Crazy Stable

When it comes to Christmas shopping, there are just too damn many creative types in Brooklyn these days...too much good art, good writing, good crafting. One could wind up needing respite care in a mall or an icy Soho name-brand designer emporium.  Not.

Here, then, are a few blatant plugs for some gifted friends' gift possibilities:
Ravishing color is just the start of what's luscious in the artwork of friend and neighbor Karen Friedman, who's having a home/studio art sale this coming Sunday, Dec. 10, at 190 Marlborough Road from 1 to 5 p.m.  Original paintings, prints, notecards, jewelry, and new small-scale collages that are as irresistible as gems...all inside a Victorian house that's a work of art on its own.  If you like stark minimalism or snarky social commentary, stay away...Karen's stuff is fizzy and generous and joyful, from a pair of earrings to a giant canvas.  (And afterwards, you can walk a few blocks from the landmark district toward the park and see if you can ID the CrazyStable.)

In nearby Park Slope, check out Rare Device for hip, nifty goodies. Curated by owner Rena Tom, RD--a tiny  jewel box of a store--has bags, books, offbeat but beautifully wearable clothes, and fragrant made-in-Brooklyn "Bubble Room" soaps and lotions, among other good things.  I'm dropping in soon to check out this fascinating pendant from Inhabit Structures, a crystal bubble holding the delicate parts of a watch--very metaphorical and touchable-looking, no?  Rena is a jewelry designer herself--the store carries some of her work (which transforms natural shapes and materials into fresh, clean, surprising designs), and more can be seen at her website.

Finally, for booklovers on your list, two brand-new books from our Brilliant Blogroll Buddies:
Forgotten New York, by Kevin Walsh, is a ghost-hunting guide for intrepid souls seeking to explore deeper into the traces of New York's recent past. 

And The Thrill of the Chaste:  Finding Fulfillment While Keeping Your Clothes On, by the irrepressible Dawn Eden of The Dawn Patrol, looks to be both smart and wise--the fearless freefall of a Catholic convert and born-again virgin from "Sex in the City" to the "theology of the body." Talk about conversation starters!

Now get out there and shop, or, as we all know, The Terrorists Will Have Won!