So as a good kind-of-boss and friend, I am always in search of cool, but not too expensive gifts.  Often I will bring flowers in a nice arrangement, or a nice bottle of wine for friends who enjoy that kind of thing, but often I like something a little more girly or personal.  For girly girls, often times I pick up stuff at antique stores or during sales.  I always have a bag of small nice gifts, and can normally find something in there for anyone.  A great place to find those things is the Eastern Market.

I love the market, I love the interaction with local artisans, I love the fresh fruit and I love the selection of meats and cheeses.

I really love the card stand at the Eastern Market.  It is in the flea market section.  You can get all sorts of cards from $1.00 to $3.00 and even the $1.00 cards are nice.  I always flip through them and get a bunch of birthday cards, a few wedding cards, a couple baby cards and a couple get well cards.  I use blank cards for thanks you and other occasions, so I get those as well.

Another artist I really like is Amy Marx, her sea glass jewelery is really pretty.  I really like the connectors she has made that you can use to turn her bracelets into necklaces, that makes them very versatile.  Here is a sample:

Chris Water’s has very cool chopsticks and Asian ceramics.

Had Matter Art makes the coolest keyholders.  I really like the ones with funny prints like cows or hula girls.  I also like the collage ones like the one below.

You hook you keys below, and put little things like your extra garage pass on the shelf.

I also absolutely love the arrangements by Blue Iris.  They are modern and chic.  I think anyone would be supremely happy to get one of their arrangements, and they would instantly make a room look put together.

Man Made Design’s which makes very modern earrings, cufflinks and pendant’s has an etsy shop!  Find their beautiful and modern gifts like the aqua cufflinks below… they are super cool and a favorite color of mine.

But my very favorite is Turtle’s Webb.  A humanities major like me who took jewelry classes in college and fell in love with it, unlike me she makes more of a living out of it… someday.  I love her metal flower earrings.  I have ones similar to these below that are cooper and silver, I get compliments on them almost everytime I wear them.  I once saw gold ones that were phenomenal that I would love to have.  I really think this jewelry is so distinctive and creative.  My grandmother used to grow these flowers in hanging pots that look a lot like the flowers in her design so that is one reason they really hit home to me.  I can’t think of the name of the flower now, but maybe it will come to me.

You could also get some lovely cheese, fruit, bread in the Market itself.  The flea market has so many lovely gifts.  There are so many vendors I can’t even remember the name of like the box guy who has small boxes with cartoons and pictures on them.  The vendor who has super cute linens which look very April Cornell.  I love a day at the market I find things for me, and I find things for others.  All in all it is a great time.

And bonus if you get there early you can get bluebucks at Market Lunch, they are yummy blueberry buckwheat pancakes.  They are worth the wait.  If not then get a crabcake, they are one of the best in the city.

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