The Wildscape Michigan Holiday Gift Guide

I am a megaphone for local businesses in any usual year, but we are not living in ordinary times, my friends. This year I am a blaring fire truck. Our beloved local Michigan businesses rely heavily on the last quarter of the year, and with covid still looming above our heads - they need the driving force of a supportive community more than ever.

Let’s show up for them.

I’ve compiled a list of some of my favorite Michigan based businesses, almost all of which have covid-safe options like curbside pickup and shipping. I won’t deny that ordering from Amazon is easier - but I know from personal experience that small business owners actually do a silly happy dance when we get new orders. Not only are you contributing to your local economy, you are instilling joy in a human. What could be better than that? Let’s get to it. 

Food & Drink

Ground Control Wines - This pint sized wine shop opened up this year, and Kristie, its owner, is an absolute delight of a human. Stop by their location on the south side of Ann Arbor (and check out the flower cloud we installed inside!) or order online for Michigan delivery or curbside pickup!

Everyday Wines - EDW has always had my back, and I cannot pass through Kerrytown shops without stopping and picking up a bottle of something. They have a fantastic staff, and a great selection of delicious things at super reasonable prices. 

Blom Meadworks - This list wouldn’t be complete without the lovely meadmakers of Fourth Ave. Pop in for one of their mulled mead kits - promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ann Arbor Distilling Company - For something a little stronger, Ann Arbor’s local distillery has some of the best liquors. Fun packaging, too. Try the absinthe, or the Fox River whiskey!

Zingerman’s - Pretty much every year around the holidays I find some excuse to wander through the deli, tasting olive oils and picking out fun foods for a friend. No in-person perusing this year, but looking through their website fills a similar desire, and it’s often the perfect place to find a gift for the person who has everything, and needs nothing (except fancy balsamic, or a spice mix). 

Bon Bon Bon - The newest chocolatier in Ann Arbor has arrived! Long time favorite in Detroit, this would be a perfect under $20 gift for a friend - the packaging is lovely, the chocolate is delicious, and it’s worth picking up a few for yourself, too.

Blck Cocoa Bakes - A friend recommended this Detroit based vegan baker, and I spent a little too much time drooling over photos of cake after looking them up. Delicious vegan baking can be hard to come by - and is certainly appreciated by plant based folks!

Roos Roast - I think that Roos is the perfect coffee for us self proclaimed weirdos - oddball names, funky art, and often coffee that makes you pause. Perfect for the dark roast lover. My favorite roasts are the Mother Pheasant Plucker, and the Bad Ass Woman blend.

Vertex Coffee Roasters - Vertex opened up in the heart of UM’s campus, proudly committing to sustainability and inclusivity. They roast some of the most interesting coffee I’ve had, and they are absolutely ones to support. Their virtual coffee lessons would be an excellent gift for the budding coffee connoisseur! 

Jewelry & Clothing

Dear Golden - Dear Golden is one of those stores that I actually want everything from. It’s dangerous. Not just the stuff from the jewelry section, not just the linen jumpsuits (I really want all of those), everything. I love shopping the apothecary shelf for gifts for my mom, and the jewelry cases have something for everyone. And I didn’t even mention the absolutely insane amount of gorgeous vintage clothing.

Goldeluxe - Handmade jewelry crafted in Detroit? I’m sold. My dear co-worked dons many of her jewels daily, and the flash of gold always catches my eye. There are pieces for the traditionalist - simple bands, neck chains. And there are some for us oddballs, too - hammered stacker rings and imperfectly wonderful pearls. 

McPherson Local - Jen, the owner of this lovely store, is an absolute gem of a human. Everything in her store is from Michigan - it’s a local gift list in itself. Tons of lovely things for the home, and she carries some of my favorite bath and body products. If you’re ever in Saline - stop in and say hello, you’ll be in for delightful conversation. 

Eldorado General Store - This is one of those stores that makes you want to completely redo everything about your house as soon as you walk in. Inside is an absolutely fascinating collection of treasures, clothing and home goods at a variety of price points. But be warned, you will have to get something for yourself. 

Conscious Clothing - Oh, did you want breezy body-inclusive linen jumpsuits to putz around your house in? I certainly do. Comfy clothes that work for in house lounging, and will surely last long enough to outlive the pandemic and look cute parading around town in.

Body & Self Care

The Butters Hygienics Co - I’ve actually been stalking around this company for quite some time - I was originally enticed by their bath bombs (a perfect gift for anyone else who lives for baths once the weather turns), but they’ve since expanded their offerings and they pretty much have everything, for every part of your body.

Tiani Bodycare - So many delicious smelling things! Lot’s of the ingredients that go into their soaps and such come from local farms as well - I’ve had my eye on their amber glass hand soap bottles, which you can easily buy refills for!

That Gay Guy Candle Co - We all have a friend who can really, truly appreciate well-used vulgarity. I can also really appreciate a business with a big personality. I’m sure they smell amazing, but I would buy these candles just for the label.

Erica Treais Yoga - One of my absolute favorite yoga teachers, and a dear friend. A class package to her virtual studio would be a fantastic gift, as would be a private session for someone who may want a bit more individual attention. Her classes are inclusive, intuitive, and perfect for seasoned yogis and those new to the practice. 

For The Men

Dandy Detroit - I worked with Nelson several years ago in Detroit, and every day, without fail, he showed up dressed to the nines. That’s not to say he was always wearing a suit jacket (though often, he was), but he was always put together, and never made you feel bad for your own lack of outfit effort. If there was anyone I would trust to suit up a man - it would be Nelson. A custom suiting with Dandy would be such an excellent gift for the guy who needs something dapper to wear. 

Today Clothing - I can always tell when I see a guy who works or shops at Today Clothing. They have a fantastic selection of upscale trendy menswear, some really solid everyday pieces as well, and a super nice staff. 

Bivouac - One could easily find gifts for anyone here, but their fine assortment of camping gear and outerwear make this a place I always stop when looking for a holiday gift for my partner. They have lots of Patagonia, Arcteryx, and tons of great gifts under $20. 

Literati - Another spot that a gift could easily be found for anyone, but when men seem impossible to buy for - there’s usually a book that can do the trick. Literati is an independent bookstore and one of the true gems in Ann Arbor.

Plant People

Downtown Home and Garden - I would be truly lost without this store. Live plants, seed packets, seed starting supplies, serious gardening tools as well as silly ones, plant pots, ornaments, fun hats, Polish pottery, all the Le Creuset kitchenware your paycheck can handle, and the nicest staff ever. Need I go on?

University Flower Shop - Dani and her amazing crew of course sell gorgeous flowers, but they also have a wonderful selection of potted plants and lovely home goods that are hard to resist.

Leaf Me Plant Boutique - I had always been a bit nervous about ordering plants online, but after getting a few delivered in tip top shape this year - I’m a believer. This sweet plant boutique out of Detroit delivers healthy plants in fun pots, too! 

Ann Arbor Seed Company - A local seed company is truly something to behold - we have someone breeding seeds right in our very backyard! Eric has plenty of varieties that are all pretty guaranteed to succeed in our funky Michigan climate, including several flower varieties!

Grayes Greenhouse - My dear friend Rachel is the keeper and owner of the magical place, and she really puts it best - people who come here feel like it’s their own special place. It has this magical way of wrapping you up and making you feel at home, even when sharing it with others. So many fun plants at super reasonable prices. Another place I can never leave empty handed.

Happy shopping, friends! Thank you for supporting local businesses this season, and contributing to your local economy.

Goodbye Bhakti, Welcome Wildscape

Bhakti Flowers is now Wildscape Floral Co. 

Same hands behind the bouquet, different name. Why the change? Bhakti is a Sanskrit word that means devotion. From the start, this business has been devotional. I learned about the word bhakti in my yoga teacher training, it was like someone had finally given me a word for all of the things that I was feeling and it was both incredibly relieving and exciting to know that I wasn’t alone in my thought process. I was able to put all of the feelings I had towards growing and working with flowers into one word: Bhakti. I was ready to devote my time, energy, sweat, tears, blood and being into this thing that I so deeply needed to do. 

The way that I understand Bhakti is devotion to a higher purpose, a higher thing, something much bigger than you that you will never be able to truly fathom. For me, that’s plants. That’s perennial peony roots that stretch their pink necks above the soil in spring, it’s the soft doormat that leaves create in the fall, it’s the sweetness of sap stuck to your fingertips. The entire circle of nature was and continues to be, absolutely overwhelmingly vexing and fantastic to me. Something truly worthy of devoting my being to. 

My conviction doesn’t change with this name change. I will still put the same amount of heart into all my work. I certainly hope to always be brought to tears by the first push of tulips each spring, and I aim to bring that wonder and appreciation into each piece I design.

But when it comes down to it, Bhakti Flowers is a business, and most people can’t spell it. Most people can’t pronounce it. Most people don’t know where to put the h. Most people can’t really tell what I’m saying when I speak the word out loud. It’s confusing, in a place where the name of your business really shouldn’t cause confusion. In addition to the confusion behind the word itself, it doesn’t feel right using a Sanskrit word as a white woman. Cultural appropriation exists enough in yoga culture already, and I’d like to participate in that as little as possible. 

Enter Wildscape. I read this word on a website somewhere in the Spring of 2019. I immediately wrote the word on a sticky note and affixed it to my water bottle, where it rode around with me for months. Now, March 2020, the sticky note is on my fridge. I’m shocked that people understand me when I say the word. There’s no hidden h. It’s an English word, and maybe most importantly it immediately speaks to the nature of my work. 

From the beginning I was trying to work the word wild into my business. As my own person, my wildness has been a trait that I have loved and nourished in myself. It’s a large part of my design style with florals, I will never design something that doesn’t pull from the wildness of nature. 

Bhakti will always be a part of my life, now it doesn’t have to be a part of my business. Goodbye Bhakti, Welcome Wildscape. Thank you so much for being here, I can’t wait to see what the future holds.