Poppin’ Tags
Your guide to thrift gifting this holiday season
Malls are a terrifying place during the holidays. Okay, maybe my opinion is biased, as I am by no means a mall rat. I would … Continue reading
Gift Guide
The Art of Giving
Buying original works of art can be easy and fun this time of year
Buying art can be intimidating, especially for beginners. Those high prices! Those inscrutable artist statements! But during the holiday season, studio sales abound, opening up … Continue reading
Wise up for the Holidays
Picc-A-Dilly Flea Market brings together an eclectic group of vendors, offering unique gifts
Three women sit at a table, poking diamond-shaped beads on canvas. It’s sort of like Paint by Numbers but an even more minute process that … Continue reading
Gifts for Mamas and Babes
A local roundup of products and services
Chances are this holiday season you know someone who is expecting or has recently had a baby. Shopping for a new mama and baby is … Continue reading
Gift Guide
Local gift ideas for everyone on your list
What’s this? Twinkly lights wrapped around trees? Christmas songs in stores? People with an inherent lack of holiday cheer raging about red coffee cups? We must be nearing December! It’s a time of rampant commercialism, but don’t fear — by buying local, you can find one-of-a-kind gifts for loved ones while also making a contribution to Lane County’s economy. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite gift ideas for all the eclectic characters in your life. Dive in and see what’s out there. Continue reading
Handmade in Springfield
Willamalane’s Holiday Marketplace features local gifts
Downtown Springfield is buzzing with revitalization and, as December approaches, the Willamalane Adult Activity Center will soon kick off its annual Holiday Marketplace … Continue reading
Swap Don’t Shop
One local mom’s mission to make the holidays brighter
When the holidays roll around, families can feel the financial pinch as folks scramble to buy presents while still making ends meet. Local Kayla Powell saw a way to make holiday “shopping” fun again — and the annual “Swap Don’t Shop” began. Continue reading
Subscribe Me
Local tastes and experiences as gifts
With the holidays just around the corner, finding the right gifts for family and friends can be a daunting task. But what if I told you this could be accomplished from home, in your pajamas, all while benefitting the local economy? Shopping for experiences — through subscriptions and memberships — can be fun, and it helps support some of our community’s most important cultural and culinary institutions. Continue reading
Festive Felt
Learn needle-felting skills with Willamalane
Unless explicitly discussed beforehand, EW doesn’t recommend giving pets as gifts. Too often, holiday puppies and kittens grow up to become shelter dogs and cats. We do, however, endorse checking out the cute critters made by needle-felt artist Leslie Seese or, better yet, you can learn to make them yourself at her class in December. Needle felting is a craft that involves poking wool with very sharp needles to tangle the wool fibers so that they take on a desired shape — a heart, snowflake or reindeer, for example. Continue reading
Elephant in the Room
How to make white elephant gifts not totally suck
Every year the invitations roll in for white elephant parties, which leave some scratching their heads at what to bring. For novices or anyone who has experienced a past party failure, here are some DOs and DON’Ts for your holiday white elephant party. Continue reading