PARIS CITY GUIDE - VINTAGE, ANTIQUES, EATS & ESSENTIALS

A practical, design-forward Paris guide for flea-market lovers, antique hunters, chic eaters, and confident wanderers. 🖤 HAND-PICKED BY HEIDI

I Won Tickets to Antiques Roadshow - And It Was Less Than an Hour From My Michigan Cabin

Hand-Picked by Heidi  Winning tickets to Antiques Roadshow has been an ultimate dream of mine long before I ever started Hand-Picked by Heidi. If you love the thrill of the hunt - the quiet hope th...

A Season of Seals, Stories & Starting New Traditions

One of my favorite traditions has become our Christmas cards. Not just sending them - making them. My son helps me each year. We clear the table, stack the envelopes, and pull out our vintage wax s...

The Enchanted History of East German Blown-Glass Ornaments: The Holiday Bubbles Everyone Is Collecting

Some holiday treasures feel like they come straight out of a fairytale. This season, that magic arrived in the form of East German blown-glass ornaments - tiny, weightless spheres that look exactly...

The Little Wooden Men Who Breathe Christmas Magic: Germany’s Räuchermännchen

Räuchermännchen (pronounced ROY-kher-men-khen) translates literally to “little smoking men,” and that’s exactly what they do. These ingenious German Christmas decorations are actually incense burne...

The Monogram Comeback: What’s in a Name (Even If It’s Not Yours)

How to Style Someone Else’s Initials Not your initials? Not a problem. Here’s how to make them yours:      •    Turn it into conversation art. A monogrammed tray or teapot becomes a story starter....

Mahjong’s All the Rage - A Thinking, Not Drinking Luncheon

November is here…and with it, that familiar mix of reflection, gathering, and just a touch of sparkle. This season, I found myself chasing curiosity again - this time, with a game that’s been quiet...

A Birthday, a Beginning, and a Year of Hand-Picked Magic

Before there was Hand-Picked by Heidi, there was a little girl tagging along to garage sales with her mom. The neighborhood block sale was the holy grail - tables of treasures waiting to be found.

From Suitcase to Sanctuary: Easy Ways to Blend Global Style Into Your Home

There’s something magical about stepping into a home and feeling like you’ve been somewhere. Not in the jet-lagged, unpacked kind of way—but in the soulful, story-filled, how-did-they-curate-this...

What is Al Quoz?

 Insider Tip: Many of the best vintage or antique pieces in Dubai don’t live in glamorous shops—they’re tucked inside warehouses or multi-dealer spaces in Al Quoz that don’t advertise. Locals ofte...