As you should all know by now, us ladies are definitely in the holiday swing of things! I love Christmas shopping, even if I'm only looking for small gifts, I love finding the perfect present that I know is just right for the person I'm looking for. We're so lucky in Edmonton to be in a city with so many fantastic local businesses and artists who create amazing goods all through the year, that I wanted to highlight a few of my favourites.

I love when you see photos like THIS, highlighting the importance of buying local. It's something that I have been consciously been trying to shift when it comes to my spending habits (I'll always be guilty of the big store purchases- but small changes count!). When you support local you encourage the growth and diversity of the businesses in your city and you support the amazing local talent that we have.

These are a few of my favourite local vendors and companies I'd love for you to consider when doing your holiday shopping this year. Are any of these already favourites of yours? And PS- for those not in Edmonton, many of these companies sell online, we'd love you to discover some of the amazing talent the city that I'm proud to call home has!

1. Hunt Amor: So much love for Hunt Amor! Funky contemporary jewellery made from copper, brass or gold- I love the clean lines and modern aesthetic of their work. I wear my Hex cuff all the time and added a few pieces (this one and this one) to my wish list this year to add to my collection. They also do custom work too, so if you have an idea you want to see come to life, Hunt Amor has you covered!

2. Concrete Cat: How cute are these little guys? Concrete Cat has been on my radar for a while now, since first hearing of them at the Home and Garden show when I was looking for a contractor to pour concrete countertops for a project I was working on. Custom furniture and countertops are no problem for these guys, but they also have cute and quirky little gifts such as vases, bookends, candle holders, ashtrays, and more!

3. Poppy Barley: Are you sick of us telling you how much we love Poppy Barley yet? Seriously though, you've got to love a story like theirs. If you're looking for comfortable (all three of us ladies can speak from experience), stylish (just take a look for yourself) and ethical footwear (check here for more on that) - Poppy Barley is the answer. My current faves and on my wish list are the ankle booties in black or the foxhunt in cognac.

4. Workhall Studio: You've got to love a space that encourages local design talent. Taken from their own mantra Workhall was "Founded with the mission of artistry over commercialism. We design and promote products with an emphasis on thought and process. We believe in tailors over factories. Quality over quantities. Longevity over trends." What's not to love about that? I love this scarf and this sweater made my wish list as well this year.

5. Patina Jewellery: We love the vintage eclectic vibe of the Patina jewellery pieces. I scored these earrings (ctr) in the summer and love them! A few standout pieces for me would be this necklace set or these gorgeous earrings. Or, have a vintage piece of jewellery that has sentimental value but you wouldn't wear as is? Tina will revamp it into something new! I love that by reusing vintage pieces, you're giving old jewellery a new life!

6. Duchess Provisions: For the baker/foodie on your list, the Duchess Provisions shop is a must stop. They seriously have every speciality baking tool that any wannabe Martha would need in her kitchen. In addition, they also sell in house made jams, a range of chocolates, syrups and other confectionary goods. Or, there's always the Duchess cookbook, with 80 recipes featuring a few Duchess bakery faves that as anyone in Edmonton knows, cannot be beat!

7. Royal Bison Art + Craft Fair: The Royal Bison Art + Craft fair is a two weekend fair carrying locally made art and crafts perfect for almost anyone on your list. A few of our listed vendors will be there as well as many others carrying everything from art to plants, to home goods, apparel and more! I'd definitely recommend checking it out, for more info check HERE.

8. Plum Home Décor: From antiques to stationary goods, to Canadian made kitchen tools and textiles, Plum Home carries it all! Pictured here are the Tomnuk salt and pepper shakers and a Pehr designs tea towel (I have one you may have seen here, here or here). Plum is a treasure trove of beautiful cards for all occasions, fun prints and carries a ton of fabulous Canadian brands including other faves Elizabeth Lyn jewelry and My Daughter Fragrances. Definitely worth the trip if you live in Edmonton (and just down the street from Duchess too!)

9. Justine Ma Design: We met Justine this summer and since then, I've been obsessed. I've even asked her to work on a little something for me in the new year so I'll be sure to share when that's ready, but her beautiful handiwork makes for stunning custom art work, as well as her too cute onesies (also come as a print and card). Check her out at the Royal Bison Craft fair for more!

10. Oliver Apt: You might remember we stopped by Oliver Apt in the spring for a tour of the shop where all sorts of carpentry magic goes down. Oliver Apt might be known for their amazing interior cabinetry and millwork, but you might not know that they carry a few pieces that are perfect as gifts! For the organizer with a sense of humour check out the Pen Fifteen Holder. For the clothing aficionado, the captain hook hangers are simply the best, or for the chef, the sharkuterie or knife fight.

11. Jacek Chocolates: If you've got a chocolate lover on your list then you definitely need to check out Jacek. Pick from a variety of gourmet chocolate sets, or for the perfect stocking stuffer, grab one of her decadent bars. If you want to take the chocolate experience up a notch, you can also purchase a tasting at Jacek, how great would that be as a gift?! Sign me up!

12. Glow Juicery: Have a health nut on your list and don't know what to get? Why not pick up a juice cleanse package as a gift? All three of us ladies love these juices and just after the holidays is the perfect time to cleanse our system from any possible food/beverage overindulgences that have most likely (read: definitely) occurred.

13. So Pretty Jewellery: While I don't currently own any So Pretty Jewellery by Cara Cotter (yet), I have longed after her pieces for a few years. Shingy, blingy, dainty feminine pieces seem to make up most of the collection which I absolutely adore! So for any bling obsessed gal on your list, I'd highly recommend you check her out HERE.

14. Salgado Fenwick: I first learned of Salgado Fenwick this summer at the 124 Grand Market when their amazing kiosk caught my eye. Myself and two girlfriends spent probably close to an hour ooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the uniquely designed tees, sweatpants, cushions and more. We each left with a few purchases and Salgado Fenwick gained new die hard fans that day. Check them out here, and check back often as they rotate designs in limited edition runs!

Honourable mentions also go to the lovely ladies at Jilly's Boutique - an amazing south side destination for everything from amazing candles and lotions, fabulous clothing, locally made jewellery and fabulous décor and even gifts for your wee ones; as well as Swish flowers. We adore the beautiful floral creations that swish turns out (see some of Sarah's faves here and here) and we even learned how to make one ourselves here! In addition to beautiful flowers, they too carry fun gifts and little items perfect for stocking stuffers!

I know I've missed a ton of other amazing local vendors but these are just a few of our faves - we'd love it if you checked them out and showed some support this holiday season! We so appreciate all of the support we get from so many wonderful companies and people, we hope we can show some back! #shoplocal #yeg

Holiday Gift Guide: The YEG Edit