Draw Your Own Design Watch

As a teenager, I loved bright and colorful Swatch watches, but I think I would have really loved this -- a "draw your own design" watch! The plain white watch can be drawn on with pens or markers, to make any design that suits the wearer. Unfortunately the description doesn't give the measurements of the watch face or the length of the band, which to me is important because I have tiny wrists and even ladies' watches tend to be too big, but that aside, I love the idea of this as a super fun stocking stuffer for teens, especially artistic ones.

(Don't forget, ThinkGeek participates in Mr. Rebates.

What: Draw Your Own Design Watch
Where: ThinkGeek.com
How much (as of today's post): $11.99

Little Dancer Pin -- Paired with Books!

I didn't intend to post about another luxury stocking stuffer so soon, but this little dancer has captured my heart! As many of you will recognize, this pin is a replica of the famous Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, more commonly known as just Little Dancer. The sculpture was originally made of bronze and tulle, while this 1.25 inch high by .75 inch wide pin is made of antiqued bronze finish.

One of the reasons I think this would make a lovely, special stocking stuffer is that it can be so nicely paired with a gift under the tree. The Little Dancer has been featured in several books, including multiple picture books and even a young adult novel depicting Marie's life as an aspiring dancer at the Paris Opera. The novel is Marie, Dancing by Carolyn Meyer, and it's truly a moving story. The paperback would probably even fit in a larger stocking along with the pin, while the hardcover edition could go under the tree if that's what you prefer.

And the picture books would be great fun for younger girls to go with this keepsake pin! Two picture books I know of are Marie in Fourth Position: The Story of Degas by Amy Littlesugar and Ian Schoenherr, and Degas and the Little Dancer by Laurence Anholt. I love the way both cover illustrations capture the mood of the Little Dancer, but so differently!

And there are probably even more books out there -- clearly I'm not the only one whose imagination has been caught by the Little Dancer!



What: Little Dancer Pin, paired with a book!
Where: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston website (or other museum stores)
How much (as of today's post): $48.00 (43.20 for members) (plus shipping)

M.C. Escher Mirror Puzzle

I went through an M.C. Escher phase in high school, when I was convinced he was the world's most brilliant artist. I even tried recreating some of his work in pencil, with limited success.... Seeing this Escher mirror puzzle from Vat19 brought back those memories, and I think it would make a nice stocking stuffer (assuming a generous-sized stocking) for a teen or a college student who likes puzzles.

So what's this puzzle about? Each of 9 cubes, measuring 1.25 inches apiece, has two mirrored sides plus pieces from five different Escher images. I'm not quite sure how the math on that works.... I think I need to see this in action! I especially want to see how the mirrored sides play into the solution.

The frame or base for the puzzle makes the total dimensions 5.25 x 5.25 x 1.5 inches. The product description actually says it's appropriate for kids age 7 and up, so if you have a younger little brainiac, I'm sure they would like this too! This puzzle/game is also a great candidate for paired gifts, such as an Escher book under the tree, an Escher bookmark in the stocking, and so on.

What: M.C. Escher Mirror Puzzle
Where: Vat19.com
How much (as of today's post): $19.95 (plus shipping)

Art by the Meter Folding Ruler

Oh dear, just when I thought I couldn't possibly add yet another category of stocking stuffers! Today's "luxury Friday" stocking stuffer is an "Art by the Meter" folding ruler from The Library Shop. It measures in both inches and centimeters, but the interesting part is that one side shows sections of beautiful full-color paintings, while the other side lists artistic movements by epoch, more specifically from "Roman funeral art and mosaics in the first centuries AD through the works of Islamic, Chinese and Mayan art into the Renaissance and on to the modern era." For each work of art pictured, the ruler gives the period and artist, title of the work, and the year of creation.

Closed, the ruler measures 9 inches long. Open, it's two meters (81 inches). It certainly would fit in a stocking, but here's where the new category comes in. I think it would be great for college students taking art courses, or for men and women who truly love art. But it wouldn't be appropriate for all college students, or all men and women. And so now I have a new category: "for art lovers". (I'll have to go back through my posts and see if that applies to any of the other stocking stuffers I've listed!)

Have a great weekend!

What: Art by the Meter Folding Ruler
Where: The Library Shop website
How much (as of today's post): $22.50 (plus shipping)

Ten Thousand Villages

Just as I wrote about Etsy not too long ago, today I want to write about another organization I admire that specializes in handcrafted items: Ten Thousand Villages. According to their website, this fair trade organization has been in existence since 1946, supporting the work of artisans from all over the world, particular some of the lesser developed countries. In addition to selling artisan items online, they have over 160 retail outlets across North America, which is how I first came to know them, because we have one in Houston. And if I'm not mistaken, many of the salespeople in these stores are volunteers, which means more of the proceeds from the sales end up back with the artists themselves.

Because there is such a wide variety of merchandise, the prices vary greatly. Never fear, though -- there are some less expensive items to be found, many of which could serve as unique stocking stuffers, and others that would make wonderful larger gifts. I expect I'll be posting about various items from Ten Thousand Villages from time to time.





For now, though, I leave you with these images of three different Nativity-inspired items from Peru. (As an aside, although I celebrate Christmas as a cultural rather than a religious holiday, I adore the Nativity story and would love to collect Nativity scenes from around the world, if time, space, and money were no issue. I still love looking at them, in any case.) The first image is a set of 5" high ceramic pieces, priced at $38 for the set. The second image is a ceramic tea light holder, 6" high, priced at $28. And the third, my favorite of the group, is also ceramic, 6" wide by 4" high, and only $20. Hey, for something handmade all the way from Peru, that's not half bad.

One last thing I like is that Ten Thousand Villages features a lot of items made from recycled materials. Truly, this organization appeals to every one of my sensibilities.