2014 Gift Guide: For the Stocking
Please note: This article is published as an archive copy from Philadelphia City Paper. My City Paper is not affiliated with Philadelphia City Paper. Philadelphia City Paper was an alternative weekly newspaper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The last edition was published on October 8, 2015.
Tiny treasures for your tiny giftings.
Maria Pouchnikova
1. | Toys and crafts from Art Star: Get cutesy and crafty this holiday season with Art Star’s offerings — finger puppets are meant for kids (we guess), but bring a smile to grownups’ faces when they are Abbey Christine’s teensy weensy Bob Ross or Steve Martin. Gift a D.I.Y.-type friend with Tadpole Creations’ make-your-own pirate doll kit, and for the very talented, the New Academy Press’ Pioneer Adventure Kit (far right), so you can create your very own Ron Swanson-type paper man (and dog). $16 (finger puppets), $20 (pirate doll or pioneer kit), Art Star, 623 N. Second St., 215-238-1557, artstarphilly.com.
2. | Quirk Books’ original offerings: Quirk is headquartered on a “quiet cobblestone street” in Old City, but its offerings are more outside the box than quaint. Consider gifting the delightfully cringe-worthy postcard set of “awkward Americana,” Stars and Swipes, and the “awkward romance” set, Hugs and Misses, both by Wilhelm Staehle. The box set, Ian Doescher’s William Shakespeare’s Star Wars Trilogy, is exactly what it sounds like. The Empire Striketh Back is one of the titles. $44.85 (Star Wars set), $9.95 (postcard sets), quirkbooks.com.
3. | Astronaut Ice Cream: Science and sweets, together as one? What a time to be alive. For astronauts, keeping the spacecraft light is high priority. That means the water gets sucked right out of their food. Sounds gross when it comes to, say, pizza, but is surprisingly pleasant in ice cream form — especially with flavors like ice cream sandwich and mint chocolate chip. End your trip to the Franklin with this dessert you can pick up in the gift shop. $12 (per three-pack), Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St., 215-448-1200, fi.edu.
4. | Latico Leathers backpack: OK, OK, so the bag itself probably won’t fit in a stocking, but hey — cram all the other tiny goodies inside and kill two birds with one stone. This Latico “Blair” backpack doubles as a handbag, and its sleek, minimalist exterior makes it one of those unicorn-like bags that’s utilitarian and stylish as hell at the same time. Bonuses: pretty fabric lining, swishy giant tassel, tons of pockets for all your messy purse nonsense. Everyone wins. $179.95, Scarlett Alley, 241 Race St., 215-592-7898, scarlettalley.com.
5. | Aoki Boutique house items: We’re big fans of when things that are typically boring in the household — salt and pepper shakers, matches — are transformed into conversation (or art!) pieces. These S&P beauties take you from “person salting his/her food” into “badass tagging a wall with no care for the system, man.” As for the matches with the pretty boxes — they are magical, because they’re longer than average. Anyone with many candles can tell you how goddamn important that is. $25 (set of salt and pepper shakers by Donkey Products), $6 (matches by Homart), Aoki Boutique, 115 S. 22nd St., 215-568-2024, aokiboutique.com.
6. | Sugar Skull items from Eye’s Gallery: Eye’s, established by famous Philly mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar and his wife, Julia, demonstrates the couple’s love for Latin American folk art and handmade items from around the world. If this past Halloween was any clue, people seem to be jumping on the Day of the Dead iconography as a sort of trend lately, but the calavera (sugar skull) goes back centuries in Mexican culture, and is often given as a gift. Do the same with the make-your-own sugar skull mold, and raise a toast to the Day of the Dead with colorful graphic shot glasses. $16.50 (sugar skull mold), $11 (shot glasses), Eye’s Gallery, 402 South St., 215-925-0193, eyesgallery.com.
7. | Wear Liberty tees: Matt Eyer, a local with an art and design background, founded Wear Liberty with the intention of showcasing Philly’s culture and history in a whimsical way. He’s got screen-printed tees with a cartoonish Ben Franklin and bold sketches of the Philly skyline. His best-selling “Philly Famous” design spells out “Philadelphia” with shapes of our most iconic landmarks and items — the Liberty Bell, the Clothespin, pretzels, etc. Wear with pride. $20-$25, wearliberty.net.
