Spashionista's Shopping Picks
It's here; the most wonderful time of the year. The time of year when everybody's doing what I do best - shopping! Now I've heard a lot of pushback this year about stores that are opening up late Thanksgiving Day or in the wee small hours of Black Friday. When you shop is entirely up to you. I will probably do a little shopping on Black Friday online so I can compare prices and truly get the most for my money.. But this post is about Small Business Saturday and small, independent businesses in general. I want to encourage you to give small businesses, both locally and on the 'net, your support by shopping with them this season.
With that in mind allow me to get you started on the path to shopping indy businesses, Here are a few folks, most of whom can be found right here in Music City, that offer unique, quality products at affordable prices. What's not to love?
Obi-belts by Megan Gann of Megan Mae Daily Megan makes the most beautiful obi-belts and button flowers. Her creations are made out of men's neckties. As you can see I snagged a few myself and I think they look amazing! They're really inexpensive, too. Just $15 or two for $25. Megan will even pay the shipping costs.
DCXV Industries My buddy Kimmie Jones turned me on to this Nashville, TN based design and apparel company. They have created a clothing line called I BELIEVE IN NASHVILLE that are designed and printed right here in Music City. Shop their edgy tees, outerwear, and accessories.
Appolonia's Accessories Online If you're looking for one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces this should be your first stop. From bracelets made of repurposed vintage beads to polymer pendants to brooches with magnetic clasps (genius!) and every other beautiful variation you can imagine at prices that will make you squeal with delight. In fact, on the off chance that you don't see anything you like in the extensive gallery, custom orders are welcomed. I have three pieces - so far - from this wonderful site. Check out this copper and blue beaded beauty.
Kerfluffles Marshmallows How about a little something sweet to put in your hot cocoa - or directly into your tummy? Kerfluffles Marshmallows is based in Nashville and every batch of marshmallows is handmade to order, with 100% natural ingredients. Kerfluffles features a few different flavors of the month and even carries vegan marshmallows. Too many great things to list here - so go check them out!
I think that's a decent start to putting a dent in your holiday gift list while supporting small, independent businesses. You can find more at the Small Business Saturday Facebook page. I will also post more as we count down to the end of December.
In the meantime, just to get you in the proper spirit to shop until you drop, once again I will offer you my humble (humbling?) rendition of "Santa Baby". I posted it last year as well, and it could stand to have the video freshened up a bit, but the audio is all me. No karaoke; no autotune. I used a program that basically lets you draw music and recorded the vocals separately, then put it all together.
Noe get out there and shop - 'tis the season!