Did anyone hit Crafty Wonderland’s Super Colossal Holiday Sale on Sunday? I know a lot of you did, because when I tried to go, I turned right back around and headed back home at the sight of a huge line stretching down the block. Reports from people who actually made it in confirmed that it was shoulder to shoulder. I’m happy for the Wonderland folks and participating vendors for having such a successful event, but if I wanted to shop while fighting my way through a crowd, I’d go back to Paris for les soldes.

Luckily, there is another opportunity to shop local, handcrafted goods right around the corner: PDX Etsy is having their holiday/solstice sale at the very spacious Smith Center at PSU this Saturday: About 65 vendors are participating, all of whom are pre-screened for professionalism by virtue of the fact that they have their sh*t together enough to run their own Etsy store, meaning you won’t have to wade through a bunch of junk you might have made during arts ‘n’ crafts at summer camp. Instead you’ll find well made wallets, bath and body products, jewelry, handbags, kids’ clothing, hats, pottery, accessories, and much much more.

They will also be screening a film, at 11 am, 2 pm, and 4 pm, called Secondhand (Pepe) about used clothing’s journey from the Salvation Army to Haiti. from the web site:

Secondhand (Pepe) is a 24min tri-lingual documentary about the role of used clothing in diaspora cultures. Filmmakers Shell & Bertozzi weave two narratives into a visual and sonic journey. The historical memoir of a Jewish immigrant rag picker intertwines with the present-day story of “pepe” – secondhand clothing that flows from the United States to Haiti. Secondhand (Pepe) animates the materiality of recycled clothes: their secret afterlives and the unspoken connections among people in an era of globalization.

Also, don’t forget to stop by the farmers’ market in the neighboring South Park Blocks for fabulous food gift ideas and dinner supplies. Sale runs from 8 am to 4 pm this Saturday!

(Urbana pottery)