Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, oh my! The Holidays are right around the corner! Whether you are joining family or friends for Thanksgiving, giving a gift is a great way to show that you care and appreciate the invitation. Not sure what to get the kind Host or Hostess? We've created a list of our favorite Holiday Host Gifts below.

​Soap Leaves are a single use silk leaves infused with scented soap. These guest soaps are a great gift because they come in handy when you have guests over. Comes in two scents, Apple Jack & Peel, and Orange Spice Clove. 

​A greeting card may seem like a mundane gift, until you reveal one of these beauties. Each greeting card is individually handmade using vintage papers and embellishments. Blank inside to write your own special message.

Bringing a bottle of wine to a party is a lovely gesture. Complete the gift by wrapping the bottle in a upcycled handmade reusable wine tote bag. Each wine tote comes with a To & From Tag that you can personalize.

A scented candle makes a great quick host gift. Tinned candles have a sleek presentation and help the host create atmosphere at their event. Soy candles burn cleanly and can be easily stored between uses.

If your host is a foodie, they will appreciate a good artisanal jam crafted with seasonal fruits. Can easily be served with cheese, crackers, bread, and meats. Can also be used in Holiday recipes such as Thumbprint cookies and jam pie. 

See our Handmade Holiday Gift Guide, live on Facebook Nov 18th! We hill have great handmade holiday gift ideas, sets, advice, and tips.

​Time ⏳⌚⏲ for another Eclectic Chic Boutique...  🎨🖌🔦 ARTIST SPOTLIGHT 🔦🖌🎨
Today’s Spotlight is on: Andy Coyle, founder of Wood-N-Thingz 🌳🔨

Wood-N-Thingz is a company dedicated to providing top quality woodwork 👍👌
Exploring the beauty of exotic woods from across the globe 🌎🌍
Combining them with precision and care for ✨Dazzling✨ results

The name Wood-N-Thingz is multipurpose, base on pronunciation
If pronounced “Wooden Things,” it suggest a woodworking company 🌲
OR
If pronounced “Wood and Things,” it highlight the variation of his crafts 🤩
This creative naming convention reflects Andy’s focus on elegance and functionality 

The products Wood-N-Thingz offer include;

• Pens 🖋
• Bottle Stoppers 🍾
• Platters 🍽
• Cheese Slicers 🧀🔪

With more products being added all the time, based on;
​“Customer suggestions and our own ideas” -Andy Coyle 

Andy first learned woodworking from his father 👨 who worked as a carpenter 🔨
He picked up his design sensibilities from his mother 👩 a Horticulturist 🌹🌻🌷
The lessons they taught followed with him throughout his life, and into his craft.
“When I’m in my workshop, I feel my dad. I’m drawing on my mother and my father” 😢❤ 

The time 🕑 and care 🤱 he puts into his work is evident in all his pieces
Each product is individually designed and crafted, or as Andy puts it;
“We’re not a production shop, we don’t make 50 of the same thing.” 💯
While Mr. Coyle is proud of his designs, he also enjoys creating custom items
“We certainly enjoy doing custom work, if somebody wanted something special” 🎁

​That covers Wood-N-Thingz, but what about Andy himself? 😯
How did the good Mr. Coyle find himself in the Woodworking business? 🤔
Andy’s first foray into business began not with carpentry, but with computers 💻
Grab some popcorn my friend 🍿 as our tale begins…

In 1962, Andy joined the US Air Force straight out of high school 🎓✈🇺🇸
He served his country for 4 years, maintaining the computer systems 🔧
After leaving the service, he got a job with Honeywell International Inc 🍯🤑
He stayed there for 15 years, maintaining computers for large companies 💻

Andy’s next 15 years were a 🌪WHIRLWIND🌪 
While working at Drew Chemicals, he helped create a patented water analyzer 💧🔍
He worked on Wall Street 🧐🏢 as a technical manager
At a Manhattan based company 🗽 he build network infrastructures for law firms

After working for so many companies 💻✈🏢🗽
Andy decided to go into business for himself, founding Armadillo Services
Armadillo dones building wiring, network computers, and phone systems 
AS has done work for some MAJOR NY Companies 🗽
(We can’t give names, but trust us; they’re BIG 😉)
Andy continues to work there to this day

​Quite the busy fellow, isn’t he? 😁
Still, the question remains;
❓❓❓HOW DID HE FOUND WOOD-N-THINGZ❓❓❓

THAT story begins with his lovely wife 🙋‍♀ and fellow ECB Artist 🎨, Maureen
She had decided it was time to leave her job as a paralegal 🖨
And follow her dream of starting her own Skincare company; 
🌹 Heaven Scent Beauty 🌹 (expect an Artist Spotlight down the road)

For those who’ve never started a home crafting business 🏠🎨
Time first step is to hit the pop-up show circuit 
Being a devoted partner, Andy was all too happy to do the heavy lifting 🏋‍♂
“I was the strong back and the weak mind. I still am.” 🤣

While Andy was certainly passionate about helping his wife 👫
He was not quite as passionate about self-care products 😒
To help keep himself engaged at the shows 🎪
He began making cutting boards to take with them to sell

At one such show, the show runner came up to inform him;
“All my other woodworkers have dropped out. You wanna set up?”
Thus he truly began making ⚒ and marketing 📢
Woon-N-Thingz was born! 🎉🎉🎉

Amazing how a small turn of events can shape your life to come…
Makes ya think, don’t it? 😉

The temperature is dropping ❄🌨🌬 and you know what that means...
🥧🍎🍒🍏🥧 TIME TO GET THOSE PIES IN THE OVEN 🥧🍎🍒🍏🥧

Looking for a quick and easy recipe with a great taste for the whole family? 🤤
Jana’s Jammy and The Eclectic Chic Boutique have got just what you need...

CROSTATA JAM PIE

You’ll need the following ingredients;
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg and 1 yolk (room temperature), lightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, cubed (room temperature)
1 jar Jana’s Jammy jam

Start by whisking together the salt, flour, sugar, and baking powder in a bowl. Make a well and drop egg, yolk and butter into it. Remove dough to a flat surface and knead gently until the dough comes together and is soft, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 350° lightly grease and flour an 8 inch pie pan.

Remove from fridge and knead the dough a couple of times to soften it up again on a lightly floured surface. Roll out to 1/8" thickness.

Transfer to ungreased pie plate.  Trim the dish of any extra dough. Mold this dough into strips or fun shapes from cookie cutters, you’ll need them later.

Prick bottom of dough with fork. Fill the pastry shell with the jam, then cover the top with the extra dough to create a lattice finish or decorate it with your favorite shapes. Bake in pre-heated oven at 350° Fahrenheit (180° Centigrade) for 30-35 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

You can find Jana’s Jammy and the rest of our artisan products either online at The Eclectic Chic Boutique website, or visit us in person at 547 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, NJ