I'm sad to say that this going to be my last blog entry for Retail Therapy. I've had a lot of fun exploring the stores in Columbus and sharing my favorite spots and deals with you.
But I'm nine months pregnant and likely to head out on maternity leave any day now. And life with a new baby, I hear, doesn't afford too much time (or money!) for shopping. So, sadly, I'm ending this blog right before the best shopping season of the year kicks into full gear.
But don't worry — when I come back, I'll continue writing about shopping for the print edition of Alive and for our new women's magazine, Capital Style (watch for the first issue at the end of February!).
Columbus Museum of Art is hosting a Jewelry Trunk Show featuring work from local designers from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7. There should be plenty of great holiday gifts to choose from, plus free gift-wrapping will be available!
One featured designer is Veda Gilp, whose colorful, chunky gemstone necklaces and earrings are pictured. The Slices of the Sky necklace and earrings ($79, $39), top, are made from turquoise porcelain beads paired with onyx bits. The Goddess set ($189), bottom, is made from hand-cut tsavorite and features a peridot pendant.
The jewelry will be on display in the museum lobby, and shoppers get free coffee, tea, punch and cookies.
What: Local Jewelry Trunk Show
Where: Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., Downtown
When: 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7
Web: columbusmuseum.org
Make-your-own jewelry class
If you're feeling more crafty than spendy, the C.O. Bigelow store at Easton will be hosting a jewelry-making session with New York designer Jennifer Stock on Saturday, Dec. 6. Attendees will be able to customize their own jewelry with Stock, whose work has been featured in Lucky and Self magazines.
The holiday event will also include makeup consultations from Nars and Jane Iredale representatives, men's shaving and skin-care tips from Anthony Logistics and a (non-alcoholic) holiday eggnog bar.
What: Holiday festivities
When: 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6
Where: C.O. Bigelow Apothecary, Easton Town Center
Web: bigelowchemists.com
I mentioned the charming Powell boutique Bloomsbury Loft in an earlier post, and I found the shop to be full of great gift possibilities when I was in recently. From a display of handmade aprons, dishtowels and other kitchen textiles, I was most impressed with these cheerful oven mitts. Made from bright, vintage fabrics, they feature a different pattern on each side, and they'd add some character to any kitchen.
Aquis Adventure microfiber towel, $19 Beauty First
1735 Olentangy River Rd., Campus
614-297-6467
Perfect for the outdoorsy types on your list, these towels are made from a patented microfiber that soaks up water on contact and dries quickly afterward. They're recommended for use while hiking, on camping trips, during sports and for any other outdoor adventure you can think of. The towels are available in several sizes, and they're not only lightweight but don't take up much packing space.
More gift idea leftovers from our 20 for $20 feature ...
Polaroid emulsion lifts, $15 MJ Leonard Photography
84 W. Olentangy St., Powell
614-354-4275
Original works of art for 15 bucks! What a deal! You can pick up these unframed Polaroid emulsion lifts from photographer Melissa Jane Leonard at her Powell gallery. Her subjects range from flowers to angel statues to architectural details. Matted, these pieces are about 8x10 inches. She also sells framed versions for $38, or you can visit her Etsy site to find more of her photography online.
If you're not familiar with the emulsion lift process, how it works is the photographer soaks a Polaroid image in hot water until the top emulsion layer floats off the backing. Then it can be transferred to a new surface, like watercolor paper, where it can be further manipulated. So no two images are alike.
Melissa Starker spotted this 8x10 linoleum-relief print from strong local artist Michael Litzau at last weekend's Tiny Canary indie craft fair, and the idea of giving someone the gift of Gandhi at this point in time just struck her as kind of cool. Fun facts: Litzau also sells magnets with images of the civil-rights icon for $25, and he has a side business of selling vintage stuff on Etsy.com.
We had lots of fun searching the city for great gift ideas for the 20 for $20 feature in today's paper. In fact, we had a little too much fun, and ended up with a bunch of picks that didn't make into today's paper. So I'll be sharing a few those gift ideas with you guys each day over the next week. Today's two picks are jewelry for those on your list who aren't afraid of a little color.
Fiber optic glass rings, $3 each Accent on Nature
1390 Grandview Ave., Grandview
614-486-7333
They're like Life Savers for your fingers — very light and bright, and oh so cheap. The shop might be better known for its collection of gemstones and birdhouses, but Grandview's Accent on Nature actually has a fairly sizeable jewelry selection, with a lot of sterling silver pieces available for under $40.
These Wilma Flintstone-inspired bracelets are made with vintage beads and old dominoes, similar to the rest of the jewelry in the Past Perfect Designs line. You'll also find dainty beaded earrings for $10 a pair and fun ribbon necklaces for $16 at this Dublin art gallery, which offers a small selection of gifts from local designers alongside paintings and textile pieces from area artists.
While tracking down items for our annual 20 for $20 gift guide, I wandered into Powell boutique Bloomsbury Loft for the first time. The colorful and cheery shop is full of things like vintage furniture, handmade jewelry, aprons and kitchen towels crafted from vintage fabric, and throw pillows made out of old feed sacks. Check back later this week for a look at a couple of under-$20 vintagey kitchen items I found while browsing this well-stocked gift shop that's definitely worth the drive out to Powell.
And this weekend is a perfect time to check the store out. They'll be hosting a Holiday Open House from 5-9 p.m. Friday, with holiday treats, door prizes and special prices on items throughout the store. Plus, you'll get 20 percent off of anything that's not already reduced. The sweet treats and door prizes will be offered throughout the weekend, and kid shoppers can get their faces painted between 1 and 3 Sunday afternoon.
What: Bloomsbury Loft Holiday Open House
When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21
Where: 30 W. Olentangy St., Powell
Web: bloomsburyloft.com
Here's your final reminder to check out this year's Tiny Canary Indie Design Market, running Saturday and Sunday at Junctionview Studios in Grandview. Today I'm taking a look at a couple of vendors traveling in from outside Columbus to show their wares.
I love the blues and greens in this pretty Stem Necklace ($98). Kristin Perkins' colorful and inventive glass jewelry is created with handmade beads, which the Ypsilanti designer makes through lampwork. The old-fashioned technique uses a gas-fueled torch to melt rods and tubes of clear and colored glass. Her work is notable for its clean, geometric patterns and vibrant color schemes.
Something about this graphic woodcut print, titled "Battlecrabs in Love," fascinates me. I guess it's just the contradictory notion of hard-shelled, crabby crustaceans falling in love. And I'm sure it will cause guests to take a second look, too. The limited-edition print from Pittsburgh's Tugboat Printshop measures 12"x15" is done on pale pink paper, and it costs $65. It's actually part of a 12-print "Deep Blue Sea" series that also features whales, octopuses, pirate ships and shrimp.
If you haven't already gotten a head start on your holiday shopping (slacker!), then this weekend's Tiny Canary Indie Design Market is the perfect place to start. You'll find handmade modern arts and crafts from independent designers both in Columbus and elsewhere across the country. The market returns to Grandview's Junctionview Studios for its second year.
To get everyone in the crafty shopping mood, I'm going to highlight a couple of Tiny Canary vendors today and tomorrow. Today, I'm looking at Columbus vendors, and tomorrow I'll pick a few intriguing sellers from outside the area.
First up is Alison Rose, whose screenprinted T-shirts and handbags are created by Alison Bartlett and Nicholas Nocera. The company has several cute Ohio-themed shirts. My favorite is the Alpacas Love Ohio design, first seen at this year's ComFest. And who doesn't love alpacas? It's available in both men's and women's sizes for $20. I also like their inventive tee celebrating our new president-elect, Obama (in words) ($22). Quotes from the politician's acceptance speech at this year's Democratic National Convention are combined with other noteworthy quotes to create the image of Obama's face.
For a slightly sillier gift idea, try these whale-shaped business-card holders ($20) from Tsuru Bride. Made from metallic blue Italian leather, the little guy comes with a hand-stitched mouth and white-leather eyes. If you're an animal lover, you'll definitely want to check Tsuru out — they also sell shark-shaped MP3 player holders and panda-bar change purses.
JackThreads.com, based in Columbus, is an interesting approach to online shopping for men. The exclusive, invite-only site offers up one designer clothing item each day at a deep discount. Each of the 24-hour sample sales features a new item of men's apparel, sneakers and accessories from hip, urban streetwear brands like WeSC, Triko, Dunderdon, Mishka, Creative Recreation, 3Sixteen and Beautiful Decay. And everything's marked down at least 50 percent off the retail price.
The site owners bill themselves as virtual personal shoppers, seeking out one fresh pick for each day that's posted online and e-mailed to subscribers. The concept is perfect for men who loath making trips to the mall, or who consider searching for good buys a waste of time. But it's not great for those who have trouble making up their minds — each item is available for 24 hours only, and if you miss that day's buy, you're out of luck. Quantities are limited, too, so if you see something you love, it's best to nab it immediately. JackThreads offers a 30-day return policy, and is also giving $10 to members who refer new members to the site. Creator Jason Ross said a similar women's site is in the works.
Today's offering is a bright-colored zip-up flannel jacket from The Hundreds, an L.A. clothing line inspired by southern California's skateboarding, surf, punk and hip-hop cultures. The jacket, available in turquoise and navy, is priced at $50, 65 percent off the $142 retail price.
Visit JackThreads.com for more information on getting on the invite list.
I love the look of the adorable Red Chair consignment shop in Grandview. The squat brick building stands out from similar neighbors thanks to a bright red awning and a collection of furniture that spills out the front door into the parking lot. And it's just as bright and cheery once you step inside.
The tiny store, sectioned off into small alcoves, keeps less furniture in stock than other nearby consigners, but the selection is more focused. They call the style "vintage furniture with a modern flair," and if you're a fan of the cottagy, shabby-chic look, you'll definitely find plenty of covetable items. About 20 percent of the merchandise is consignment — sellers bring in their gently used items and split the sales profits with the store. Owner Nancy Young finds the rest of the furniture and accessories herself, then works with her staff to spruce the pieces up with a bit of paint and perhaps some new fabric.
"It's amazing what a little painting will do," said Jan Bradley, who helps customers work their purchases into their existing decors.
When I stopped in recently, intriguing finds included this ornate, attention-stealing curved '20s-era sofa in chartreuse, a bright red distressed fireplace mantle from the late 1800s, wrought-iron headboards, whimsical painted chandeliers and curved dressers updated in creamy yellows and deep reds.
