It’s great being an indie girl, who of course wears indie jewelry, because there’s such an abundance of it. Just go to a site like Etsy and you will find hundreds of jewelry designs that are unique, hand-crafted pieces that you won’t find in the big department store chains. Unfortunately, there are far fewer options for the guys out there, so I did some hunting and here are a few of my favorite finds for the hipster/modern man, (or the guy that is striving to be one):

This stunning wooden briefcase is designed by Japanese designer Takumi Shimamura. I love wood-accented accessories, but I have NEVER seen a briefcase made out of wood, let alone so sleek, modern and one-of-a-kind! This talented industrial designer used an ecological, thinned Japanese cedar with a water- repellant finish. It’s large and wide enough to accommodate most laptops, has sturdy canvas edges, double zippers, and inner pockets. These are hand crafted in Japan and each one is as unique as is the cedar tree it came from, and for $299.99, it stacks up nicely with more traditional versions.

The next company I want to introduce you to is as clever as their slogan: Craft meets Technology. Dbclay is a company from Portland, Oregon that creates unique wallets called pocket art. They are true innovators in the design world. Db developed a custom textile and a proprietary printing technique that takes conceptual art and photographs and transfers it onto their eco-friendly Tope fabric. Tope is strong, durable and water resistant ,and is the only product of its kind on the entire planet! How many companies large or small can say that? Cool and eco-friendly, now that’s a combo I can live with!

This ode to the 70’s design is actually a copy of an old wooden box transferred onto their Tope fabric.

Get the whole scoop »

Ahhh, holiday shopping. It’s exciting, it’s stressful and it’s usually a pain in the…well, you know. I personally hate–really hate–crowds, so trying to navigate aggressive mall shoppers is not my cup of tea.

This year, maybe I’ll try doing all my holiday shopping online. That way I can avoid the pushing and shoving as I near Nordstrom, and I can bypass the evil fat-trap that is the local food court. (”But, it’s only one large ice cream, not my usual two!”)

Some things I’m loving for my fiance:

This chair is quite unique and modern. I could literally shop at uncommongoods.com for hours on end. The gift possibilities are endless, and I know THF (”the handsome fiance,” a nickname of his choosing) would really dig the chair. It’s on the pricier side, but would make a big impression.

THF likes a bargain as much as the next guy, but I swear to god, he would live in Target if he could. Target is on a level he can’t even comprehend: video games, DVD’s, clothes and food…one stop guy-shopping. He’s had his eye on this shirt for weeks. I love the unexpected skyline print on the front and back.

Get the whole scoop »