Tom Killion Notecards
The celebrated local woodblock print master Tom Killion has created scores of images celebrating the California landscape, a number of which have been printed on notecards and collected in boxed sets ($15). His most famous images are of the High Sierra, but our favorites are two eight-card series titled “The Coast of California.” At Bookshop Santa Cruz, 1520 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz; and Capitola Book Cafe, 1475 41st Ave., Capitola. (AG)
Vintage Santa Cruz Prints
Classic 1960s scenes of Santa Cruz, like the vertical shot of a dozen longboarders taking off on the same wave, are a quick way to class up a joint. Buy the print alone ($30) or have the good people at Graphfix frame it up for you. Graphfix, 1229 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz.
Sheaffer VFM Fountain Pen
The venerable maker of fine writing implements offers a new weapon in the war against the keyboard—a line of sleek, colorful and very affordable fountain pens. The VFM is available in nine colors (the silver one is particularly cool) and feels light and good in the hand. As the receiver of this gift may learn, there is something oddly pleasurable about writing with a fountain pen; expect an eloquent thank-you note. $14. Palace Art & Office Supply, 1407 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. (AG)
Jack O’Neill Book
Drew Kampion’s new book It’s Always Summer on the Inside, about local legend Jack O’Neill, is the perfect gift for anyone who cherishes their stash of surfing magazines, as it’s written by the former editor of Surfer’s Path,Surfer and Surfing. Abundantly illustrated with historic photographs, it explores the evolution of the sport through the life of Santa Cruz’s favorite wetsuit inventor. $40. At O’Neill Surf Shop, 400 Beach St., Santa Cruz. (MG)
Art Calendars
People (at least my people) aren’t in the habit of spending $25 on artful wall calendars for themselves, so a nice one makes a sweet gift. Paper Vision has a huge selection of gorgeous calendars long on vintage themes and Victorian art, like the Cavallini “Flora and Fauna” ($22, shown) or the Taschen “Vegetables” ($25) calendars. There are also a slew of vintage mini-easel numbers by Cavallini ($13) and compelling calendars featuring the artwork of two local artists, Tom Killion and Marie Gabrielle ($18), which include astrological arcana and an intriguing selection of noteworthy dates, such as the Dalai Lama’s birthday (July 6) and Emancipation Day in Washington, D.C. (April 16). Paper Vision, 1345 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. (TH)
Pleasure Point
Mermaid Clothing
Maybe there’s someone on your holiday list with Pleasure Point pride, but a “Pack Your Trash” hoodie with its iconic Jim Phillips log isn’t exactly right. For that surfer girl, Zen Island carries a line of cotton T’s, sweats, hoods and yoga pants (natch) emblazoned with the image of a mermaid meditating on a nautilus shell. Zen Garden Trading Company, 825 41st Ave., Santa Cruz. (AG)
Slippers
Who doesn’t love slippers, apart from persons of suspect character? Choose from supersoft fuzzy Hue ballerina slippers in brilliant colors with waterproof canvas bottoms ($14), snuggly fleece Acorns with cushalicious Memory Foam soles ($45), pure wool Haflinger mules built to last ($65) and the ne plus ultra of loungewear for the foot, Ugg fleece-lined slippers ($100). At Sockshop & Shoe Co., 1515 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. (TH)
The LEZYN Multitool
Indispensable for any do-it-yourself bicycle enthusiast. Its compact design is small enough to squeeze into the pocket of the skinniest hipster jeans, and it’s complete with all of the wrenches, screwdrivers and other tools your bike nut needs to perform a quick repair and keep riding. $25. At Epicenter Cycling, 8035 Soquel Dr., Suite 23. Aptos. (MG)
Handmade Earrings
Wallflower Boutique’s collection of handmade earrings ($20-40) is a veritable Victorian cabinet of curiosities, featuring crochet, etched glass, even bay leaves embossed with fine print. Good luck deciding—or not getting distracted by cute animal-stamped wallets ($28-38) or crazy-good-smelling Kobo candles ($12 for the small one, which comes with matches). Wallflower Boutique, 103 Locust St., Santa Cruz. (TH)
Henrietta Glass Wine Stoppers
These beautiful handblown wine stoppers look muuuch better than boring old cork, and they come in all different swirls of color. Mama’s Little Vases, meanwhile, are an attractive substitute for the non-wine-drinking domestic god or goddess. These miniature vases stand a few inches tall—the perfect size for sitting on a windowsill with a single flower stem. $25. At Artisans Gallery, 1368 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. (MG)
ISI Soda Siphon
Seltzer lovers who’ve been guiltily lugging home bottles of fizzy water by the case will swoon when they see this eco-friendly contraption, which delivers bubbles from tap water with no plastic involvement whatsoever. In silver or brushed red aluminum ($45). Set of 24 soda cartridges is $20. A more frugal option: a couple of vintage flour sack kitchen towels ($6 each) in a cool European canning jar from Weck or Quattro Stagione ($4–$15). Mountain Feed and Farm, 9550 Highway 9, Ben Lomond.
Quicksilver Beckett Jacket
This classic Western-style corduroy jacket ($80) is lined with satin quilting, has button-down breast pockets as well as good-sized side pockets for hand-warming and is just a bit longer than the Wrangler jacket that inspired it (which is a good thing). Its cousin, the Victoria Bay ($110), comes with a plaid wool lining and is made of stretchy cotton corduroy, which is also a good thing. O’Neill Surf Shop, 1115 41st Ave., Capitola. (AG)
Disc Golfers’ Stocking Stuffer
Thanks to its proximity to DeLaveaga, DJ’s Mini Mart has become Santa Cruz’s unofficial and unlikely disc golf headquarters, with a great selection of discs as well as T-shirts and other peripherals. To celebrate the holiday they’ve put together a cool little stocking-stuffer package: a mini disc, a lighter, a pack of Zig-Zags and a Santa Cruz sticker. For non-smokers, they also carry the souvenir 2011 World Championship disc. 833 Water St., Santa Cruz. (AG)
Karen Klein Knits
Quietly panicking husbands and boyfriends, help is nigh. For the lady who has been very, very good, Karen Klein knits are the ticket. Made of fine rayon and spandex with a silky hand in clean, no-fuss designs with stylish accents—some ruching here, a drape there—these appealing shirts, tunics and dresses will make things right. $167-287. At Moda Bellissima, 107 Locust St., Santa Cruz.
Hello Kitty Lunch Boxes
Other stores may carry Hello Kitty products, but authentic Sanrio brand Hello Kitty products imported from Japan are tough to find around these parts. Better hightail it to Bluebird Lane. Pink Bento Box lunch boxes are small and compact, and a larger red cherry Hello Kitty lunch box features a thermos and sandwich container. $23. At Bluebird Lane, 5011 Soquel Dr., Soquel. 831.464.3212. (MG)
Bandit Brand
Screen-Printed T-Shirts
Idle Hands’ products evoke Old-West-meets-post-punk Americana. It’s the place to find genuine hand-tooled leather belts and/or loose vintage belt buckles, as well as a pair of used but well-preserved Tony Lamas or (if you’re lucky) a nice Stetson. It’s also the retail outlet for Santa Cruz’s own Bandit Brand, featuring a line of made-in-the-USA T-shirts bearing cool old logos for establishments like the Blue Eagle Bar in Thermopolis, Wyo., or the Horseshoe Cafe in West Yellowstone, Mont. $36. Idle Hands Dry Goods, 803 Pacific Ave. Santa Cruz. (AG)
Coyuchi Organic Bathrobes
Luxurious yet light and floaty, these bathrobes are the perfect gift for an eco-friendly grownup who deserves some pampering. Made from 100 percent organic cotton and colored with low-impact dyes, this robe gets softer with each wash. Available in men’s or women’s sizes, stripes or solids. $120. At Greenspace, 1122 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. (MG)
Jeremiah Kille / Dave Van Patten Art Prints
Everything about the original Verve Coffee in Pleasure Point is very cool, including the art on the walls. (Ditto the Seabright and downtown locations.) Out on 41st Avenue right now two artists, Dave Van Patten of Long Beach (shown) and Santa Cruzan Jeremiah Kille, are showing awesome prints ($40-$110) that might be just the thing for the art lover on your holiday shopping list. Verve Coffee Roasters, 816 41st Ave, Santa Cruz. (AG)
Feather Accessories
Feather accessories are appearing everywhere these days, from locks of hair to necklaces. Beautiful Jean makes high-end hair accessories and earrings out of cruelty–free feathers. The ornate hairpieces feature brilliantly dyed feathers and real crystals, and can be fastened to a headband or directly into the hair. $30–75. At Bubble Beauty Lounge, 110 Cooper St., Suite 100. (MG)
Jane Iredale Chocoholicks Lipstick Palette
Four tasteful lipstick colors all wrapped up to look like a gourmet chocolate bar. The colors smell and taste like rich chocolate, and it’s hard resisting the urge to eat the stuff, even though large amounts of Chili Pepper, Espresso, Blood Orange and Very Berry probably wouldn’t ultimately serve as a food substitute. The palette comes complete with an application brush and mirror. $35. At Aptos Village Skin and Body Care, 8035 Soquel Dr., Suite 39, Aptos. (MG)
Fruit & Vegetable Soft Toys
Kids stuck in the terrible twos just need something fuzzy and cute to chew on. Hand-crafted from 100 percent organically grown cotton, Under the Nile’s soft toy collection of stuffed fruits and vegetables have cute faces (aww!) and may help brainwash the children into eating well, at least until they taste their first Pop-Tart. Buy the Veggie Crate or Fruit Basket and take the edge off the hard years. $30. At Greenspace, 1122 Soquel Ave., Santa Cruz. 831.423.7200. (MG)
Wild Eye Serving Utensils
So maybe you can’t afford the $237 silver-edged salmon platter at Annieglass. So snap up nifty serving utensils by Wild Eye, including a high heel cake server (the glittery heel is a magnet that pops off when it’s time to actually serve cake) and pie servers and salad sets with bright, chunky beaded glass handles. Makes any table festive. $22-29. At Annieglass, 110 Cooper St., Santa Cruz. (TH)
Schylling Tin Toys Robots
Schylling features a line of robots fashioned after the original Japanese models from the 1950s. High quality and unique, each robot comes alive with a wind–up key that makes it spin, walk and light up with sparks inside the chest cavity. $30. At Bluebird Lane, 5011 Soquel Dr., Soquel. 831.464.3212. (MG)
JBW Studio Goose Egg Ornaments
Who laid the golden egg? You, the tasteful gift-–giver, on your eternally grateful giftee. A unique way to accent a Christmas tree, each goose egg is hand-painted, with a cutout you can peer into through a glass window. Inside each egg is a different intricate sculptural detail, and some of the eggs even light up. Made by J. Brook Patterson in Oakland. $68–80. At Artisans Gallery, 1368 Pacific Ave., Santa Cruz. (MG)
