Dear Reader: Inside this issue, you’ll find our annual gift guide. The pages are chock-full of fun things from some of Boise’s best specialty shops and artisans. But I encourage to you to read the gift guide with something else in mind — the photos are also symbolic of the creativity and entrepreneurship that are alive and well in the Treasure Valley.
Take the colorful Ityse bag shown on page 14. Idahoan Shawna Pierson started her own line of reusable mesh bags and attractive carrying cases three-and-a-half years ago so that people wouldn’t have to tote grubby, unwashable and mismatched bags to the grocery store and on other errands.
Or the shawl by the Memory Sisters on page 16. The Memory Sisters are Boiseans Heidi Read and Marcia Way-Brady. You can find them at the Capital City Public Market each Saturday with their beautiful scarves, bibs, purses and other wearable art.
Or the jewelry by Karen Klinefelter on pages 12 and 15. You can also find her exquisite designs at the Capital City Public Market each week.
Then there’s longtime Boise trading card store, Jerry’s Rookie Shop on State Street, which has been in business for nearly 20 years. Jerry McClusky can help you with most anything you need to know about sports collectibles — and he’s a heck of a nice businessman to boot.
And I’m always impressed by how Boise-area businesses support local vendors. Many of the shops chosen regularly feature items from local artisans.
The gift guide this year was primarily put together by freelance writer Maria Smith and Statesman photographer Katherine Jones. Maria lives in Downtown Boise, and we tapped her expertise about Downtown shopping.
We also tried to feature some stores that have not been in the gift guide in previous years. We go to press a couple of weeks before you’ll read this, so keep in mind some of the pricing may have changed or that stores may already be out of popular items.
There are many, many Valley businesses that we didn’t feature in the guide that also deserve your patronage. We hope the guide will inspire you to shop locally and look for unique gifts for your friends and family.
Most of all, everyone here at Treasure wishes you a happy and healthy holiday season and a very prosperous new year.
STORE ADDRESSES
All About Games: 120 N. 8th St., 345-0204, 7079 Overland Road, 343-5653, Boise, allaboutgamesboise.com
Alexander Davis Men’s Clothing: 812 W. Bannock St., Boise. 343-5341
American Clothing Gallery: 100 N 8th St., Boise. americanclothinggallery.com, 433-0872
Belle Boutique: 3371 N. Eagle Road, Ste. 130, Meridian. 345-1039. belle-boutique.com
Boise Art Glass: 530 W. Myrtle St., Boise. 345-1825, boiseartglass.com
Boise Art Museum Gift Shop: 670 Julia Davis Drive, Boise. 345-8330, boiseartmuseum.org
Bricolage: 418 6th St., Boise. 345-3718, bricoshoppe.com
Buns in the Oven: 413 S. 8th St., Boise. 342-5683, labortolove.com
Cassis Children’s Boutique: 819 W. Idaho St., Boise. 345-5501, cassiskids.com
Cheers: 828 W. Idaho St., Boise. 342-1805; cheersinvitations.com
The Chocolat Bar: 805 W. Bannock St., Boise. 383-7771, thechocolatbar.com
City Peanut Shop: 803 W. Bannock St., Boise. 433-3931, citypeanut.com
Craig + Co.: 1414 Grove St., Boise. 433-9691, craigerton.com
Cricket Clothing Company: 817 W. Idaho St., Boise. 336-4343
Dragonfly: 414 W. Main St., Boise. 338-9234, dflyboise.com
Ferranti Fresh Pasta: 426-0117*
Flying M: 500 W. Idaho St., Boise. 345-4320. flyingmcoffee.com. The Flying M at 1314 2nd St. S., Nampa, 467-5533, also carries gift items.
Grape Escape: 800 W. Idaho St., Boise. 368-0200
Hello Cheesecake: Hellocheesecake.com, 577-8884*
Blue Dog Bakers: 336-7388; idabones@aol.com*
Idaho Glass: 353-0386, Espncentral.com*
Idaho Statesman: 377-6200, 1200 N. Curtis Road, Boise. IdahoStatesman.com/promotions
ITYSE: ityse.com, 888-620-9775
Jerry’s Rookie Shop: 3021 W. State St., Boise. 338-3828, jerrysrookieshop.webs.com
Klinefelter Studio: 363-7786, Klinefelterstudio.com*
Memory Sisters Art to Wear: 378-0293, emorysisters.com*
Mike Luke Jewelers: 1756 W. State St., Boise. 345-8751
Miss Courageous: 577-8921, misscourageous.com*
The Modern Man: 208 N. 9th St., Boise. 343-0030, themodernmanclothing.com
Morningside Products: morningsideproducts.com
Mountain Top Toffees: mountaintoptoffees.com, 392.4497*
Paisley Roberts: 237 N. 9th St., Boise. 345-5015, Paisleyroberts.com
Piece Unique & Shoez: 404 S. 8th St., Boise, 387-0250, www.pieceuniqueshoez.com
R Grey Gallery: 415 S 8th St., Boise. 385-9337, rgreygallery.com
Refinerii artist Amber Conger: www.refinerii.com, 861-7515
Shu’s Idaho Running Company: 1758 W. State St., Boise. 344-6604. idahorunningcompany.com
To the Nynes: 169 N. 9th St., Boise. 331-2338
Treasure Valley Y: ymcatvidaho.org for information
Twisted Ewe: 1738 W. State St., Boise, 287-3693, twistedeweidaho.com
VandalStore: 821 W. Idaho St., Boise. 433-1889, vandalstore.com
*Denotes merchants at the Capital City Public Holiday Market, 9:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturdays through Dec. 17 in Downtown Boise. Information: www.capitalcitypublicmarket.com
