Are You Ready For Christmas?

I don’t know about you, but I am not ready for Christmas. I always have the best of intentions, and yet every year I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to finish my Christmas shopping. Are you looking for some Notre Dame gifts? I’ve got a few ideas to share with you in all different price ranges.

BreakingT

If you don’t have a favorite Notre Dame shirt... You know, the one you grab as your go-to game watching shirt? BreakingT has just the shirt for you. For me, it’s this 1993 National Champs tee.

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Homefield Apparel

Yes, one more t-shirt company, because if you need some green to wear on game day, this one is my favorite.

At Homefield, we know college. Running through campus wearing nothing but your school pride. Rushing the field with a thousand of your closest friends. Crossing the quad one last time—together. Coming home every autumn. At Homefield, we know college. And we know what it’s like to be part of something bigger than you. We create unique, premium collegiate apparel that shows you’re part of a community while still standing out from the crowd. Whether you’re on campus or off, our high-quality goods are thoughtfully made and designed to last as long as your memories do.

Premium Quality. We don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to providing you with the highest quality, softest tees and fleece on market.

Premium Quality. We don’t take any shortcuts when it comes to providing you with the highest quality, softest tees and fleece on market.

Thoughtful Design. We study your school’s history, traditions, and legacies to create vintage-inspired design that tells the unique story of your university.

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Irish Woodworks

I just picked up some of the Notre Dame ornaments from Irish Woodworks (which I absolutely love), but they have SO many great ND items. Here’s a bit about how they got started:

After completing his undergraduate years at Notre Dame, Jeff Riney stumbled upon the Innovation Lab and immediately found himself at home. An even greater influence came in the form of his soon-to-be academic advisor Dr. Matthew Leevy, a serial entrepreneur and Director of the Innovation Lab. With his guidance, Jeff founded Expressive Woodworks, a passion project that provided custom woodworks for the dorms on campus.

At the same time, Matt and his business partner, Dr. Sean Kassen, were operating a company called Benefactory, which focused on producing customized gift items for Notre Dame stakeholders, primarily ND Benefactors. Matt, Jeff and Sean quickly realized that both companies could be merged and synchronized to bring awesome wooden products to the full Notre Dame community. In the summer of 2020, Irish Woodworks was born and has been making news ever since!

Since then, the growth has been explosive. Irish Woodworks is making an impact everywhere we go, from the South and North Lodge tents on campus in the Winter and Spring of 2021, to giant gameday displays to the recently completed Band, Athletics, and TheShirt walls at LaFortune. Just ask any current student about us, we guarantee you they will have a personal IW story to tell.

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Kathleen Keifer Art

Kathleen Keifer is a Notre Dame grad, and her ND art is second to none. In addition to her paintings, she has some prints as well, so something for every price range! Here’s a little bit about Kathleen:

Kathleen Keifer (born Chicago 1963) is a primarily a Colorist. This is a consistent point of view across her contemporary landscapes, pop art, and figurative work. She began painting at a young age, and studied art at the University of Notre Dame and the Art Institute of Chicago. Her entrance into the fine art world in 1996 was a sold-out solo show at McLean Gallery in Malibu, California. Her next ten Malibu exhibitions launched her into the LA art world, with paintings featured in LACMA and MoMA.

Kathleen Keifer’s art is now represented in galleries all over the world. She is widely collected by prestigious public and private collectors. Her works appears in the collections of James Cameron, Mary Looker, Jack Nicholson, Kelly Clarkson, Kevin Nealon, Barry Manilow, Hilton Hotels, Sidney Austin, Citigroup, Walt Disney Studios, and the United States Historical Society.

In her most recent work, she has arrived at a distinctive style of overlapping colors and textures. This was described by LA magazine as “fluidly capturing pop culture in a tapestry of layered color.”

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Madmor Creations

I’ve been a fan of Madmor Creations for quite some time and love to gift their signs. If you’re looking for a unique Notre Dame sign, or have something you’d like custom made, check out Madmor Creations!

Official Licensed Producer of PLAY LIKE A CHAMPION TODAY signs, Custom Signage, Custom Bars, Whiskey Barrel Tables, and Various Irish Themed Antique’s!!! Located just north of Columbus, Ohio.

They produce hand painted wood signs ranging from custom pub signage, business / advertising signage to Play Like A Champion Today signs. They also specialize in pub furniture and decor which includes custom whiskey barrel pub tables, custom built full sized bars, and refinished and repaired wood antique furniture. And they are proud to be an Official Licensed Producer of Play Like A Champion Today signs.

Shop here.

Onora Whiskey

Notre Dame alums Te’von Coney and Malik Zaire have partnered with Roy Anderson, Master Distiller and Founder of Onóra Premium American Whiskey ... and if you’re a whiskey drinker, you should definitely check this out. Here’s a bit about Onora:

In Irish Gaelic, Onóra stands for ‘honor’.

A dedicated, diverse and determined group of individuals, we stand for acting as powerful forces for good in this world and making a difference in our industry. Emboldened by an idea and our crossway connection through the University of Notre Dame, the concept of Onóra was born.

By blending our traditional beginnings and ambitious vision, we strive to craft the finest tasting spirits while building a sense of belonging – one bottle at a time. We offer a legendary taste that unifies every heritage across all generations.

Try our creations for yourself and enjoy unique flavors in every sip. And may you be the one who honors bringing people together.

It’s not just whiskey. It’s tradition.

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Play Like A Champion Wine

I had the opportunity to try both varieties of the Play Like a Champion wines this fall and they were both fantastic. Plus the bottles look pretty cool and now sit on display in my basement bar. Here’s a little background on Play Like a Champion Wine:

You might think there isn’t a whole lot in common between athletics and wine, but we think the two go hand-in-hand. There is passion, teamwork, discipline, dedication, and of course victory. From scoring the game-winning touchdown to getting the honor of a 100 point wine from Robert Parker, world-class athletes and world-class winemaking share a lot of these wonderful qualities with the constant quest to be the best. From the locker room, vineyard, tailgate or office we hope you embody the Play Like A Champion Today mindset.

In our quest to find the right soul of our wine, we got in touch with World Class Winemaker, Jean Hoefliger. Jean Hoefliger is a man with a quixotic mission: He is inspired and driven by the quest for creative perfection while knowing full well that it can never be achieved. An artisan who has always been motivated to push the envelope, he relies on a commitment to constant scientific research matched by an open-minded, entrepreneurial creativity. Jean has consulted all over the world bringing his passion to: Monteverro in Tuscany, Grapeheart in Suisun Valley, V. Vineyards in Sonoma County, and The Debate, Clark-Claudon, Decades 5, Theorize, Sunshine Valley, MR Michel Rolland, AXR and Hill Family Estate all from Napa Valley.

With Play Like a Champion Today wine, we share the vision of bringing the best quality possible at the very best price. We have been able to utilize the relationships Jean has created around the world to find the most exciting and fun-loving vineyards that exhibit what we believe are outstanding wines for everyday consumption. Play Like a Champion Today wine brings the perfect combination of acid, fruit and most importantly a sense of their origin.

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Mirror Wine

And while we’re talking about wine, of course we have to talk about Rick Mirer’s Mirror Wine:

Rick Mirer developed a serious passion for wine during the second half of his NFL career playing for the 49ers and Raiders. He spent an immense amount of time learning about the wine industry in every free moment he could. In 2008, Rick was able to make his dream a reality by starting Mirror Napa Valley. Mirror Napa Valley’s goal is to create the truest artisanal characteristics Napa Valley has to offer by “mirroring” the terroir to the wine.

Rick Mirer is a former American football quarterback in the NFL after a successful collegiate career at the University of Notre Dame. Rick was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks with the second pick in the 1993 NFL Draft. He went on to play for the Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Detroit Lions. It was during his time in the Bay Area from 2000 to 2003 that he fell in love with Napa Valley. After his retirement from football in 2004, Rick went out to find the best vineyards and winemaking team he could find to make his dream of starting Mirror Napa Valley a reality. He is now working with some of the most interesting sites in the valley, with some of the most talented people in the industry – Oscar Renteria and Kirk Venge.

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Books:

Do you have any readers on your list? Here are a few Notre Dame books that came out this year.

Though the Odds Be Great or Small: Notre Dame’s 1957 Comeback Season and the Year That Changed College Football by Terry Brennan

If These Walls Could Talk: Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Stories from the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Sideline, Locker Room, and Press Box by Reggie Brooks

History Through the Headsets: Inside Notre Dame’s Playoff Run During the Craziest Season in College Football History by John Mahoney and Reed Gregory

And of course, I have a few books as well, including a new Notre Dame football cookbook! (Free shipping with code: FREESHIP) EchoesFromNotreDameBooks.com

Blakeway Panoramas

Notre Dame Fighting Irish Panoramic Fan Cave Decor

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Augie’s Locker Room

Last but most certainly not least ... if you really want a unique Notre Dame gift, stop by or call Augie at Augie’s Locker Room. He has some of the most unique Notre Dame memorabilia, in all price ranges!

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I’m sure I missed things, but these are some of my favorite Notre Dame items to gift my friends and family. What are yours?

Cheers & GO IRISH!