Local Yokel Holiday Shopping Guide

It's estimated that for every dollar you spend, twice as much will be reinvested in the community by a local store than a national store.1 It's also estimated that Bay folks are so damn cocky we think we live in the coolest place in the world and we love us some Bay-related things. It's also estimated that the Bay is home to some of the most creative, stylish, and planet-positive entrepreneurs around. No footnote for the last two. Lesson of all these estimations? Buy Bay, give Bay, you'll make many a Bay people happy. Because this holiday season... who gives a fuck about the rest of this country?
Ready, go!

The City

• 12/4: Chillin Productions Annual Holiday Show is paradise for the indie designer lover.
• 12/4: 3rd St Holiday Sale with over a dozen of my favorite SFMade companies.
• 12/9: Get your SFMade gift bag at their holiday mixer 
• 12/10: La Cocina Gift Fair is gonna be delicious. Period.
• 12/4 & 12/11: Market SF, see previous post.
• 12/11 & 12/12: KPFA Crafts & Music Fair for the Berkeley moms.

East Bay

• 12/3: First Friday in Oakland could inspire you to buy some art.
• 12/4: The Find at Jack London Square looks coo', never been.
• 12/11, 12, 18, 19, 23, 24: Telegraph Holiday Street Fair. Helloooo high school. 
• 12/11: Temescal Holiday Stroll- that's my hood! woot woot!
• Get Online @ http://www.shopoakland.com/

Know of a cool holiday shopping event? Holla at yo girl... let's make it a collective list. 

Recipe for a Good First Friday in Oakland

On the first Friday of every month Oakland's art galleries open their doors and hold receptions- I love the idea and it always makes me happy to see so many souls wandering around downtown. But if you find massive crowds of hipsters irritating (it's natural), here's a recipe for a good first Friday in Oakland:
1. Start at Chaparral City- Seraphina and Hugh opened this gallery space on 9th and Washington St. just recently. Featuring rotating local artisits and some of Hugh's work. Tucked away from most of the Art Murmur happenings. Lil space, lotta love. 

2. Boot and Shoe for a snack-  Go to the bar in the back. It's cozy and charming and feels secret. Beware, the fancy pizza smell is intoxicating, we had the rapini with homemade sausage even though we weren't hungry and we couldn't remember what rapini was exactly (uh... some kind of green, right yo?) I could've had five of the Sister Sarah cocktails (it has tequila and rum, why would you tempt me with such a a drink??)

3. Bar 355 for more drinkin- Just opened a month ago, the newness doesn't imply that you won't run into old scenes from high school, but we can live with that. Classy beer and wall paper, nice lighting, strong drinks.

The only problem I had with 355 was the bad Mexican banda music at the end of the night- I know this music well, I have indulged in it at various cantinas, and I don't understand why it's trendy all of a sudden. It's not salsa. You don't dance salsa to it. You jump around like this:

You can't replicate it Oakland, stick to your chillness- that's why I love you.

Got the travel bug?
Chaparral City Gallery: http://www.chaparralcity.com/Home_Page.html Open first Fridays of the month from 7 pm on and Friday farmers markets from 10-2.
Boot and Shoe Service: http://bootandshoeservice.com/
Bar 355: 355 19th st (and Franklin)