Style and Grooming
Show your pride
Pride doesn’t have to be gay — it can be where you live. And when you live in Texas, there’s a lot to be proud of (our senatorial delegation aside). The folks at Citizen Threads have designed a line of vintage-inspired tees that crow about Dallas, sports teams, schools and other heritage to be proud of. $25–$34.
Available at CitizenThreads.com in a variety of styles
Dress like a ho-ho-ho
We can’t all slide down the chimney or check our list twice, but we can still embody the spirit of Santa Claus with one of these candy-cane-colored felt Santa hats from Outlines. Available in red and green. $45.
Outlines Men’s Wear
3906 Cedar Springs Road
214-528-1955
Pets and Kids
Hats off to kids
Not all cubs in the gay community are bears in training — some are just the kids of gay dads and lesbian moms. And they deserve to be just as fabulous as their parents. The products at Lucky Cub are adorbs and ideally suited for parents that appreciate stylish hats and other apparel. Check out these toddler-specific snapback hats for making your young’un (or nephew or BFF’s kid) look smashing. $25.
The Lucky Cub
TheLuckyCub.com
Don we now our gay Saint Nick
You’ve heard of the right wing’s manufactured war on Christmas? Well writer Daniel Kibblesmith takes his first shot with a children’s book entitled Santa’s
Husband. Not only do we learn that Santa is gay, but he’s also black and runs a union shop at the North Pole. Kibblesmith’s charming picture book isn’t a political screed, though, but rather a heartwarming story of inclusion, acceptance and the true meaning of Christian charity. You can’t read it and not smile. $16.99.
Available online at Amazon.com
HarperCollins.com
and other retailers
A feast for Fido
The holidays are all about food, so why should your furbaby have to slum it with the usual kibble while you’re enjoying a feast? The Honest Kitchen produces the human-grade Holiday Dinner with turkey and beef, plus fixins like sweet potatoes, cranberries and carrots for a nutritious and sumptuous dog dinner without having him beg or eat off your plate. $6.96.
Pet Supplies Plus
2525 Wycliff Ave.
and other locations
Guard your wallet with a bulldog
Our wallets hold important documents, like IDs, cash and the name of that guy you met at the club. So guard its contents fiercely! And what is more fierce than a bulldog’s face warning off pickpockets … and reminding you what a dog lover you are? OK, so the Chala Zip Around Wallet might not prevent theft, but it will increase your enjoyment every time you pull it out. $29.99.
Hollywood Feed
3425 Knight St. and other locations
HollywoodFeed.com
Home and Garden
Take the risk OUT of gardening
Some people have a green thumb and can grow orchards in a desert. The rest of us are lucky not to be brought up on war crimes for mistreatment of vegetables. It’s those people and anyone with even slightly more skills that Dallas-based Gardenuity targets. The online retailer takes all the guess work out of growing veggies and herbs, complete with detailed instructions, seeds, and even shipping you the perfect soil and gorgeous containers for holding it all. $32 for herbs; $58 for lettuce.
Gardenuity
Gardenuity.com
The smell of Zen
This elegant ultrasonic aromatherapy diffuser can be timed or run continuously to bring relaxation into any room. Best of all, it’s virtually silent to highlight the ambiance and available in either a wood finish or modern rubberized black. $50.
Nailicious
3513 Oak Lawn Ave
214-643-6645
A succulent bowl… like, seriously
You know, wines taste better in the right goblet and sauces taste better on the proper pastas. So it is with plants. Put them in the right container, and you enhance their usefulness. This low bronze pottery from Cebolla is the perfect easy-care container for a variety of succulent plants, helping them last longer and look great in your home. $95.
Cebolla Fine Flowers
4415 Lovers Lane
214-369-7673
CebollaFineFlowers.com
Desktop beauty
Big purchases for gifts, especially in home decor, are the scariest — who wants to spend a lot of money on something that might not be warmly received? Or cart around something big that might not fit? Which is why we love so many of the tchotchkes at Erdos+Ko. From mini-busts of whimsical animals for 10 bucks to an eye-catching curio box emblazoned with computer keyboards ($110), you can find a trove of quirky, impossible-not-to-love decor to fit anyone on your list.
Erdos+Ko
inside Dallas Market Center
2050 N. Stemmons Freeway
We inform, you decide
The whole purpose of a gift guide is to give readers ideas and suggestions for unique things to get for the friends in your life deserving of a thank-you. But sometimes it seems that nothing feels right. And that’s when we pull out the secret weapon: We liked the ibex statuette at Lula B’s, but the genius of a consignment/antiques/collectibles store is the wealth of one-of-a-kind items that speak directly to you.
Lula B’s
1010 Riverfront Road
214-749-1929
1982 Fort Worth Ave.
212-824-2185
LulaBsDallas.com
Like luna moths to a flame
What’s the best gift: Something practical or something useful? Why not both? Consider sprucing up any kitchen with this hand-painted earthenware utensil jar decorated with a luna moth by artist/designer Laura Zindell. Hand-finished
gifts are always the best.
The Gallery at North Haven Gardens
7700 Northaven Road
NHG.com
Art of glass
We all know someone who loves beautiful things but can have picky tastes, so a piece of art glass is the perfect way to provide them with something they want to keep on display but which can go with virtually any décor, whether an abstract knot sculpture or a useful bowl for showing off on their holiday table. Available in an array of sizes, shapes and colors. $125-up.
Dallas Glass Art/Carlyn Ray Designs
1820 Irving Blvd.
214-741-1442
DallasGlassArt.com
Bowl them over with this sweet item
Imagine a raindrop caught in mid-splash, captured forever in a work of art. That’s the amazing design of this aluminum bowl, available at Dulce. Packed with a sense of energy and movement, this 12-inch bowl is just one of the many gift ideas you’ll find at Dulce for the discriminating collector. $75.
Dulce Interior Consignment Showplace
2914 Oak Lawn Ave
214-219-5656
MyDulce.com
Something memorable
It’s said elephants have a long memory, so give something memorably illuminating: This ornate cast brass elephant torchere with a bronze finish.
The penshell finish on the shade adds a touch of glamor. $1,225.
J. Douglas Furniture & Interior Design
3301 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-522-8100
JDouglasDesign.com
Winged victory
Dallas is famous for its association with the flying horse Pegasus, and this stunning statue is evidence why. Handsomely wrought in brass upon a granite base, it’s powerful and evocative of strength as well as beauty. $2,000.
NUVO
3311 Oak Lawn Ave.
214-522-6226
NuvoDallas.com
Food and Spirits
Go dark
There is chocolate … and then there is cacao. The source of chocolate is an earthy, rich bean that is bitter and sensual — what true lovers most appreciate. Dagoba Chocolates go heavy on the cacao (as high as 84 percent!) with organic ingredients and flavor pairings like ginger lime and picante. And Dagoba has a mission, too: It’s produced by the One for All Cacao Project aimed at empowering women.
Available exclusively at Target stores.
Bottle service
The holiday season means lots of parties, and parties mean hostess gifts. It’s a courtesy that if you bring a bottle of wine, that it be opened while you’re there, so why not buy something you enjoy? We have suggestions, depending on your budget. A bottle of Barefoot bubbly is an excellent festive way to tickle your palate without spending a bundle; the pink moscato is especially fun and floral (about $8). For red wine connoisseurs, try an Argentinian malbec from the acclaimed Mendoza region. Trivento Winery produces a succulent signature Amado Sur that’s a delicious bargain (about $15). And Chile boasts its own high-end wines, from Concho y Toro’s rich and toasty reds (under $20) to the magnificent 2014 vintage Don Melchor cabernet sauvignon (around $120).
Available at wine retailers
Santa has a sweet tooth
Brighten up someone’s stocking this year with jolly old elf … pants. The sweet little gift bag from North Texas-based Yelibelly is stuffed with your favorite treats: Three chocolate-covered Oreos, two dipped pretzel rods and a gourmet three-ring pretzel. $12.
Yelibelly Chocolates
817-789-5563
Yelibelly.com
Colluding with Russia never tasted so good
Vektor is a newcomer to the Dallas market, but with its stunning bottle, you will instantly recognize it on a top shelf. The seven-times-distilled premium Russian vodka, created from an ancient recipe based on winter wheat, is a luxurious addition to any bar and mixes brightly into cocktails from Bloody Marys to cosmos, though of course considering its roots, we enjoy it in a White Russian. Nostrovia! $24.99
Available at Sigel’s
Beverage Depot and
Lakewood Medallion
Hostess Gifts
Now yer cookin’!
With the renaissance in home cooking services and healthy eating, it’s important to have the tools necessary to make the foods you should eat. So we were happy to discover this rice cooker from Zojirushi. Not your mother’s rice cooker, this compact and countertop-stylish machine includes settings for sushi rice, brown rice, protein-rich quinoa, even steel-cut oats so that you can get perfectly-prepared grains with minimal hassle. As someone who has scorched more than one pot from inattention, it’s not only useful but a money saver. $149.
Available at Amazon.com and other retailers
GurglePot
Add a touch of whimsy to the table with a GurglePot TM. Designed with simple grace and crafted of durable stoneware, this pitcher produces a delightful “gurgle” as is serves your favorite summer beverage. Pour, listen, enjoy. Available in 22 different colors. $42.00 Perfectly versatile for fresh cut flowers.
Available at DLM Supply Co.
837 West Davis St.
Dallas, TX 75208
dlmsupplyco.com
