If you find yourself feeling like a reindeer caught in the headlights this holiday shopping season, there’s a way to save yourself from multiple panic-driven trips to the mall. The mom-and-pop shops in our neighborhood have something for everyone, even picky cousin Patty (whom you always manage to draw for the family gift exchange). So take a deep breath, forgo the parking garage madness, and check off your list with one-of-a-kind presents.
THE BOHEMIAN BABE: She’s free-spirited, eclectic, and boho-chic. This girl is irresistibly delightful precisely because she doesn’t give a hoot about trends, but always looks like she just stepped out of a fashion show.
• Pretty Practical: Her signature style is the long, flowy, peasant skirt, and she can never have enough of these. Choose the reversible silk print skirts and wraps, one size fits all, $39.99 Niru’s, 3418 Greenville, 214.887. NIRU.
• Let It Flow: This J & X velvet scarf can act as a shawl, a belt or even a headdress, $46. Add some bling with these Machu Picchu semiprecious stone earrings, $26. Emeralds to Coconuts, 2730 N. Henderson, 214.823.3620.
• Very Handy: Recycled silk clutch coin purse, a handcrafted needlework accessory from a women’s co-op in Nepal that supports fair trade. $7.99 at Green Living, 1904 Abrams, 214.821.8444 or greenliving.com.
THE PAMPERED PRINCESS: She deserves the royal treatment and should expect nothing less, at least not while she’s a hip mom or a woman-on-the-go. It’s all about luxury for this spa goddess who won’t dare leave the house without a fresh “mani-pedi” to match her latest favorite accessory.
• Don’t Leave Home At All, Your Majesty: Agragaria luxury home fragrances presented in Italian crystal bottles with glass stoppers and bamboo reeds, from $95. Needless Necessities, 2926 N. Henderson, 214.824.0700.
• Heal Your Heels: Sometimes wearing those stylish pumps comes with a painful price. Use Velvet Heels repair therapy lotion for softer, smoother heels, $20. If that’s not enough, soak calloused feet (and tired bodies) in Margot Elena’s Lollia bubble bath products, packaged in an elegant mini-wine bottle with a wraparound label and creative descriptions of the fragrance, from $32. Talulah Belle, 2013 Abrams, 214.821.1963.
• Illuminate Them Both: Two hearts, two souls, two minds. This His and Hers duo candle by Ilume is designed to interact and complement the room with their meshed fragrances, $22 each. Lamlee Home in Inwood Village, owned by neighborhood residents Mark and Shelley Hearne. 5370 W. Lovers, 214.357.2300.
PROUD MAMAS: These upscale mommies love to spoil their kids as well as themselves. They spend their days previewing “Mommy and Me” classes for their tots, armed with grande breve lattes.
• To Top it Off: Every mother can appreciate this graphic tee, “Motherhood is Not for Sissies,” eloquently expressing the message that her job is no walk in the park. 100 percent cotton. $40, Talulah Belle.
• Exclusively Earth-Friendly: Conventional cotton farming just won’t do for their babies’ ultra-sensitive skin. For mamas who go the extra mile to protect both their babies and the planet, give them 100 percent organic onesies by Speecees, $24, or this two-piece outfit by Sckoon made from hand-picked organic cotton, $44. Available at Green Living.
• Play Date Hostess: The ladies in her play group will definitely have something to talk about when they can’t detect a hint of dirty diaper odor, masked by Lampe Berger’s fragrance collection. The oil lamps come in various colors and shapes, and the patent fragrances purify the air. Lamps range from $90 to $100 and the accessories (oils, fuels, and fragrances) range from $18.95 to $28. Splendor in the Grass, 1900 Abrams, 214.824-2777.
• Tutu Fun: Little girls love to twirl, and these fanciful silk skirts buoyed by a matching tutu will give them plenty of reason to spin. $58 each by Lemon Loves Lime. Bebe Grand, 2013 Abrams, 214.887.9224.
• Picture This: Just snap a profile photo of your child, even with a mobile phone camera, and it can be used to create this unique platter portrait by Rabbit Toes ($75). The Gypsy Wagon, 5211 Bonita, 214.293.2361, the-gypsy-wagon.com.
THE GRANOLA GIRL: Eccentric “go green” girls were earth-friendly before it was cool. Support what they believe in by making a statement with the latest eco-chic trends.
• Newsworthy Dining: Liven up kitchen conversations with trivets made of recycled newspapers from a women’s co-op in the Philippines, $10.99 and up. Need an after-dinner treat? Slather on green coffee and yerba maté stimulating body scrub, $19, from the Organic Oasis collection, which contains certified organic botanicals that nourish the skin and protect the planet. Or try a little of everything in the collection with the essentials spa tote, $24. Available at Green Living.
• Kung Fu Shoes: Traditional lightweight kung fu slippers with soft, elastic rubber soles help granola gals maintain the earthy feeling of being barefoot, the next best thing to Mother Nature. $9 and up at Emeralds to Coconuts.
• Gifts That Keep On Giving: This vibrant handbag and coin purse by Colleccion Luna ($58 and $8) are designed in conjunction with Mayan Indians in Guatemalan villages, which receive a portion of the proceeds. Farmers and craftsmen in India made this penguin kitchen scrubber by Loofah Art ($3), with all proceeds donated for schools, medical care and decent living conditions in the Indian countryside. From the comfort of their homes, village women in India create handcrafted items like this squirrel ornament by Rupalee Exclusifs ($14) and receive fair trade wages for their work. All are available at The Gypsy Wagon.
THE ART AFICIONADO: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the art aficionado in everyone will appreciate the efforts of talented local artists supported by our neighborhood galleries.
• Beautiful and Useful: Contemporary American artist Kelly Barker’s graphite sculptures are meticulously rendered collectible pieces used for writing and drawing. The sculptures/writing tools, made from graphite and clay, come in the form of seashells, Madonna and child and others. $14.95 each. The Ole Moon, 3016 Greenville, 214.827.9921.
• Religious Art and Bead-Making Classes: A stunning beaded rosary can enhance your spiritual life, especially if it is handmade by your best friend. Splendor in the Grass offers bead-making classes, teaching students how to make prayer beads, rosaries, chaplets, and more. Classes range from $25, materials included. Sign up with a friend, 214.824.2777.
• Contemporary Art: Be the first to own a piece of neighborhood artist Jeff Stachwoski’s work. Check out the encaustic piece “With Every Beat of a Smirking Heart,” a mesmerizing blend of color made with beeswax, resin and pigment, $399. Jeff heats the wax mixture to form the unique color effects, and frames the blend for complementary wall décor. You can also check out framed kimonos by Jacqueline O’Neal, $39, and hand-painted vases by owner Carrie Stollings, $23.95. ART is ART, 2811 N. Henderson, 214.823.8222.
• Pop Art: The charm of vintage items, such as hard-to-find Cher dolls ($39.99), an Elvis faux record player bank ($12.99), and Marie Antoinette Head Pops candy ($1.49) are unique stocking stuffers for creative types. Pop Logic, 1929 Greenville, 214.887.6888. (The store also sells vintage aluminum Christmas trees for $200 to set the tone for your retro-themed holiday bash.)
• Designer Duds: This Nevada Hill screen-printed T-shirt by Particle ($28.95), and CC Vintage limited edition pocket-front tee ($34.95) are two of Counter Culture’s many unique clothing designs that prove art is for wearing, too. Mockingbird Station, 214.414.1095, counterculturestore.com.
