If you’ve been to St Croix around the holidays, you know why we call it Christmas Island! There are so many festive holiday events like the St Croix Christmas Boat Parade and it’s the time of year that we celebrate Carnival with mini-events, the fair grounds and the big Three Kings Day Parade. It’s really the most wonderful time of the year.

In celebration of this magical time of giving, here is my annual list of my favorite gifts – all created right here on St Croix – that you can share whether you are on St Croix or not. #shoplocalstx

Custom MyStCroix.VI T-Shirts

Our line of T-shirts and apparel is made for the entire family and can exclusively be purchased online. Each design is custom-made and helps us to keep sharing our love for the Big Island. If you love St Croix and what we do, share the love with one of our designs. Be sure to check back often as more designs become available!  Shop @MyStCroix

Shop new arrivals

Bottles Reimagined

Bottles Reimagined is one of my favorite new St Croix businesses! Judi & Jeff collect discarded bottles that would otherwise end up in our landfill (there is sadly no commerical recycling on our island). After collecting the bottles, they hand-craft them into drinking glasses, carafes, hurricane lanterns and now… candles! The candles are to-die-for soy candles with delicious scents that include many of the Cruzan Rum flavors. Check out their newest flavor “Cruzan Confusion” inspired by that infamous rum cocktail that tastes delish but will knock you on your keister!

Be sure to visit their website www.bottlesreimagined.com to look through all their beautiful creations that include more than just rum bottles (you’ll find limited edition products from Vodka, Whiskey bottles and more!)

Danielle Kerns-Robinson 300MF

Local artist Danielle Kerns-Robinson creates the most beautiful bags, passport holders, backpacks and more out of vibrantly colored African wax print fabric. Her bags are incredibly well crafted and unique – each one is a piece of art! She also makes jewelry and other artwork. You can find her hand-crafted pieces in her Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/shop/300mf or catch her at Art Thursday or other local craft fairs.

Make 300MF bags a part of your travel ensemble!

Turtle Girl Designs

I absolutely adore the whimsical sea creature inspired designs by local marine biologist and “Turtle Girl” Jeanne Garner, PhD. Jeanne has worked on St Croix studying and promoting conservation of the endangered sea turtles that find their way to our shores to nest. Needing a creative outlet, she started to share her love for the sea with custom-painted glassware. And it was a hit! Being produced by hand, each glass is unique. Be sure to check out all of her FUNctional aquatic inspired designs in her Etsy Shop www.etsy.com/shop/STXTurtleGirlDesigns

Itiba Body & Spa Products

This isn’t the first time that Itiba products have made my Holiday Favorites list! And that’s because I’m a HUGE fan. You can shop for Itiba at their Frederiksted shop where all the magic happens, find their full product line on their website www.itibabeauty.com … and now you can even add products while shopping on Amazon! Your skin is the largest organ in your body and absorbs everything you put on it. Personally, I prefer to “feed” my skin with all-natural, high-quality and decadently scented soaps, body butters and oils. I love that when I put a bar of Itiba Soap in my shower – my entire bathroom smells incredible. Scents are inspired by the natural world here on St Croix … one of my favorites is the Carib Lime which is a great unisex-scent and pick me up for the morning. The Carib Lime body spray not only makes your skin feel smooth but doubles as an all natural bug spray to keep way the no-see-ums and mosquitoes.

Tags & Treats for Your Pets that support a great cause!

Don’t forget your furry kids! This holiday season give your pets the gift of a voice in case they get lost. These adorable ID tags are small enough to fit on your pet’s collar (they come with a clip for attaching) and have a fun design that is reminiscent of your state (or territory)’s driver’s license! And by using this link www.tagsforhope.com/?cause=217 25% of the proceeds will go directly to Sunshine Foundation a local 501(c)3 non-profit that provides low cost spay/neuter services for feral cats in our community and provides rescue and rehabilitation services for special cases of neglect and abuse.

If you happen to be on St Croix – pop into Jump Up Deli in Christiansted where you’ll find locally made art along with pet toys and treats! Profits from this incredible, volunteer operated shop benefit the various animal welfare organizations on St Croix. You can also sign up for a variety of art classes offered in their gallery!

Deck the Walls with Local Photography

And lastly, if you like the images you see here on our website or on our popular My St Croix Facebook Page – you can find some of them here to order for prints or other items. I’ve always been drawn to landscape and architecture photography and using them to graphically share a story. You’ll find a selection of my favorite images from St Croix and other places I’ve visited in my online gallery of wall art. Check back often as I’m just getting a lot of these uploaded in time for the holidays!