Our Christmas Gifts: Richmond Type Map, Tea Kettle, and Personalized Address Stamp

In the middle of all the new-house excitement, we realized we hadn’t yet shared what we gave each other for Christmas. (And no, we didn’t buy each other fish sticks — that was just me joking around as part of our new rule to watch our language around the baby.)

Sherry took the crown for “best gift.” She’s been steadily adding to our art collection, and this year she considered a few Richmond-themed pieces before choosing the perfect piece: a Richmond Type Map that uses typography to form the city’s neighborhoods and streets.

The map is striking — bright colors define neighborhood areas while the black grid is made up of street names. It’s a great gift if you love Richmond, maps, and typography. A bonus: a portion of the proceeds supports a local youth arts organization called Art180. We haven’t decided on a permanent spot for the print yet, so for now it’s resting among the other frames in our family room waiting to be hung.

I came in a close second for “best gift.” Since Sherry has been drinking more tea lately, I bought her a proper tea kettle so she can stop heating water in the microwave, plus two new mugs. The kettle is the Chantal Loop in cobalt blue — a color that happens to echo the paint on the backs of our built-ins — and the mugs, called “Tunnel Vision,” are from Fishs Eddy in New York City. I liked the little nod to NYC, where we met, and to the East Coast roots Sherry still loves.

Gift giving isn’t a competition, but there was one category where we tied. My sister picked Sherry’s name in our family’s “Petersik Sibling Gift Exchange,” which keeps the adults from going overboard by limiting each person to one recipient. I’d suggested a customized Three Designing Women address stamper to help with return addresses for thank-you notes and holiday cards now that we’ve moved. Sherry apparently had the same idea and ordered one for me as well, so we ended up each opening a personalized stamp just seconds apart.

Because these are custom items we couldn’t return them, but we chose two different designs — mine is the one on top, and Sherry’s is the one on the bottom — so we still get some variety when stamping our address. As it turned out, Sherry actually prefers the design my sister picked for her, so she’s delighted despite the overlap. It’s a small, useful gift that will make everyday tasks like mailing letters feel a little more special.

So that’s how we surprised each other this year, with a mix of art, practical kitchen gear, and personalized stationery. We enjoy gifts that reflect our interests — home decor, meaningful local art, and simple tools that brighten daily life. If you celebrated the holidays recently, we’d love to hear what home-related items you received or gave. Any favorite finds or quirky ceramic animals in the mix?

Update: You can check out our curated holiday decor favorites — many priced under $15 — in our holiday round-up.