Christmakwanzukkah

Manatees in Blue, Curtis Whitwam

Ok, we started talking about Christmakwanzukkah a few posts back, and now we’re getting back to it.  Every year, you want to get together with your friends regardless of their holiday affiliation, to celebrate with lots of food, drink and laughter, right?  Of COURSE you do.  You’ve probably got a bunch of ‘couple friends,’ so, splurging on a nice bottle of wine per couple is easy, even and nice.  Everyone gets approximately the same thing for the same price and slap that puppy in a wine bag and BOOM!  But, why just zone out in the wine aisle pushing a giant shopping cart full of wine and having Mary the checkout lady raise a judgy eyebrow at you?  Let’s get back to shopping local. 

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is into art.  There are literally hundreds of artists within a 5 mile radius anywhere in Tampa.  Check out your friends’ houses.  Check out their style and figure out what they like.  There are so many cool home décor items that people make that fit nice and easy into this budget of the Circle of Gifts (not sure what that is?  Start from post one and catch up.  We don’t have time for this).

Home décor can be a great, personal and fun thing to give as a gift.  Wood signs are all the rage and will likely never go out of style.  I’m going to put this one in the category of Wood Sign Art….well, because that’s what it is.  Check out The Pickle Shop!  They have hilarious, beautifully crafted (and sometimes custom) works that are super reasonably priced.  You can easily spend $35 and get THE perfect sign for your super inappropriate friends.
​
Unique Necessities can spruce up just about ANY room with some fabulously fun throw pillows.  Catherine makes THE best pillows in town.  They are fun, bright, and handmade!  She also makes earrings that are simply to die for!  You can find her at local markets around town, so that will give you one more reason to get out and Shop Local, Tampa!

You live in Florida.  You love Florida.  You love supporting our local artist community.  Why not buy that special someone in your life a beautiful piece of art?  Over the years, I’ve come to appreciate those artists who TRULY capture what Florida is all about.  From our swampy waters of the Everglades, the crystal clear waters of our rivers and our unique wildlife to the simplicity of a Live Oak, our community is bursting with fantastic artists!  I’m listing just a FEW of my favorites below, but these are just a FEW of my faves: 

1. Custis Whitwam – Florida lover, proponent of a clean environment and artist, Curtis is not just a dear and sweet friend, he is one of my favorite Florida artists (I especially love his watercolors).  You can see by the by the images he creates, he’s not just looking at a photograph; he’s been there, experienced it and is inspired by Florida.  His paintings are very reasonably priced (watercolors as low as $35 and acrylics as low as $480).  Visit his website at www.curtiswhitwam.org and see what I’m talking about. 
2. Judy Bales – Judy does some truly fantastic things with watercolor and printing.  This is another artist you simply can’t go wrong with – you’ll be able to pick something up from her at several locations around town – just check her profile for where you might find her.
3. Joe DiCarlo – With Joe’s style, you could probably get away with finding something for almost everyone on your list!  From fun to funky to Florida, Joe’s got it all going on!  Joe has his art on display in many places around town.  Visit his profile to see where you can pick up some of this fabulous art.
4. Art by Kara Voorhees Reynolds – Here is a woman that will literally blow your mind with her artwork.  Her most recent watercolors are simple, beautiful and make you feel like you are right there in the painting.  But she is so much more than her recent watercolors!  Check out her Facebook page to get familiar with her work.  It’s reasonably priced, beautiful and guaranteed to impress.
5. M'ria's Mezzanine – Ok, so I am kinda in love with some of these paintings and prints.  I love the motion and emotion that almost jump out at you when you look at these.  I think you could purchase these for just about all the strong women in your life and get “Best Gift Ever” award.  You can find her at lots of local markets – just look for M’ria’s Mezzanine.  Once you find it, you’ll have to look no further!
6. Patricia Kluwe Derderian – You want bold, yet delicate?  You want fun with a hint of genuine?  You want pleasant with a dash of downright beauty?  Well, you can find all of that in Patricia’s works of art.  Again, a reasonably priced, truly talented artist right in our community!  Her work is ready to adorn the homey walls of your friends’ houses!

If you’re thinking none of these fit the interior décor of Bob and Linda’s new SoHo apartment, then just do a quick google search for local artists…you’ll find something!  A few more you can check out (that are some of my faves), would be Diane Valerius Radel,
Now, you know there is always a chance a rando’s gonna show up at something like this and Rando Rhonda is going to come baring some fabulous homemade, gourmet olive oil she pressed herself with fresh rosemary and some other shit in it.  You don’t want to be upstaged by Rando Rhonda.  Nope.  This is a competition, right?  Ok, so you’ve got to arm yourself with the right weapons.  Make sure you’ve got enough Rando Rhonda gifts laying around that you can throw the most vomit inducing cuteness together in a jiff and make it look like you spent thousands of dollars AND hours on it.  

Gift basket ideas for couples could include anything from wine and fancy pants wine glasses, to beer and cheese or even some movie tickets.  It’s always good to have these fine items around for the Rando Rhondas that show up.  Just have one at the ready by the door, so that when you go to one of your many holiday shindigs, you’ll be armed with all the right tools.  We’ll go into more detail about where you can find some fine, local and ultra-tasty treats next time, but you can use your imagination and start getting some ideas.
​
Until next time, Shop Local, Tampa!

---