My kingdom for a fabulous 2007 calendar

One of my favorite things to do come autumn, which is fast upon us, is to begin thinking about holiday gifts for the people I love. Having been historically pretty broke during the holidays I have found creative ways to satisfy my nurturing gift giving urges without putting myself in a decision making situation of groceries or gifts.

To combat this I make tons of gifts but also I start buying early and from a variety of unique places in order to make sure that in the crunch of the holiday season I can enjoy a hot chocolate with my friends rather than fret having to go around town trying to find the perfect gift that also fits my very limited gift giving budget.
One of those places is BuyOlympia.com. An online artists cooperative, it features tons of amazing products made by artists residing in the Olympia Washington area and no doubt fueled by the best coffee in the world, Batdorf and Bronson!

The image above is of the cover of the 2007 version of my favorite gift of all time! The Nikki McClure calendar. Realistically everyone needs a calendar. Make sure they have a beautiful one rather than a boring one from some calendar store in the mall! This calendar by Olympia Washington artist Nikki McClure is something I give, and sometimes am given, every year. Her designs are simple, beautiful and profoundly startling and touching. Ms. McClure breaks down life in the simplest and most elegant of ways. Her designs are also available in a children's book, adult T-shirts, baby clothes, note cards and prints.

To purchase this calendar, or any other item by the very talented Nikki McClure, please go to the Buy Olympia site which is located at: http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Artist=Nikki+McClure

The poster is $16. This is a gift you will feel great giving knowing that your money helps to support the livelihood of an artist rather than a large corporate machine! Plus they are environmentally friendly! She uses soy ink in the production of her prints!