i’m thinking about christmas already. sigh. my family has instituted a one gift per person R100 limit (to combat the “meltdown“). i told them R100 is almost impossible, so i’m shooting for under 200 bucks. anything handmade is great to me, and anything i can order online is even better. if i can walk to a shop – wonderful, but that kind of limits you geographically & since i’m out in “the sticks” (as some might say) i welcome e-commerce with open arms (i’m also lazy). PLUS i’d also like to inject some christmas cheer into the south african postal service (i have faith!) – herewith my south african friendly online shopping gift guide

local shops:

marisa girardi - take it from me, you’ll be hard pressed in finding a lovelier and more accommodating person to buy from! marisa made my couchie especially and popped him in the post the same day he was ordered. she also has a range of jewellery, brooches & art.

skinny la minx – well known local designer whose textiles have been featured many times on blogs like design sponge, decor8 and many more. her shop is on etsy, but if you’re south african you can get in touch with her directly about local orders

the wren – handmade bags & purses (also on etsy & flexible with south african customers)

beatnik bazaar – hells yes, a wide range of beautiful goodies from this stanford based shop (order by email) – if you’re in that area i reckon actually paying her shop a visit is a good plan, too (note: she also stocks skinny laminx & the wren goods)

jezze prints – another uber talented local designer (looooooove that cushion)

kim gray - i absolutely covet the springbok bags, but budget wise there are some nice necklaces & other treats for under R200 (she also stocks smith’s rosebud salve! nice!)

shine shine – i’m not 100% sure if you can order online but the fabrics are rad

franzart – my sister in law sells her wee oil paintings on bid or buy – they are cute & well-priced. (not much in the shop right now, but do contact her if you see something you like in her sold items or if you want something specific)

buycool – there is nothing handmade about this shop, but it stocks earphones under R200. i always lose or break mine, and my iPod deserves to be heard (can’t do without it on a treadmill, hence the sporty clip type). wait… am i buying gifts for myself? ok you can buy it for me.

take2.co.za - this is my go to online shop for books & dvds. their selection is great, their prices are good & they deliver quickly & without mishap (in my experience, anyway). the books, from left to right, are: over & over: a catalog of hand drawn patterns (R268) ; The New Terrarium: Creating Beautiful Displays for Plants and Nature (R192) andItalianissimo : The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best (R154). the dvds are: 30 rock season 2 (R193); mad men season 2 (R183); paul simon graceland: the african concert (R220)

international, but they ship here:

threadless – they deliver to SA and their prices are so reasonable considering the quality of the t-shirts you get (american apparel – they are very soft, trust me) and also the choice of designs are immense. (a wee bit over R200 if you incl shipping, i’ll give you that. buy in bulk?) etsy - you’re probably thinking “obvious”, but you can’t beat it for one of a kind affordable products & great interaction between sellers and customers. i think just about everyone on etsy ships internationally – so go forth & have fun buying. i have my eye on the following:

caitlin quiet’s prints (pepperminte)

pomadour’s japanese sewing books

deebeale’s prints

janet hill’s prints

katie daisy’s prints

j davis studio jewellery

dores jewellery

engrave your book - double my budget, but still awesome. these are custom engraved leather covers for moleskines, perfect for writers, artists, scribblers and anyone else who loves a good journal.

victoria’s secret – i’m really only including this because they have some amazing swimwear (something i feel is difficult to find here – nice swimwear anyway) and it’s around $20 (R150) for each piece (they sell them seperately, so let’s say R300-400 for a swimsuit) and they ship here so… why not? maybe go in on one parcel w/a friend – the more items in one order the less the shipping works out (also eco footprint etc!) and lest you forget, it’s summer in the southern hemisphere (for all of you who might think i’m crazy to consider swimwear in the holiday season)

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wow i might have to do a second installment of this gift guide as i haven’t even touched on some of the stuff available online (i don’t mean everything – only the places that ship to SA). i also realised that it’s all things i love – for chicks. so, if you’re a dude, buy nice things for your girlfriend and/or mom – okay? i might have to focus on something for guys, next time. playstation games and leather-bound books? wait, that’s also stuff i love.