Dress you up
Out local designer Borris Powell ( www.borrispowell.com; various price points) has been earning raves for years—including when Valentino said that Powell's "Black Swan" dress for the 2011 Oscars was "very nice." Men and women can feel like celebrities in Powell's items, which range from signature bags to custom shirts to sleek dresses.
S'well-done
The eco-friendly S'well bottles ( www.swellbottle.com; $35-$45) are double-walled and insulated vessels designed to keep drinks cold (up to 24 hours) or hot (up to 12 hours). Available in a wide variety of colors and customizations, the bottle is both stylish and portable. By the way, there are wine bottles as well.Let's dance
Ubisoft will certainly get people up and moving with The Hip Hop Dance Experience ( www.amazon.com; $39.99); with songs from singers/rappers including Snoop Dogg (now Snoop Lion), Drake and Pitbull, you can even have a dance-off with friends—although you should be prepared to be videotaped, knowing some people. Comic-book geeks will get a kick out of Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth ( www.amazon.com; $29.99), which allows players to choose to be any of 20 Marvel characters. Hulk smash!
Meat and greet
Although some may feel the costumes border on animal cruelty, the Lay Z Ga Ga calendar: Bred This Way ( www.layzgaga.com; $13.99) will no doubt amuse others. The titular dog wears a variety of items that Lady Gaga made famous—including that meat dress. Call the "puparazzi."
Tie one on
Started by Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and his now-fiance, Justin Mikita, Tie the Knot was founded "to advocate for the civil rights of gay and lesbian Americans throughout the United States and to look damn good while doing it," according to its website. To accomplish its goal, the organization sells some pretty spiffy bowties (TieTheKnot.org; $25)—and Ferguson even shows you (on the website) how to knot a bowtie in case you don't know.
Stand up
Look fashionable and contribute to a cause simultaneously. Stand Up to Cancer ( www.standup2cancer.org; various price points) has a variety of items to choose from, including ballerina flats, slouchy pullovers, earbuds and even bangles.
Bold and Haring
Blik, the maker of self-adhesive surface graphics, has launched Keith Haring Pattern Wall Tiles ( www.whatisblik.com; $50), a new eco-friendly take on Haring's repeating patterns. With the tiles, you can create an accent over a bed, on an interior door or frame a small section of a wall—and thank goodness the tiles can be moved easily (thanks to adhesives).
In the nudes
Local group Earth Pearl Collective is offering a calendar (katrina@earthpearlcollective.com at Paypal.com; $20) filled from cover to cover with beautiful womyn of color in all shapes, skin tones, and sizes. However, those who love guys won't feel left out thanks to the Legend Men 2013 wall calendar ( www.10percent.com; $13.99), which shows some really hot guys in all their glory.
The zing's the thing
AquaZinger and CitrusZinger ( ZingAnything.com; $15.95 and $25.95, respectively) aim to make drinking water more enjoyable—by infusing them with various flavors. From cucumber to lemon and lime, to blackberries, kiwi, strawberry, peach, ginger or even mint, the zingers can infuse them all. In addition, there's a leakproof cap so you can take these items anywhere.
Let the sun shine
You can be eco-friendly and still enjoy Rihanna's hits. The Eton Rukus Solar Boombox ( www.etoncorp.com; $150) is a Bluetooth-compatible boombox with a solar panel. Simply pair any Bluetooth-enabled device, from Smartphones to tablets, to begin easily streaming music wirelessly —and never run out of power. (The device also comes with an AC adapter for easy charging.) What's even better is that the Rukus not only plays music—it can also charge most devices that use a USB cable.
Honey badger
Honey has been making a comeback with alcohol in recent years, including the rise of mead. Barenjager has managed to make items that are trendy and tasty with its Honey Liqueur ( www.barenjagerhoney.com; $27.99) and its Honey & Bourbon ($28.99), with the latter containing premium Kentucky whiskey. Don't take my word for it—drink up!
Monkeying around
Inspired by the children's classic book, Andrew Simonian's Bi-Curious George: An Unauthorized Parody ($14.95) shows a George who leaves jungle life to live with The Man with the Sassy Purple Beret. Along the way, he discovers adventure, heartbreak and more.
Looking good
Fashion-industry veteran Richard Dayhoff knows how to make men look good, thanks to his slinky luxury boxers ( www.facebook.com/richarddayhoff; $75) that are classified as "performance underwear." If the jobs are to make the wearer look good and to feel simply divine, then they're performing quite well.
The zing's the thing
AquaZinger and CitrusZinger ( ZingAnything.com; $15.95 and $25.95, respectively) aim to make drinking water more enjoyable—by infusing them with various flavors. From cucumber to lemon and lime, to blackberries, kiwi, strawberry, peach, ginger or even mint, the zingers can infuse them all. In addition, there's a leakproof cap so you can take these items anywhere.
Sweet success
When I initially received gluten-free items from Sweet Sally's ( sweetsallys.com; various price points), I have to admit I was skeptical. However, everyone who tasted the macaroons, lemon bars and, especially, the cheesecake brownies raved about the items. Moreover, the people who tasted them plan on ordering from the bakery—although a couple of them plan on running to Wisconsin and back to burn the calories. (There are gluten-filled items as well.)
Rise and shine
Travelers will appreciate the Rise and Hang ( www.riseandhang.com; $45-$69). This weekender bag excels where normal luggage fails: in the area of organization. The bag has everything from a collapsible shelving system to high-strength steel hooks—and even a bottom hamper for soiled clothing. Getting away has never been so easy.
Cuff 'n ready
Tracey Mayer ( www.traceymayer.com; $350-$1,700) is a local jewelry designer who's made high-end items for men for years. She's only gotten better, as she now has exquisitely designed cufflinks, necklaces and other items for men and women. Mayer is known for working with 950 silver, which is 2.5 percent higher in purity than sterling silver and gives the metal a distinctive look.
Holiday tunes
Season of Carols ( www.seasonofcarols.com; $20), a holiday album benefiting Season of Concern (the Chicagoland theater community's fundraising organization), features the collaborative efforts of more than 100 Chicago artists. Among the people featured are casts from such as Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray, A Little Night Music and other productions—and who can resist "Winter Wonderland?"
Keeping 'Company'
The DVD Stephen Sondheim's Company ( www.amazon.com; $19.99) features Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Stephen Colbert, Anika Noni Rose, Craig Bierko, Patti LuPone, Martha Plimpton and others in a tale about five couples. The film also features a Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Sondheim and a Tony-winning book by George Furth, so you know it's top-notch.
Fan about town
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club ( www.D23.com; various price points) is perfect for children and children at heart. Among the benefits are Disney twenty-three magazine (with interviews with people such as Julie Taymor, who directed The Lion King on Broadway); special discounts and offers; weekly newsletters; annual member gifts; and access to D23 EXPO 2013.
Prep you up
Chicago's many sports fans also include those who love their colleges. Prep Sportswear ( www.prepsportswear.com; various price points) has sweatshirts, hoodies and other items for a variety of teams ranging from Old Dominion University to Brigham Young. However, there are also items connected with vintage teams as well as other organizations (Naperville Police Department, anyone?).
Time out
The athlete (or weekend warrior) in your life would definitely appreciate the Hyperice Knee Ice Compression Device ( www.hyperice.com; $99.99). The technology employed may have the user looking a little like a cyborg, but the item more than does its job. In addition, there are items for the back and shoulder as well. Your man or woman will be back to normal in no time after that softball game.
Vintage
Wolfgang's Vault ( www.wolfgangsvault.com; various price points) will satisfy the most hard-to-please music fan with backstage passes, magazine covers, apparel and dozens of types of other items featuring everyone from Bob Dylan to Janis Joplin to Whitney Houston to Madonna.
Tough enough
Leatherman ( www.leatherman.com ) has the greeting "Merry Fixmas"—which is very fitting considering the items it sells, which include multitools, knives and pocket tools. Among its offering are the Piranha ($35), a pocket tool that does everything from tighten screws to pop open bottles. There's also the LED Lenser P3 AFS P ($40), a small but powerful keychain flashlight. With these items, you'll look tough and prepared.
Photo finish
Indie Mats ( www.indiemats.com; $29-$39) have been called "throw pillows for walls"—and it's easy to understand why. Available in different styles and numbers (sets of four minis and three regular-sized items) and equipped with adhesives, you just put photos in the mats and put them anywhere.
Solving puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles? Yes, indeed. Artifact Puzzles ( www.artifactpuzzles.com; $36-$100) is bringing the challenging mind exercises back into vogue with eye-catching designs. Moreover, when you visit the website, you can choose puzzles by several categories, including puzzle designer, difficulty and even number of pieces (although I know some who'd opt for "one" in that last category).
