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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 2006)
P R O C R A S T I N A T O R S ’ G I F T G U I D E Procrastinators’ Survival Guide You can get it all done … you just need to know where to shop! BY ADRIENNE VAN DER VALK C hristmas comes but once a year … but gift-related panic attacks strike over and over again. If you give a cranberry mini loaf to your child’s homeroom teacher, do you have to include math and social studies as well? What if you receive a gift from a coworker known only to you through disgruntled water-cooler chat sessions? “A homemade trivet!” you exclaim, voice cracking with feigned sincerity. “You shouldn’t have! I’ll be sure to bring your gift tomorrow!” My recommendation is to shop strategically: Pick variety stores and stock up on a few random, under $20 items as you browse for your A-list people. One of the easiest places to find something for everyone is Letterhead on 8th Avenue, purveyor of items from artsy stationary to exotic soaps to kids’ toys to all kinds of “little gorgeous, fabulous things.” I like the String Doll Gang, funky handmade dolls constructed out of one continuous piece of string, OK for kids but better for quirky grown-ups. They have a punk doll, an alien, a mummy and a few other unrecognizable little dudes. Letterhead also has a wide assortment of practical yet attractive items, including luggage tags ranging from trendy and sassy to stately and classy and cool oversized matchboxes featuring gorgeous reproductions of nature drawings. Across from the downtown post office lives Feinstein’s Museum of Unfine Art and Record Store, a music and pop culture shop featuring local artists and an assortment of used clothing and accessories. There I found a dazzling selection of vintage ties that any modern man or woman with an iota of wardrobe retro-chic would love to receive as a gift. Feinstein’s also carries many reproductions of work that has been displayed in the store. At $10 a piece, you can give the gift of beauty and support the local business and art scenes. If you want to spice things up this year, a trip over to the Castle Super Store by the Gateway Mall could be just the ticket. Obviously, porn is not everyone’s thing, but Castle is so large you can easily browse the novelty, book and game sections without getting too close to the hardcore T and A. I was drawn to a fun and inexpensive game for couples based on the Kama Sutra and Nerve.com’s Position of the Day Playbook, designed to remind lovers of all the unexplored possibilities just one page-turn away. There’s also lots of silly, cheesy stuff (the masturbator’s tool kit can be yours for only $6!) and any kind of lotion, oil, lube or body paint a girl or guy could want to slather on a sweetie. Last but not least, a place like Coastal Farm & Home Supply on 6th Avenue offers some inexpensive items among the saddles and ten gallon hats. Coastal’s belt buckle selection is quite large, and it also car- ries all kinds of Dickies accessories and biker gear (leather head scarf for under $20! That’s hot!). Definitely worth a trip off the beaten path if you’re shopping for someone who wouldn’t be caught dead in day-glo body paint. Multitasking is the name of the game here. Keeping an eye out for random-yet-desirable stocking stuffers is good for your anxiety levels and good for those of us who would rather eat a box of match- es than another dang cranberry mini loaf. v Lingerie & DVDs VHS Tapes 50% Off! DVDs $3.95 & Up! 20% Off! Lingerie Lotions Games Videos DVD Bachlorette Novelties 2727 Willamette Eugene, Or 97405 10% Off! Also in Bend & Lincoln City entire purchase with this ad OPEN 24/7 Catering to Women,Couples, and Alternative Lifestyles 767-6816 BACK DOOR DUNGEON (Clockwise from top left) Fish matchbox, puzzles and luggage tags from Letterhead; Position of the Day Playbook from Castle; vintage ties from Feinstein’s Museum of Unfine Art; String Doll Gang, notecards and album from Letterhead; local art reproductions from Feinstein’s Museum of Unfine Art 2727 Willamette Eugene, Or 97405 Also in Bend & Lincoln City 10% Off! entire gift purchase OPEN 24/7 Catering to Men and Alternative Lifestyles 767-6816 DECEMBER 21, 2006 23
