Do you have a bookish daughter or friend for whom you need a gift? With delight, my daughter, who is in love with anything "Anne," received the Kindred Spirit Mug and Library Tote Bag from the Carrot Top Paper Shop. She loves hot tea and all things pretty and needed a tote for carrying all her schoolbooks, so I was hoping these gifts would be a blessing to her, and they are. The cute packaging, bookmark, and coloring card included made it extra special. 

The handmade ceramic mug is pretty and of high quality. It is 15 ounces and makes a good-sized cup of tea. One side has an Anne quote that reads, "Look at the sea, girls – all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy the loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds." On the other side is a drawing of Anne and Diana leaning shoulder to shoulder and head-to-head on a pink background. Anne's red braids are in the shape of hearts, and Diana's black hair has a pretty pink bow in it. Surrounded by pink and red flowers with green leaves, they look away as if looking at the sea. It is bright, colorful, heartwarming, and captures the joy of friendship. The price of the mug is $24 for one or $43 for two, including shipping. We washed it by hand, but it is dishwasher (and microwave) safe as the design is a part of the mug and will not peel off. We harvested mint from our garden, and she used it to make her first cup of tea in it. The mug is well insulated and keeps tea warm longer than her normal-sized mug, and we love that. She likes that it has a big handle that she can fit her whole palm through, and it will be nice to keep her hands warm this winter as she is sipping. She uses it often and enjoys having such a beautiful mug. 

The Library Tote Bag is a good-sized, sturdy, handmade, 100% cotton canvas tote bag that you can fold, roll, or hang for storage. The front of the tote bag has "Probably headed to the library" printed on a stack of three books. The books are black and white with a white flower on the bottom book. The other side of the bag is plain. The bag is about 14 and one-half by 15 and one-half inches long. The handles measure 21 and three-quarters inches long, and the bag hangs about five inches below the underarm. The bag fits over her shoulder and is comfortable to carry. It is flexible yet feels durable. She rolled it up and headed to the library with it to get a few books, but she especially likes to carry her schoolbooks around the house or outside to do her school. Her books fit nicely inside. She also takes it on long car trips and shopping trips, and it folds nicely for such occasions. It will be great to have on hand for a variety of uses. She likes that it is big and roomy for carrying lots of books, but it is not too big to store and hangs nicely on the nail in her room.

Overall, we are both very pleased with both products and highly recommend the lovely Kindred Spirit Mug and Library Tote Bag from the Carrot Top Paper Shop for any book-loving girl. Other charming literary gifts from the Carrot Top Paper Shop include authors Lucy Maud Montgomery, Louisa May Alcott, and Jane Austen. Any book-loving girl would swoon over such beautifully designed quotes, prints, coloring pages, and bookmarks they offer. 

-Product review by Michelle Gibson, The Old Schoolhouse© Magazine, July 2021