last-minute gift shopping on Amazon
I prefer to buy all the holiday gifts for my friends and family from local businesses and craftspeople, but it's not always possible: many recipients live far away, or need something very specific. And sometimes the online price, even with shipping, is far less than it is anywhere else - and I am not, by any means, wealthy. So there's that whole needing to make the house payment thing. Should you have backed yourself into a corner and need a few quick fixes this holiday season, there's plenty - whether you're buying for a local friend, your spouse, or a faraway family member - on Amazon:
furniture
- attractive spindle-sided cushioned bench for $99
- pretty tile-topped endtable
- a similar piece without the tile, and in a darker finish
- another endtable, this one with a cabinet & shelving
- neat drop-front desk at a terrific bargain
- low, four-shelf storage unit
- wall hook with shelf
- another wall shelf with a bit more detail
- "lowboy" shelf / cabinet storage unit
lighting
- a very cool copper and glass table lamp
- mission / prairie glass pendant
- interesting stained glass table lamp
- pretty Tiffany-glass pendant
- a pretty, minimalist outdoor sconce
- a very nice traditional wall sconce
tools & fixtures
- the be-all, end-all of hammers: the truly great douglas 20-oz framing hammer
- 115-piece tool / home repair set, at a great price
- a very pretty, classic American Standard bath fixture
- an attractive Greene & Greene doorbell
books
- Simon Hyoun's The American Craftsman, a book of plans in full color
- Christian Gladu's (of The Bungalow Company) new Small Bungalows
- The Essential Guide to the Steel Square - a must-have for woodworkers and builders
- Taunton's new guide, Affordable Remodel
and finally, for those who are either completely nuts, ridiculously rich or have a 30-foot entryway to light:
- Meyda Tiffany's Avondale 2-tier, 10-arm chandelier for just over $11,000. And whoopee - free shipping!