This year’s BRO Holiday Gift Guide is dedicated to reader Lisa A, who convinced me to have change of heart. Originally I was not going to do the guide at all. Spare time is tough to come by these days. But after Lisa sent an email, asking us to get back on track, I decided that I would pull a number of one-two and three feature punches, to get the show on the road. So it looks as if over then next two weeks I will be releasing bundled gift suggestions, from shops that are in close proximity to one another. By the time that I’m done, there will hopefully be 25 gifts to choose from.
Today I’m starting with Allentown, because it’s close to Tipico Coffee, where I had a meeting earlier in the day.
The initial gift idea is from Recycled Disciples, which is a local artisan line found within Antique Man at 234 Allen Street. The shoes that you see here are created by Linda Spoerle, who methodically applies maps of Buffalo onto one’s shoes. She can literally transform an old pair of shoes (guys and girls) into cartographic kicks. To me, this is kind of brilliant, and an incredible conversation piece. The price tag to upcycle a pair of heels, khussas, stilettos, wingtips, etc., is $100 and worth every penny. The shoes are to be worn for special occasions – not daily in the rain and snow. And of course this application should be considered for a pair of shoes that has already served their initial purpose and are ready for a second life.
For further information, contact Linda at 716-883-2121. Antique Man – 234 Allen Street – Buffalo NY.
Up next on the BRO list of holiday necessities is the hand carved, olive wood, honey pot with top and dipper stick. Instead of a store-bought glass jar sitting on a counter or table, the recipient of this gift might be happy to look upon a wooden honey pot that is always at the ready for drizzling tasty goodness onto an apple slice or piece of toast. Along with the honey jar, there are also a few other olive wood artisan items to be found at this precious little store in Allentown.
This gift, priced at $24.99, sourced by Zetouna, is available at Lavender and Sage Sundries – 125 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo NY | 716-332-7121
