ABOUT THE FOUNDER

I have always found joy in the art of gifting. Growing up in San Diego, I loved going to small craft fairs throughout the city and rural outskirts with my mom and sister searching for the perfect, one-of-a-kind gift. At these fairs, my mom instilled in me the love of simple, beautifully crafted handmade goods. Even more importantly, she taught me to appreciate the story behind each of the items—the maker’s background, inspiration, and passion.

My love for unique, locally made gifts never subsided, but as an attorney/teacher/mom, life seemed to take over and I rarely found myself taking the time to visit local markets for that something special. For Mother’s Day, Christmas, hostess gifts, or friends’ birthdays, I would hop online to my favorite department store’s website and quickly find something to send. That something was generally made overseas and often felt impersonal. I knew that I could create a meaningful alternative to this mass-market cycle and provide a convenient way for people to not only give locally made gifts but also share stories of those in their community. 

Happy gifting, 

Mari Low


ABOUT THE COMPANY

Each Poppy & Bear gift box has been thoughtfully curated to remind you of the feelings we get when we visit our favorite California places. Alongside each gift is a beautifully illustrated insert, which has a picture and description of every maker whose work is featured in that box. And instead of having your recipient receive a typed note, we finish off our lovely packaging with our signature card, on which we handwrite your special message. Every product has been made with love just for you, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

While we obviously adore the gifts we’ve curated, we also would love the opportunity to make a custom collection of gifts for your wedding, organization, dinner party, corporate retreat, family reunion, or anything in between. We can work with a wide range of budgets and quantities, all while assuring that your recipients are gifted with the very best California has to offer.

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