Oh Holidays, The Dilemma You Have Put Me In...

I have run into a small problem.  For the holidays this year, I have decided that I'm not going to (unless otherwise unavoidable) do any of my holiday shopping from large companies.  I want ALL of my money to go to small businesses.

Sadly, the best source for truly unique gifts and small businesses is unfortunately the place I loathe almost as much as Wal-Mart.

Yup. Etsy.

I do NOT want to give them any more of my money, deal with their inability to understand basic privacy regulations, or in any other way, shape, or form deal with their ridiculous inability to understand that they are a retail website, and not some sort of hipster version of Facebook.

I DO, however, want to support the artists that use them, which annoyingly requires that I have an Etsy account again.  I can't even contact the sellers to see if I can purchase from them in some other fashion OFF of Etsy, because you need an Etsy account just to get their info.

Etsy will also ban them if they find out that sellers are not selling their stuff exclusively on Etsy, because Etsy somehow considers this a mortal offense punishable by instant and permanent shunning from their hallowed halls.  Which means many sellers won't risk it.

*sigh*

A Gorgeous Morning

I woke up this morning, just a little before dawn.  I staggered down the stairs, poured coffee into my mug (whoever invented timers for coffee pots should be sainted), and happened to glance out the window on my way to the toaster.  There, I paused for several moments, my fruitfly-esque attention span caught, rapt, by the faint, dusty rose tinting on the hydrangea bush outside the window.  The flowers are all dried, now, and this morning they had a thin layer of frost blanketing them.  The pre-dawn light was reflecting pink from the not-quite-yet risen sun, still stumbling up towards the tree-line, and gilding them in shimmering rose.

There are good things to getting up so early in the morning.  The beauty of sunrise is one of them.

Occupy the Holidays! (Totally ganking the name off FB)

Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows I'm sorta big on the whole "Support Your Local Artist" thing.  I've even been known to whine about it around here on occasion.  Recently, I've read a couple of articles announcing that a number of the a$$holes in the corporate world have decided to be even bigger jerks about the rampaging consumerism that chokes this time of year, and start opening ON THANKSGIVING to get a jump on their Black Friday sales.

Douchebags. (Pardon my language, it makes me screamingly mad to read that sort of thing.)

So it should come as no surprise that with the $Winterholiday season coming up, I'm going to utterly shamelessly plug a bunch of small businesses who would LOVE to help you avoid giving the big box stores money, support local businesses, buy American, and whatever other buzzwords you feel like tossing in there. ;)  So, without further ado...

Love good smelly things?  Try S5body's soaps, lotions, and lip balms.  I LOVE this stuff.  I'm a wicked snob about my lip balm, and I adore this stuff.  The soaps?  Good heaven's, it wonderful...and generously sized, as well.  The sample size is nearly as large as some other handmade soaps, and the full-sized bars are enormous!  Plus, it's all natural, and smells fantastic.

One of my current favorite places to get perfume, Solstice Scents, has great stuff.  (My two faves to date:  Travelers and Russian Caravan... shocking, I know.  ;) )

Know someone who'd love a makeover?  Have a fancy event coming up?  Check out Hell's Belles Makeup Artistry.  Tell Erica I said "Hi".

For the Gothic, the slightly unusual, the darkly delightful types, you simply MUST check out Dark Siren Designs.  Talk about deliciously elegant!  Plus, the Siren and her model, the mysterious Ningyo are two of my most ADORED people on earth.

Hand-designed Celtic tapestries, cloaks, blankets, etc?  Check out Xeph-Ink's gorgeous designs.  Beautiful work by a lovely lady!

Speaking of drool-worthy Celtic designs, I have coveted  Crafty Celts authentic jewelry for a long-time.  Turns out, a friend of mine has worked with them at faires and whatnot, and she says they are fantastic folks.  All the more reason to support them!  She also pointed me at a couple other friends of hers; the adorable puppetry of The Midsummer Knight's Dream and the amazing bronzework masks, jewelry, and sculpture of BronzeSmith.

Ogham Art also has gorgeous artwork based around the early Irish script, Ogham (which I love, as some may remember, so much that I have some of it tattooed on my right arm, and will someday have more).  We follow each other on Twitter and they are lovely people and also HUGE on the sharing out other small and/or local artisan.

Rewondered comes highly recommended, for delightful jewelry.  As a sucker for all things shiny, I have to agree on how pretty her work is!  SO SHINY!!1 (ok...I'm good.  Really.  I swear.)

Have a gaming geek in your life?  Want to go to a brick-&-mortar shop?  If you're local to the Chelmsford, MA area, check out my housemate's suggestion of  3 Trolls Games & Puzzles.  (They've also got an online shop, as well.)

Just want to find a way to survive all the turkey, stuffing, and OMG!Pie that is the holiday feast?  Ask Kacy about her 90 Day Challenge plan, with delicious shakes to help you keep the weight down.  Want something a little more demanding?  Talk to Amber of GiryaScope Kettlebell Training about her kettlebells!  Both ladies are wonderful, know their stuff, and are two of my best friends.

All the stress of the holidays getting to you?  How about a massage?  If you're in the Metro Boston area, talk to Mitzie of Mind Your Body Holistic Health, Jess at Massage Therapy Boston, Sherman at Bearhawk Massage, or Kevin at Kevin Brown Massage.

How about those new family pictures you've been wanting to get done?  Why go to the mall and get the same, boring photographs as everyone else, when you can have simply amazing, unique-to-you photographs done by the stunningly talented Melissa Koren?

Or, for the literary minded...

Fantasy~
Janine Spendlove

Romance~
Teresa Noelle Roberts (one of my favorites)
Isabelle Cooper

Historical Fiction~
Duane E, Shaffer

Science Fiction~
Jonathan Taylor

So, there you have it.  A formidable list already, and there's going to be more to come as the stragglers wander in.  Know someone who should be on this list and isn't?  Let me know, comment, etc. and we'll make sure they get a little extra attention.

Seriously, folks.  These are ALL amazing folks, many of whom I know personally, all are friends of friends.  This holiday season, give them your business instead of some corporation.  Help them do what they love, and give gifts that mean something to everyone involved.

You should totally check out my stuff, too.  ;)

*Braaaaaainnssss*

This working thing?  Talk about a time suck!  Okay, the fact that I've got a hell of a commute doesn't exactly help, but oi!  I get up at 6, do the bathing/breakfast thing, am on the road by 8, finally leave work by 6, get home a little past 7, still have to cook dinner, finish by 8ish, at which point my brain finishes it meltdown of functionality and shuts down for the night.  Did I mention I'm half-asleep on the couch by 9?

Ugh.

Carving a time out of that to work is going to be a bitch.  Granted, some of it will likely get better when I get up to speed at the new job, but in the meantime?  Yeah, no brain.  Plus we really don't have anything that passes for a lunch room, so it's either eat at my desk with my co-workers right there, or leave altogether, which just eats more time into my working time elsewhere.  *sigh*

I'll figure it out eventually.  Until then I think my weekends are going to be the only time I get to do much work on my shit.  Not best pleased, but what can you do?

Got a request for a Christmas present, so I'll need to deal with that tomorrow.  It gave me an idea or two for something else to add to my list o'offerings, which is awesome.  I just need to get the TIME to do it!  Whee!!!!!

*thud*

Now, though, I need to shower before I'm late.  *dashes off*