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Arts & Crafts
Well, here it is again, the hallmark of Hallmark holidays. A day of exculpation, it can be used as an excuse to get schmoopy over your significant other or to get blitheringly sauced because you don't have one. But whether you need a table for two or will be sitting at the bar Saturday night, Valentine's Day is also a great excuse to go shopping, for your honey or yourself. More
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Arts & Crafts
The weeks before the holidays are fraught with good intentions. I make extensive lists of all the personalized gifts I’m going to make. I stock up on yarn, fabric, paper. I dust off my sewing machine and break out the knitting needles. Then, sometime between another late night at the office and the billionth holiday party, reality sets it. There is no way everyone on my gift-giving list will receive handcrafted goods. At least, not handcrafted by me. Which is why I thank my lucky shopping stars, I live in a city where amazing artists abound and the do-it-yourself revolution is alive and kicking (or shall I say sewing?). More
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Arts & Crafts
Stylin' Art for a Fraction of the Cost
For budding art connoisseurs disheartened by the lifestyle it takes to frequent San Francisco galleries in style, there's a new venue devoted to corralling money-conscious patrons. Artist-Xchange, a Mission district gallery conceived by owner Scott Mitchell in December 2003, was officially instituted in its 16th and Guerrero space almost a year ago. Mitchell's vision is simple -- to help promote the art and culture of San Francisco in a venue accessible to everyone. More
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Arts & Crafts
Candy Store for the Creative
Walking through an art store brings back memories of my hometown's sweets shop, with tubs of ice cream in a kaleidoscope of colors and large glass jars of candy stretching in a rainbow along the shelves. As I roam through the range of writing implements, paints, and papers, I want to touch and try everything in the store. San Francisco doesn't lack for places to satisfy these creative cravings, but Flax art & design is one of the best places to indulge your artistic appetite. More
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Arts & Crafts
Personal Enrichment
It's spring, contrary to what the weather may say. You've finished the dreaded spring cleaning and gotten your taxes out of the way like a good boy or girl. Or not -- regardless, if you're looking to reinvent yourself this spring, here are a couple things you might consider: More
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Arts & Crafts
Big Fun for Vegans and Not-Vegans
You don’t have to be vegan to appreciate the wares offered by Little Otsu, a cheery shop on Valencia that specializes in sweatshop-free, vegan products, though you may leave with a welcome conscious scrutiny of your lifestyle and buying habits. With the plethora of cute, affordable ethically produced goods at hand, it’s easy to question why we bother with goods that are made any other way. More
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Arts & Crafts
Keepin' it Real in the Lower Haight
On the corner of Haight and Steiner in a space previously occupied by drum and bass record shop The Compound and subsequently Future Primitive, newcomer Lower Hater brings distinctive flavor for all facets of the motley neighborhood and beyond. At once a clothing, housewares and furniture boutique cum art gallery, Lower Hater blends elements of hip hop to punk rock, classy to edgy, and retro to modern in a spot-on collection of goods that must be recognized as pieces of art. More
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Arts & Crafts
A Noe Neighborhood Knitting Nirvana
There’s a new sisterhood at my work that’s been growing over the past year and it’s made up of knitters. I only joined this club a little over a month ago. I’ve always heard that knitting was a fun and relaxing activity, but I was a little skeptical of that claim at first. I thought that learning something that looked complicated like knitting would cause me to pull my hair out more than it would put my mind at ease. More
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Arts & Crafts
Creating Illuminating Works of Art
While sitting in church as a kid, I’d often daydreamed about the life of the biblical characters that were depicted in the tall stained glass windows. That is one of the original purposes of stained glass in churches: to teach the lessons of the bible to illiterate members of the congregation. In addition, the beauty of the light streaming through the glass was meant to inspire as pilgrims made their journey. Basically, its purpose is to invoke a different state of mind, one different from daily life. More
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Arts & Crafts
Delights for the Wondrous-Minded
When fellow Banana Slugs Lauren Smith and Derek Fagerstrom met at UC Santa Cruz over a decade ago it was a recipe for magic. The San Francisco natives fell in love and after graduation packed their bags and set sail for New York. Nearly eight years later they decided it was time to leave the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple to return home and channel their creative energies toward what has now become the Curiosity Shoppe: a magical collection of vintage and modern treasures topped off with a lovely window display currently inhabited by… bats! More
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