Last Weekend Before Christmas - Shop Local

Christmas is almost upon us and this weekend is the last before the big day. Whether it's the last bits and pieces you need or like us the majority of your shopping, why don't you turn your back on the large chain stores and busy city centre and shop local and support the independent businesses in your area.

Here's some ideas for gifts and places to get them.

1. Gifts of food such as hampers are a great gift and something people can share. Try 1901 on Skirving Street, Gusto and Relish on Pollokshaws Rd, Cookie in Strathbungo, La Teh Doh in Polloksheilds and Cherry Heather in Cessnock.

2.  For the Book worm in your life head to Young's Interesting Books for a first edition classic. On Victoria Road the Oxfam Book shop have a great collection of second hand books.

3. For the Vintage lover head to The Dresser's Room on Skirving Street and the lovely Jade will help you choose that unique item.

4. If it's a gift for the female in your life, then you are spoilt for choice with: Butterfly Kisses on Skirving Street, Hayes, Zig Zag, Glitz andGlamour on Pollokshaws Rd, Eve in Polloksheilds and Ladies Drawers in Strathbungo.

5. For Unique gifts try Paper Plane on Skirving Street, Marie Brown's in Polloksheilds, Pink Wafer in Langside, Pierrot et Coco just off Pollokshaws Rd, and Gifted in Clarkston.

6. For little kids Butterfly Kisses and Pierrot et Coco have beautiful childrens clothes and accessories, as well as a good selection of toys and other gifts.

7. Langside College have a variety of courses starting in January including Japanese and italian cooking courses and dressmaking classes a unique gift for the person who has everything. Salutation Station in Polloksheilds offers vouchers for Yoga classes which would also make a great gift.

8. You can also buy gift vouchers from many local restaurants, why not treat someone to dinner at a new or favourite restaurant

9. Treat someone to a massage or beauty treatment, try Urban Beauty and Rock N Rollers on Pollokshaws Rd

10. For the Runner in your life, take a trip to Run Urban on Cathcart Road.

Happy Shopping

Christmas Gifts

We've been away for the last few weeks and missed all the snow. We have also returned to a world filled with Christmas music, decorated trees and white beared men dressed in red. This has brought home the fact that while November is a fun time to take your "summer" holiday it means you only have a few weeks left to do your Christmas Shopping, Arrrgh.

With that in mind we need your help, we want to stay South this Christmas and buy our loved ones gifts from the local area, so who has some suggestions for places to shop or particular southside based things to buy?

Leave a comment on the blog below to be entered into our Great Southside Christmas Giveaway and you will win a Southside Happenings goodie bag, filled with some of the lovely objects that we make in our day jobs (Some Christmas Cards, some books and a couple of signed mini prints) five lucky people will also win a gift that money just can't buy . . . a southside happenings winners badge and a couple of our "I heart the southside" and "Shop South" badges that we made for Bungo in the Back Lanes last summer.

The usual Giveaway rules apply, click here to read

Pierrot et Coco

Today we have the pleasure of discovering a new and fantastic shop has just opened on the site of the sadly missed "Raw Vintage" on Abbot Street in Shawlands just across from the CoOp.

Called the wonderfully enticing "Pierrot et Coco" it is run by husband and wife Pierrot and Morvan who previously worked  in the fashion magazine world and they clearly have an eye for brilliant and unusual things. Take a look through the selection of photos below to see some of their cool products. It was just a shame that Ann was with me or I could have picked up a few Christmas Gifts.

http://pierrotetcoco.blogspot.com/
Pierrot et Coco
3 Abbot Street,
Shawlands,
Glasgow,
G41

With Regalia, Hays, Candy Love, Glitz and Glamour, Blush and Zigzag nearby and PaperPlane, Butterfly Kisses, Young's Interesting Books, 1901 and the Dresser's Room on Skirving Street there is really starting to be a great collection of shops in this area of the Southside to warrant a wander on a Satuday or Sunday afternoon. Give up on the big shopping centres and support your local shops, they have a lot of surprises in store. We also spotted today that Cosgrove Care is also now open on a Sunday which is always worth a look round as sometimes they have fanstastic things.

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