I can’t seem to get any holiday-shopping momentum going this year. I’d like to blame the weather, which had lodged itself firmly in t-shirt territory until two days ago, but it got cold Friday night and I don’t feel any more seasonally inspired today than I did then. Or maybe it’s the fact that I’ve gone to SoHo two weekends in a row, which is fine if you want to get a front-row seat to the pageant of shuffling humanity, but not so great if you want to concentrate on gifts…or on anything except trying not to get trampled at the Dean & Deluca entrance.

Whatever the reason, lightning just is not striking. I always have a couple of people on my list that jam my shop-dar until, like, December 22nd, but I don’t remember present paralysis ever striking the whole list before, to the point where I lay catalog pages out in a big patchwork carpet on the floor of the apartment and whatever items a cat walks on, I buy. In that order. Which is why my brother-in-law is getting a meat tenderizer and a pair of argyle socks. (Just kidding, Jaygen! My mom is getting the argyle socks.) (Just kidding, Ma! You’re getting two pairs of argyle socks. Obviously.) Other strategies include: sitting in front of Amazon’s bestseller list, shaking a Magic 8 Ball; describing Mrs. Stupidhead to total strangers, then asking if they’ve read anything lately that they think she’d enjoy (“The…Hungry…Caterpillar. Got it. What else you got, kid?”); waiting for someone to compliment something, anything, that I’m wearing, then taking it off, quickly tying a bow around it, and handing it to them; and the gift guide below. If I can give other similarly flummoxed holiday shoppers a hand with their gift lists, maybe what I put out will come back to me. Let’s hope it works, or Wing is getting yogurt for Christmas.

A lot of the Miscellany listings include jewelry, t-shirts, and whatnot, but if a site or store’s primary focus isn’t really one thing, I just threw it in the variety section.

Bath/Spa
Demeter Fragrance Library. Known mostly for wacky scents like Funeral Home, Demeter also makes more traditional colognes like Sugar Cookie and Cranberry. Plus, lotions and candles.
The Thymes. Fabulous moisturizers, plus soaps and stuff. The Frasier Fir room spray is amazing.

Clothes
Brooklyn Industries. Support 718 business — buy a sweat-dress! Inexpensive and super-flattering!
Custom Glam Girl. Make your own customized t-shirts and undies. Home of the “embrace the spinster lifestyle” shirt.
Fashion Dig. The navigation is kind of a pain, but stick with it. Best if you know what you’re looking for.
Fix Eight. Cute character bags and tees.
Fofolle. Pricey, and from what I can tell you can’t buy online, but the merch is unique and well made.
Girlshop. Check the sale section.
Glarkware. New stuff for the holidays!
Option G. You have to love that Bad Mitten shirt.
Orange Shag. Vintage-style tees and belt buckles.
Rusty Zipper. Another vintage site; you really can’t beat the prices on RZ, especially if you’re used to the nutty prices New York vintage stores charge.
Throwbackmax.com. Old-school logos from defunct teams — CFL, minor-league baseball, you name it. “Prune Pickers” is funny, come on.

Housewares
Bed, Bath & Beyond. Not the best nav, but good for brainstorming.
CB2. Affordable home gear that looks more expensive than it is.
Decorative Things.com. Eye-catching trays and tableware.
Generate Home. Modernist décor.
Op Orb. Vintage glassware — bar stuff, ashtrays, and so on.
The Russian Store. Because if you can’t think of anyone who needs a Russian Navy hat, you just aren’t trying.
Wellington Originals. Probably a bit late in the game to order, but you never know. The Horizon series is much prettier in person than the site might suggest.
World Shoppe. Ethnic housewares.
Jewelry
Bhati Beads. Click on the Charm Groove link for even more neat stuff. The cigarette-card necklaces are gorgeous.
Snazzy Girl. Overwhelmed by the selection? Yeah, me too, but you can’t beat the prices. For the pop-culture fan in your life, start by selecting Barbie’s Basement Jewelry from the designer pulldown menu.

Miscellany
Artez’n. Lots of neat tees and jewelry designers, plus Brooklyn-themed merch.
Chocosho. …Aw, Shawnimals. So cute. Not the most competitive pricing in the world, but the totes are very cute.
Elsewares. Great range of stuff; excellent source of hostess gifts.
Fred Flare. Novelties at good prices.
Juice Planning. Sanrio-ish stuff is cheap; spelling hilarity is free.
Marimekko. I had no idea this company made so much stuff, never mind a bag with a pink hot dog on it. …Hee!
Pearl River Mart. Don’t get discouraged by the horrendously unintuitive site set-up; you can clean up on stocking stuffers and not spend much at all.
Rare Device. Neat design-y stuff.
Ruby Lane. Sort of a clearinghouse for antiques and vintage gear.
Stuff Junction. Kind of gimmicky, but good for Secret Santa stuff.
Uncommon Goods. Scrabble-tile jewelry, recycled-tin frames, and other goodies.

Stationery/Paper
Ex Libris. Repurposed old books become journals. Great prices, and it’s fun to search for themes.
Rock Scissor Paper. For your holiday cards…and thank-you notes.

December 4, 2006

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