sweetney's holiday shopping extravaganza 2005

last updated: 12/13 : 8pm

simply because i love, and because i'm here to help: offered below is a compendium of nifty stuff of which i approve for your holiday shopping pleasure and ease (by the by, i'm not a store, just a fellow product consumer). i'll be adding to this continually until late december, so bookmark the permalink now if you like what you see, as more of it is forthcoming as i get the time. enjoy!

NOTE: NEW(ish) ITEMS
HIGHLIGHTED
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SEASONAL:
holiday lights cookies
delicious and attractive.

neighborhoodies personalized stockings
this week only! jump on it, yo.

unusual cards
i wish i'd remembered this before i'd bought xmas cards for this year... someone PLEASE get these and send me one!

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CLOTHING:
threadless t-shirts
stylin threads, now on sale for $10!

andy warhol banana hoodie (kids)
M_ *so* needs this.

not an elf and ate my dreidel rompers (babies)
adorable and comfy.

tattoo t-shirt
says i love you - without the permanently seared flesh.

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ART:
steve keene paintings
fabulous paintings by the well-known NYC artist DIRT CHEAP. we have about 20 hanging in our household.

kozyndan shop
amazing (and inexpensive) prints.

stendig wall calendar
okay, so not technically art, but tis a design classic.

black and white warbler print
i have a thing for birds, you know.

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DVD:
naked
possibly my favorite film of all time. smart, funny, disturbing, thought-provoking, offensive and utterly enthralling. a mike leigh film.

the wire: season one
you think LOST is complex and smart? HA! behold the best season of the best show on tv, EVER. i jest not. indoctrinate everyone you know (but its a good kind of indoctrination... an indoctrination of LUV). you'll wonder why no one ever turned you on to this before.

heavy metal parking lot
i may weep from the awesomeness. you must know someone you have to give this to, right?

kung fu hustle
for your neice/nephew/friend into japanimation and bruce lee.

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BOOKS:
1. kids books:
polar bear night
an utterly gorgeous book of sleepy wintertime, suitable for snuggily bedtime reading.

kitten's first full moon
another beautiful bedtime book... with KITTIES!

mr. lunch takes a plane ride
as previously discussed here ad nauseum. best.kids.book.evah.

don't let the pigeon drive the bus!
seriously, that pigeon is out of control.

victorian doll house
its a book.. that pops up into a dollhouse. with, like, doors that open, and mirrors and furniture and shit. totally rad.

2. big people books:
the big rumpus
THE book for the cool mom (or mom-to-be) on your list. ayun halliday is the embodiment of the new millenium mama. word to yours.

the corner
nonfiction. an unflinching yet moving look at baltimore inner city life and those in the drug trade therein.

the corrections
hands-down my favorite novel of the past 10 years. utterly addictive, brilliant, hilarious and mind-blowing. buy it for you, if for no one else.

fraud
david rakoff is a funny mofo. think david sedaris on crack.

the throne of the third heaven of the nation's millennium general assembly
the collected poetry of denis johnson. i know, i know. you're all: poetry?!?! and i'm all: dude, this shit ROCKS! seriously, you'll laugh, you'll weep, you'll think poetry is rad.

the new yorker
what can i say about the best weekly mag in the whole wide world? every week i get something substantial and lasting from it... well worth investing in a subscription for yourself as well.

mcsweeney's
for your money, you can't beat a subscription to mcsweeney's. when the hype is finally over i'll still be thanking my lucky stars that we got in on that lifetime subscription back in the day.

get your war on
should be in everyone's library. david rees is my hero.

a short history of nearly everything
there's a reason why this has been a bestseller. in this case, its because its actually good. and by the way, did you know that Yellowstone park is a supervolcano set to blow and extinguish humanity? no, really.

how to survive a robot uprising
prepare yourself and those you love!

the government manual for new superheroes
so they can be more effective superheroes. because you love.

3. both:
cave-in
brian is a family friend, but i'd be recommending this regardless. beautiful, funny-yet-sad, its a classic for that friend of yours who wears dickies and is deeply into zines.

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CDs:
the shins - chutes too narrow
you cannot go wrong with this one. very close to a perfect album, if there is such a thing.

neutral milk hotel - in the aeroplane over the sea
another top 5 of all-time favorite. think: the beatles circa sgt. pepper + palace brothers + elliott smith. in other words, think: RAD.

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OTHER STUFF:
shawnimals
yes, there's the pocket ninja.... but check out the splug, dude!

select seeds
i covet these... if you have a gardener to buy for, this is the place to go.

the carrotbox
fantastic plastic rings -- beautiful stuff (and easy on the wallet, yo).

demeter fragrances
why give stupid designer perfumes when you can get them Gin & Tonic, Leather or Angel Food?

timex retro flip clock
pimped here earlier... i want to smooch it, such is its beauty and fabulousness.

subversive cross stitch
i'm not one of you crafty types, but for those that are...

netflix
give a subscription to someone you really, really like. like, really, really.

HOLGA 120N
there's a small cult surrounding these HOLGA cameras... and i aim to get me one and find out what the fuss is about.
(apologies to mrs. kennedy).

tocca feu de touch candle
if you want to know what the best smell on earth is, this should provide you with the answer.

penguin humidifier
a penguin humidifier needs no tagline... its A PENGUIN HUMIDIFIER!!!

licorice piglets
pork without the accompanying unpleasant dead animal taste!

swallows bedding
on 300 thread-count sheets. YUM.

classic flashcards
whether you have a kid or not.

do not forget doorhanger
a simple idea whose time has come (at least for my husband it has).

pet tree - cactus
water once-a-month, enjoy daily.

demotivators 2006 wall calendar
give the gift of despair!

Comments

[debbie]

dude, how you find the time to do this kinda shit, i will never know. excellent suggestions. i can't wait to get my "diabolical hot dog" shirt! oh wait, i was supposed to be buying presents for other people! doh! heh.

[amanda]

I just started reading The Corrections this weekend. I bought it about a year ago, but I just kept putting other books ahead of it in my "book queue." I'm really enjoying it so far. One of those books you wish you could be reading when you're stuck doing other things...

[marie]

Shawnimals rock. So does Rotofugi. Especially because it's right *down the street* from my place. The baby loves the store, but is only allowed to touch the fluffy stuff. BTW, thanks for the CD too...High Maintenance Machines INDEED...

[sweetney]

amanda: it really goes from zero to 60 once you get through the first 50 pages. at first you like it, but then it fully unfolds, and by the middle you are resenting any time you have to spend away from reading it.

or so says i. let me know what you think as you move forward.

[stillheidi]

I just sent away for two Steve Keene paintings...thanks for the link. Now I just have to defunk and repaint my bedroom for them to hang in!

[andrea]

okay, three things:

1. 'mr. lunch takes a plane ride'-- indeed the best childrens book ever. otto siebold and vivian walsh are the shizz.

2. I am currently playing the crap out of that shins cd (chutes).

3. sweating a holga camera. BAD.

[Belinda]

You are at least 4 people. You HAVE to be.