’TIS THE SEASON TO SHOP. You’ve cleared your schedule, filled the tank, and made a list of friends, coworkers, and loved ones. But the rest you’ve left to us. Excellent choice. We’ve charted an interurban road trip to 64 destinations offering innovative and old-fashioned expressions of love and goodwill. Even relentless gift hunters need to pause and refuel, so we’ve suggested noshes and sips along the way, but because there’s no rest for the most intrepid shoppers, we’ve also supplied tips for wireless buying. Call or log on while you’re paused at the pit stops, not—do we even need to say it?—while you’re driving.
Inside Out Home and Garden
If this homey but no-nonsense North End gift emporium looks like the sort of place a couple of shopaholics would dream up, that’s because the mother and daughter who artfully arrange the soy candles and leather-bound journals were fantasizing about them not so long ago. Luxe cleaning products, crafted vases, and sweet baby onesies render this one of the most popular stops in Snohomish, a town otherwise known for antiquing. Who gets it A pair of locally designed holiday-colored Baby Legs—wee warmers for little legs—ought to bounce your office mate’s toddler out of his terrible twos. Inside Out Home and Garden, 115 Avenue A, Snohomish, 360-563-0767; www.einsideout.com
HouseWares
The buzzwords at Robert Boehlke’s vibrant home-decor mart are “color” and “texture.” If you’d like to believe that a cloud-soft pillow in just the right shade of iris-blue can change the world, if you subscribe to the notion that a sunny yellow umbrella stand is as effective as caffeine on a gray winter morning, meet your new guru. Who gets it New home owners as well as those making the final payment on their mortgage. HouseWares, 318 Main St, Edmonds, 425-672-1903; www.housewaresedmonds.com
Cookies
All the baker bases are covered here, from easy mixes to silver and gold sugar sprinkles and more cookie-cutter shapes than you can imagine. For when you’re done baking: a three-piece set, including a plate for Santa’s cookies, one for Rudolph’s carrot, and a mug for the hot cocoa that washes them down. Who gets it It’s better to give than to receive, sure, but when it comes to do-it-yourself gourmet cookie fixings, everyone’s a winner. Cookies, 2211 NW Market St, Ballard, 206-297-1015; www.cookiesinseattle.com
Top Ten Toys
If you’re the type who sighs and mutters, “Kids today,” this beloved indie toy merchant’s selection of traditional, never-toxic toys—one-kid-band kits, science experiments—will renew your spirit. The self-serve gift-wrapping station is a godsend for busy bees. Who gets it Little ones prematurely transfixed by computer screens. They’ll thank you for it—eventually. Top Ten Toys, 104 N 85th St, Greenwood, 206-782-0098; www.toptentoys.com
Terra Bella Flowers
Open up to alternatives for poinsettias and wreaths with a visit to Melissa Feveyear at her mostly organic and local floral shop. For a living gift, ask her to create one of her garden parfaits—a paperwhite narcissus bulb in a clear glass vessel with layers of moss and earth. Or work with her to design an evergreen-focused centerpiece that she’ll create with specimens from her parents’ four-acre lot in Fall City and organic orchid coaxers in Oregon. Who gets it Nature freaks and flora-and-fragrance geeks. Terra Bella Flowers, 8417 Greenwood Ave N, Greenwood, 206-783-0205; www.terrabellaflowers.com
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