Pipeline Holidaze Pages Want You!

Last Hannukah my mom made me a bunch of accessories out of duct tape, and I think I may have made her something, or accepted bath mats she had outgrown and would I perhaps want them for my cold bathroom floor?

So, when it comes to gifts, that's the kind of family we are. No need to wrap, just throw your treasure into the nearest Walgreen's or Aldi bag too-- seriously, we're getting older, does anyone have time for presentation anymore?

I suspect that there are people out there who are horrified by the way I've described my holidaze. In fact, descending upon my former in-law's elegantly appointed home with gilded napkin rings showed me just who could be amused and annoyed by my ways, but moving on, I want readers to prove me wrong. Show me - or rather our fictional characters of 'Wicker Tim' and 'Buck Lily-- why the holidays are so gosh darn special and what you can throw into the mix to make them spectacular and memorable too.

Is it ornament decorating, or menorah welding, or Kwanzza batiking? Is it an Exquisite Corpse door-to-door caroling party? Is it a lovely item under $20 that would be perfect for a stocking stuffer or a main gift? Is it pimping out my mom to teach a free duct tape bookmark, zippered coin purse, luggage tag, passport holder hands-on workshop? Is it not a gift at all, but a story you have, or an experience or service that you can provide?

We can't think of anything more fun, exciting and rewarding than putting our creative juices to work, in the form of a six week serial story, in the vein of last March and February's racy yet classy (I hope) Valentine's Day series featuring the intrepid 'Buck Lily' and 'Wicker Tim' along with friends like Creative Cal, Frugal Fran, Strong Sally, and others. If you are a merchant or merchant association interested in joining the serial story, send an email and let's get started. Because if not now, when?

Note: The Gift Daze series won't happen until we have commitments and compensation in hand from at least six supporters. Local merchant organizations, associations, and commissions are all welcome and encouraged to represent in addition to individual businesses.