Hanukkah starts on Dec. 22 and Christmas, as always, hits Dec. 25. In other words, you're gonna need gifts. We've thrown together some of our favorite local options to help you shop for a variety of personality types from news dorks to regular dorks and all others in between. You've got roughly a week—better hurry.
1 – Shoes and a New Economy with XOLOriginal;
xoloriginal.org
SFR first spotted this vendor at the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival earlier this year with breathtaking shoes made from 100% recycled materials, including tire rubber for soles, reclaimed upholstery leather and colorful, traditional clothing materials from Mayan women in central Mexico. It’s not just about footwear, though: Instead of buying the product outright and commodifying the art, customers have the option to support the Indigenous artists behind Xol directly throughout the year, opting to pay $5, $10, $15 or $20 a month. The $5 level comes with a pair of custom-made shoes every 2 years, and the $20 level provides a new pair of kicks every 6 months. (Cole Rehbein)
SFR Tip: Even though vegans might balk at wearing leather, all the hides come from recycled or repurposed sources, so the shoes can be thought of as cruelty-free.
2 – Give the gift of glowing skin
Santa Ana Skin Care Clinic
2205 Miguel Chavez Road, 954-4422
Passive-aggressively tell your loved one their skin is dry by giving them the gift of a facial. Each one is customized to work with your individual type of skin. Whether you or your loved one need a hydrating facial or something to cleanse your pores, Santa Ana offers it. They also have teen facials for the pimply young ones. Price ranges from $125 to $145.
SFR Tip: Add on microdermabrasion. It vacuums the dead skin cells of your face and leaves your cheeks feeling as smooth as a baby's bum.
3 – Figure drawing fun
Artisan
2601 Cerrillos Road
The Muse Art Project offers free figure drawing meet-ups on Wednesday mornings at Artisan, a locally owned art supply store that has been around since the 1970s. This isn't a class exactly because there's no teacher, but the groups are led by the models (clad in skin tight clothes) and participants themselves. Artisan staff tell SFR these meetups sometimes turn into lively social events and are a great place to learn to draw or touch up on ones skills.
SFR tip: Wondering where the "gift" part comes into this free experience? Stop at Artisan to pick up the supplies the recipient will need: Strathmore Newsprint Pad, 18″x12″ $6.29; Art Alternatives Vine Charcoal 3 Pack, $1.95; Faber-Castell Kneaded Eraser, $1.50.
4 – Wear the Art with Brands Like Future Fantasy Delight and Obsidiopolis
The quickest way to bring stunning artworks to that gift exchange also happens to be a utilitarian thing. We're talkin' clothing designed by local artists like Nico Salazar and Janell Langford, the artists behind Future Fantasy Delight and Obsidiopolis respectively. Salazar's black and white chic style ($30-$85 for most tees and sweatshirts) borrows from pop and toy culture, anime and that party life, while Langford's bright and breezy Obsidiopolis ($30-$65) clothing celebrates black girl culture and a retro, throwback aesthetic for '80s fans and beyond; both operate under Meow Wolf's umbrella. Either way, your giftee's gonna look good. Get both.
SFR Tip: Both brands have killer tees, but look deeper for sweaters, hoodies, prints, pins and more.
5 – Adorable kitsch from Sub Rosa Mercantile
65 W Marcy St., 428-9528
subrosamercantile.com
Sub Rosa Mercantile proprietor Madeline Zinn grew up in Santa Fe, and after years of running the shop in Denver, she brought it home to roost—everything in there is a Southwestern dream, from handmade bandanas courtesy Last Chance Textiles and Apprvl ($27-$55) to a wide range of ceramics, candles, jewelry, patches, bitters, clothing and on and on. The short version? If you need a gift of some kind for almost anyone on your list, you'll surely find it at Sub Rosa.
SFR Tip: Zinn's an expert on every last item in the shop—ask for guidance and ye shall receive.
6 – Get Moving at Thrive
947 West Alameda Street., 930-5923
Give the gift of movement this holiday season. Thrive, located in the Solana Center, is offering a $45 unlimited week of yoga and indoor cycling that can be used anytime before January 31st. Thrive is the only place in town offering vinyasa-style classes in a heated room, which can feel mighty good during these icy months. New Years’ resolution, anyone? Or, at the very least, it’s an excuse to escape the family for an hour or two. Sometimes committing to a week of exercise can feel daunting, so give somebody a hand and do it for them. This is the perfect gift for that friend who’s been “meaning to get into yoga” but can’t seem to make the stretch.
SFR Tip: Classes fill up quick so encourage your friends to sign up early online.
7 – Smell almost too good with custom perfume
Roxana Illuminated Perfume
1600 Lena Street, Unit A6
What could be cooler and sexier than having one's own custom scent? Make an appointment to consult with master perfumer Roxana Villa, who for $90/hour will start helping one develop their very own "scent portrait." For $250, Villa will guide participants through the history of perfume and send them away with special alchemical momentos. For real enthusiasts, she offers a two-day workshop to learn the craft, currently on sale for $395. Her perfumes are all made from natural, plant-based materials, and spending an afternoon in her studio is like entering a magical alternate universe where fairytales and ancient wisdom come alive through smell.
SFR tip: Roxana also has a line of custom made scents for purchase for $60, but you'll still have to make an appointment to come in.
8 – New Mexico proud
fs2supplyco.com/
For all those relatives who moved away and friends from out of town who swoon about how much they love New Mexico, get stickers, hats, clothing and more from newly minted local outfit FS2 Supply Co. Where else can you find a T-shirt emblazoned with an endangered Rio Grande cutthroat trout? We're also partial to the cap with a state patch, which comes in shades of red, black and camo. Wait! Where did you go?
Pro tip: We recommend getting anyone who lives in Colorado one of FS2s green chile shirts. Stick it to 'em.
9 – Delight with chocolate drink mix, candybars and education
Cacao Santa Fe: The Art of Chocolate
3201 Richards Lane, 471-0891
Take your chocolate lovers to tour this Midtown chocolate factory to get the whole "bean to bar" experience, then nosh on premium snacks guaranteed to have them rolling their eyes in ecstasy. Banish the thought of Hershey kisses wrapped in gaudy colored foil and embrace the idea of artisan bars topped with crunchy cacao nibs. We love making fun-flavored drinking chocolate at home and on the go for camping trips, which is how we ended up talking to Cacoa's chocolate historian this fall for a podcast about ancient practices of hot cocoa.
SFR tip: Drink mixes make great host gifts for parties when you don't want to support the bottle-of-wine culture.
10 – Bestow a beautiful table
Mabel's Table
1010 Marquez Place, Suite C
www.mabelsantafe.com
Mother and daughter Diane Hanson and Holly Tunkel, founders of Mabel's Table, provide beautiful antique, vintage and rare textiles all year long. For the holidays, they have an array of affordable gift sets with exquisite individually-sewn cotton art coasters, table runners, sparkly cocktail napkins, placemats and bespoke dinner linens that will make your favorite host or hostess very happy upon receipt (and perhaps earn you an invitation to a swanky cocktail party with actual cocktail napkins). Find beautiful items 20 to 80% off on Saturdays throughout December (or by special appointment).
SFR Tip: You can put your own mix-and-match gift set together, as Mabel's Table offers individual dessert, cocktail and dinner napkins for $2 to $4 each, or individual coasters for $3 on its sample table.
11- MAKE Something Together at MAKE Santa Fe
2879 All Trades Road, 819-3502
makesantafe.org
The feeling of accomplishment and emotional returns are aplenty when we make something our damn selves, and with an entire nonprofit in Santa Fe dedicated to giving you the tools to do so, there's little excuse to not gain some know-how. Gift something experiential and with plenty of togetherness by booking a workshop for you and a friend or family member at MAKE Santa Fe. We're talking woodworking, lasers, 3D printing and so much more, and with classes starting at $40, it's more affordable than whatever doodad you're thinking of handing over that probably doesn't have any lasers at all. (ADV)
SFR Tip: Donations always feel good, too, especially for organizations like this that make our town rule so hard.
12 – Access to all the tools you need for a year
Santa Fe Habitat For Humanity ReStore Tool Lending Library
2520 Camino Entrada, Ste. A
santaferestore.org/tool-lending-library/
Tools can be ridiculously expensive to buy, but for only $20 a year you can borrow anything from a simple shovel to power-tools and how-to books for a week at a time. Lending libraries are a smart way to build community and support accessibility while getting the most out of limited resources (your money, the materials it takes to make tools). Great gift for anyone who works on gardening, mechanics or construction projects often enough to need tools but not often enough for it to make sense to buy them.
SFR tip: For a bonus, help that person brainstorm a project, take them to the ReStore to buy materials, and dedicate a weekend to helping them get started. The money you spend will help Habitat for Humanity build homes for Santa Fe families in need.
13 – Access to the Experts at Big Adventure Comics
418 C Montezuma Ave., 992-8783
facebook.com/bigadventurecomics
We know what you're thinking—a gift certificate can be so impersonal. But when it comes to the kind that come from Big Adventure Comics, Santa Fe's best (and, to be fair, only) comic book shop, you're not just giving your friends a key to the wide world of comics, trades, one-offs, special issues, graphic novels and Magic: The Gathering cards—you're giving them access to people like owner Kevin Drennan and employee Bram Meehan. Not only are they super-rad dudes, they'll help your giftee find the perfect item without all the nerd gatekeeper crap. Put at least $50 on that cert.
SFR Tip: Cut out the extra steps and just buy someone the complete Bone by Jeff Smith.
14 – Limited edition sound from Curated at SITE Santa Fe
1606 Paseo De Peralta
989-1199
In the 1940s, industrial designers Charles and Ray Eames developed designs for several radio cabinets. One of them, however, was perhaps too futuristic for its time, and never got made. Until now. Vitra teamed up with the Eames' estate and has rolled out a limited edition—only 999—of the Eames Radio, with up-to-date technology and transcendent sound. Only 100 are for sale in the US, and Curated, the museum store at SITE Santa Fe, has four left of the six it originally received. This $999 radio is a collectors' item, and bound to be a hit with any sound/design lover you want to spoil.
SFR Tip: Curated's curator, Yon Hudson, keeps SITE's store stocked with items one can't find elsewhere, with an eye toward beauty and wit. Anything in the store would make a good gift or stocking stuffer, but be sure to pick up some of the locally made chocolates from Chamisa Chocolate, all vegan and gluten-free. Santa Fe biscochito is a good pick for this time of year.
15 – Get it catered by YouthWorks
santafeyouthworks.org/about-youthworks-catering/
Celebrate someone special by throwing them a party catered by YouthWorks. The local nonprofit engages in a range of outreach and job training programs for "at-risk" and disadvantaged youth in Santa Fe. In the culinary arts program, young people learn professional food preparation, event organization, catering, and business skills. Costs for a party range from $8-40 per person with an average cost of $14 per person, which comes to about $500 for a party of 30 people.
SFR tip: This is also a great gift for someone going through a hard time, such as a serious illness or injury, a divorce, or a death in the family. Make their life a little easier by having Youthworks deliver a meal once a week for a cost of $5-40 per person.
16 – Keep it Traditional with MAIDA
108 Don Gaspar Ave., 988-9558
maidagoods.com/shop
This year, look to MAIDA goods for your holiday jewelry and pottery needs. Megan Branch, the woman behind MAIDA, works with Native artists using traditional techniques to create exquisite handmade pieces that reflect Indigenous rituals and cultures. The price point varies, with giant stone-cast arrowhead and Naja pendants on the higher end and nativity scene figurines and burros made of locally foraged micaceous clay on the lower. Visit her web shop for all the options or stop by Spirit of The Earth on Don Gaspar for a smaller, curated selection.
SFR Tip: Some pieces are made-to-order, so get a head start if you can.
17 – Stick it on the wall with a poster version of your favorite Reporter cover
www.sfreporter.com/shop
Original works from SFR Art Director Anson Stevens-Bollen, stellar photographs and other art that's landed on the cover of the Reporter can also land on your home or office wall. Get a glossy, 17 X 22 inch poster for $40 delivered in the United States, and, you guessed it, support the mission of local culture and news journalism from an alternative voice. So far, the "Georgia O'Crow" cover from winner of our Illustrator's Cup, Ellen Gregor, has sold the most copies of any poster. But have you seen the "Cat Vermeir" from Nov. 13?
SFR tip: See an overview of recent covers by visiting Santa Fe Reporter at issuu.com/santafereporter7
