Gimme Guide 2007, Vol. 2

[December 5th, 2007] Tick…tick…tick.
This is the time of year where minutes matter and seconds count. It’s as if we’ve been thrust into a holiday episode of the hit FOX-TV show 24 .

Tick…tick…tick.
Instead of acting as if we were Jack Bauer out to save the world, though, we’ve all been cast as ho-ho-ho-ers out to save the spirit of the season.

Tick…tick…tick.
The pressure is overwhelming. Now that we’re coming down to the wire, well, no wonder so many of us end up giving fruitcakes to our family members in a state of sheer panic.

Tick…tick…tick.
Never fear, Willamette Week’ s handy-dandy gift guide is here. Whether you want to give something that says our current president sucks (Politics) or need to get out some aggression on your grandparents (Toys) or just want to hole up in your apartment with the best chocolate on the planet (Food, Drink&Housewares), the next 36 pages will give you loads of options to give (and get) this season. And, speaking of the season, in two weeks we’ll be sharing the most comprehensive New Year’s Eve guide in town.

Tick…tick…KABLOOEY!
Thank you, Jesus (it’s almost over),
Byron Beck

ON THE COVER

Who needs to travel the globe when all your worldly desires can be met in one place? The Pearl District’s 20,000-square-foot warehouse-cum-treasure chest, Cargo (380 NW 13th Ave., 243-7804, cargoinc.com) , is home to aisle upon of aisle of unique artifacts from the far-flung isles of Indonesia to remote villages in Vietnam, Latin America, Mali and Bali. Cargo’s owner/exotic adventurer, Patty Merrill, has a bunch of stuff from all the “-stan” countries, too, including Pakistan, Turkistan and Uzbekistan. On the cover is a santos , or religious doll, made by Nellie Enriquez , an artist from the Philippines ($390, her works can run from the double to the quadruple digits), as well as decorative fabric balls from China ($8).

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Publisher Shawna McKeown

Editor Byron Beck

Coordinator/Stylist Elianna Bar-El

Contributors Elianna Bar-El, Kelly Clarke, Paul Dirksen, Casey Jarman, Joe Jatcko, Amy McCullough, Aaron Mesh, Carin Moonin, Jim Sandberg, Mike Thelin, Ben Waterhouse

Copy Editors Kat Hyatt, Leigh van der Werff, Ian Gillingham

Art Director Tom Humphrey

Designers Laura Atkinson, Erik Blad, Brian Brown, Maggie Gardner, Soma Honkanen, Tom Humphrey, Adam Krueger, Ben Mollica, Liz Rubin Cari Vander Yacht, Christie Wright

Photography Studio photos by Matt Wong; Fashion photos by Jenna Biggs

Special thanks to Q6 Talent (q6talent.com), Alex Taraghi, Jonny Shultz, Elissya Bar-El, Sebastian Caviston, Sarah Fredman, Amber Rasmussen, Khary Youman and AudioCinema.