Episode 16: Gifts You Won’t Hate with Mimi Striplin

Welcome to our podcast– The Jess Connolly Podcast!

This podcast is for you. It’s not my podcast, it’s ours. It’s for people who crave light-hearted conversations and deeply spiritual truths. It’s for those of us who are busy, tired, waiting, growing, dreaming, working, or praying about what’s next.

In this episode, Mimi and Jess share one gift we want to give or get from a handful of categories, and our hope is that by the end of this episode, you’ve got some great ideas of what to ask for or what to give your people!

Let’s Go.

Don’t Miss:

⁠Get the links for the gifts Jess + Mimi mention in this episode!⁠

We’re so excited to partner with Compassion International and to invite you into the partnership as well. It’s not just changing the lives of children; it’s changing entire families. Whole communities. When you sponsor a child, you ensure access to quality education, medical checkups, healthy food, clean water and most importantly, the love of Jesus. To sponsor a child today you can text JESS at 83393 or go to ⁠Compassion.com/JESS⁠. Let’s go.

Episode Transcript:

Hey friends, I'm Jess Connolly.

I'm an author, a coach, a Bible teacher and a local church leader.

And I love talking to real people who know what it means to have full lives but also want to walk in abundance.

This podcast is for you.

It's not my podcast, it's ours.

0:19

It's for people who crave light hearted conversations and deeply spiritual truth.

It's for people who are busy, tired, waiting, growing, dreaming, working, or praying about what's next.

Wherever you're listening from, if it's quiet, mundane or busy, I am praying for you.

0:39

And I'm so glad you're here.

Let's go.

Listen, I don't know about you, but the only thing I like more than shopping for myself is shopping for other people.

And what is really a beautiful experience is when you can shop for other people and you're using their money.

0:58

So really, today's episode is that I've got my friend Mimi from the tiny dassel here.

Thank you for joining us.

We want to shop for you.

Yes, I'm excited for this.

I want everyone to shop for me, but I also love shopping for others.

And yeah, getting all the cute gifts and things.

1:13

I feel like today is fun because number one, you and I, it's kind of nice to sit and say, like, what do you want, what do I want?

Also, it's nice to think, pause and get strategic about what you want to get your people.

The Instagram 8 slightly bossy part of me just also wants to tell other people what to buy.

1:32

Same.

And you know I'm an 8 also, right?

I don't.

I didn't know that because you're such a dental 8.

No.

Someone recently told me I was a bull in a China shop.

In the best way, Yeah.

When I told her that I was an 8 and I was like, thank you, I received that.

I'm gonna channel that into my gift giving, OK?

1:50

Are you an 8 Wing 9?

I don't know.

OK.

I wouldn't be surprised.

I think 8 Wing nines are like unicorns.

I think they're so interesting and beautiful.

Yeah.

OK, well, let's have fun.

So Mimi's here.

Mimi, you run the tiny tassel.

2:06

You've been on the podcast before in past iterations.

Will you tell our current listeners, I would love to hear again just a story of how the tiny tassel started.

Yeah, I started the tiny tassel in 2015 here in Charleston with an Etsy shop and Instagram account.

2:22

And like all of the boldness in the world, and it's grown now over the past eight years into a brick and mortar.

We wholesale our products across the country and my mom designs our clothing.

I design our jewelry and accessories.

And we support other female found at brands and carry their products in store.

2:40

Yeah, it's wild.

And, you know, I like to brag on you anytime I can.

I mean, the tiny tassel is like the place to go in Charleston.

It's a great just like fun whether you live here or whether you're a tourist.

It's a great place to just stop by and you get like a real taste of Charleston.

2:56

And it's beauty.

But you guys are also making national waves.

I every time I see you on like the Today Show or going Morning America, I lose my mind.

And I'm so proud of my friend.

We all are just killing it.

Thank you.

It's been really surreal at times, but also so fulfilling to know that we're changing the game of small business, of retail and just making it life giving again.

3:19

Because for so long for me, it was not working at other shops, through high school, college and after.

And I want to recreate that through our business.

Yeah, so good.

I love it.

OK, So what we're going to do today is we're going to walk you through multiple different categories of gifts.

3:36

So you have lots of of option.

So we're going to go all the way from like thoughtful handmade to fanciest fantasy gift.

And I bless those of you who might go straight for the fantasy gift who might be able to get it.

I'm like, in Jesus name.

3:51

Will you tag us?

I mean, you do.

It my note, I put LOL in all caps next to mine so we'll see.

Lol I'm obsessed.

Wait, I just saw your your fantasy gift.

Me too.

I goes out on that.

OK, but we're you're going to leave this episode with multiple ideas for gifts that you might want to ask for yourself or that you might want to get for somebody else.

4:12

So let's start with our first category of a thoughtful gift you're hoping to give or hoping to get now.

Thoughtful just means meaningful.

This one doesn't have to mean homemade.

OK, this one, I mean, I literally just gifted it to you.

4:29

You literally did you and it actually meant so much to me.

It's one of my favorite things we launch every year, our holiday.

Candle and it's made here in Charleston by a friend of mine who owns the Scape Haven and Co.

So it is handmade and it's just beautiful and festive.

4:46

And I would pair it with a gift card to my favorite local bookstore.

I love that.

That's such a thoughtful gift.

Well, I love the candle.

I just smelled it.

I would like to say cosign.

That would make an amazing gift.

And of course, you guys know we're going to give you links to all of these items in the show notes.

5:04

OK.

My thoughtful gift that I would give or hope to get is from the Go On Tellgal shop, and it's a fan favorite.

And we actually just brought it back in a new iteration.

We call it the women before me, but the front of the T-shirt says the women before me would be proud and the back of it says the women after me will be free.

5:23

And we made it in a long sleeve this time so that people can wear it in all seasons.

And I have to say, I came up with the idea for this shirt.

The first one was AT shirt on a boat.

I was on a boat with my mom and my sister, and I was just looking at them, and the phrase just popped into my head.

5:40

And I think I said it out loud to them.

And they were like, wow, that's beautiful or something.

And I was like, I mean, I'm gonna put that on a D shirt, but I have to say, I hear the most meaningful stories from women who gift it to their grandmothers or their aunts or like, their younger sister.

5:56

And it's a it's super inspiring to give to women who are maybe going through a rough season or who are coming out of something just to to speak life over them in that way.

Yeah, I love it.

Now this one, a homemade gift you're giving or would love to get.

We really kind of landed in the same arena, but now I actually really want to ask for this from somebody else.

6:16

Same.

So my best friend gave me framed pictures from her Bachelorette that we went on last fall or Christmas.

And right now we laugh because it's a little creepy.

They're the only framed pictures I have in my house because I'm at that level of life, no.

6:32

And it's just me and her at this Bachelorette in Scottsdale wearing like head to toe pink.

It's very cute, but I love having those pictures in my home.

I want you to know that except for one wall, I have one wall upstairs in my house that I just happened like a year ago to put up 12 I think framed pictures and the wall's too big for 12.

6:54

I really need to put up like 30.

But other than that, I have one photograph in my house.

I could be living in an Airbnb.

Yeah, that's basically me wild.

So that was mine.

We go through my phone and pick the best pictures and get them printed and put them in frames for me.

7:10

I love that.

I don't even care if they put them in frames.

Will you just get them printed?

I'm beyond scrapbooking at this point.

It's not gonna happen.

But just even maybe like a really cheap flip photo album that I can keep on my table, Yeah.

That would be good idea.

I think it's great though that like someone else go through the pictures part and do it.

7:30

Cuz I take so many pictures, right?

And I need someone else's eye to be like, okay, that one out of the 100 that you took it that same day.

Yes, it's the one that needs to be printed.

I'll tell you what I'd even settle for.

Somebody would just make a folder on my phone, it said print these, that's.

That's you.

7:47

That would be great.

OK, that's a a homemade gift that you could make.

Print some photos, put them in frames, maybe if you're feeling adventurous, make the scrapbook because nobody has them anymore and we need them.

OK, A practical gift that you would want to give or you would want to get.

8:04

OK, the best gift I received last year besides the frame pictures was a certificate for house cleaning.

And I have to preface this and say like I live alone, I don't have children, it is just me and it felt like the guiltiest thing to like buy house.

8:23

Cleaning at one point of my life and now I thrive, yeah.

Like, it's my one thing that I set money aside every month and it's so.

So fulfilling to like, know it is OK to have your house clean.

I love that.

I love that.

And I am so glad.

8:38

You're like casting off any shame about it for sure.

I mean, this one is a good one because you could like turn it all the way around.

Like somebody could say I'm going to actually just come clean your house.

Like this is my certificate that I'm going to do that for a Sunday.

Do you know like if that somebody gave me a couple years ago for Christmas?

8:54

That was really practical like this, but also beautiful.

My friend did the math about how much it would take for me to buy Trader Joe's flowers every single week and she wrote me a check.

I think the check was for like 313 dollars or something like that.

9:11

And she was like, now you buy Trader Joe's flowers every single week when you go to the grocery store.

Just one bouquet.

That is the sweetest and most thoughtful gift ever.

But I did it.

It, like, gave me the mental permission.

Yeah.

You know, Yes.

I love that so much.

OK, you had another practical one that I like.

9:28

Yes, my Buddha girl.

Bengals.

Is that what you're wearing every day?

Yes.

OK, Anna, Victor said.

Is in our office right now.

She is agreeing.

I was with Anna when she bought hers and I remember looking at her and saying, I think these are going to change your life.

I appreciate that.

9:43

Both of you would agree these are practical, Yeah?

They're so practical at first glance.

Some people are like, what are these like, what's the deal?

But I've had my set for seven years.

They're waterproof.

Wow.

Every day.

Like, I've gotten my money.

Spur.

Wait, I'm definitely buying some.

I'm.

9:59

I need some.

What am I doing in my life?

OK, my practical gift that I would really like to get.

Nick Connolly.

If you're listening, I'm ready for an R place pan.

I can 2nd that I have the mini set and I'm here for it and they weren't great for you.

10:19

Thank you Nick.

Just FY I I want the brown one.

No surprise.

That was gonna be my question.

What color?

But, well, the brown one in your brown era.

I know when Selena Gomez just did a collab with them and she made a brown one.

I saw that it's really beautiful.

10:36

Whenever they release new colors, I'm like, I need another pan, which I don't because they work so well and they've held up so well.

Yeah, it's a good purchase.

I'm ready.

Now, the reason why Nick would get me anything.

I mean, he's so kind.

He's nice.

But like, the reason why he hasn't bought them for me yet and why I keep saying no is because I don't cook.

10:54

And so he's like, I'd be buying knee pans, Yeah, for you, for the aesthetic, for you.

They would look nice, but they would look nice.

But he's very particular about his pans, so he's like, I'd actually just rather pick the pans I want.

And I don't need brown ones.

I'm like right, But I do.

He might be converted to our place pans, though.

11:11

They're pretty good.

Maybe if you could just give me a small one that I can make my own eggs in.

Yes, I feel like that's.

Fair.

You can start there and I could keep it on the counter.

We're gonna take a short break and we will be right back.

Friends, I am so excited that here on the Just Connolly Podcast we are partnering with Compassion International and we want to invite you into that partnership as well.

11:37

I believe in Compassion's mission to release children from poverty in Jesus name, and I am so grateful to say that I've seen the impact myself.

One of my favorite things to do every couple of months is to get a letter from my sponsored child.

And it's just a joy to hear her life, to hear how God is moving in her life.

11:56

And I'm so grateful to invite you into this as well.

We're not just changing the lives of children when we partner with compassion, we're changing entire families.

We're getting to partner with God as he does that.

Whole communities, the local church, all of it.

12:12

When you sponsor a child through compassion, you are ensuring access to quality education, medical checkups, healthy food, clean water, and most importantly, discipleship.

They get to hear about the love of Jesus from a local church in their community.

12:28

I hope you'll join me in sponsoring a child through compassion.

All you have to do right now is pull out your phone, open up a text and text the word Jess Jess 283393.

You will immediately actually get back a text with a picture of a child who is waiting for sponsorship and a link to sponsor that child.

12:50

Again, pull out your phone, open a text, and type the word Jess to the phone number 83393.

You can also go to compassion.com/jess to choose a specific boy or girl to sponsor.

13:05

When you sponsor a child, Compassion is actually going to send you a copy of my book.

You are the girl for the job as a thank you for investing in the life of this child.

This is a win, win, win.

You get to help a specific child see a community, a family, and a local church.

13:24

Carry out the mission of Jesus, and you get a copy of you or the girl for the job if you already have one.

Give it to a friend.

Thank you for joining me and sponsoring a child through compassion.

I'm so glad we get to do this together.

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13:40

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We're back and now we're going stocking stuffings or small gifts.

We're both gonna hit tiny tassel because you guys have the best small gifts.

15:13

We really do, yeah.

I say that from the most, like, loving place, Yeah.

Well, I would say you can say from place of authority, yes.

From place of authority, we really we try.

We put so much care into the gifts that we're curating because we understand not everyone is a tassel wearer.

15:30

Not everyone is gonna wear the hot pink pants, but we love to have gifts for everyone on your list.

Yeah, okay, talk about these earrings that I'm wearing because I love these.

These would be an amazing, like even like a favorite things party or something like that.

What are these called?

15:45

So this is the Mary Murray earring.

They're beautiful gold ginkgo leaf.

And they are just like.

They feel so luxed and like, yeah, you can wear them with the T-shirt and jeans and like feel instantly dressed up and they're under $40.00.

So it's a beautiful style that I think everyone that has them wears them over and over.

16:05

OK, I love these.

The Mary Murray's, these are great.

I also really like the mini tortoise hoops from the tiny tassel and those are also nice.

Like you could super elevate any outfit with them.

They're casual.

Those have been a good gift for like, the tween.

16:20

Teenage too.

So if they're like coming into hoops, want something a little bigger but can't handle like a real full statement, that's a good one For any age, that's really good.

But you guys also have ornaments.

Yes, ornaments make such a good stocking stuffer.

16:37

Or like small Topper of a gift.

Yes.

Do you have a favorite ornament?

I do.

We just got it back in.

It's this cute little colorful black Nutcracker.

Last year, it was like the most coveted item that we sold.

We didn't even know it was going to be a thing.

16:53

We sold out within minutes and our customers, like, harassed us in the most loving.

Oh my gosh.

To get them back again.

But they're so, so special.

OK, I love that.

All right, we're going to link to all of these, but definitely you need some little baby ornaments.

17:09

OK, now we're getting to the fun stuff.

A fantasy gift, or even just a fancy gift.

I love both of yours.

OK, I'll start with the the more practical of the two.

Not that the other isn't practical and fun, but I've been on a skin journey all year.

17:27

Like body changing, hormones changing and the red light mask, I have been influenced.

You have it.

I don't have it yet.

I have an influence where it's on my Christmas list.

OK like that much.

Where I'm like it can make the list.

17:42

As soon as I saw this in the notes, I was like, wait, me too.

But for real?

For real?

Yeah, I think I really want one too.

Yeah, like I want to be laying in my bed every morning and night.

I don't know how often you're supposed to use it, but I want to be laying there with this thing on my face and just letting it do its thing.

17:59

I think that's what God is saying.

Okay red light mask.

You also have another fantasy gift.

Okay.

So my other If anyone wants to give me a trip to Paris, yeah, I think they do.

My favorite place on Earth.

18:15

I just feel so much peace eat so many croissants.

It's the most beautiful place to me on Earth.

I love it.

So good.

I want you to know that one of my toxic traits is that I do kind of always think that somebody is going to get me a fantasy gift.

There have been multiple years of my life where I was like, pretty sure Nick was going to buy me a car on Christmas.

18:36

And then I was disappointed.

And later I would tell him, like, I just kind of thought we were going to do the whole, like, red bow in the driveway thing.

And he was like, what do you think life is like?

I don't understand.

Like, what?

I also, how do you think people buy cars?

Like I would need you there, you know, But I don't know.

18:53

I just think I feel so hopeful about all possibilities at all times that I really do think fantasy gifts can be mine.

OK, so my fantasy gifts for this year, which I do not perceive that I will be getting, but that I would be so blessed if one of you guys got is I would like the Over the Ear Ear Pods.

19:09

I don't think that's what they're called.

The big headphones.

The Big Apple earphones.

The Airpods Max.

OK.

What color would you get?

I've been thinking about it and I think I would probably get, I think there's like a silvery white.

19:27

I think I'd probably get that.

I don't think they have a gold, which is what I would want.

And I don't think I want the black.

Yeah.

Yeah, I could see that because in my fantasy, Nick and I both get them and I know he would want the black, yeah.

You know he can't have the same color.

We have the same color.

We'd get them mixed up.

Oh, there's a Reddy pink.

19:44

Yeah.

There's a red pink.

Wow.

Wow.

I do hope somebody gets them.

I don't perceive that I'll be getting them.

But then my other thing is, as you've been going through a skin journey, I've been going through a hair journey and I'm in a very discouraged place with my hair.

20:01

I do believe that if I got the Dyson Air wrap, my life would change.

Yes, I think it would fix me.

I've watched enough videos on the Internet that I think it would do.

I thank.

You.

I've heard that you can get them refurbished.

I'm looking into maybe getting one refurbished.

20:17

OK, that's very practical.

Yeah, Thank you.

But still, like, that's a fantasy gift.

You know, I'm like, how do I get sponsored by Dyson Air wrap?

Yeah.

Can I do that?

Yeah.

Thank you.

That would be my next fantasy gift.

OK, very last question.

20:33

I love this one because I'm a big, experienced person.

We try to give our kids some kind of experience for Christmas.

What's an experience gift that you would give or that you would hope to get?

OK, hope to get massage gift cards all the time. 100% I will go on a Tuesday morning.

20:52

I will go whenever, yeah.

Yes.

It's just something that is so needed in this season of my life.

I get so much shoulder tension.

Yeah, ever goes away, so I'm always here for that.

And then also just like time certificates which that sounds.

21:08

Like, so extra to, like, put the title on it, but to hang out with friends.

And even if it's like we're just sitting on the couch reading together.

But that's our time together.

Because I found that this season where like a lot of my friends are either business owners as well or starting families or finishing residences.

21:27

Like we're all in such busy full seasons of our lives and just to have even an hour together has been so special.

I love that.

I love that so much.

OK, here are mine.

I would accept any of these as gifts.

Teach me to make sourdough with a small caveat of like could you come over and help me like on week two and week 3?

21:48

Because I think I might need follow up.

Yeah, I would really like to be a person who makes sourdough, but my husband has made it very clear that if I.

Don't.

If I don't know what I'm doing, I'm gonna just make our house smell again.

Which is what happened the last time.

I just smelled like nasty, like burnt yeast for like.

22:05

I mean you just like when I say I can't cook, I want to explain that you mean when you got here to the office for a court today I usually caught the microwave on fire trying to make tea.

So the kitchen and I are not super safe, but I would like to be a person who makes sourdough.

22:22

Anybody who would sign up for a race with me, I can be bossed around if somebody said, hey, I signed up for this half marathon, we're doing it together.

It's you don't even have to think about it.

I like that too.

I think that would be really fun.

Or book a group personal training session together.

22:38

Like, hey, I got us a trainer, We're gonna do, you know, we're gonna like learn new fun, workout things together.

That sounds really fun to me as well.

I love that.

I love that yours is very like doing and people and mine is like I want to go in a dark room by myself and get a massage.

Well, it's interesting.

22:53

Yeah.

I don't like to batch.

Yeah, I wouldn't want to get a massage with somebody else.

No, me neither.

Yeah, yeah.

Do you like getting facials?

I do.

Okay.

I do like you also like the shoulder release of the massage.

Yes, I appreciate that.

And I do go to my friend.

23:09

She's here in Charleston.

It's called Baldwin Lane.

And she does like the best squasha and shoulder massage with your facial right.

That has been like my just like splurge treat myself amazing.

Here.

OK.

I haven't been to Hannah yet at Baldwin Lee, but now I want to.

23:26

OK, I can't wait.

I've been following her dream.

OK, Mimi, you're the best.

Thanks for shopping with us.

Thank you for having me.

This is so fun.

We love you.

We're gonna put links to everything.

All of this In the show notes you'll see all the links to the tiny tassel.

I unfortunately cannot give you a link to a trip to Paris, but if you take one, or if someone gifts you one after listening to this podcast, we want to know and maybe bring us a croissant.

23:50

Jesus.

Name.

Amen.

Friends, I'm so grateful you listened to today's episode.

Thanks for spending time with me.

It would mean the world to me to connect with you.

So you can send me Adm on Instagram at Jess A Connolly or head to my website jessconnolly.com for more ways to connect.

24:11

If you have a minute to subscribe and leave a review of the podcast wherever you listen, it would massively help us reach more people with the good news that they can live fully awake.

Let's go.