The Thousands

You know what’s silly about the silly season? This rap. It’s pretty silly. Also silly is trying to do a billion things – finish your work, go to parties, bake, buy things, catch up with people – before D-day hits. We want to help things be less silly for you all, but we can’t cook you biscuits through our computer or meet your Uncle Leonard for brunch.

What we can do, is help you use the few precious days left before Christmas to purchase some awesome goods from the best of Perth’s independent retail stores. We took photos and put in prices so all you have to do is breeze through the shop doors and hand over the sweet cash monies. Easy!

Mark’s Inc notebooks from Venn

Japanese stationary makers Mark’s have this philosophy that their products can make your life more ‘comfortable’. When I think ‘comfortable’, I mostly think about my dressing gown. Which has almost nothing to do with notebooks.  $14.50 for a good quality, canvas-bound notebook is a price you can be comfortable with, too.

Oji Masanori brass bottle openers from Mr Sparrow

Why does everyone insist on smashing beer caps against brick walls to get them open? I bet Japanese brass casting maker Futagami and his Kawagoe-based designer friend Oji Masanori have never banged a beer bottle against a brick in their lives, not after having engineered such beautiful bottle openers. Eclipse shape is $49 or Crescent shape (pictured) is $69; includes a nice box designed by Masanori, too.

Egglings from Pigeonhole

Is there anything better than cracking open a soft boiled egg and seeing that gooey yellow sunshine? Well, yes! Cracking open an egg and having a tiny tree grow out of it – I would say tree trumps yolk. Petunia, basil, mint and lavender available, $25 each.

Henrik Vibskov fragrances, from Dilettante Homme

Crown Princess Mary took in Danish designer Henrik Vibskov’s show at the Copenhagen Fashion Festival last year. Considering she grew up in Tasmania, she probably wouldn’t know exactly how to put the characteristics of ‘Copenhagen’ in a bottle, but Vibskov knows: salty air and herring-laden sea waters. ‘Berlin’ (coal factory smell) and ‘Damascus’ (spicy street smell) fragrances are also available, $110 each in a cute li’l knitted jumper – those cities do get pretty cold, after all!

Manicure voucher from POP (Head Studio)

In L.A., it’s impossible to walk 100 metres without passing twenty nail salons offering mani pedis for less than it costs to buy a loaf of bread in Perth. Over here, mani’s are a luxury – the kind you should definitely treat your pal or sister (or even yourself) to this Christmas. Head Studio’s POP beauty bar offers $66 manicures with high quality imported polishes and effects – go for the ultimate Shellac hard sheen, Minx metallics, neon Miss Frou Frou Delights, or a classic from Butter London.

Waiting for the Sun sunglasses from Remedy

Handcarved in France from bamboo and rosewood, Waiting For The Sun’s sunglasses are the project of a former Christian Lacroix designer. Weighing around 20g, its not just the glasses, but your conscious, that will feel light: while most sunglasses are made from petrol-based plastic, the sustainable nature of wood means these sunnies are good for the trees and the future and stuff. $189 a pair.

Caroline Swift espresso cups and gift tags, from Portal

English fashion designer turned product artist Caroline Swift makes objects that are raw, organic and delicate. Hats off to Swift – bone china is crazy hard to work with. Swift dry-sands each piece by hand, which means she can work it to an incredibly thin (but surprisingly strong) end. Brittle is a dirty word for this dedicated product sculptress! Bone china limited edition espresso cups (pictured) $75 each, gift tags $14 each (small) and $19 each (large).

Stitch Your Journey Tea Towel by TMOD, from Test Tube

Australian designers TMOD love themselves a bit of interactive design. This linen tea towel has eight, screen-printed layers, with a needle and thread on the tag, so you can stitch your little footprints over all the exotic locations you’ve hung out at. Then you can use it to dry the dishes in more domestic locations. $29.95.

Vouchers, from OneUp Microcinema

Vouchers are usually known as kind of naff ‘I didn’t have time to choose’ presents, but vouchers from OneUp are different! A OneUp voucher very clearly says: ‘I thought long and hard and decided you really need to see some kick ass, independent, rare release cinema and enjoy a very tasty Kool Aid or Pop Tart in the process’. The vouchers can also be used to buy clothes! Or Mario Kart speed dating sessions. Win win! Just like that movie with Paul Giamatti.

Third Drawer Down x Nathalie Du Pasquier handkerchiefs from Venn

Hankies might be a bit old fashioned, but these patterns from celebrated artist/designer Nathalie Du Pasquier are straight from some kind of awesome, multicoloured, geometric future that we want to be a part of. Break some rules, clash some colours, ditch the tissue box and blow that honker. $32.50 for a set of two (men’s or women’s).

Unit Portables from Test Tube

Swedish people really like to organise things – first IKEA, and now this! The Unit Portable bag features a modular system: the main bag holds your laptop while units two and three can sit inside or outside the bag, for easy access to the things that usually sink to the bottom (USBs, loose breath mints). The UP comes in brown, green, red and black for $135.

Yoshii towels, from Mr Sparrow

More Japan! It’s like mini Japan good times all the time at Mr Sparrow. These Yoshii towels are made from special twisted ring threads called ‘Shankar 6’, which means they are so soft. Imagine drying your face with a snuggly furry kitten, and times that sensation by 100. They are also environmentally friendly (and spotty!). Face towel $19, hand towel $32, bath towel $65, in a range of two-tone colours (and spots).

Mad et Len Bougie d’Apothicaire 250ml candles, from Zekka and Portal

Just from the name of them, you can tell these candles are going to be awesome. ‘Mad’ et ‘Len’ sound like a pair of dark, deep romantic lovers in a French fairytale from way back, the kind of lovers that spend all day in the boudoir, breathing in clove, pepper, ginger and sweat. That last one is not one of the rich scent ingredients in these candles, hand-poured from natural ingredients in Southern France, $95 each.

Dani M facet necklace, from Venn

This multi-faceted, carved shard of bright blue coloured porcelain is the work of Melbourne designer Dani M and is $255 – similar wonders of Dani M adornment (necklaces, rings, earrings) reside at Venn.

Dodocase for iPad2 from Pigeonhole

Poor Jobsy – he spent ages inventing iPads so people wouldn’t have to carry heavy books around, then Dodo made a case for iPads that looks like a book. The Dodocase is made from Moroccan cloth, using traditional bookbinding techniques. The base is a bamboo tray and there’s even a stand, so you can prop it up when you’re reading your e-stories. Black-bound with blue, grey, green or orange interior, $100.