Cool Stuff: Leafcutter Designs Trade Tokens

Here's a novel idea (and I know this is mighty rich coming from someone who publicly covets things all day long): Instead of another scented candle or useless tchotchke for Mom this Sunday, how about the simple promise of your time, or something made with love and your own two hands?

Based on historic "tough times tokens" (shown above), which took the place of currency when money was in short supply, these charming wooden trade tokens from Lea Redmond of Oakland-based Leafcutter Designs (aka the woman behind the equally charming World's Smallest Postal Service) offer something of infinite value: A homecooked meal, a walk together, a pep talk when you're feeling down.

As Redmond says, "Many of the best things in life don't take much money, anyway. I've created this series of trade tokens to help spread thrifty and wonderful homegrown goods and services through our culture. Give them as gifts, pass them out at potlucks, leave them around town for other people to find and circulate. Let them take on a life of their own and remind us all what true value is." Hear, hear.

The tokens are 75 cents each, or 12 for $8 right here.

Mark Your Calendar: Art Openings and Holiday Sales

Lots of opportunities around the Bay this weekend to find unique holiday gifts, affordable original art, and other fresh pieces for your home:

For the next three weekends, San Francisco decorative painter Daniel Gundlach hosts his annual Language of Cloth Textile Bazaar. The trunk show and sale features fine handmade textiles from Southeast Asia (such as the gorgeous piece above), all at wholesale prices. Language of Cloth is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through December 21 at 650-B Guerrero St. in the Mission District.

Over here on the sunny side of the Bay, super newsstand/art gallery Issues, at 20 Glen Ave. just off Oakland's Piedmont Avenue, hosts an opening reception this evening from 5 to 9 p.m. for artist Olivia Allums's Oakland Signage show. The exhibit features 30 small paintings of some of the city's more modest, but no less iconic, landmarks. Oakland Signage will be up at Issues through the end of the month.

Staring tonight at 6 p.m., neighboring Oakland art galleries Blankspace and The Compound Gallery join forces for the third annual Holidayland Gift Sale. More than 50 local artists will be selling original artwork, handmade crafts, accessories, papergoods, holiday ornaments, tote bags, jewelery, and more. (I just looked over the list of participants, and it's not the same dozen or so artists and crafters who -- fabulous as they are -- seem to rent booths at every other Bay Area art fair and craft event, so I'm excited to see some fresh new goodies at this shindig.) There will also be music, food, and seasonal libations.

If you don't make it this evening, the galleries will host another reception next Sunday, December 14, from 4 to 7 p.m. You can also visit the Holidayland Sale during regular gallery hours, noon to 7 p.m. Saturdays through Mondays until December 15. Blankspace is located at 6608 San Pablo Ave., and The Compound at 6602-6604 San Pablo Ave., both in North Oakland.

Also tonight from 5:30 to 8 p.m., Uptown Oakland's Creative Growth Art Center will hold its Holiday 2008 Studio Sale, featuring original art, prints, and artisan-produced ceramics, wood sculpture, rugs, glassware, bags, and T-shirts. A portion of every purchase helps support Creative Growth's program for artists with disabilities. If you miss the opening party, you can still shop the sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays December 6, 13, and 20. Creative Growth is located at 355 24th St.

Nearby, Uptown's Rock Paper Scissors Collective hosts an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. this evening for its group show Second Coming, featuring "ingenious reincarnations of discarded items into truly unique and inspired artwork." Also available will be 100 percent recycled gifts handmade through RPSC's Community Collaborations Project, in which local artist Chelsea Fadda worked with low-income and homeless adults at St. Vincent De Paul's found arts studio. The exhibit as well as the recycled gifts will be on display at RPSC through December 27. The shop and gallery is located at 2278 Telegraph Ave.

The ceramic artists at Berkeley's Fourth & Clay Studios -- Rae Dunn, Christa Assad, and Josie Jurczenia -- open their doors for Holiday Sales the next three weekends in December (that is, December 6 and 7, 13 and 14, and 20 and 21). On offer from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday are wares from the in-house ceramists as well as textiles, papergoods, jewelry, art, and pottery from a rotating cast of their distinguished friends, including Diana Fayt, Whitney Smith, Susannah Schnick, Aliza Cohen, Linea Carta, and others. The studio is located at 2390 C Fourth St. near Clay in West Berkeley.

Speaking of Whitney Smith and Diana Fayt, they're having studio sales of their own this weekend. Smith's Holiday Studio Sale takes place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 6 and 7 in her workspace at 539 Athol Ave. in Oakland. In addition to bargain-priced seconds, Smith will be selling first-quality items and several new designs.

Over in San Francisco, Fayt's Holiday Sale, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, December 6, will feature her gorgeous new red-and-black designs, plus lots of affordable wares for those feeling the economic pinch. Fayt's studio is located at 1044 Revere Ave., Unit 5-29 in the Bayview district.

From 6 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, online gallery Red Cake celebrates its first birthday with a live event called Shiny Brite, featuring work from Daniel Ross and Lissa Ivy Tiegel. The art will also be on display Sunday, December 7, and Saturday, December 13, by appointment at 4209 Howe St. in Oakland.

Back in San Francisco on Sunday, don't miss the annual Rhode Island School of Design Holiday Sale at Fort Mason. More than 30 RISD grads will be selling jewelry, home accents, glass, prints, paintings, photographs, drawings, sculpture, papergoods, and textiles. The sale runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 7 in Fort Mason Building A, Marina Boulevard at Buchanan Street.

Whew!

Cool Stuff: Matryoshka Measuring Cups

I'm not normally into super-girly home decor, but am charmed nonetheless by these sweet (and practical!) stoneware Matryoshka Measuring Cups from Anthropologie.

They just might be the perfect thing for those ultra-feminine, newly-minted-college-grads-decorating-their-first-apartments on your holiday list.

The set of three is $28 right here.

Cool Stuff: Working Class Studio Fabric Bags and Boxes

Re-Gift line just in time for the holidays. They
are perfect to stash under the Christmas tree with a big pretty bow, and
after use, they can be used as home storage boxes. The fabric bags can
also be reused as lunch totes, knitting bags, kids totes and so much more.
Why waste a bunch of paper wrapping gifts when you can use and re-use
these boxes and bags for years to come!

Add panache to gift giving and style to storage with this elegant
collection of collapsible fabric-covered boxes. Available in several
rich colors and striking patters, Re-Gift fabric boxes can be used (and
reused) as gift boxes, colorful home storage containers, or chic accents
to your living and work space. Great for holiday and year-round use,
boxes include a coordinating hang tag ideal for gift labels or content
identification. Pattern design by Ben Morris (professor of fashion, SCAD).

Fabric Bags : Re-Gift
Add panache to gift giving and style to storage with this elegant
collection of collapsible fabric-covered boxes. Available in several
rich colors and striking patterns, Re-Gift fabric bags can be used (and
reused) as gift bags or stylish totes. Each bag is made of durable
natural cotton and features a reinforced bottom for added support. Bags
are available in three sizes: bottle, medium and large. Pattern design
by Ben Morris (professor of fashion, SCAD).

Cool Stuff: Gifts for Bloggers

Last night, my blogging buddies Porcelain and Cardboard from the awesome Design Boner tagged me with a virtual holiday gift. Isn't the Erich Ginder Ghost Tree Rack, $1,700 from Design Public, just perfect? Thanks, guys -- I love it!

Now it's my turn to gift some of the blogging friends I've made this past year. I've never met any of these ladies (or gents) in person, but I feel they're all kindred spirits. More importantly, they inspire me, educate me, entertain me, and make me laugh every single day. (And it's thanks to them that I can never seem to get any work done.)

Please note that the relative price of these items has nothing to do with my affection for each these bloggers.

First up, of course, has to be my Design Boner peeps:

For Porcelain:
Porcelain Golden Honey Bowls With Woven Rocks, $225 for three from White Forest Pottery (duh)

For Cardboard:
Cardboard Deer Trophy Puzzles, $12 to $44 from Cardboard Safari (duh again)

For Holly at decor8:
Morrissey Silhouette Pillow from Etsy seller Olive, as soon as she makes some more (because Holly loves her some Mozza)

For mom-to-be Angela at Shelterrific:
My Mom is e-Famous Baby Tee, $16 from Miss Domestic

For Nicole at Pink Loves Brown and Making It Lovely:
Cocobola Print, $25 from Etsy seller Melissa Moss (for obvious reasons)

For Laure of At Home at Home and Apartment Therapy: Los Angeles:
Poolside Drinks at the Figueroa Hotel

For Kate at Girl Meets Glamour:
A $100,000 gift certificate for 1stDibs (because girlfriend has seriously good, champagne-and-caviar decorating taste)

For Katie at Katiedid:
"Save Katie" print, $10 from The Poster List

For Hannah at Printer & Piemaker:
Cathrineholm Blue Lotus Plate, $37 from eBay seller nantiques20 (because this would be perfect for her new turquoise kitchen)

For Catherine at Scrappy Girl Decorates:
A $1,000 gift certificate to the Rug Company (so she can just go ahead and get a living room rug, already)

For Victoria at sfgirlbybay:
The $1,000 Reader's Choice Award in the Domino Decorating Contest

For Megan at BeachBungalow8:
Martha Stewart: Just Desserts, The Unauthorized Biography, 1 cent at Amazon (because we all know how much Megan love/hates Our Lord and Savior)

For Your Mama at The Real Estalker:
The "Metallica Mansion" in Pacific Heights, $10.5M (because Kirk Hammett's on-the-block Gold Coast dowager is probably the closest thing we have to celebrity real estate in these parts)

For Tom and Lorenzo at Tom & Lorenzo and Project RunGay:

Random guys who are NOT Tom and Lorenzo: Ed Salvato for Gay.com

All-Gay New Year's Caribbean Cruise, $5,950 at Travelpride (because these guys deserve a break from all that hilariously catty blogging they do)

And finally, for all of you:

Bouquet of Roses, by flickr member Welshlady

A dozen red roses and my undying gratitude. Thanks so much for reading!

P.S. What virtual gifts would you give to your favorite bloggers? Post your ideas in the comments box and let us all know!

Shameless Plugs: Part 2 of My Holiday Wish List on Shelterrific

See everything that my covetous little heart desires -- and get some splurge-worthy gift ideas of your own -- right here.

(Oh, and if you missed Part 1 of my ginormous "Gimme List," it's here.)

Cool Stuff: Dutch by Design

I was poking around on the Dutch by Design website, which features -- wait for it now -- the work of Dutch designers like Tord Boontje, Moooi, and Droog, and discovered a treasure trove of fun, reasonably priced, and unique gifts there:

Apple Bowl, $9

Cheese Board, $15

Melamine Mix & Measure Bowls, $18 to $28 each

Birds Salt and Pepper Set, $25

Silhouette Bird Clock, $29

Rack Oh Deer Coat Hooks, $29

Bird Houses, $30 each

Bird Print Cup Set, $35

Muurbloem Tiles Clock, $35

Back in Time Radio Alarm Clock, $45

See all the wares at the Dutch by Design site right here.

Mark Your Calendar: Modern Economy Mini Sale

If you missed the big Modern Economy Sale at San Francisco's Fort Mason Center a few months ago (or simply sneaked out, overwhelmed and empty handed, like I did), then here's a second chance to grab some of those great bargains: Modern Economy is having a "Mini Sale" this Sunday, December 2, in Berkeley.

During the even, part of the Wish List Holiday Sale, samples and overstock from indie designers -- including Henry Road, Deadly Squire, Good on Paper, dwellbaby, and Atelier LZC -- will be discounted up to 70 percent. Perfect for crossing some of those holiday gifts off your list.

And this time, I'll have a better plan of action: Getting there early (right after we hit the monthly Alameda Antiques and Collectibles Faire), and installing my ever-so-patient and indulgent hubby in the checkout line before it snakes out the door.

The sale, which runs from noon to 5 p.m., is located at 2473 Ninth St. in Berkeley.

See you there!

Shamless Plug: My Holiday Wish List on Shelterrific

Angela over at the great shelterrific blog was nice enough to ask for my holiday gift wish list, which she posted today.

Now I feel a little guilty for including so many things that make my heart skip a beat. But hey, it's a vocational hazard.

Nick, Mom -- are you reading? ;-)

Cool Stuff: For the Mod Tot

Modern Gingerbread House, $78 from Red Envelope

Aren't gingerbread houses basically made from graham crackers, tubs of store-bought cake frosting, leftover Halloween candy, and paper plates? (Not that I've ever made one with my own kids, mind you -- I told you I'm not crafty. But when they bring them home from school, at least that's what they appear to be constructed from.)

If you're looking for an actual fancy gingerbread house kit, though -- and if you're the kind of strict modernist who insists that your offspring or other young 'uns in your life be reared with the proper reverence for your chosen aesthetic -- then the gingerbread house above is most definitely the one for you. (Thanks for the tip, hansfamily!)

While we're here, a couple more kids' modern stocking stuffers that may be up your alley:

M is for Modern Alphabet Cards, $25 from Jargon Boy

Forget "Apple," "Banana," and "Cat" -- try flashing "A-Frame," "Bauhaus" and "Constructivist" with these clever alphabet cards. Because it's never too soon to start schooling your mini in the basic tenets of Midcentury design.

Villa Sibi Dollhouse, $690 from Sparkability

Hey, they've got to learn sooner or later that good design doesn't come cheap.