Modish

Woah! Where'd you find this?

There are some gifts that just ooze wowitude and are sure to make your gift recipient squeal with both glee and curiosity- "woah, where'd you find this?"  Today's gift finds will focus on those gifts that are totally one-of-a-kind, some extravagant, some wonderfully inexpensive, but each completely handmade and one-of-a-kind to ensure you give the ultimate in unique gifts.  And remember, there's more "woah!" gifts in the Modish Gift Guide along with even more "woah!" discounts!

{Peruvian opal & coral necklace by Pashupatina, Lotos handbag by Krista Raak}

{Chocolate Vines sweater by mod to modern at Cut + Paste, Fiery Bamboo woodcut by mLee}

{snowy clutch by circle circle dot dot,  fleur de papier by Paper Relics}

{josephine lamp by julianna holowka at My Bonnie & Clyde, original pen and ink piece by Feanne}

Featured Sponsor: Quarry Jewelry

Whether you're headed to a party, out to dinner or to brunch at a seaside cafe, there's a Quarry Jewelry piece to suit any occasion! Handmade by Jennifer Kennedy, each piece is fresh and natural, inspired by Jennifer's South Florida surroundings, and either limited edition or one-of-a-kind. 

Just use code MOD12 at checkout and receive a 20% refund on your order through January 15, 2007, plus Quarry ships free throughout the US!

Do I really have to meet your dad?

Today's focus is on gifts for guys!  Guys are left out on this blog because, well, I'm a girl, I like girly things, most of the Modish readers are female, most of the crafters featured are female, etc etc etc...but alas, there are some amazing designers, male and female alike, that make great indie gifts for guys.  Read on and check out the gifts for guys section in the Modish Gift Guide to snag some deals! 

{diamond burger tee by Young Lovers, wahoo hoody by Ahpeele}

{hi-fi Christmas stocking by My Imaginary Boyfriend, vintage necktie printed by Tymbal}

{jet-away wallet by Tinymeat, fused glass belt buckle by kiku}

{bike chain bottle openers by Resource Revival, aviator messenger bag from Ex-boyfriend}

Sponsor Spotlight: Cherry Momma

Check out Cherry Momma for some "sweet treats for tots and tarts!"- there's tons of great gifts to find.

OMG it's, like, rad!

Yes it's, like, time for gifts for teens!  There are some teens out there who don't want the latest Laguna Beach on DVD (and for that, I salute them 'cause that show is addicting even for post-collegiate 20 somethings...or, uh, so I'm told...) and for them, there's indie shops with a plethora of fun, stylish gifts!  Check some out below and remember to take advantage of the deals you'll find on gifts for teens in the Modish Holiday Gift Guide!

{vintage apple necklace by Art School Dropout, black evil kitty hoody by evil kitty}

{photo journals by five and a half, emma ring at day-lab}

{Montgomery granny tote by chibi, Cassette tape belt buckle by honorable-mention}  

{steed i-pod peel by lime at Pixelgirlshop, Golden Beanie by Alison Beth}

If you'll be in NY this weekend...

...check out a couple craft fairs that are going on!

First up, there's Crafty Pie featuring handmade crafty goods and homemade pie! (yum yum!)  This happens on Sat, Dec 9th from 12-6 at Union Pool in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at 484 Union Ave- for more info, directions, or any other inquires, please email craftypie at gmail dot com. 

Next up, there's the Holiday Craft Sale, put together by Laura Normadin (a Modish favorite!) and friends, this craft fair will feature work from over 30 different artists including Sesame Letterpress, Deadly Squire, Bonbon Oiseau and more.  This one's Sun, Dec 10th at the divine studio in NYC, from 10-6pm (located at 21 E. 4th St, Ste 605)

For more East Coast craft fair goings on, check out the list on Decor 8 and remember to shop indie this season!

Sponsor Spotlight: ZN Creative Arts

Check out ZN Creative Arts for gorgeous enamel jewelry and other goods!  Get free shipping thru Dec 15th with code Modish06!

Holiday Giveaway Bonanza!

Holy good great mother of all giveaways, this one's a doozie!  I got so many wonderful goodies that I was able to make the biggest giftbox yet, worth $620!  Oh wait, let me re-phrase that, I was able to make two super mega holiday giftboxes worth $620 each!  Which gives y'all 2 chances to win!  That's a whole lotta indie loving!  Just sign up for the newsletter!  A name, er, two names will be drawn randomly from the list of newsletter subscribers this weekend and, once confirmed, will be announced the following week!  So easy!  The only hard part will be deciding what to keep and what to give away as gifts if you win!

Holiday Doozie of a Giftbox #1
(click pic for larger view)
Jaime Zollars- "lift" art print
Karen Marie Cross- silkscreened doll
Lusterbunny- porcelain deer pendant
Minty Print- 2 magnet, 2 notecard set
Ars Elementi- charm necklace
Eco Sprite Designs- $20 gift certificate
Bonnin Designs- Peruvian opal necklace
Gifts Define- love angel
Manic Trout- Etta Bottle Cap glass necklace
Bead Addict Designs- fused dichronic glass pendant
Shevon Gant Ceramics- chopstick holders
Shades of Violet- gift tags
Lanlan Design- pink crystal hoop earrings
Alicia Bock- card with original photography
Dashery- jasper & black agate necklace
Gajettes- handmade reversible headband
Alicia's Joy- jade, aventurine, peridot & glass earrings
Stinky Lou Lou- oversized English countryside tote
Oblinaknit- business card holder
Ellen Ikemoto Design- Japanese print collage cards
Amy Burns- celestial bliss light switch plate
Scribble Scrabble- beaded pen
Broken Tepee Designs- turquoise & Hill Tribes silver earrings
Honorable Mention- "diamond" ring
Spoiled Rotten- perfume & lotion samplers
Krista Raak- "spicy chocolat" hand embroidered evening bag

Holiday Doozie of a Giftbox #2
(click pic for larger view)
Evil Kitty- arm-warmer set
Krista Raak- "collette" hand embroidered folding clutch
Handmade Luck- "rockstar" necklace & earrings set
Honorable Mention- flower scrap brooch
Shattered Glass- gemstone ring
Bead Gal Designs- Swarovski crystal & shell earrings & pendant set
Young & With It- chicken butt cards
Sweet Tooth Designs- sterling silver smiley charm
Sofia Barao- handmade mixed media bookmark
Scribble Scrabble- beaded pen
Adorneya- aquamarine & turquoise earrings
Charcoal Designs- horsey necklace
Anna Bella Stationery- string & button notes & trivet
The Broken Plate Pendant Co- broken plate pendant necklace
Stiletto Heights- mixed media collage art card
Oblinaknit- handmade tote bag
Pretty Cheap- "America rocks" necklace
Alicia Bock- card with original photography
M. Augusta Woodland- "blue" necklace
Nek Jewelry- "instaparty" earrings
P1UON- 1 hairpin & 1 paint chip notecard
Becka Rahn- twilight beaded silk bag
Donna Keay Jewelry- crystal drop necklace
Pink Latte Bodyworks- $10 gift certificate
Karen Marie Cross- vintage lucky clover necklace
Gifts Define- baby gift set

Please help show appreciation to all the wonderful shops who donated goodies by perusing their sites- who knows, you may find some great gifts to buy along the way!  Good luck with the contest!

Sponsor Spotlight: Sprout Studio

Check out Sprout Studio to find wonderful, one-of-a-kind gifts!

Help out for the holidays

Looking for a fun way to help out this season?  Check out the Stanley Family Lodge raffle for charity!  You can purchase entries to win a gift set from Underdog Ink- just $1.33 per entry with $1.00 going to Second Harvest and the extra $.33 to cover the paypal fees.  You can purchase as many entries as you'd like to increase your chances of winning, and increase your donation amount- check out the Stanley Family Lodge site for more info, and help out the hungry this holiday season!

Too many handbags? Hah!

Today's gift finds are for stylin ladies!  For ladies who love shoes and handbags, ladies who are hard to shop for, ladies who usually go for designer names and don't realize the wealth of great stuff in the indie world- here are some finds for them!  Be sure to also check out the "gifts for stylin' ladies" section in the Modish Holiday Gift Guide!

{Pony bag from Cahoots Hanbags, Japanese Obi inspired belt by Curious Bird}

{hibiscus customizable heels by Mohop, lila sweatshirt by Rebe}

{lillie side earrings by Early Jewelry, PiniPop Mini Scarflet by Kaia at stars + infinite darkness}

{silk twig cushions by Kim Robertson at Rockett St George, black bear necklace by Bonbon Oiseau}

12 Days of Gifts!

The time for gift giving is fastly approaching so over the next 12 days (next 2 weeks, Mon-Sat) I'll be bringing you gift finds for specific people in your life, some stuff that you may not ordinarily find on this blog (stuff for guys, kids, pets...) plus 2 days of Holiday giveaway madness!  The giveaway goodies will be announced tomorrow, so be sure to check back- I was blown away by the response this time around, so much so that I had enough stuff to create 2 (humongous!!) gift boxes for 2 different winners this time around!  The winners will be randomly chosen next week from the list of newsletter subsribers, and they should get the goods by the following week so they can divvy up gifts to keep for themselves and gifts to give to friends and family!  Yay for the holidays, I just love this time of year!

Sponsor Spotlight: Wild Garden Design

Take stroll in the Wild Garden for hand screen-printed tees and more!  Get free shipping thru all of December!
 

Awwww...

Looking for a gift for someone who just eeks over adorable things?  I've got it for ya- check out this oh so adorable hand crocheted "lil bear critter cozy"!  So frickin' cute I think I'm gonna throw up (or maybe that's the burrito I just ate...oh perhaps the rum?) 
Handmade by multi-taskin', multi-talented meomi, this little $26 critter will protect your i-pod, cel phone, blackberry (ooh la la) or any other little must have techy item of the moment.  Find it, along with some friends in other color options, at Copacetique, the cutest boutique this side of the net!

No time to say hello, goodbye! I'm late I'm late I'm late!

I'm running late (as always) for work!   Gotta jet!
In the meantime check out the new winter issue of my faaaavorite fashion mag, NEET!
And, Grace has the new December design*sponge shop up!  Limited edition designs from amazing designers can again be yours.

I'll be back to post more gifts under $40 finds later today...

Rearing to go!

Gift the gift that every girl loves, jewelry!  But hip, unique, vintage jewelry under $40?  Erica Weiner's got it in droves!  
For starters, check out this cute horse necklace featuring a vintage cameo style plastic pendant with oh so debonair horses on it.  You don't have to ride horses (or even really like them) to think this necklace is stylee, hung from vintage copper colored brass.  It'd go perfect with right now's cute thermals and flannel tops- rustic yet sophisticated, girly yet sporty, for $30 you can have your horse and wear it too!  For more great gift ideas, check out Erica's other lovely designs in her shop!

Featured Sponsor: Supermaggie!

Need to find the perfect accessory, but can't bear the mall? Well, never fear, Supermaggie is here! With tees, brooches, stuffed creatures, their rad Slaughterhead wallets and gorgeous hand-felted scarves, Supermaggie has got what you need this holiday season to stay warm and stylish! 
Check out everything Supermaggie has to offer and get 10% off with the code Modish1206, good thru 12/31/06!

Site of the Week: Gifts Define

For a one stop shop for cute gifts and stocking stuffers, look no further than Gifts Define!  The site features oh so adorable mini dolls called InDOLLgences which are handmade by Irma Niekum- there's a whole range of holiday treats to choose from and the best part?  They're all under $40! 

These "holiday birds" and "o holi trees" would make excellent ornaments or Christmas party favors:

Or, check out these adorable reindeer and decorative little "santa girls":

Or, for a gift someone can use all year round, choose a sweet little doll from the Fun Animals collection!

Each doll is handmade with lots of love and attention and can be used in so many different ways!  Check out the full line of amazing little creatures and put a smile on someone's face this year with a gift from Gifts Define!

Handy Hooks

Giving a gift that someone can actually use is always a welcomed plus.  Something fun, yet functional, eye catching and handy dandy all at the same time.  Something like this "wall art with hooks" by Fluffy Co. perhaps?  Why yes, yes that's exactly it!
Weighing in at only $26 buckaroos, these hooks will pretty up your nook while also organizing it a bit.  Put it by the door to hang your keys, or by a stylish vintage mirror to hang your necklaces, or perhaps keep it in the office for a scissor/plier/crafty thing keeper.  The sky's the limit, and your budget doesn't have to be.  Get one for yourself and one as a gift for someone else!  There's free shipping on all orders over $75.  I think I may have to partake in a little fluff myself!

Sponsor Spotlight: The Blue Between

Check out The Blue Between for handmade lampwork jewelry.  Use code "modish" for 10% off your order!

Detox rocks!

I think that some of the best gifts to give (and receive) are gifts that pamper, because we too often forget to pamper ourselves, yeah?  Biggs and Featherbelle has got us covered on the pampering front with lovely, colorful gift boxes filled with health minded bath goodies, like this Detox Box!

This $30 gift box includes a sampling of goodies that will help clear your mind and detox your body- there's an achy muscles massage bar, muscle soak, detoxifying bar soap and a dry skin body brush to exfoliate.  A perfect gift for the marathon runner/yogaholic/pilates teacher/avid dog walker in your life.  Find this kit at Cut & Paste, and check out more gift ideas at the Biggs and Featherbelle shop!

*Oh, and while we're on the bath and body front, you can find more great handmade b&b products from indie designers all in one spot in the anise & currant gift guide!

Chum up your glum

The winter blues don't have to get you down when you have a lovely scarf to keep you warm (and stylish!) like this one from Alena Hennessy!
This suuuuuper long and luxurious scarf is soft and supple and would be perfect for a "chilly" Southern evening or what's left of these fall days.  And, at only $28, it would make a lovely gift for an even lovelier lady!  I'm diggin' the icy blue against the charcoal grey color combo, but it also comes in your choice of a white print on blue or khaki.  And guess what?  You can get one FREE with a purchase of $65 or more at Alena's shop!  Or, if you're not into scarves, choose a matted print for free instead.  Just let her know you "love modish" in the notes at checkout, and give her the details of what you'd like your free gift to be.  Choose your weapon and may the scarf be with you! 

Sponsor Spotlight: iglubu

Check out iglubu for lovely handbags, clutches, wristlets and more!  Use code "modish" for 20% off your order and get free shipping thru Dec 15th to boot!

Deck the halls with art!

Art makes a wonderful gift for just about anyone- whether they're an art connoisseur or not, everyone likes to have some color hanging on their walls.  But to find wonderful art pieces for under $40?  Tough, but not impossible with people like Jaime Zollars around! 

With her small prints selling at $25 each, you can get a piece for everyone on your list with money to spare (I suggest using it to buy one for yourself!)  I can honestly say I enjoy every piece for sale in Jamie's shop, but I was especially intrigued by this fantastical, "Marmalade Sky" print inspired by an Italian folktale with a diverse flock of colorful birds making up the "leaves" of the trees.  All of her pieces are as imaginative and original as this- check them all out at Jamiezollars.com!

Overjoyed with Bettyjoy!

Another wordly find for you straight from Bettyjoy's little cottage in the north of England, this super cute Rosetti Cutout Clutch by Sugar Cane.   
I love the earth toned color combo and the vintage Art Nouveau style floral print on this great clutch.  Plus the little cutout handle is not only simple, it's unique and stylish.  It has a reinforced bottom to hold all your goods and a vintage button closure to secure them nicely.  And at $17.50 euros, unless there's recently been some huge increase in the conversion rate I'm not aware of, this is well under $40 and well worth the price.  Find it only at Bettyjoy, along with a bunch of other great handmade goods!

Sponsor Spotlight: Shades of Violet

Stroll over to Shades of Violet for all your holiday card needs!  Use code "MODISH" for 20% off your order! 

Being an egghead's not so bad

First up, both an announcement and a great gift find- Jessica & Nancy Lim, the talented sisters behind Wild Garden clothing and the design blog, modamuse, which features indie designers from Australia and New Zealand, have just opened a modamuse shop!  It too features goods from Australian and NZ designers, including the likes of OMA who made this cute little nesting owl egg warmer!
Made from felt, this hand-embroidered little breakfast buddy is designed to keep your boiled egg warm and comes with the little white egg holder.  Perhaps you're not a boiled egg fan?  (I for one, have never even tried one...) Nonetheless, this cute little creature can keep your kitchen utensils dust free, or can cover up your egg shaped kitchen timer when you're not using it.  At only $18.17 US, this would be a great gift for your food connoisseur or kitchen laden friend.  And, with free international shipping until Dec 31st, I suggest you peruse around the many lovely finds at modamuse!

Gifts under $40 week!

If you're not all shopped out after the long holiday weekend (I for one haven't even gotten started!) than look no further than Modish for all your gift giving ideas!  For the next week, I'll be featuring wonderful handmade gifts under $40.  Why $40?  Because 4 is my favorite number, $40's about the average that I like to spend on people (unless they've been very very good this year) and because it's alliterative!  So there ya go, stay tuned this week for finds from all over the world that'll cost ya no more than 40 buckaroos!  And, starting Mon, Dec 4th, I'll be featuring finds for specific people on your list in all price ranges.  Remember, there's no need to brave the crowded strip malls this season- stick with Modish and shop indie!

Sponsor Spotlight: Creative Cupcake

Take a look at Creative Cupcake's accessories for the preppy at heart.  Use code "MODISH" for 15% off your order!

Keep your green greener!

A wallet would make an excellent gift for almost anyone, especially that friend of yours who's been carrying around a Hawaiian print Roxy wallet with a hot pink velcro closure for the past 10 years.  Get her something a little more grown up, hmm?  Like this young and hip yet sophisticated wallet from Quiet Doing! 
This Leaves of Grass (which is also the name of one of my favorite books, so that's another plus) wallet can hold your big girl checkbook and all your big girl credit cards as well as the semi-occasional cash that may show up (my cash pocket seems to always have receipts instead, hmmm...)  This vinyl Vegan friendly wallet is all the more welcoming with a fun color combo in forest, mint and lime greens.  Find this and more handy dandy goods at Quiet Doing!