At Home

NATURE & NURTURE — MOLLY WOOD’S VISION

by Robin H. Phillips

“There’s no better time to nurture ourselves and our families than during the holidays,” says Molly Wood, the talent behind the award-winning landscape design business and retail shop, Molly Wood Garden Design. “And 2020 has been a year when we all could use some extra nurturing,” she adds with a sweet smile.

Known for her landscape design acumen and skillful transformation of garden spaces, fans also love visiting Wood’s charming showroom and studio at 1660 Orange Avenue in Costa Mesa, which she opened in 2008 to share her vision for a creative, comforting living space, and sell her favorite home and garden décor and accessories. “I feel that nature

does nurture our souls,” explains Wood. All year long, shoppers delight in Wood’s carefully curated array of new and vintage garden décor, furniture exclusives, bubbling fountains, lush assortment of indoor and outdoor plants, hand-thrown pottery, and various oneof-a kind treasures — some vintage, some artisanal, and all reflective of Wood’s personal style and brand.

The holiday season, of course, is a time to add a little more magic to our spaces, and Wood embraces that idea heartily and with her signature approach. The Christmas spirit will be in full force at Molly Wood Garden Design on November 6, when the shop will spotlight an extensive collection that Wood and her team have been curating for months. Inspiring tablescapes, centerpieces, vintage and sparkly ornaments + decorative objects, mantle displays and fresh wreaths of Bay Laurel, Boxwood, and Magnolia will abound. New this year is something that Wood is very excited about — a custom-made wooden gift box featuring her attractive logo design. The box itself is an object of beauty. “For holiday, we are putting neat arrays of things inside these lovely little boxes, and we’re thrilled to be able to offer them in the shop and also online at mollywoodgardendesign. com beginning in November,” she says.

From the moment you step on the flat slate stones leading inside the yellow stucco home of Molly Wood Garden Design, a sense of calm and peace envelop you. Wood shows you how to live surrounded by nature — mixing greenery with natural driftwood, stone, clay, paper, straw, and glass. “Growing up in Oregon, my earliest childhood memories are sitting by a creek and building rock pools for my dolls to play in,” explains Wood. “I have always been interested in creating organic environments; nature is perfect. It is my playground and has been my inspiration from day one.”

Wood loves vintage and one-of-a-kind items with a history and she peruses a variety of worldwide markets throughout the year, pandemic permitting. “I love to find something unique and bring it back to my customers. One-of-a-kind items add such a nice, personal touch and become memorable conversation pieces.” From charming wooden goldpainted topped acorns, handmade and vintage ornaments, glassware and wall, table, and mantle decorations, Wood’s finds make terrific gifts for most anyone in your life. “I love for holiday tablescapes and Christmas décor throughout the home to tell a whole story,” she explains. And what a story! If you love to be surrounded with nature and the natural, but also love pops of gold and silver—and even the classic Christmas red—Wood has the goods and the ideas to inspire you. She’s perfected a kind of

Cali-meets-Scandinavia vibe — minimalist, but never boring.

In normal times, Wood would hold her popular soldout tablescape workshops this season. Generally, she focuses on three looks that are interchangeable and evident in the aesthetic around the store: 1) Traditional with a Twist, 2) Modern Organic, 3) Fresh & Clean. While Wood gravitates to the colors and tones you find in nature, she sees holiday time as a bit more adventurous and loves to add those dramatic sparkles, and new + traditional colors and textures. “I love to bring out the red at Christmastime, and of course things that sparkle and glitter too. They really stand out when mixed in with a natural tablescape or mantle design.”

Asked how the pandemic has affected her business, Wood says, “It’s changed the way I buy — for the better. I want now more than ever to support artisans and to have products here with ‘conscience.’ I love female-run cooperatives, and am actively trying to be more responsible in where I source products.” New to the shop are eye-catching white and black papier mâché pots — surprisingly lightweight, rounded, and slightly textured, made by a Haitian Women’s Collective. “I wouldn’t sell anything here that I wouldn’t put in my own home, and I hope for my customers to be surrounded with beauty and warmth during the holidays and beyond,” says Wood.

Molly’s Holiday Must-Haves

1. Her custom logo gift box filled with curated treasures

4. Candles: votives & tapers

2. A collection of Bristle Trees

3. Hand thrown pottery

5. Garlands Galor

MOM + POP

KIDS GIFT GUIDE

By Kim Newett

This season, when creating some magic for your kids, consider shopping small. Small businesses throughout Southern California have been hit hard this year by retail shutdowns of non-essential stores while their big box competitors have benefited from the lack of competition.

As we head toward the holidays, please remember that even if stores face more closures, or you are not comfortable shopping inside, most retailers are now offering curbside pickups, website ordering, and social media posts of popular ideas for your gifting needs. Even better, nobody knows more what kids are looking for this holiday than a specialty toy store owner. I reached out to a handful of them to find out what are some of their favorite toys this season.

The Red Balloon Newport Beach

When a neighboring toy store in their center closed last year, the Red Balloon answered the needs of the community by adding a toy room to the back of their popular women’s and children’s apparel store. With a focus on true specialty products that are perfect as gifts, the toy room has developed quite a following. One of their most popular brands is Fat Brain Toys, a line that adds innovative twists to classic toys. This season, Janice, the owner of the store, is excited to have Shape Factory on the shelf. Children ages 2+ will enjoy pushing the big button to twist the top of the toy creating new shapes. The child then examines the ten pieces to find the matching shape and pushes it through the shape factory. Introduced at the beginning of the year, this toy is the winner of American Specialty Toy Retailing Association’s “Best Toys for Kids” 2020. $25.99 | www.redballoonltd.com, (949) 631-3500

Engine Ear Toys Newport Beach

Engine Ear Toys offers a beautiful variety of toys to its Fashion Island clientele. Nick, the owner, has stocked the store well for the season with tried and true selections, but it is the new items that excite him most. This year, the store will be offering Airfort’s Starry Night fort for the young and not so young. The construction of this fort is ingenious— it attaches to a box fan that blows air into it, immediately inflating it into a 6.5’ diameter magical space for stories, playing, watching movies, or just hanging out. Turn off the fan and put the fort in the bag it comes with for easy clean up. The glowing stars on the ceiling of this particular style have made it a fan favorite (pun intended). Ages 2+ HINT: Use an extension cord and take the fun outside. $59.99 | (949) 640-0114

KidCreate Studio Dana Point

Give your kids the gift of creativity and imagination. KidCreate is a children’s art studio that offers group and private art lessons as well as birthday parties. Due to COVID, they now offer virtual options of both of those things as well. With parents looking for ways to supplement their child’s learning experience both on the screen and in limited hybrid class times, gifting art lessons is a great way for your little one to spend downtime. It is also a little gift to yourself — an hour here or there which can serve as “me time” while your little one is occupied making masterpieces you will love.

Call or visit their website for class schedules and sign ups. | www.kidcreate.com/dana-point, (949) 545-7091

Geppetto’s 9 locations throughout San Diego County Known for picking the crème de la crème of children’s toys, Geppetto’s is often a stop included in family day trips to San Diego. Whether it be their Old Town location, the Seaport, or downtown La Jolla, this store is a great family destination. This year, when stocking up for the holidays, owner Brian was excited to find a new-to-the-US market line called StudioStone — a collection of craft kits that all kids ages 8 & up will enjoy. Created by a Canadian sculptor for his teacher friend to use in her classroom, this kit includes a cookie cutter-shaped stone, and real metal file for kids to use as they shape the stone into a beautiful animal sculpture. They finish it off by polishing their new work of art with wax to reveal the beauty of the stone. As Brian says, the kids will receive a tangible gift, as well as the gift of the process. | www.geppettostoys.com

Tiddlywinks Old Town Orange

When you step into this beautifully curated toy store, one of the first things greeting you is OTTO (Old Town Tiger of Orange), a life-sized tiger that sits atop a gondola filled with animal figures and play sets from Schleich — one of Germany’s classic toy lines. As a Schleich flagship store, Tiddlywinks’ assortment is the best in the area. There are countless horses, dinosaurs, wildlife, and sea life creatures from which to choose. For holiday, owner Jeanie loves the Mobile Vet kit. It comes with a van that opens up to be a vet office, attending to the needs of a child’s horse collection. The set also includes a doctor and a foal. Ages 5+, $59.99. | www.tiddlywinksoc.com, (714) 997-8697

San Marino Toy and Book Shoppe San Marino

Kelley, the new owner of this iconic children’s store, has brought a new eye to product selection. Known for great children’s books and author events, the store has an equally impressive toy section. This season, Kelley is excited to be featuring Djeco’s Zig and Go. Djeco is a French company that uses a variety of artists from around the world to create stunning products that have equally gorgeous packaging. Using that same formula, they created a line of cause-and-effect building sets that allow kids to get creative with the domino effect. Kits include domino-sized blocks, wooden balls, wheels, and other accessories that create one-of-a-kind courses each time the child builds it out. Ages 8+. www.toysandbooks.com, (626) 309-0222

The Game Chest, Irvine (and 4 locations throughout OC and LA)

If you are looking for a game for anyone on your list, The Game Chest is a great place to go. Their incredibly knowledgeable staff and extremely versatile selection should have you covered for any age, interest, and/or gaming style from ages 2+. This year, they are featuring a newly hyped family game designed to bring together multiple generations. Mind the Gap is a trivia game that divides the board into four sections, each represent different eras. Players race their way around the board, answering questions in each section to move forward. Teams that have players of different ages are bound to do best. Boomers, Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z — finally a game you can all play together. Ages 10+, $29.99. www.thegamechest.com

Puzzle Zoo, Costa Mesa (and 4 locations throughout LA)

Puzzle Zoo has big news this season! They are partnering with their vendor, Ravensburger, to open the first-ever Ravensburger store across from their own location in South Coast Plaza. This is a unique opportunity for Puzzle Zoo to bring an even bigger selection of puzzles, games, and classic toys manufactured or distributed by this brand to the area. One of the products the team believes will be hot this season is Gravitrax, a building system that allows kids to create their own roller coaster-type construction using STEM based concepts of math and physics. Ages 8+. Kits start at $59.99. | www.puzzlezoo.com