Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and we could all use a little extra love this year! The pandemic has made finding love a particularly difficult task, but lesbians have proven they can find love in any hopeless place. For those of you who took a chance on new love, have rekindled an old love, or are just looking to spend time with that special someone, what better day to to celebrate that love than Valentine’s Day?
Of course, this probably means buying your love a little something to show her just how much you care. And if your special someone is, like me, a lover of art, self care, and all earthy, crunchy, spiritual things, you might be having some trouble figuring out just what to buy for her. Fortunately, I am here to help! Throughout the pandemic, I have become quite the expert on small businesses that cater to earth goddesses like me. So if the love in your life happens to be a tree-hugging, oil-rubbing, bath-bombing, recycling kind of babe, this is the gift guide for you! (And if anyone is reading this and loves me, I would like something from these creators for Valentine’s Day, if I didn’t already make that clear).
Created by Chantel Robertson, Upful Blends is a supplement and tea smorgasbord. Chantel studied the different effects that herbal combinations have on the body, mind, and spirit through her own usage. She now shares her experiences, along with information on the benefits that teas and supplements can have on a variety of ailments. All of the herbs used in blends and supplements are grown in an environmentally conscious and sustainable way. I would recommend gifting a “Love for the Lymph” blend to your special someone. It’s a nice entryway into these specialty blends.
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Abril is one of my favorite farmers on Instagram. First of all, she gardens and farms while dressed for the gods. I thought I was the only person who did dirty work with my face beat! Herbs for various teas are some of her favorite things to grow and she has begun sharing that love of teas by opening her own online tea shop. She offers an array of tea blends for overall wellness and even offers an option for a customized blend. She also helps to expand the herbalist community and offers herbalism and tea business courses to those that are interested. If you know your earthy femme well, tea or a course should be an incredible gift for them!
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In my opinion, there is never a bad time for a big hoop! With a focus on earrings and anklets, Ophelia of OLJ creations always comes through with new twists. She is a specialist in color combinations, sparkles, and all things that pop. She also does custom orders and has created both winter and astrological sign collections. I don’t know about you but nothing makes me feel more in-tune with my spirit than a pair of large bamboos that shout “Capricorn!” “My goal is to make my supporters feel beautiful, confident and warm when they wear my creations. Like Valentine’s Day is every day,” Ophelia tells GO.
I ought to start sending Ariana a weekly check for jewelry because the pieces that she creates leave me breathless every time. There is absolutely no limit to the things they can create with a beading needle. Beadwork is a connection for Ari to her past, tribal ancestry, and a home they are far from. You feel that love ground into everything that they create. The gravitational pull that I have towards their mushroom earrings is surreal. They would definitely be my pick for Valentine’s day.
“As an Indigenous artist, it’s vital to create artwork with intention. I surrender a part of myself in every piece of beadwork I create, so it’s extremely important to me that those pieces I send out into the world are filled with love, respect, gratitude, and positive energy,” Ari tells GO. “Seeing people wear my work, whether it’s for big events or day-to-day fills me with so much joy. It’s been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.”
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A candle is never a bad gift but you definitely can’t go wrong with a candle that says, “ Look at you getting your own apartment and shit”. Do you like candles that smell like cereal? Cinnabons? Pies? Eternal Light candle has a candle for everyone and the presentation, literally, is good enough to eat. From their cinnamon toast crunch candle that looks like it actually has cinnamon toast crunch on it, to their cupcake-styled candles that scream encouragements at you, they really sell a candle for everyone. You can also ask them to personalize it for you! Specific recommendations? Anything! I’d buy everything they keep in stock if I could.
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Vegalia brought together a group of 14 artists of color to design a coloring book filled with ethereal fairies, nymphs, and every other magical creature you can imagine. By doing so, Vegalia handed us a childhood dream that I for one didn’t think I would realize: Black Magical characters. A multidisciplinary artist herself, Vegalia does everything from designing specialty brushes that make digitally drawing natural hair available for all artists, to well… taking us back to our childhoods with delightfully artful and inclusive coloring books.
What earthy queen wouldn’t want to be surrounded by other earthy queens? If you’d like to gift your earth goddess with well… herself, I’d suggest you check out Zola Art Factory! Prints, stickers, coloring books, you name it and Brittany Anne is selling it and they all feature Black and Brown women. Her pieces encapsulate Black and Brown women’s true beauty and surrounds them with gorgeous flora and fauna. Her pieces are big and bold and don’t shy away from earth tones. They would make great gifts for new apartments or to bring a bedroom back to life. “I draw as a form of self care and a form of escape. I’ve been drawing most of my life, so it’s a huge part of who I am.” Brittany Anne tells GO.
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How cool are handmade brooms??? Sav from Tap Root Goods is both an Afro-Indigenous farmer, herbalist, and artisan who sells both herbal products and handwoven brooms that differ in size, shape, and personalized touches. They are also completely compostable! Sav is actively getting back in touch with traditional practices and often talks about the ancestral linkages and the spirituality of both making brooms and the act of sweeping.
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Lingerie and intimates are always a ~fun~ gift to receive for Valentine’s Day. Not just because you get to be playful in a different kind of way, but because it encourages us to flaunt all of the goods the universe blessed us with (or the goods we blessed ourselves with). At We Are Unapologetic, each lingerie and pajama piece is stitched by hand. Yes, you read that right. Made by hand individually because the CEO Chey is just good like that. AND she offers sizes from XXS-7X and 28A-55N. Because Chey makes each piece herself, once a set is sold, you may not see it again. Nothing says self care like walking around in something that makes you feel sexy; your earthy crunchy femme knows that well and will appreciate having something new to do that in.
If your earth goddess would like to get her grow on year-round, and not just in the warmer months, FullCircle26,Inc should be your next stop! Specializing in Hydroponics and sustainability, FullCircle has different options for every type of grower. From growing in your own home, to teaching young people how to cultivate their own food sources, FullCircle has something for everyone. For a simplistic option, I would suggest purchasing anything in the Microgreen series! The small, lightbulb-like terrariums grow a small amount of greens or cute plants and include everything you would need to begin. Although a more experienced grower might enjoy something like the Grow cube, Grow Frame, or the O2 Light farm. I mean, I would enjoy them. Hint hint.
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Hopefully this thread of incredible businesses gives you some great inspiration for this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Be patient with these businesses and know that you’re buying something one of a kind that someone put their love into! If you do shop with any of these businesses and your Earthy Goddex loves their gift (which I know they will), please shout out the business online and tell them who sent you! Happy Valentine’s Day!
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