The Diary of Girl Friday

Favorite Things, Part III

(…continued from Part I and Part II)

Finding the right gift, no matter what time of year, can be difficult. Big stores offer nice discounts, but the sheer size of the store can be overwhelming. Specialty stores may carry exactly what you want, but things may be totally out of your price range. What I love about Etsy.com is that it combines the best of both worlds—variety in options and variety in price point. To help narrow your choices down, try the Etsy Showcase and the Treasury; both are striking displays akin to those found in brick and mortar shops. What could be better than experts, artists, sellers, and fellow consumers helping you on the great gift hunt of 2007?

For the fanatic in your life…a list!

Remember when you were a kid and you just had to have a poster of Jem or New Kids on the Block on your wall? That same sensibility to surround yourself with familiar images stays with you well into adulthood. Etsy is just the place to look for the things that make you squee with delight. Whether you’re shopping for a TV junkie, a cinema freak, or a music buff, there are several shops that bring that magic to life in their art.

1. I bought a Breakfast at Tiffany’s print on canvas cloth from Elloh as a gift. The recipient and I couldn’t have been more pleased.

The canvases range from $15-24, and can be stretched by the artist onto a wood frame for an additional $15. The artist also immortalized the whole cast of the UK and US Office in a fabulous series.

2. Anyone who loves the Buffy the Vampire Slayer will pine for Betty Turbo‘s linocut prints on binder paper. The simplicity is genius! The look is reminiscent of something you’d doodle in class and showcase in the front cover of your binder (if only I was that artistically inclined). I like the attention to detail even in the ink names—blood red and wooden stake brown. For twenty bucks, you can bring home one of the men of Buffy. That’s five by five for me!

3. If music is more your scene, head over to The Black Apple and check out Neko Case, Bjork, and The Smiths Girls. All 8×10 prints are $13.

I like all the other girls, too, especially Amelie and this Alice in Wonderland series.

The portraits are vibrant and the girls’ eyes are expressive. They remind me of a younger, more petulant Girl Friday!

So…don’t be afraid to look for the perfect gift on Etsy, even for the pickiest person on your list.

My Favorite Things, Part II

(…continued from Part I)

Instead of lining up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday, consider staying home in your jammies and shopping at Etsy.com. Support your local economy, support the global market, support an honest to goodness craftsperson and not a giant, nameless, faceless chain. Everything is listed in US dollars, and most sellers ship internationally. You can pay with a variety of methods, and customer service is wonderful. If you have a question about colors or fit or ingredients, all you have to do is ask the seller via Etsy Conversations.

On to my favorites for the home!

1. Candles smell great and add to the overall ambiance of a house, but they can also be pricey. I was used to buying candles at $15-30 a pop. It’s literally like burning money. Not so at Yancey Candles! They offer a variety of scents, and candles come in practical mason jars ($8) and 4 ounce tins ($4.75). I like self contained candles because they don’t collect dust, and I’m in no danger of dropping them and chipping the wax. These are candles that you can afford to use everyday.

2. Fabric can make a big impact in a room, but who says it has to be delicate silk or traditional plaid? Olive has great stuff like wall hangings and pillows that pop for nice prices. The collection features funky prints and bold felt accents. This modern flower pillow sells for $18.

3. Who says modern art isn’t for everyone? At Modern Art Everyday you can find reasonably priced prints on canvas in a variety of sizes, colors, and motifs that add a big punch to a plain space. This limited edition Red Dahlia print on canvas is 12×12 and costs just $45.

So what are you waiting for? Stay home already!