Indie Holiday Shopping Series 2008: Rare Device

Talk about last minute shopping. I still have a few presents to buy. A stop at Rare Device will guarantee that I will cross some names from the list.

Here's what I'll buy from them:

Ted Light
This is made from vintage teacups. My love of teacups + lighting makes this a perfect item.




Clocky
Clocky is a great gift for your friend who is always running late.




Radiolarian Shirt
There's a boy version and a girl version. This is by artist Lisa Congdon, who also co-owns Rare Device. This is a Poketo shirt. I love sea creatures plus the colors on this shirt just speaks out to me.




A Year of Mornings
I am a fan of 3191. I was so glad when I heard that they were making it into a book. This is a great gift for anyone who can use a little inspiration from the beauty of everyday things.




Pinky Ring
I've tried this on at the store. I really love how it's so simple and yet it makes such a statement. Maybe I'll go back and buy this as a birthday present for myself. Hmm..

Indie Holiday Shopping Series 2008: doe + 1767 Church St.

Tonight, we're going to visit doe and its sister store, 1767 Church St (formerly known as Church Street Apothecary). Both stores carry clothing, accessories, children's toys, clothes, books, cards, paper products and beauty products. They also carry a lot of San Francisco Bay Area made products.

Here are my picks from these stores:

Modaspia Ojai Black Dress
A very nice versatile LBD, you can dress this up or down. It's also very comfortable on. Perfect dress for all those holiday parties that you will go to. This is made in Oakland, CA by modaspia



Matt Bernson Moto Boots
Oh I love these boots! I would wear them everyday even on a not so cold day. I can probably get away with it here in San Francisco.



Jane Tran Peacock Hair Pin
I've just chopped my hair short but if still had long hair, I would definitely go for this!



Clam Locket
Not your everyday necklace but this one is so pretty and borderline kitchy (in a great way), I love it! The chain is made of links and is long and adjustable which makes it versatile.



Cat LED Flashlight
This is a hand crank light LED flashlight. They actually have a pig version in the store which is super cute. Kids will love this because it's fun to play with. Parents will love it because it's useful at the same time.



Tales from the Brothers Grimm Book
This book is for kids and kids at heart. The illustration is wonderful, this is a book that you will treasure until you're 110.



Fatty by Ashley Goldberg
What else can I say? Super cute! Plus I love AshleyG so this is a no-brainer.



Ceramic Egg Planter in Olive
This would look so good in my dining room. You probably know by now that I love ceramics so of course I instantly fell in love with this.



Wild and Wolf Water Bottle
I own this water bottle and it's fabulous! Stylish and functional. It also comes as a flask and in 3 different patterns.



Molla Space By the Lake Cup and Saucer
I can't help it! It's hard to pass up a gorgeous tea cup and saucer set. There's always a hidden creature on the cup, how cool is that?



Pre de Provence Bar Soap
I don't usually use bar soap but I think I can make an exception for this one. The peony smells so good!

Indie Holiday Shopping Series 2008: Studio Style

My husband and I had an impromptu day around the bay area yesterday. We found out the night before that Heath Ceramics is having a sale so we decided to reserve a car through City Car Share and hit the road. While in Sausalito, we decided to head over to Fourth and Clay in Berkeley because I know that they are having a open house and that Sara Paloma will be there.

Here's how the day went, we had reserved the car that morning but both of us overslept. We didnt leave the house till 11:30. We got to Heath Ceramics but unfortunately we missed the 11AM factory tour. I was bummed about this but what can we do? We looked around the store for a while and ended up buying some ramekins, bowls, tumblers and Skinny laMinx tea towels (yay, finally!).

Heath Ceramics Store

Skinny laMinx tea towels

We headed out to Berkeley to go to Fourth and Clay. I made a bee line for Sara Paloma's table and was just in love by what I saw. She had votives, bottles, ornaments and vases galore.

Sara Paloma's wares

Deanna Abney of Circadian Studios was also there showing her jewelery. Fourth and Clay is the studio of Rae Dunn, Crista Asaad, and Josie Jurczenia. Their holiday open house is going on till December 21st, with a party on December 11th. Stop by to meet the artists and see their work up close.

The work of Rae Dunn

I was happy to see many more studios on Fourth Street. A lot of them were open so we stopped in to check. We were enticed by the wine tasting sign at A Donkey and Goat. We bought a bottle of Three Thirteen 2006 and a candle holder made from wine barrels.

Candle holders

We also stopped by the studios of Sven, Photosynthesis and June Taylor where I bought jar of her Summer Sweet Peach & Rose Geranium Butter. I can't wait to try it.

After all this walking and shopping and wine tasting, we treated ourselves to lunch at Vik's! Yum!

Indie Holiday Shopping Series 2008: ReForm School

In the spirit of trying my best to shop indie and/or local for the holidays, I'm going to do a series on virtual shopping at my favorite stores in person and online.

First up is ReForm School. They are based in LA, which is not local for me, but they do support independent artists and crafters by carrying their wares. I always look forward to their Student of the Month series where they have a featured artist who often makes limited edition goods for their shop.

So what would I buy from this shop?

We will start with Student of the Month Sarajo Friedan. Sarajo is a well known LA artist. I was lucky enough to see her show a few months ago here at Rare Device in San Francisco. For ReForm School, Sarajo made these limited edition silk screened handmade Hungarian dolls. Honestly, this is a gift I will buy for myself!



This Recycled Glass Night Set is a great standby gift for those gift exchange parties you know you're going to get invited to. At $20 it is a very practical yet elegant unisex gift. Plus it is made from recycled glass so bonus green points for you!


These blank nesting dolls are a perfect gift for your crafty friend. Just imagine the fun that they will have with these!


These Lovebird Lavander sachets, made with vintage materials, are the perfect gift for your co-workers. These would also make cute ornaments for your tree. If you want to mix it up for the guys and the gals, you can also get the mice versions.



The Vintage Purse Pouch by Showpony is a great gift for your girlfriends. They can all match but still have individual colors. Perfect as a make up bag.


Last but the not least, this wooden radio is the perfect gift for my husband. It is such a simple well designed and classic item. I know he will love it.