Buy local and win: Top ten made-in-Manitoba gift suggestions

Custom designed aprons from Sew Dandee (sewdandee.blogspot.com)

Whether it be Christmas, Hanukkah, or Festivus you are celebrating this year, we have a list of suggestions for you. Plus a big prize give-away!

There is nothing better than buying locally, especially when it comes to these artsy gems that you can pick up for the holidays.

Bonus for SCENE-sters.  Add your 'buy local' suggestion here or on  SCENE's facebook page for your chance to win an awesome prize package from the West End Cultural Centre -- including 6 pairs of concert tickets and a wack of CD's.  DEADLINE:  Noon, Friday, December 23.

So here without further ado, is part one in a series of SCENE's Top Ten Lists.

1. Roy Liang's loud and proud Peg city T's. Nothing says lookin' good in the centre of Canada like a shirt blaring the names of our streets, or an iconic picture of that Osborne bus that never seems to come. 

2. Five Two boutique. This place is all about ethical shopping. The cottons are organic, the textiles are recycled or reclaimed, and the clothing isn't simply hippy-dippy hemp. There are great high-end designs to be had, from men's vintage t's and belt buckles, to women's jewelry and boots that are muy caliente.

3. Winnipeg Tarot Company: have a reading, or better yet, buy your own deck. The beautifully designed (and Winnipeg themed) tarot card decks can be purchased at Plug In ICA and The Winnipeg Arts Council for around $30. An ideal gift for the guy or gal who has everything (except foresight).

4. Bags 4 Darfur These elegantly designed bags are excellent for three reasons: 1) The proceeds from each purchase go toward aid work in Darfur, Sudan. 2) The purchasing of the bags itself is unique as you bid online to the design featured for the day. In this you get to learn from the website the exact story behind the bag, where the materials came from, the idea behind the design, etc. and 3) The bags themselves are beautiful, and of course, all of them are one of a kind.

5. Sew Dandee. This place has it all when it comes to locally made, inspired and designed wears. How about specialized music themed aprons from Head in the Oven? Or some locally knitted goods that would make granny envious (or better yet, why not buy some mittens for gran). 

6. Give the gift of vinyl. Many Manitoban musicians are putting out their albums now the way the were meant to be played, on vinyl. Some recent gems include Romi Mayes' latest award wining album, "Lucky Tonight," and Greg MacPherson's latest "Disintegration Blues." Once you go to listening to that deep, rich sound of a record while snow falls outside, you won't go back.

7. Books: there is a slew of great titles available for purchase at McNally Robinson right now from great local authors. How about C.C. Benison's acclaimed Twelve Drummers Drumming, or M.A. Appleby's Winnie the Bear for some Winnipeg-centric cheer.
  
8. "Keepin' it Riel" with some swag featuring Manitoba's favourite rebel. All the cool kids these days are wearing shirts with historical figures, and who better to say I'm a Manitoban than the original Canadian rebel himself, Louis Riel. These shirts are available at Urban Waves and the Festival Du Voyageur, Lower Fort Garry, and La Musée de St. Boniface gift shops respectively.

9. MTC Winter Pass because Winnipegers like a bargain (there you go, I picked up that dead horse and gave it another beating) why not go for half-price theatre? With the MTC Winter Pass you get three nights of theatre for a mere $89. There is a choice of seven plays, but hurry on this one, as seats are filling fast.  

10. Tickets to the West End Cultural Centre. The gift of music is always guaranteed to please, especially when it is for a live show at one of Winnipeg's best venues (and one that supports the stuffing out of local artists to boot!).