Hai, Y'all!
The Kos Katalogue idea was inspired by a selfish need. I don't like to shop in stores, and I know a few members who make and sell things online, so I decided to see if I could gather their links in one diary and make my holiday shopping easy.
Heh. That was EIGHTY SIX links ago! Did you know there's a member offering an underwear of the month club? That Aji's husband's work keeps them from losing everything? That you can buy your very own Sara R quilt? Or hire a stand-up comedian? Some of the links take you to comments with descriptions and/or photos and "how to reach me" info, while others take you to beautifully designed sites - and everything in between.
Come with me and let's explore just one site, this one, by mytrinkets.
I met mytrinkets in the pootie diaries. She's a little odd, but artists can be quirky if they marry a like-minded soul who, in this case, designs, makes, and restores pianos. It seems to be a match made in heaven.
But this is a diary about shopping.
Do you have a need for unique, beautiful ornaments? I have several, including this one, which I hang in sunny windows the rest of the year.
Most of us have family photos we like to display (especially the grandkids!) and my mantle is covered with photos in mytrinket's frames. You might like something that matches your color scheme, or makes a cook smile, or suits someone's personality, or reminds you of spring, or matches someone's eyes. You can never go wrong with a photo frame for a gift, and there are dozens to choose from.
Is there a gardener on your list? I have this staked in my little cat cemetery, and one of these days I hope to buy this little guy.
Clocks often make good gifts; how about something like this for your mom's kitchen?
Do you like boobies?
A gift that's small, quirky, and completely original? I received this one and one of these as gifts; they sit on a window ledge and make me smile every time they catch my eye.
See what I mean? This is from just one link in the Kos Katalogue! I didn't even go into the boxes and serving pieces, not to mention the greeting cards.
We're told that nothing is manufactured in America any more. We're told that Democrats don't care about small businesses. You should read Putting our money where our mouth is, a diary by Im a frayed knot. If you're already convinced and want to get busy doing your shopping, don't let me keep you. For the rest, here's the take-away from the diary:
Why do I like the idea of the Kos Katalog? I like it for a lot of reasons. First, it is a way for us as Kossacks to enjoy and support each other's talents and crafts. I am amazed and inspired by the things produced by our fellow diarists. They are beyond lovely. So many people with so many talents! It is a joy to see them all.
Second, it is a way to help our fellow progressives earn a living (over the long term), stay in their homes and be productive. It helps our friends financially.
Third, the money goes directly to the producer and is not syphoned off by large corporations. Of course, all of us know that when we buy a $50 skirt, after overhead and the slice the corporation takes, the producer gets pennies on the ten spot. This is money the producer could have used to buy materials, pay rent, buy food, etc. The corporations use it against progressives (think Target, Walmart). It is kind of like when I travel to another city I prefer to take a taxi rather than rent a car. The money I give to the cab driver goes directly to his family, what I give to the car rental agency is largely put into Avis or Hertz or National's coffers. Of course I prefer to see the money go to a family than to a corporation. In another example, my son and I own a gym. The trainers are self employed. They give our gym a small fee for its use with their clients per hour, and charge what they charge. After the gym fee, the rest goes into their pockets. The best trainers come to our gym rather than the corporate owned gyms. The reason my son opened his gym was because at the corporate owned gym, they charged $55 a session and paid him only $25. He got paid the same as people with fewer certifications and lacking the degree in kinesiology that he has. At our gym, the trainer can set his fee based on how good he is. There is no more than 50% going to the corporation. Same with our producers we use via Kos Katalogue: The producer keeps his money.
So here we are, preparing for the holiday season. Many of us will be buying jewelry, quilts, decorations, etc. We will be spending money regardless. Many of these things can be found on Kos Katalogue. We make a lot of noise about wanting more jobs, wanting income, needing a way of making a living. It isn't only up to the President to create these opportunities. It is up to us to help create opportunity. There are over 200000 members of this community (I think ... somebody correct me if I am wrong). That is as big as a physical community. Those physical communities keep each other going through commerce. People buy from each other and everybody prospers. We can do that here. We can ensure the money is going into the pockets of people who aren't in the business of exploiting us in order to garner obscene profits. We can be the change we demand. So ... everybody in? If we are demanding these things, we can start to help make them happen. It is time to put our money where our mouth is.
"It is time to put our money where our mouth is." The site featured in this diary shows beautiful, creative, affordable gifts made by a talented progressive Democrat whose hard work supports her family and those of several employees. The Bush/Cheney recession hurt them more than I have permission to share with you, so let me generalize: let's keep our dollars in the family when we can. I've given you 86 places to shop; what are you waiting for? ♥
UPDATE: Hooray! The Kos Katalogue will be cross-posted in tonight's Open Thread on Blue Wave News! Thanks, Norbrook!