The elusive find for Dad goes beyond goofy golf balls, nerdy neck ties and cheap cologne when shopping online at Taigan.com. For the shopper, the collector, the epicure… Taigan delivers an extraordinary and ever-expanding collection of shops and purveyors, not to mention the perfect outlet for Father’s Day gift shopping.

From Peter Elliot’s famous Boat Shoes to a one-of-a-kind shaving set from Aidan Gill or a nostalgic Suede Chess Set from Stationer of New Orleans, the hunt starts at Taigan.com- an incomparable collection of shops.

Aidan Gill @ Taigan.com

Celebrate the finest in men’s grooming with a 3-piece Stag Horn Shaving Set from Aidan Gill for Men. Handmade in Italy, including a medium grade badger bristle shaving brush and brush stand. Guaranteed to keep his skin clean, smooth, and ageless! http://www.taigan.com/shops/aidangill/items/442/

Peter Elliot @ Taigan.com

For the man looking to reinvent himself as the Father’s Day tally rises, an escape from the norm with these unique, embroidered linen loafers with such inventive designs as octopus, bulldogs, devils and pirates and so much more, all from New York City’s Peter Elliot. Available in sizes 8-12, they make a statement… http://www.taigan.com/shops/peterelliot/items/6094/show_to_friend

Stationer @ Taigan.com

Something fun, nostalgic and practical for Dad this year is the Suede Chess/Checkers Set from Stationer of New Orleans. Portable for road trips and weekend family vacations , give a gift that says “we enjoy your company” with these classic games on a 2-tone suede stitched playing surface. http://www.taigan.com/shops/stationernola/items/5815

Zanetti @ Taigan.com

Perhaps the best gift is an experience shared. A one- of-a-kind experience under the Tuscan sun toured by epicurean and Italian olive grower/estate ower Marco Zanetti. Take a tour with the family and enjoy, partake and become accustomed with some of the world’s finest foods, vintage wineries, ancient landmarks, remarkable tours and breathtaking sites throughout the beautiful countryside. Schedule your tour on Taigan.com for the ultimate ease in giving a great gift. http://www.taigan.com/shops/zanetti/items/5932

The Mercantile @ Taigan.com

Hit the road this summer with a perfect Travel Companion Accessories from Taigan’s home furnishings boutique, the Mercantile. Whether short trips or long journeys, he will enjoy this collection of dop kit, passport cover, hip flask, thermos, and luggage tags, each covered in Charles Buchanan Monthly football imagery, for a taste of nostalgia. http://www.taigan.com/shops/themercantile/items/2563

Star Provisions @ Taigan.com

Always a winner with Dad – a set of Spiegelau Wheat glass from Star Provisions. Perfect for his favorite iced Pilsner. http://www.taigan.com/shops/starprovisions/items/992

We’re pleased to welcome Blackberry Farm to the fabulous collection of shops on Taigan.com. Blackberry Farm joins the likes of Revival, House of Lavande, G. Gilbert, Mimi, Sid Mashburn, Sucre and more.

Now shop the very best from this estate and farm in the Great Smoky Mountains surrounding Walland, Tennessee, from the comfort of your home. This famed food and wine destination has splendid culinary creations available on Taigan. Blackberry Farm mixes Southern hospitality with personal attention, gastronomic excellence and family traditions. At their shop on Taigan, experience their farm-crafted gourmet foods and crafts, including divine jam or apple butter that’s perfectly sweet and tasteful.

People from around the world visit this charming destination to relax, kick back and enjoy the good life. Blackberry Farm is filled with everything you would expect from a farm, plants, trees, pastures, gardens, livestock including sheep and chickens and llamas. This whimsical place boasts countless accolades in various categories, for their outstanding cuisine, for their resort and more. They were on Travel and Leisure’s 2006 ‘Best Hotels and Resorts Around the World” list, Zagat rated them number five for dining in the U.S. and they were endorsed as “Fly Fishing Lodge of The Year” in 2003 and 2004. Plus, Gourmet Magazine along with recognition from GQ said Blackberry Farm is one of the top five country inns in North America.

Browse around the shopping section of the Blackberry Farm store on the Taigan Website. Find gourmet treats to enjoy, or share as hostess or other special gifts, including the artisanal cheeses made from the Blackberry Farm Dairy. The recipes and techniques used to make the delicious cheese you’ll find on the Taigan website reflects specific characteristics to the farm and Great Smoky Mountains. The cheese produced by this award-winning farm changes with the seasons, so you’ll have to check back for new seasonal offerings on Taigan regularly. Blackberry Farm cheeses are great for entertaining, special occasion, as gifts or just to indulge in it yourself.

Blackberry Farm also has some of the best fresh preserves, also created here on the Farm. It’s made in small batches and has the freshest and highest quality ingredients. And if you like honey, make sure to order some online at Taigan.com. Blackberry Farm’s beehives are home to Italian bees that produce delicious sweet nectar and sourwood honey which has a sweet, spicy and anise-like aroma and incredible aftertaste.

For delicious recipes you can make at home, don’t forget to order your Blackberry Farm cookbook on Taigan along with all your other must-have specialty treats.

My friend Linda told me all about the Taigan Website. She’s been shopping online for quite some time now. I’ve just really started being comfortable with it and love the experience. It’s great, easy and stress-free. There’s no need to hit the boutiques in the malls or even worse, the strip malls. Even when you do find parking, it’s always a hassle and a long wait at the cashier’s line. So when I told Linda I really needed to liven up my wardrobe, she took me to Taigan.com.

There are shops on Taigan from all over the country, which is great because that helps me with having a more styled and unique look. And that’s important, especially at black-tie events and gala dinners. You never want to have the same gown as someone else. I get to shop in a totally relaxed state. I love to browse around the Taigan Website in my comfortable pajamas on my couch sipping a good cup of coffee. I take all my sweet time. I look watch the videos, browse items and learn more about the shops themselves and the lines they carry. I also like being able to share an item with Linda – I just click the button and share an item or a video, or a whole shop – then we get on the phone and shop the site together.

The best part about shopping on Taigan is that it’s not just about clothes, like so many other shopping Websites. Not only can I find wonderful style for myself, I can also shop for home furnishings gourmet food, really fun gifts, pet accessories and more. Some of my favorite gourmet treats include from Blackberry Farm ‘s artisanal cheese and sweet preserves jam. They make a great hostess gift. This testimonial is by Libby S., San Francisco, CA.

The owner of this Nashville store has two dogs of her own, Bacio and Bella, that were the main inspiration for opening this pet lovers’ shop in 2005.

Now with Taigan.com pet lovers can access all of these luxury pet products and designer pet accessories from anywhere. Thanks to Taigan’s partnership with Come. Sit. Stay. dog boutique, you can shop for a wide variety of out-of-the-ordinary pet accessories including designer collars, plush, comfortable and stylish beds, hand painted water bowls, indestructible toys for the feisty dog in your life and gourmet treats for puppies with sensitive stomachs.

Everything in Taigan’s specialty dog and cat shop online is fun and fashionable not to mention practical. The pet boutique has chic dog apparel like doggy raincoats, argyle sweaters and even an “I hate Michael Vick t-shirt”. This pet store also carries blankets, edible U.S.-made treats like all natural peanut butter and jelly doggy cookies plus organic jerky treats, dog carriers and even ‘green’ products for pets like a bed for the furry kind made of recycled materials. Some of the doggy treats you’ll find on Taigan online are created from dog owners who had to care for a sick pet. So they developed recipes that helped their best friends’ live better lives.

Many of the pet chew toys and accessories at Come. Sit. Stay dog boutique are designer knockoffs such as the Sniffany & Co toy that makes a squeaky noise, there’s the Barkindales card, the Christin Loubarkin, the Stella Muttcartney, the Chewnel puppy purse just to name a few.

And while you’re on Taigan.com, shop around for some designer treats for yourself. You’ll love all our fashion specialty boutiques with designer apparel, sophisticated looks and stylish designs, always all one-of-a-kind. Pick your favorite clothing items from skinny jeans to gowns and sweaters, from upscale boutiques from around the U.S. like H. Audrey in Nashville, Mimi in New Orleans, Style Paris in Palm Beach and more.

You can also find fabulous shoes from Taigan boutiques because beautiful outfits always need the perfect pair of shoes. Browse and shop in specialty stores such as Sabot in Atlanta, Forty Five Ten in Dallas (a store that just celebrated their 10 year anniversary), all from the easy to navigate Taigan Website.

House of Lavande is a vintage couture jewelry shop that has countless unique pieces from the 1920s and the 1950s to the 60s to the Studio 54 era and more. The Palm Beach, Florida boutique also has big name designer jewelry from the likes of Chanel, Yves St Laurent and Christian Dior.

The owner, Tracy Smith, travels around the world to visit flea markets, estates sales and private dealers to hand pick the jewelry that is worthy of House of Lavande. Now, you have the chance to own the beautiful jewelry and make it part of your personal collection, even if you don’t live in Palm Beach, FL. Just go online to Taigan.com and you can browse the House of Lavande collection when you want from wherever you want. Shop for necklaces, brooches, earrings, bracelets, cuffs in all types of stones and colors.

House of Lavande has received so much press and some pieces of the jewelry collection have graced the pages of significant magazines in the fashion industry such as Elle, Vogue, In Style, Bazaar and others. Even stars and celebrities shop at this famous vintage jewelry boutique for red carpet events and appearances. Jessica Alba, the beautiful and famous it-girl actress, has just worn a House of Lavande necklace to the Tribeca Film Festival this year. Jennifer Lopez, the singer-actress-fashion designer, wore a House of Lavande pair of earrings and bracelet during a CBS Early Show interview in NYC and her premieres to Plan B. Ali Larter, the actress who played alongside Beyonce, wore a necklace to a FEED Foundation event this year. Hayden Panettiere wore a bracelet to the premiere of Temple Gradin and the list goes on and on. House of Lavande is truly an established brand with the stars.

If you’d like to feel like a celebrity yourself, check out the fabulous one-of-a kind vintage jewelry finds you’ll see on Taigan online. You can choose from so many beautiful pieces like a 1970’s Yves St -Laurent numbered gold cuff bracelet with rope and stud detail. It has large green, purple and blue cabachons and small pearl accents. There’s also a 1960’s KJL signed pair of earrings with large faceted aquamarine stone surrounded by diamante accents at the clip and a large floral like aquamarine, amethyst, and diamante drop. Or if you prefer an unsigned large silver cuff with diamante navettes, round cut stones and pearl accents. Whichever piece of House of Lavande jewelry is your favorite, you’ll surely get plenty of compliments.

And don’t forget, if you need designer clothes to match the beautiful necklace or bracelet you purchased, browse through the specialty stores on Taigan for gowns, cocktail dresses, heels and even casual wear.

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, tell us about your mom’s style and win, says Taigan’s Creative Director Julia Reed.

Taigan.com announces its Mother’s Day contest looking for the mom with the most signature style and boutique shopping skills. Named after the sight hound famed for its speed and sense of hunting, Taigan.com represents a highly edited collection of the shops from across the United States and abroad. Showcasing specialty retailers of women’s and men’s fashion, home décor, art, antiques, jewelry, gourmet food and fine gifts, Taigan brings the specialty boutiques to your fingertips.

How to Enter and Win:
1. “Like” us on Facebook.com/taiganfinds
2. Follow us on Twitter.com/taiganfinds
3. Send us a picture of your Mom and write 2-3 sentences why you have a Taigan Mom! Don’t forget to be creative! Post it on Facebook or Tweet it @Taiganfinds!

Note: Must be a fan or follower to win. Deadline to enter is Saturday, May 8.

What you Win: $100 Taigan Shopping Spree for Daughter/Son plus a $100 Taigan Shopping Spree for your Mother.

Winner will be announced on Monday, May 10!

It’s no secret Vogue alum Julia Reed is passionate about home design and entertaining, she’s well published on the subject. So who better than Reed to browse Taigan.com online boutiques for spring and summer home finds and inspirations?

Tennessee – May 4– Taigan celebrated author and editor Julia Reed’s vision for home design and entertaining is recognized worldwide. Today she tours the online shops of Taigan.com for home and entertaining inspirations and gifts. From her most popular book, “The House of First Street,” Reed’s passion for the rare, the special and the remarkable in her own home is clear. This month she shares her favorite discoveries from Taigan’s collection of online shops, including South of Market, Georgia Tapert Living, Revival, Bungalow Classic and more.

South of Market – antique green lockers and bedside tables from Belgium

An Atlanta shop overflowing with rare finds, custom furniture and lighting, Taigan’s South of Market makes it possible to go antiquing online. Reed loves the antique green lockers, uncovered in Belgium, for “the perfect burst of color and uniqueness a room needs; perfect for an office, playroom, or the chicest mudroom ever,” says Reed. “The brilliant Axel Vervoordt has turned me, and at least half of the world, onto all things Belgian, and Kay Douglass at South of Market shares the passion.”

Another gorgeous Belgian find from South of Market are the antique demilunes, perfect for an entryway or bedside tables. “I adore the lines and the color of South of Market’s painted Belgian demilunes,” Reed says.

South of Market is one of Taigan’s online specialty retailers focusing their collection in antiques from France and Belgium, featuring a large selection of lighting, re-purposed objects, three lines of upholstery and an assortment of European finds.

Georgia Tapert Living – wooden lanterns, gin and tonics and garden parties

“The wooden lanterns from Georgia Tapert Living in New York make me want to throw a garden party,” says Reed. With waving lines of light pouring through the open weave design, these wooden lanterns provide the perfect lighting for outdoor entertaining.

Reed also discovered the tall tortoise tumblers from Georgia Tapert Living – they’re “perfect for warm weather Gin & Tonics or Southsides.” They’re chic yet durable and can be a great functional, yet conversational, piece to any party.

Georgia Tapert Living is another online specialty shop found on Taigan.com, incorporating a unique blend of furniture, art, objects and tabletop accessories that range from systematically traditional to contemporary and whimsical. It is a reflection of Georgia Tapert’s belief that design has no boundaries or rules, and is simply an expression of one’s individuality.

Revival – unusual tables, uniquely sculpted benches and more

Reed explains, “I am a sucker for all things with hooves—animate or inanimate. Which means I covet Revival’s stag leg drinks table with a slightly gilded finish, as well as their hand-carved horse-legged bench.”

“Both have patinas to die for and add a wonderful sculptural dimension to modern or more traditional interiors.”

The hoofed drinks table is ideally used chair-side, in attendance to a bathtub, or pulled to a table as a stool and pays homage to John Dickinson’s early 1970s California designs.

The horse-legged benches are hand-carved and offer a beautifully sculpted addition to either traditional or modern interiors.

Revival prides itself on being uniquely distinctive with exquisite objects and lush gifts, unusual antiques, unlikely vintage, and unfamiliar luxury, whose uncommon goods are curatorially presented in Chattanooga’s rows of Victorian brick railroad warehouses, and online at Taigan.

Bungalow Classic – green glazed horse statues to cherish and protect

“Bungalow Classic has this fabulous Chinese green glazed horse,” says Reed. “At 22” x 22” and $150, it looks old and fine and delivers a whole lot of bang for your buck.”

A pair of these would be fabulous grazing on a big dining table or console.

Bungalow Classic, a Taigan.com online specialty retailer, offers refined yet livable sofas and chairs that are stylish without sacrificing comfort, aimed at achieving individuality for their customers while maintaining a timeless sensibility that appeals to a sophisticated aesthetic.

Reed also notes additional Taigan home picks
• Niba Home, Miami – true celebration of color and eclectic, contemporary style
• Hollyhock, Los Angeles – classic lines and custom textiles by owner Suzanne Rheinstein
• Digs, Nashville – remarkable new talents in lamp and pottery, stunning lighting and gifts

About Taigan.com
Taigan.com represents a highly edited collection of the world’s best shops from across the country and abroad. Showcasing specialty retailers of women & men’s fashion, home décor, art, antiques, jewelry, gourmet food and fine gifts, Taigan brings the best shops to your fingertips. Connect on Taigan’s Facebook Fan Page or Follow us on Twitter @TaiganFinds.

About Julia Reed
Taigan’s creative director Julia Reed, formerly a writer and editor at Vogue, is also the editor of fetch, the online magazine at TAIGAN.com. She is a longtime contributing editor at Newsweek, where she writes the “Food and Drink” column. She contributes to a variety of other publications as well, including Conde Nast Traveler and the New York Times, and she is a founding contributor to wowOwow.com, an online community for women by women. Reed is the author of: “The House on First Street, My New Orleans Story”; “Ham Biscuits, Hostess Gowns, and Other Southern Specialties: An Entertaining Life (With Recipes)”; and “Queen Of The Turtle Derby and Other Southern Phenomena”.