2012 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE

Members of large families or anyone who has trouble keeping track of whose stuff is whose, as well as bottle drinkers aiming to keep tabs on their beverages, will appreciate the work of Kristy and Sara Crawford, purveyors of all things embroidered. Personalized Styrofoam cups, comfy moccasins, casserole carriers, school supplies, bibs, blankets, T-shirts and the ever-popular pick-a-pattern koozies, each with a precisely stitched name or initials, are all items available from the mother-daughter team at twofunnygirls. com.

In spring 2000, Kristy bought an embroidery sewing machine with inheritance money left by her grandmother. Pretty soon, everything they owned was monogrammed, and then Kristy moved on to her friends, all of whom seemed to be having babies and baby showers, giving them personalized gifts sewn by her mom on the machine. Once all of the family’s friends also had “personalization on everything that moves,” Kristy says, they started selling their wares around the neighborhood, at craft fairs and, before long, on the internet.

Customers also bring their own things to Kristy’s Lake Highlands home for embroidery. It takes about a week to process an order. During the holiday season, they stop taking orders after the first couple weeks in December.

However, Christmas isn’t the busiest season, says Kristy, who also holds a full-time job as a graphic designer. That honor goes to the start of the school year, when personalized school supplies sell like crazy.

more good made-inthe-’hood gift ideas

Funky Finds and Treasures

Lake Highlands resident Kimberly Atman turns trash to grunge-chic gifts. Her funky glass art, candle holders, tattered-hymnal crafts, to name a few, are quite the draw at seasonal shows and festivals. Her hymnal trees are her most popular product, she says. funkyfindsandtatteredtreasures.com

Created New Winter or spring, scarves are in, and Old Lake Highlands designer April Wade has them for every season. Pastels, prints, deep-vibrant hues, ruffles and feel-good fabrics — at about $25 each, her easy-to-wear infinity scarves make gift giving a cinch. Right now she is offering a pick-three for $85 deal. Also on her Created New label, Wade sells pillows, bedding and home accessories. etsy.com/shop/aprilwade

Color Cloud dPersonalized Styrofoam cups, comfy moccasins, casserole carriers, school supplies, bibs, blankets, T-shirts and the ever-popular pick-a-pattern koozies are all items available from the motherdaughter team.

If you recently shopped the White Rock Local Market or other fall art shindigs, you probably paused to peruse Old Lake Highlands resident Sheree Tomba’s pillowy puffs of color. Her fuzzy felt nesting bowls, cup holders, purses and chalk bags are made 100 percent from wool and please all of the senses. They are soft to the touch and add a vibrant accent to tables, desks and outfits. Tomba also is a painter and purveyor of striking abstract art. onacolorcloud.com

Noble Coffee

Marta and Kevin Sprague started roasting coffee full-time almost two years ago after many years as serious hobbyists. Coffee enthusiasts will dig this consumable gift — all of Noble Coyote’s coffee beans are certified organic or from farms that use fair-trade and shade-grown farming practices. Part of the proceeds of their Café Momentum Blend go to Café Momentum’s mission of teaching culinary skills to at-risk youth in Dallas. Pick up Noble Coyote at White Rock Local Market and artizone.com. Order from the Noble website and get free delivery in the White Rock area. noblecoyotecoffee.com.com

LH Media Center

Located in Lake Highlands at Skillman and LBJ, LH Media Center offers a service geared toward giving gift-getters goose- bumps and teary eyes — making memories last. “We take clients’ vintage 8mm films and videotapes and turn them into DVDs that will be cherished and enjoyed for years to come,” owner Cindy Causey says. “Old slides and photo albums become slideshows, retouched prints, or CDs full of images to share.” The experts at the LH Media Center also will convert audiocassette tapes and reel-to-reel audiotape to CDs, or create one-of-a-kind scrapbooks or videos. Adds Causey, “We do all the work in-house, with our own hands, and we treat precious, fragile media as if it were our own.” 178A Plaza Skillman Center at 9090 Skillman, 214.349.2349, lhmediacenter.com

Foot Cardigan

Lake Highlands resident Tom Browning recently quit his day job to focus fulltime on his pedi-project, Foot Cardigan. Browning is one of the five founders of this subscription-based sock-of-the-month club that launched last summer. Customers sign up to receive (or give) a randomly chosen pair of “delightfully unusual” socks in the mail for $9 a month. For $17 a month, you can get a subscription for yourself plus one. “For the price of two lattes a month, you get something fun,” Browning says. “You can wear them with uniforms, pants, shorts and, unfortunately, sandals. We neither judge nor condone that.” The guys offer three-, six-, nine- and 12-month subscriptions. footcardigan.com

Waltzing Gypsy

Getting laid off from her job at a local art gallery was possibly one of the best things that could have happened to White Rock area resident Karin VanSlyke because it allowed her to pursue her true passion. Today making beautiful baubles — smooth, earthy stones and gems, and geometric metallic shapes on dainty gold or silver chains — is VanSlyke’s business. “I am very inspired by nature and the beauty and color found all around us, VanSlyke says in describing her style. “My goal is to create quality pieces that women can wear with a T-shirt and jeans as well as with their favorite dress. I believe that jewelry can transform any outfit.” She regularly sells her pieces, which range from about $60-$120, at Bath House Cultural Center shows and at Tallulah Belle boutique in Lakewood. waltzinggypsy.com