THE SECOND ANNUAL LOCALS-ONLY

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

by Kate Tarasenko

[Originally published in the Rocky Mountain Bullhorn (Fort Collins, Colo.),

Nov. 25 – Dec. 1, 2005, pgs. 13-16]

Jasper Tees and Sweatshirts, Kansas City Kitty, 226 Pine St., Old Town (482-5845)
Jason Cope uses historic black and white images and hand-drawn embellishments for the symmetrical designs in his silk-screened hoodies and tees.
They beg for a closer look, and have a vague sense of political yearning about them, something we might all be feeling this holiday season.
$26 to $38.

Beauty Edge Tees, Kansas City Kitty, 226 Pine St., Old Town (482-5845)
Aaron of Beauty Edge uses bold '70s-favored colors (like that particular orange found in our parents' kitchens) for the simple retro images on his
silk-screened tees, resulting in a kind of surfer-cum-Art Deco design. $26.

Mara Siciliano Jewelry, Kansas City Kitty, 226 Pine St., Old Town (482-5845)
We're big fans of Mara's baubles. She uses vintage images and classic pop icons encased in marble-size glass bubbles, giving the wearer that
overdressed feeling of a slightly boozy upper-East Side matron going out with all her gold on, but with something far more impressive to say.
Current favorite: the many-roles-of-Johnny Depp bracelet. $10 to $26. Custom orders welcome.

Becky's Buttons, Kansas City Kitty, 226 Pine St., Old Town (482-5845)
Becky ripped up her Nancy Drew books and converted the pictures into buttons using an old button-maker. She made the next logical leap to S&M
images, along with shellac-haired catalog models, looking disturbingly normal, dressed in synthetic-fiber clothing that is, also disturbingly, making a
comeback. The film-noirish and pulp-fiction softcore porn graphics are so cool that it's almost a shame to remove them from their duplicate display
cards. So consider getting one of her button-adorned purses, too. $2.50 to $25.

Cassiopeia Clothing, Mole 33 Records, 106 W. Olive St., Old Town (484-3165)
Hanna Selassie's new line of fleece caps and scarves are street enough to be carried exclusively by Mole 33 Records, and folk-art enough to appeal
to your inner Ukrainian grandmother. Hanna applies chain-stitch embroidered trim, inspired by her native Ethiopia, to some of her innovative
hand-warmer pocket-scarves. $15 to $20.

Sweet Bird Art Frames, Jules' Gifts and Paperie, 146 S. College Ave. (493-3310)
Nancy Anderson's rough-hewn frames, fashioned with found bits of metal, are useful, to be sure, but the pairing of each frame's individual design
with circa-18th century hand-tinted prints of women in various states of adventure and repose make them true frontier-inspired Americana art pieces
that stand alone. Around $70.

Luna Jewelry at Nuvo, 19 Old Town Square (495-6922)

Angie Wasserman, former owner of Nuvo, now sells her earrings and necklaces there. Her line includes semi-precious tumbled and faceted stones,
including kyanite, jade, citrine and chalcedony, sometimes showcased in hammered silver, but usually set off by their own delicacy. $18 and up.

Paintings by Hyland, La Luz Mexican Grill, 200B Walnut St., Old Town (493-1129)
The enigmatic Hyland Mather uses Masonite squares covered in pastel house paint that are freeze-frames of a kind of comic-book Zen: the imagery
and accompanying words rendered in Magic Marker don't necessarily have a discernible point or a punchline, but they softly and persistently flick
at your head like an annoying little brother on a long car ride who's actually too adorable to punch. $20 and up.

Clark's Beeswax Candles, Fort Collins Food Co-op, 250 E. Mountain Ave., Old Town (484-7448)
The Clarks have been making heavenly beeswax candles (and honey) through their family-owned beekeeping business in Fort Lupton for years.
The natural candles come in a variety of shapes and sizes and give off a sweet, lead-free glow for hours. $2.50 to $17. Also available at Wild Oats.

The Perennial Gardener / A Sense of Place, 154 N. College Ave., Old Town (472-2640)
The adjoining shops of this Old Town fixture are so crammed full of both foreign-produced and locally-made holiday delights that the atmosphere
positively dazzles the senses. Every conceivable cranny brims with ornaments, chandeliers, bird houses and myriad practical and impractical gifts for
indoors and out. But the dazzle can be dizzying, rivaling any high-impact mall experience. Luckily, it's 20 seconds to the nearest exit from any
crowded corner and, after catching your breath outside, you can make a return reconnaissance sweep, fortified by a complimentary sugar cookie.
Prices vary.

Combination paint scraper/windshield scraper, Dollar Discount Stores, various Fort Collins locations
Ever since my friend Arthur accidentally stepped on and broke the ice scraper that I had carelessly left on the floor of my truck on the night of the
Buckethead concert at the Aggie, I've been searching high and low for an adequate replacement for the best ice scraper I have ever used. It was a
sturdy-handled brass-edge scraper that I found in the automotive section at Target years ago, and I thought it was such a smart idea that I bought all
they had, at $1.79 apiece, and gave them out to friends one winter. I finally found the answer in the quasi-hardware aisle at Dollar World (though I'm
sure any paint scraper will do). The broad and flexible blade has enough give that it doesn't scratch the glass, and, more importantly, the bite that a
plastic scraper never has to cut through that obstinate icy sleet that settles on your windshield late at night, a time when you least want to be outside
freezing your hind-end off scraping your windshield. Made in China, $1.

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