Rustic Love's quarterly update - The Holiday Season Approaches

A note from our Executive Director

As the holiday season approaches, we take time to reflect on the needs of our neighbors and our community. Our wish is for all of us to experience peace, happiness, and prosperity, and to share our blessings with those around us.

Thank you for your continued support of our mission to help those who are food-insecure.

Michelle Connors

Founder & Executive Director

The 21st Annual Holiday Gift Show

This weekend is the 21st Annual Holiday Gift Show at a local artist’s home! Shop local from more than a dozen talented female artists featuring jewelry, sculpture, fabric art, paintings, accessories, skincare, flowers, Rustic Love items, and more. This is such a lovely Town tradition – hope to see you there! A quick note: Parking is limited. Guests are encouraged to park at Glyndon Park, just one block away.

Rustic Love 2025 Holiday Gifts From Our Shop

Visit our Shop to see all the new gifts we’re offering this holiday season – our “I Love Vienna” tea towels, 2025 ornament, wine stoppers, and cocktail napkins. Our hoodies, magnets, and heart yard signs also make lovely gifts and a meaningful way to incorporate philanthropy into your holiday giving.

Thank you for your support throughout the year, and we hope you enjoy our new offerings!

The Oakton Park Park Lights Start Soon!

The families who create the Oakton Park Lights each year put an incredible amount of work into their displays, lighting up the entire cul-de-sac with festive cheer. They are also wonderfully generous, encouraging visitors to contribute donations to local nonprofits, including Rustic Love!

Be sure to visit this holiday wonder from November 30 – January 4, and keep an eye out for a special lighting event on the cul-de-sac in December!

Hunger Action Month Grants to Local Schools

Our mission is to help ease food insecurity, with a recent focus on supporting chronically underfunded local school food pantries. In honor of Hunger Action Month this September, we once again pledged to make weekly contributions to local school pantries. We awarded four grants to the dedicated pantries at South Lakes High School, Marshall High School, Oakton High School, and Kilmer Middle School.

With these grants, our nonprofit’s lifetime donations to Fairfax County Public Schools food pantries now total $193,334. It is truly amazing to see the impact these little hometown heart signs have had in helping feed children and families in our community.

Thank you for supporting our mission – and for supporting the families at these schools!

Local Business Support

Special thanks to Norm's Beer and Wine, Vienna Vintner and Bards Alley Bookshop's small business owners Norm, Victor and Jen for carrying some of our holiday items at their shops! Pick up our wine bottle toppers, heart magnets and 2025 ornaments and support these wonderful small businesses in our charming town! Shop Local!

Partner Spotlight: Achikian Goldsmiths

Achikian Goldsmiths' beautiful Rustic Love pendant makes a perfect gift for many special occasions! Available in sterling silver, 14K white or yellow gold and 14K rose gold, the pendant can be used on a necklace or bracelet and can be customized with engraving or diamonds.

Ken Achikian is a talented master goldsmith, and his family business generously donates the proceeds from the sales of these beautiful charms to our mission. The pendant can be shipped worldwide and makes a lovely gift benefiting our very meaningful mission!

Giving Tuesday: December 2, 2025

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of radical generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. On December 2, we hope you will considering giving to Rustic Love to support our mission to help the food-insecure.