If you’re still looking for a present for that special someone, here are a few suggestions.
ABOVE PHOTO: Blue Sole Shoes (Photo : R.Rabena)
By Denise Clay-Murray
As I write this, you have 10 shopping days left until Christmas.
Now some of you may look at this as you eye your tree filled with presents and your nicely decorated home and say, “Well, that’s nice!”
But others of you, myself included, are probably looking at the fact that there are 10 shopping days left in the Christmas season and thinking, “Oh, crap! What am I going to do?!”
This year’s SUN Holiday Gift Guide is for folks like you (and me) who have for whatever reason decided to wait until the last possible minute to get their Christmas shopping done.
What follows is a short list of things, many of them from Black and Brown-owned businesses that have really good stuff and could really use your support.
If you haven’t had the chance to take Visit Philadelphia’s “Shop Black Business Friday” trip on the Phlash, there are a lot of opportunities to make some interesting finds for the holiday season.
One of the places I went to when I took the tour was Paper Moon, located at 520 S. 4th St. in South Philadelphia. The store has a little something for everyone, ranging from sweatshirts and t-shirts to greeting cards and jewelry.
What I liked and what might end up being a Christmas gift for someone were the candles from the Philadelphia Candle Company. These handmade, luxury candles, which are named for sections of the city, including Queen Village and Society Hill, are long-lasting and smell really nice. They’re $25 apiece. For more information, go to Paper Moon’s website at: https://www.papermoonphl.com.
If you go through Reading Terminal Market to grab some donuts at Beiler’s or brunch at the Down Home Diner (which now has its liquor license), you’ll probably overlook places like Amazulu and De’Village, which feature such things as African jewelry and clothing.
You shouldn’t. Just for the earrings and waist beads alone, it’s worth a trip for that person in your life who is looking for a gift that connects them to the African continent.
One of the toughest people for me personally to shop for is my husband, Chris. When he’s not breaking down Jalen Hurts’s latest performance for the Philadelphia Eagles or wondering what’s going on in the mind of Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers, he has some fairly diverse interests like funk music and old movies.
(I swear, if he puts on “Animal House” one more time…)
But because he’s a college professor and he tends to wear a suit and his Alpha Phi Alpha bowtie for things like the Super Bowl and the World Series, he’s often in search of a nice pair of shoes.
As part of Shop Black Business Friday, we stopped at Blue Sole Shoes, located at 1805 Chestnut St. I’ve walked past this place more than a few times. Steve Jamison, the store’s owner, has a great collection of designer shoes, clothing, bags, and accessories. While the merchandise is kind of high end, there’s something there for the man in your life. Go to: https://bluesoleshoes.com and check them out. They also offer gift cards.
Now this wouldn’t be a gift guide from me without some food items. If you’re like me and are constantly looking for new things to try in terms of spices, oils and vinegars, one suggestion I’d like to make is that you check out the Kensington Food Company in the Reading Terminal Market. They have over 100 olive oils and vinegars, plus truffles and gift baskets that you can make yourself and give to others. I recommend the mixed berry balsamic vinegar and the pear white balsamic vinegar.
And if you’re looking for something to wash it down with, head over to Pennsylvania Libations. From Backyard Originals Spiced Pear and Cranberry to Bluecoat Elderflower Gin, you can find the mixers for your favorite holiday cocktail. Or if you want, you can get some nice Alco cocktails to go to get the party started.
So, here’s some of my gift suggestions. Take a few minutes and check them out. Happy Holidays!
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