword from groundbreaking filmmaker Spike Lee, the book also shares guidance on decorating your home in a way that reflects your personality. “We are two Black, queer, LGBTQIA-identified married [folks who] have built a life that is dedicated to this work,” Stewart tells Architectural Digest. “There is something really beautiful—and important—about documenting our story.”

Honorable Mention: ‘The Vacancy in Room 10’ by Seraphina Nova Glass, M.F.A. ’05
The author of 2022’s On a Quiet Street, Seraphina Nova Glass, M.F.A. ’05, is also responsible for one of 2024’s trendiest thrillers, The Vacancy in Room 10. The book follows Anna Hartley as she tries to understand why her seemingly ordinary husband was murdered. Clocking in at 304 pages, The Vacancy in Room 10 feels way shorter than that, thanks to the intriguing mystery at the center of its plot.

For the Foodie

Rancho Milagro Olive Oils
Nancy Frishberg ’70

Olive oil is a widely celebrated ingredient—and with good reason. It’s great for coating pans when frying food. It’s great for dipping bread (especially when Parmesan cheese and pepper are in the mix). And it’s even becoming a popular coffee additive. In need of an olive oil restock? Check out Nancy Frishberg ’70’s Rancho Milagro brand of extra-virgin olive oils.

Upon moving to Northern California in 2010, Frishberg planted the fruit trees that now yield hundreds of gallons of Rancho Milagro olive oil each year. She runs the business with her husband, Terry Carson, from their 182-acre ranch in Alameda County. Rancho Milagro’s Field Blend Harvest bottling is a mixture of four olives grown on-site—frantoio, coratina, hojiblanca, and picual—while the Frantoio Harvest bottling is made from the single frantoio olive.

Our Pick: It’s a Tie! 
The 2023 Field Blend ($35) took home a bronze award at the California State Fair, making it a home-run addition to any kitchen, but the 2023 Frantoio Harvest (also $35) is a sure thing, too. According to Frishberg, “The 2023 harvest was our best yet, and much of it was due to the plentiful and delicious frantoio.” Through the end of 2024, get a discount when purchasing two (or multiples of two) bottles of Rancho Milagro olive oil by using the promo code SMITH at checkout.

Honorable Mention: Neely Wine by Sarah Green ’11 
A winery owned by Kirk Neely and Holly Myers, Neely Wine appointed Sarah Green ’11 as its winemaker in August 2024. Situated in Portola Valley, part of California’s vibrant Bay Area, the winery produces chardonnay, grüner Veltliner, pinot noir, and rosé from its Spring Ridge and Sausal Creek estate vineyards. “It was immediately apparent to me that this is a special place,” Green tells Wine Industry Network. “I’m excited for this next chapter.” For those local to California, Neely Wines offers several tasting experiences (starting at $35 per person), a wine club, and vineyard hikes (complete with food and, of course, wine). The winery also ships its bottles worldwide, and its 2024 winter lineup includes two chardonnays (one leading with mandarin orange aromas, the other with whiffs of Meyer lemon) and two pinot noirs (one with scents of strawberry hard candy, the other with raspberry aromas). *Note: Alcohol shipping is not available in every state.

For more gifting inspiration, check out the Favorites column in current and previous issues of the Smith Quarterly.