Shopping

SHOPPING: FrÃ¼gal Resale

POSTED: Tuesday, January 4, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Shopping

Photo | Ryan Carey

FrÃ¼gal, a thrift boutique, is now open on the Haddon Avenue shopping strip in Collingswood. As a '90s style slacker, I have to warn you— you're not going to find dozens of used copies of Megarace on CD-rom. But as an unbiased thrift connoisseur, I can say plainly that this place has some snazzy schwag.

Photo | Ryan Carey

Since Friends in Deed packed it in, FrÃ¼gal offers Haddon Ave's only thrift shopping opportunity. The majority of the clothes at FrÃ¼gal is women's and children's, and a recession is not the only reason to shop resale. While not a non-profit, FrÃ¼gal still gives a portion of their profits to a different charity each month. Food Bank of South Jersey received $188 over FrÃ¼gal's first seven weeks. And next month, FrÃ¼gal will partner with Friends of the Library which works to develop education and cultural development within the community. FrÃ¼gal is only a drop in the Haddon Ave. bucket of reasons you should hop on PATCO and take it to the Collingswood stop. As one of Philly's nicest suburban stretches, there's a bevy of shopping, scenery and more restaurants than you could shake a blog at.

Photo | Ryan Carey

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

COVETED: Gadgets ought to stay warm, too

POSTED: Thursday, December 23, 2010, 4:36 PM

Filed Under: Shopping Coveted

Collectors of pretty things, take note: Every week, we're rounding up a what's-what of what we [heart], culled from the scores of design blogs, artist sites and Etsy treasuries we stalk on the regular. This year, after much protesting, we finally caved and got our relatives the Kindles they've been asking for since 2007, despite our very strong feelings that actual books are better. (See Humbug, bah.) In order to make ourselves feel a little better about technology taking hold of our DIY-or-die lives, we've compiled a set of handmade, Etsy-sold gadget cases that make for cozy accompaniments to the hard-wired gifts we're receiving/giving this year.

iPod/iPhone sleeve with pocket ghosties, $15, Sea Side Sew
iPad Techee in Spade Orange, $22, Rogue Theory

Edgar Allan Poe cigarette case/iPod Nano holder, $9.99, Sweetheart Sinner
Leather iPad/Kindle case in Sparrow/Leaf, $90, Tovi Corrie
Peanuts Kindle/Nook sleeve, $16, Sakizome

iPhone/iPad Cheese Case, $39, Antjes
Yeti Laptop Sleeve, custom size, $85, Brokesy

Handle With Care Mac Book sleeve, $24.99, Bertie's Closet
Felt Owl Gadget Case, $22, Boutique ID

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 4:36 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHOPPING: Procrastinator's Holiday Bazaar

POSTED: Monday, December 20, 2010, 3:25 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Shopping

On Sunday, the upstairs music venue at Johnny Brenda's was transformed into a gypsy caravan-esque arts-and-crafts boutique for last minute local wares. Everything from hand-crafted jewelry to original artwork was available for the quirky indie kids on my short-n-stingy recession-era gift-list (although it's still not too late to beef up your generosity for the benefit of the local economy). The fourth annual ProHolBaz had some real wins. A couple of my favorites are pictured below and after the jump.

Photo | Ryan Carey

Rachel Ogden showcases her vegan-friendly homemade bling.

Photo | Ryan Carey

You can visit her online outlet at www.TheFeatheredSnail.com

Photo | Ryan Carey

Chief of Everything (aka Sharif Pendleton) offers an array of locally-made stocking-crammers.

Photo | Ryan Carey

You can order sets of thick, laser-cut bamboo coasters at his website, www.Mastersofnone.org.

Rachel Ogden

Posted 2010-12-20 13:29:48

Great blog post! Thanks so much for featuring The Feathered Snail!  We love City Paper!

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 3:25 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHOPPING: GritCityInc. offers a twofer

POSTED: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass | Shopping

Marianne Bernstein

A Photo from TATTED, out now from GritCityInc.

Do you have folks on your holiday shopping list who enjoy full-sleeve ink or perhaps colorful, curvaceous glass bowls? GritCityInc. is offering a free copy of TATTED to anyone who buys their first copy of TATTED or SMOKED, Volume 2 on their website. The sale on these full-color photo-logues of artistic achievements in permanent ink and smoking paraphernalia, respectively, is available until Dec. 31.

Posted by Ryan Carey @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Critical Mass

POSTED: Tuesday, December 14, 2010, 12:00 PM

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Posted by Nadya Harvey @ 12:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

COVETED: An Etsydelphia Holiday Gift Guide Supplement

POSTED: Thursday, December 9, 2010, 7:16 PM

Filed Under: Shopping Coveted

If you haven't picked up a City Paper yet, do it! Do it right now! Inside you'll find our local-est Gift Guide ever, focusing on neighborhood stores (from Fairmount to Fishtown, Passyunk to Manayunk) that could use your business way more than, say, Best Buy. But there's one biz demographic that didn't quite fall into our neighborhood rundown: Etsydelphia. That is — Etsy shop owners who live here in Philly but whose goods can only (or mostly) be found online. So if you're feeling particularly home-bodied but still want to support your local economy, get clickin'.

APPAREL + ACCESSORIES > Giant Dwarf, purveyor of oversize floral fascinators that we've been eyeing for years now, has the cutest new headband, and Kat Von Dee agrees. Available in diamond, gold, ruby or onyx, the Starlette Crown "is guaranteed to make you feel fancy and special whenever it's atop your pretty head." Yes, please! It's made from hand-cut vinyl stars, jazzed up with German glass glitter and lined with felt. Buy this for your girlfriend to wear on NYE and you'll be in smoochville when the ball drops and Snooki's head pops out. Just keep that orange bitch away from your lady's crown. $50, Giant Dwarf. BOOKS + ZINES > "Keeping it green" just outside Philly, Ivy Lane Designs is all about the quirky upcycle. Her Vintage Recycled Notebooks use old-school record covers (of the kid-friendly variety like Sesame Street and Pinocchio, but also including real-life, grown-up musical heroes from Kenny G to Placido Domingo, plus Broadway hits like A Chorus Line for the Glee nerd on your list) to bind looseleaf-paper-size books, and extra-large spirals accommodate "oodles of your photos and/or scrapbook goodies." Bert & Ernie: Side by Side is an original, so there's only one available, but the shop has, as its owner would put it, oodles of choices. $20, Ivy Lane Designs. FOOD + DRINK > No gift guide would be complete without the inclusion of Philly Etsy queen Girls Can Tell, who goes by Sara Selepouchin when she's not busy selling the most charming tea towels, coasters and prints known to DIY man. Focusing on original illustrations and diagrams of home and hobby, the GCT product line is ever expanding, but our hands-down favorite new item is the bright yellow Beer Is Delicious Bottle Opener Keychain. Featuring a glassware diagram, the opener is a seriously great stocking stuffer. And, as Selepouchin points out, "This bottle opener is quite honestly just the most awesome." Agreed! $6, Girls Can Tell. HOME + GARDEN > "Refined aesthetics and modern design" is how Kaye Rachelle describes its M.O., and it's absolutely so. There's something so clean and sweet about the design duo's collection of pillows, placemats, totes and tea towels, but also curious: They're all hand-screen-printed with unusual images that range from nautical knots and silverware to the NYC Highline and oyster flowers. Most delightful and surprising is the company's Radiator Pillow. According to its description, the image was inspired by "years of living in Old City apartments with lovely radiators full of character." The pillow's available in a variety of colors to match your living room decor. $34, Kaye Rachelle. KIDS + PETS > And here you thought the cupcake fad had finally hit critical mass, but you must've forgotten that puppies need snacks, too! These Mini Pupcakes are made from Jackie Starker's pet-friendly biscuit recipe, which she taste-tests with her adorably named pooch, Amelie. "If my picky little shih-poo eats up these treats, I'm sure they will get your dog's tail wagging as well!" (Can we just linger on how cute the idea of a shih-poo is for a sec?) The Pupcakes Bits & Pieces brand also includes doggy stocking-stuffers, peanut butter treats and tooth-shaped frosted Breath Busters that're all so pretty you'll want to eat them yourself. But 'tis the season for giving, 'member? $4 (for four-pack of mini cakes), Pupcakes. MIND + BODY > A medical anthropologist by trade, Sarah Powell somehow makes time in her busy schedule (she works full-time in public health at Temple) to create "concoctions, herbal blends and infusions" for her line of spirit-cleansing body products. (She also sells teas, perfumes and herbs.) Lilith's Apothecary specializes in aromatherapy, and the Herbal Home Spa Facial Kit is a great representation of everything the brand stands for. Included in the gift basket: toner, facial steam pack, facial mask and a patterned bowl for mixing — so your over-stressed mom can pretend she's in her very own apothecary. $38, Lilith's Apothecary.

mclovebuddy

Posted 2010-12-10 10:16:37

great finds! i love etsy as a buyer and seller of vintage and handmade, www.mclovebuddy.etsy.com. it's fun to do.  great content there.

Caitlin Connors

Posted 2011-02-08 18:18:23

Hey guys! This is a great article; I used to work for a few local entertainment guides and was always looking for local artists to spotlight.

I wanted to let you know I am a local artist as well who does surfer photography and illustration. You can see my stuff at: www.esty.com/shop/babygfunkmonkey! Maybe you can use my for the 2011 guide!

Posted by Carolyn Huckabay @ 7:16 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHOPPING: Art and craft fairs galore!

POSTED: Friday, December 3, 2010, 5:07 PM

Filed Under: Arts | Shopping



	Prints by Suzanne Francis

The First Friday in December means that city crafters and artists are coming out in buttloads to hock their goods for on-the-prowl holiday shoppers. In this month's First Friday Focus, Carolyn Huckabay talks about Shannon Collins' exhibit "Say Hello to my Little Friends" at Cafe Estelle, and artsy shopping events in Fishtown/Kensington and Little Berlin, but there are a few other noteworthyhaps on our radar that didn't quite make it in print. Puppet Uprising's Cheap Art Bazaar: Ever so often Puppet Uprising holds a cheap art bazaar to "enable artists to offer their work to people who might not otherwise buy art." And while the art is super cheap (ranging from 50 cents to $50), the monies made help cover traveling expenses for their band of traveling puppeteers. Besides selling her own prints and small paintings, Suzanne Francis says to be on the lookout for work by Just Seeds Collective's Erik Ruin, and performers Beth Nixon and Sarah Lowery. And there will be homemade baked goods! Fri-Sat, Dec. 3-4, 7:30 p.m., free, The Rotunda, 4014 Walnut St., 215-360-7655. Crafty Balboa Holiday: The Crafty Balboa Holiday shopping event was such a hit in the spring, they decided to have a wintertime go-round. The handmade craft market features a wealth of unique handmade goods from over 40 local crafters. Some of the goodies you can snatch up are lesbian t-shirts from Rainbow Alternative, kooky housewares from Girls Can Tell and threads by Typsy Gypsy Tees. Handmade Philly will also be in the house to teach a workshop on gift wrapping. Sat., Dec. 4, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free, Broad Street Ministry, 315 S. Broad St.

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 5:07 PM Permalink | Post a comment

JUST DO IT: Holiday Walk 2010

POSTED: Tuesday, November 30, 2010, 6:09 PM

Filed Under: Just Do It | Shopping Fashion

Craft Foundry

One of the many trinkets to be had at the Craft Foundry

It may sound like an event that should have the term "5K" in front of it, but Frankford Ave. Arts' Holiday Walk 2010 is actually more like a shopping bonanza. And while your contribution may not benefit cancer research or the local hunger epidemic, it will help support a street full of local artists who have shops on and around Frankford Avenue in Kensington and Fishtown. That's where the walking part comes in — you can stroll the avenue, taking advantage of special deals from shops like Black Vulture Gallery (208 E. Girard, 215-423-3666), two percent to glory (1807 Frankford Ave., 267-507-9250) and the Craft Foundry (701 Belgrade St., 267-977-8499). Everyone will have goods pulled out onto the sidewalks and there will be plenty of food from regional eateries to boot. One of our recent discoveries, and a participant in the walk, is the The Lola Bean (1325 Frankford Ave., 215-634-5652). Stop in and tell the girls hello. They make a mean-ass grilled veggie and hummus wrap, and if they're selling the vegan pumpkin cakes don't hesitate for a second to snatch one up. For a full list of participating businesses, check out this Google map outlining the entire course. Happy Fishtowning!

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 6:09 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DIY: Make your own sea salt spray

POSTED: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 3:51 PM

I was in the salon last week for a haircut, and just as my stylish was about to finish up she asked if I'd ever tried sea salt spray. I told her I had and that I loved it, but it seemed like a too-frivolous addition to my already cluttered supply of hair products. She sprayed some from the sample bottle in my hair and it looked fantastic, but I was still leery of forking over the money for it. She can always do things to my hair that I'm never quite able to duplicate at home. "Well, you know you can make it on your own," she said. "It's really easy." Then I had a total "duh!" moment. How hard can it be to make sea salt spray. I can't believe I've never thought of that. Back at home I Googled "sea salt spray" and got a result from eHow.com that seems simple enough. All you need is a spray bottle, 3 tbsp. of sea salt (Dead Sea salt preferred) and 2 cups of mineral or spring water. The process goes like this:

Warm the water to just below boiling point
Add one tablespoon of sea salt at a time, stirring until it dissolves completely
Allow time for the mixture to cool
Pour it in a bottle and you're all set

See, it's easy as pie. And everyone's going to be dying to learn how you've kept that shore hair all winter long. Tell them you just woke up that way. It'll be our little secret. Wink!

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 3:51 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SHOPPING: Score extra karma points at the Little Apple Boutique

POSTED: Friday, November 12, 2010, 7:48 PM

Filed Under: Events | Shopping

The Little Apple

Greeting cards at Little Apple

On Sat. Nov. 13 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Manayunk gift boutique Little Apple (4353 Main St.) is hosting a shopping/philanthropic bonanza to benefit non-profit organizations, like A Woman's Place, Family Support Services and Baker Industries. Besides Little Apple, other boutiques along Main Street will be taking part as well. Stores like Nicole Miller, Gary Mann Jewelers and Orbit Gallery will also be donating 10 percent of their profits to the prior mentioned charities, and offering light refreshments. This is a great way to knock out some Christmas shopping, while still fulfilling your personal charitable duties — that's like double giving. Somebody's racking up those karma points. Ching, ching!

Posted by Josh Middleton @ 7:48 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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About this blog

Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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