He was just in town welcoming the Rock Center Christmas Tree; if I’m not mistaken. But that’s neither here nor there.
As much as one would think that I side with the “bah, humbug” side of Christmas, I actually absolutely love the shit out of the holidays. I’m not one for the religious aspect, (I’ll stick to my “agnostic front”, because who really knows what’s out there?), but I love the feeling of everyone coming together and spending time with the people they care about most.
And I like to buy shit. Always have, always will. And this time of year I can do that! I really don’t care if I get anything, as so much as I like getting or making things to give away.
Which brings me to my point. 2012 has been a tough year for many. While not everyone got hit with a stupid hurricane and other natural disaster bullshit, financially, the buzz hasn’t been the best. So why stress yourself the fuck out when it comes to buying gifts?
If you can, make something! Personally, I would prefer handmade gifts from my friends and loved ones. Think about it. It takes more time, energy and thought to make something.
If you’re an artist paint/draw/create something. If you’re a writer, give a signed book or poem. And anyone can do this, write a letter. A letter of how you feel about someone, what their relationship means to you, etc.
If the thought of doing all of the above stresses you the fuck out more than money, no problem. My loud mouth has a solution for that as well. Buy Local. By buying local you’re stimulating an independent person who’s doing what they love and trying to earn a living doing so. It stimulates the local economy and doesn’t give money to big corporations to be split up and divided into minuscule amounts.
By buying local you’re helping another individual. And let’s be honest, handmade shit is way cooler and unique than some name brand crap. Tory Burch wallet or a handmade leather wallet from a local or online store? Like ELF for example. http://www.balielf.com/
Tory can suck it.
Moving on to cards. Easy things to make yourself and if not, there’s Etsy. No need to give Papyrus all your hard earned cash for their pseudo handmade greetings, get the real thing!
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=cards&view_&ship_to=US&ref=auto3&explicit_scope=1
Etsy has everything handmade, local, vintage and craft related that you can imagine. And you don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home or interact with strangers!
Jewelry is another big one this time of year. Paying a 500% mark up isn’t necessary. Does it really matter if it comes in a teal box with a white ribbon? Why not give something out of the ordinary? You can find some rare gems in local jewelry stores, like my favorite, The Shape Of Lies: http://solnyc.com/webcat_retail/shared_pgs/store.htm
And clothing. Who wants a boring shirt that says some silly brand name all over the front? Give the gift of different. People will wonder where the hell you got it and who doesn’t like to feel like they have something no one else does, (unless it comes to VD, then that’s a different case. Nobody wants Chlamydia…)
Anyway, some of my favorite clothing lines are local, like Father Panik, http://www.fatherpanik.com/ who also has an exceptional jewelry line; and check out the customizable knuckle tattoo gloves, those are on my list…just putting that out there.
And if you don’t live in the East Village or want to shop online just plug your information into this little online finder and get your handmade local holiday on: http://www.independentwestand.org/support-independent-business/search/
Think before you buy this year. Do you really need to be trampled by assholes on Black Friday or would you rather save yourself the bruises and help out another person in the process?
So this holiday I’m opting to buy local and buy handmade, if not make it my damn self. Everybody could use the savings and everybody could use the help this year.
I urge you to do the same. I guarantee you’ll feel good about it (and no one will be rolling their eyes behind your back after they open the 17th package of tube socks you’ve bought them in a row…)
Happy Hunting!
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