Giftmas

Ah, devoted readers. Let's keep it shortish today, as the clock ticks toward Gift Giving Celebration Time. Focus of the day: Classical music. (Or, as New Yorker music critic Alex Ross said in his famous/infamous February 16, 2004 essay "Listen To This," "I wish there were another name. I envy jazz people who speak simply of 'the music.' Some jazz aficionados also call their art 'America’s classical music,' and I propose a trade: they can have 'classical,' I’ll take 'the music.'" Gotcha, Alex [I interviewed Alex Ross in October about his new book, The Rest Is Noise.])

So on to the gifties:

1. I met three of the New York Times classical music writers whilst in NY (James Oestriech ["That's 'East-rike!'"] gave us a tour of the new building and sat us in the Page One conference room for a bit — that was exciting!). And all of the writers (staff writers and freelancers) did one of those last minute gift guides slash best of the year lists. If you're interested, here is the link. Me, I'm interested in Bernard Holland and Allan Kozinn's picks, especially Marc-André Hamelin's Haydn: Piano Sonatas; the Berlin Soloists/Brandis String Quartet's Schubert: Octet, String Quartet; Paul O'Dette's Bach: Lute Works, Vol. 1; and Alexandre Theraud's Couperin: Tic Toc Choc. But there are lots of other interesting things on the list too! Check it out.

2. Tonight, my household got kind of addicted to NPR's new music site. I had noodled around on it before, but I was showing off my knowledge (small as it was) about Paul Potts singing 'Nessun Dorma' on that Brit talent search show, and we ended up listening to his interview on NPR's Day to Day. And that (through the magic of suggested links on the smart NPR player — OMG, NPR people, that was a brilliant idea, BTW) led to our listening to an interview with opera megastar Ceceilia Bartoli about her obsession with 19th century mezzo soprano Maria Malibran.
Suzi, what does this have to do with Giftmas? Well, Bartoli recorded a CD (with a deluxe edition available, complete with DVD and book and etc. special etc.). And I think that would be a fine Giftmas gift for someone, um, like me, for instance. More tomorrow or Monday, depending.

Man, this really seemed like a good idea until I actually had to DO it.

But I'll let today's mail inspire me: a package from The Soap Box Company, all full of wonderful soaps and scrubs. (Are you sensing a theme here, what with the Lush stuff two days ago? Well, it's not on purpose, I swear.) Yes, of course it's too late to order from them now — and they're closed for the holidays as of today — but I'm only posting Giftmassy things for fun, and plus, it being Giftmas we're talking about, you can have it whenever you want. Have it for New Year's! Have it for a random Tuesday in January! Break away from tradition!

Er. Um. Anyway, The Soap Box Company is a haven of bath goods, from Aracana soaps, scrubs and oils (just try to resist Frozen Heart. I dare ya) to Callisto Bath and Body shampoos and sugar scrubs to Possets scents and treats. TSBC makes for a one stop shopping virtual destination for those of us addicted to smelling like spices and tea (Villainess' Masala Smooch, which is what Villainess calls their sugar scrubs), frozen ground and trees (Arcana's Arctic Bear oil, frosty and biting) or a sweet handful of ginger (Possets' Haute Love). The woman who runs the shop is super-helpful and happy to let a panicked, oh-em-gee-I-must-have-it shopper add a forgotten something to her cart via PayPal (even when that shopper — oh, fine, me — paid with a credit card before), and things get shipped out right quick. There's always new stuff on the way — many of these small companies do limited-edition runs of some of their products, so you don't get bored. Not that you could! I've thus far stuck with my already-favorite companies with Soap Box, but I'll branch out soon. Just as soon, that is, as I allow myself to buy soap again. The basket under my sink is getting a little crazy...

Let's just make this a two-for-one post and throw in my beloved Propaganda Bath and Beauty while I'm talking about fun ways to both get clean and salve the nasty, dry, cracking skin on the backs of your hands (my knuckles were actually bleeding last night. For no reason!). Propaganda, so far as I can tell, is a two-woman operation out of Mukilteo, Wash. The propagandists address their customers as "Comrade" in emails and use a chipper red star on their labels, but the most propagandizing thing they do (um, I'm getting a little lost in this sentence) is turn their customers into converts. It was Last Candle Flicker lotion that won me over: a spicy warm pumpkin scent in the form of a lotion that, to my great shock, didn't make my hands feel all slimy. It sank in quickly and with only a trace of scent lingering — a scent that's convinced people I'm drinking some delicious eggnog concoction in my office when it's really just the combination of coffee and Last Candle Flicker wafting out the door. Appropriately for today, my other Propaganda favorite is Winter Solstice, a bright, sunny, herbal scent that's pefect for gloomy Oregon days. Oh! And chocolate orange or cheesecake Lip Tease, aka lip balm. Deeelicious.

Problem: It's really hard to write Giftmas posts when I, er, haven't been leaving the house (except to go to work, of course). But the whole idea of Giftmas posts in the first place was sort of inspired by the staff wish lists some of us made for Suzi that then didn't make it into last month's gift guide, so, hrm, what did I have on there? Well, a lot of vague things, includng a pretty winter coat, the perfect black cotton cardigan and the even-more-perfect elusive pair of black, knee-high leather boots. And for some network to produce a fourth season of Veronica Mars. I might as well wish to be as cute as Kristen Bell while I'm at it, right?

My Amazon wishlist is not a bucket of help either.

I wanted to post about the Bacon of the Month club, but there isn't enough detail about the "artisan bacon" for me to comfortably praise it; sure, it's a great idea, but it doesn't tell me where the bacon comes from, if it's organically or humanely raised, and I'm ... not comfortable with that.

(Veggie Bacon Salt, anyone?)

But while I'm hungry and thinking about food, some notions:

• Jars of Yumm! Sauce
• Delicious cheese from our numerous wonderful area cheesemakers (available all over the place, including at Market of Choice and Kiva and more stores I don't happen to be in on a regular basis and so can't immediately vouch for)
• A CSA membership (oooh, there's a present I could use...)
• Pounds and pounds of Wandering Goat and/or Full City coffee
• Stocks, duck fat and other basic cooking elements from Provisions
• Restaurant gift certificates
• Gently used cookbooks from our fine used bookstores

OK, now I'm getting vague.

My third day of Giftmas post will be better! I hope.

(A note: I decided we ought to make Giftmas posts to include fun things what we didn't put in gift guides. There are no seven days of Giftmas. There is no Giftmas. But I like the word Giftmas. I far prefer it to the internet-nerdy $WINTERHOLIDAY, which I find inexplicably offputting. So Suzi and I are BOTH going to post DAILY about Things What Are Cool. Seriously!)

So, um. What do I want? Let's start simple: treats from Lush! O many moons ago, Lush didn't exist in the U.S. I had to order my bath treats from the U.K. or Canada. A friend remembered and brought me soap from England once. It was super. When I lived in Australia, I asked the lovely lady at my hostel's front desk where the Lush store was. "Down around Swanston and ... I forget," she said. "Walk down Swanston and follow your nose."

This worked. I shit you not. I could smell that trademark, almost-overwhelming-but-not-allergic-reaction-inducing smell from a block away. See, fake scents make me sneeze. They make my throat itch and my eyes water. But Lush stuff — like stuff made by some of my other favorite companies, Villainess, Portland-based Arcana (whose Frozen Heart scrub is amazing) and my beloved Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (about which more later) — doesn't bother me (well, "ozone" notes still give me a headache, but I think that's as much psychological as anything; they all smell like ex-boyfriend shower gel). I bought myself a Christmas Star as a reward for this, that or the other thing, but there are so many more things to want. Potion and American Cream solid perfume! Silver Cloud and Twinkle and Jingle Spells bath bombs! Sodium lauryl sulfate-free Squeaky Green shampoo bars! Christmas Kisses bubble bars!

Actually, most of their holiday stuff appeals to me. (Bob soap, mmmmmm.) But their normal stuff sure isn't bad either. And Lush is a good company; as the website explains, "We believe fresh cosmetics are more effective and require fewer preservatives. That's why we hand-make our products in small batches in our own factories. And unlike other beauty companies, many of our products are vegan, and none of our ingredients or products has been tested on animals. We choose ethical sources for the ingredients in our cruelty-free products and use minimal or recyclable packaging. We also give generously to charities championing animal rights, humanitarian concerns and environmental conservation."

It's doubtless too late to order from the Lush site, but they do have a store in Northwest Portland, should you be venturing north for last minute shopping. Be prepared for the piles of good-smelling bath and shower treats, and watch your wallet! This deliciously decadent stuff doesn't often come cheap.

All I want for Giftmas is:

• A gift card for the library with prepaid fines so I have a little more freedom with my movies.

• A low calorie but nonchemically icky with excellent chocolate (organic, fair trade, super dark, etc. etc. etc.) half-caf, half-decaf mocha. So far, Perugino makes the best ones (not low calorie, but that's not Perugino's fault).

• A neighbor who wants to share her or his wireless with us. We'll pay halfsies!

Oops. Gotta stop there because there are 6 days to go!