PDD Gift Guide 2012
For the past few years, the gang at Perfect Duluth Day has pointed out gift options produced by the locals — from durable goods made by the region’s top manufacturers to cute little bags of cookies from the corner bakery. We feature 15 lovely items and encourage the PDD community to add to the ideas in the comments.
Moe Sew Co. Millenery
Duluth’s Emily Moe creates “distinguished hats for the discriminating weirdo.” She has contemporary takes on classic styles and sells them through her Etsy store. Check her website for embroidery and more info.
Chaperone Records Sampler
Duluth’s newest record label releases its works on vinyl, and you can get a taste of several local bands on the Chaperone Records Sampler. You can also pick up a swank red Chaperone T-shirt to wear to holiday parties.
Pajama Warmer
Dreams of sugarplums are even dreamier when you get your jammies nice and toasty with the Pajama Warmer. It can also be used with socks, towels, lingerie, gloves, hats, baby clothes, wipes, massage oils, lotions and more.
Lost Duluth
Duluth historians Tony Dierckins and Maryanne Norton have compiled stories and images of architecture now gone from the Duluth landscape. It’s a fascinating look through many of Duluth’s neighborhoods. Visit zenithcity.com to order a copy.
Granite Gear Football
Granite Gear has been making innovative packs and gear since 1986. The Two Harbors-based company also make products for pets, canoeing, and fun stuff like this “backwoods football” that doubles as a stuff sack.
Homemade Salmon & Whitefish Spread
Dockside Fish Market in Grand Marais sells fresh and smoked fish and ships overnight. At the time we were compiling the gift guide, they were out of the Superior Gold Caviar, but you might want to check back on that.
Bog Hunters iBook
Duluth-area naturalist Sparky Stensaas produced the 40-page coffee table book Bog Hunters, and now you can also get it as a free iBook.
Steger Mukluks
Dang, think about how good we’d all look if we were hanging around the fireplace with Steger Mukluks on.
Lake Superior Art Glass
Shown here are bottle stoppers from Lake Superior Art Glass, the new shop in Downtown Duluth opened by Dan Neff.
Kid’s Flyfishing Hoodie
The Medium Control produces minimalist graphic products like posters, mugs, T-shirts and this nifty hoodie for kids.
Buckaroo Biscuits
Matilda’s Dog Bakery in Lakeside makes dog biscuits, “bark-scotti” and cupcakes in a variety of flavors.
Tugboat Art
Jeff Ruprecht of Duluth Crate Company makes art prints and other items with local icons based on old fruit-crate designs.
Spalted Maple Cremains Box
What better way to say, “I love you forever,” than with the gift of a cremains box? The Duluth Casket Company makes handmade coffins and cremains boxes, like this spalted maple beauty.
Let it Snow Cookie Bouquet
Cookie Temptations in Duluth’s Woodland neighborhood makes cookies and cookie bouquets for almost any occasion. Check out the Military, Get Well, and Sympathy cookies.
Calendars, Calendars, Calendars
Every year, Duluth produces a large selection of photo calendars, and it’s hard for us to pick just one to feature. Above are calendars by Travis Melin, Nate Lindstrom, Shawn Thompson, Raven Productions and Erik Pearson.
Dear Santa,
I have been reasonably good this year and would like growlers from Fitger’s Brewhouse for Christmas. Starfire Pale Ale, STIPA or El Nino would be nice.
Kenspeckle Letterpress is opening its studio for holiday sales for the first time, every Saturday from Nov. 24 through Dec. 22, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Come and meet the Warrior Printress, Shy Nimitta and Dr. Sparkle! Kenspeckle is in the Dewitt-Seitz building, on the second floor across from Christal Center!
Prøve Collective is presenting its Under $100 show, opening Dec. 14, and running for two weeks. There is still time for artists to submit to this show, too.
The promo video for the Pajama Warmer doesn’t fit into the Gift Guide format, but probably shouldn’t be missed.
And …
The gift of free holiday music is available to one and all from the Hog Damage Collective and the Clubhouse recording studio. This little album was released on Bandcamp just days before Christmas 2011.
Hog Damage Collective Xmas Vol. II: Christmas at the Clubhouse
Speaking of free (or in this case “name your price”) local albums, Hattie Peterson’s new work is freshly released.
Hattie and Her Man Band | Fend For Yourself
Happy Space in the Medical Arts Building downtown has a number of casual apparel options in local flavors on bamboo and recycled textiles, as well as other locally made gift items (Clover Valley Candles, Frost River Soft Goods, Nate Lindstrom Photography, Duluth Crate Co., Fitger’s Coffees, jewelry…).
Alakef has also inked up flat-rate shipping (it’s like 7 bucks, no weight limit) to anywhere ya wanna ship (contiguous U.S., obviously) to residential addresses.
(I suggest the Natural Ethipoia Sidamo, Maunier Estate Panama and the really nice Kenya Nyeri for your loved ones.)
In a moment, I’ll be heading downtown to do some shopping at the Electric Fetus, Double Dutch and the Duluth Kitchen Co.
I know these places don’t have their own locally-crafted goods, but I’ll be buying local. And that is the point.
Having spent 11 hours working at Best Buy between last night and this morning, I can’t imagine buying anything but local. Maybe it’s the lack of sleep.
Electric Fetus and Double Dutch do have some locally produced goods. For example, books and CDs/records by local artists. (Sure, generally those aren’t manufactured in Duluth, but they are conceived of and produced here.)
Thanks to the folks at PDD who compile this list every year, it’s very helpful to those of us who suck at figuring out what to buy.
Also, I would like to plug a local favorite of ours for gift giving this time of year, especially to relatives out of town: a gift box from the Northern Waters Smokehaus. You can buy it online and they ship it wherever it needs to go.
Smokehaus Shop
The Duluth Grill Cookbook contains 110 recipes from the friendly West End.
This is only vaguely connected to shopping local, but it’s directly tied to Duluth.
I’ve decided what I want for Christmas.
Vintage Diamond Duluth Double Ringer Horse Shoes in Wooden Box
And here’s the weirdest item I could find on eBay.
VTG Renwal No T97 Pink Toilet Dollhouse, bathroom furniture, Duluth Aerial Bridge
And for those of you who are lightweights, you could always pick up a three pack.
Vintage Fitger’s beer three-pack case and bottles — Duluth, Minnesota
You’re right, those horse shoes are seriously cool, and that vintage beer pack is a good value for a christmas gift. But that pink doll toilet is just so seriously wrong. I think I am disturbed by it, but I can’t quite say why.
I’m going to start ebaying “Duluth Minn” now and see what weird and disturbing things I can come up with, for family holiday gifting.
I think that toilet is the most disturbing Duluth eBay item since the Duluth Pantyhose Babes auction…
Oh crap, I wish I had clicked on this thread sooner. I know someone who would have LOVED those horseshoes. Damn.
More specifically, the box they came in.
Apparently there is a new Celtek mitten designed by the folks at Damage Boardshop.
Amazing! Thanks for including our Kids Fly Fishing Hoodie. Our kids apparel is available online and in our new retail store. Open limited hours in December — new location 307 Canal Park Drive, second floor.
We are stoked to provide local, hand-printed goods for Duluth!
The Medium Control has new goods available exclusively through its Indiegogo Campaign. Every purchase made through this campaign will go directly toward funding the new store renovation. Thanks for supporting a small local business this holiday season.
Hullo Buckwheat Pillow
We’re based in Duluth and co-owned by Duluthians. A buckwheat pillow is a unique natural gift that can be appreciated for years to come. Disclaimer: our pillows are assembled by hand on the East coast (by an native Duluthian), so it could be argued that we are not entirely “local.”
Check out the Duluth-Superior trail atlas available from North Point Geographic Solutions (a local Duluth co.).
Helstrom Instrument Stands are designed and built in Duluth.
Thanks for the shout, Hot Shot! In fact, Double Dutch is filled with locally made goods. That’s the whole point. Nearly all the contributing artists live and work within Duluth city limits – there are five out-of-towners, but they’re near enough for me.
The books and records are a sort of exception in that they are manufactured elsewhere, but as Paul pointed out, the stories and songs were created here, and it’s the stories and songs that give the objects their value.
Random side note: Double Dutch opened late October, but doubledutch has been my screen name here for a long time, about five years I’d guess. Good thing I changed it, because the old one, predicate-nominative, would’ve been a really weird name for a store.
North Shore-opoly is a property-trading game that features the sights of Lake Superior’s North Shore, depicted in the watercolor artwork of Brian and Rebecca Minor. It is completely handmade in Superior.
Connecting with Art: Holiday Trunk Show
Big Top Chautauqua has an online shop with a variety of merchandise and a few deals on tickets to 2013 shows.
Big Top is offering a limited number of Lawn Punch Passes that will grant general admission on the lawn for any show between New First Night and Old Last Night for $100.
So, it’s $100 for one person to go to four shows, or four people can go to one show, or however you want to do the math. You can use it to upgrade to a reserved seat later if you so choose. Each “punch” on the pass has an upgrade value of $25.
Unfortunately they came up with this offer after signing the contracts for the June 15 Trampled by Turtles show, so you can’t use the Punch Pass for that.
Haley Bonar and Trampled by Turtles have tracks on the new Minnesota Beatle Project, Vol. 4, which is available on CD, vinyl or digital download.
There’s also a new Christmas by the Lake album this year.