Where to Buy Independent Gifts for Independent Women: The Cardiff Edition
Have you been blessed with independent women (young, old, or in-between) in your life? Do you celebrate them? Do you pride yourself on buying them thoughtful presents or are you a lazy-last-minute-Lenny type?
I strongly suggest you show you get their flow by supporting other independent women, artists and businesses in their name. A 'put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is' kinda thing. Hit her in the heart. Prove you admire, respect, honour and want to cultivate that part of her. Because, I'll let you in on a secret here, us independent ladies do not need, or want, another toiletry set. Radical statement, I know.
Before you continue reading, it's important for you to know that I am not getting paid to write this, am not secretly in an affiliate scheme, do not get freebies and do not expect freebies after the fact.
Since trying to make a living out of my writing, my eyes have been opened to the difficulty of relying on your craft. Readers, it is bleak. Essentially, people try to get you to give them things for free/a knock-down price all the time, with no regard for your overheads, or your morale.
I have been approached by people asking me to write for them. I have had pitches accepted by publications, that pay their writers. Yet I have never been paid for anything I've written and had published. So far. Armed with this knowledge, what can you and I do about this hot mess of injustice?
I know, how about we stop diddling other people who try to make a living by doing what they love?
If you would spend x amount on a branded pair of trainers, a piece of jewellery, t-shirt, board game, teddy bear, blanket, crockery set… Why are you suddenly getting all protective of your money when it comes to buying directly from the source?
Surely, we should all be able to appreciate that a product’s cost needs to reflect the entire process of bringing it into being? Time. Resources. Promo. Materials. Travel costs. Research.
To be blunt, if you are totally ok paying low prices for things, knowing they’ve been made in sweatshops, or that the designs have been stolen from artists, and knowing it’s all mass produced in China, driving our own businesses out of work, contributing to: poor wages, cutbacks of staff, zero hours contracts and the death of pensions, then... That’s your choice.
But, if you are doing this because it’s easy, because high streets are dominated by products like this, maybe it’s time you were a little more considerate? No, simply giving up straws, that you hardly ever used anyway, doesn’t count.
Here is my handy guide to buying gifts from independent businesses for the independent women in your life: The Cardiff Edition. (Why Cardiff? Well, I live here and it’s my birthday on the 15th November so, it’s always good to drop *little* hints)
Let’s start with books: Octavo’s, West Bute Street.
Octavo's Cafe seating area, tables and book cases
The best thing about Octavo’s, is its full title, ‘Octavo’s Book Cafe and Wine Bar,’ as the name implies, many purchases can be made in a single stop. If you're more a ‘take them out and spoil them’ kind of gift buyer, the range of afternoon teas here should be music to your ears.
There's a classic afternoon tea, the prosecco afternoon tea, the gin lovers afternoon tea and, be still my beating heart, the book lovers afternoon tea, where the cupcakes are decorated with miniature books. You cannot deny that any bibliophile would be impressed with a spread like that, surrounded by neatly organised bookcases.
There’s also an impressive number of thoughtful, silly, useful and localised gifts to be found. From prints of local landmarks like Penarth Pier, Dylan Thomas quote posters, dreamy journals and miniature dog page markers.
Next up, there’s the gift voucher option, which would be so much better than a generic high street one, and can be used on books, afternoon teas or some of the other regalia I’ve just mentioned. Imagine being taken there for afternoon tea and then being able to spend a voucher… Bliss.
Greyhound sitting on coffee shop floor
Dylan Tomas quote posters
Then there are the books! You’ll find the usual bestsellers but there is also a real focus on the titles you are unlikely to find in Waterstones, examples being, a healthy selection of Welsh authors, conversely to Waterstones where they are hidden away upstairs in a corner. There's also a range of publications from Accent Press.
Accent Press is a Cardiff based publishing house that distributes a wide range of genres and kickstarts the careers of new and diverse voices. Xcite Books is an example of one of their arms, a range devoted to erotic literature that was established in 2007, it’s now become the UK’s largest erotic publisher. Take that London! Cardiff is doing it for itself.
Final things to note, there are signed books, author events, a gorgeous bar and it’s dog-friendly. Check out their website for more details and support independent bookshops.
https://octavobooks.co.uk/
Why head there instead of buying for cheaper from Amazon? I’m not going to cite the physical benefits of leaving the house or the joy of perusing books in person. I won't even stress how important it is to PUT DOWN THE PHONE. You already know these things.
However, I am going to draw your attention to something that I learnt at Cardiff Book Festival. The writers of books you buy on Amazon are paid a pittance, if they see any returns at all.
Basically, if the book is much cheaper than the RRP, it’s the author who loses out on getting their percentage of profit. Publishing houses are willing to take this hit to get books reviewed in the hope notoriety will follow. I felt so guilty when I realised this as I have essentially not paid the writers I respect the most in the world... Again and again, ad infinitum! (Also, Amazon doesn’t pay their fair share of UK tax and physical bookshops do. Shoppers, think about the NHS!)
Evolution Posters: online shop for Cardiff artist.
framed print of the hedgehog family, with real hedgehog standing by it
Kazooie and her ornamental friend enjoy perusing their family tree from Evolution Posters.
The bastion of nature himself, Sir David Attenborough, describes this artist’s work as, “remarkable”. That should be enough said really, but I want to make you consider that gifts for women often fail to encourage their pursuit of science or knowledge. Do you fall into that trap too?
If so, think on it, and, if you want to buy a present for a nature lover, biologist, environmentalist or ‘Mighty Girl’ in your life, Evolution Posters has got you covered.
Evolution Posters began when Alistair Harvey, a fine art graduate, decided to create his own Tree of Life. His version is scientifically accurate, so, every animal lineage depicted has each individual that makes it up accounted for. Every strand joins and it's a striking visualisation of our connectivity. It's quite the ideal reminder of how much we all deserve to be here.
poster of the evolution process
Just the top section of this stunning poster
The best thing about Harvey is that he’s a bona fide sweetheart, you might be thinking that shouldn't matter, but to me it does. It feels good to invest your money in a product you love but, it's even better when the product is produced by somebody that you also respect.
He told me, “one of the reasons I made the poster was to help educate, so I’m getting a real kick out of the fact that I've been asked to help out one of the professors from the Evolution Institute.” Come on, if a professor of evolution vouches for his work you know it’s special!
It gets even better though because he continues, “whilst researching and making the poster, it opened my eyes to the great diversity of species and majesty of nature, as well as how fragile it all is. Due to this, I decided to give a percentage of my profits to charities who support wildlife conservation. This is definitely the most rewarding feeling that I have got from making my own work”.
After completing the mammoth project that was ‘The Tree of Life’, Harvey started producing more focused pieces on individual creatures. I have a pet African Pygmy Hedgehog and a friend commissioned him to produce me an A5 black and white drawing of the Hedgehog family. It’s glorious.
Something really unique about Evolution Posters is that you can pretty much have the design that you like the most put on anything you want: jumpers, dresses, tees, vests, clocks, mugs, tote bags, stickers, journals, pencil cases, cushions, laptop skins, phone cases, a metal print, a canvas print, a framed print, a wallboard print, a tapestry, a duvet cover or the lowly, but essential, greeting card. What that means, is it's highly unlikely anybody else is going to have the same thing you choose to buy.
Baby blue iPad Case with Penguin Family on it
As Harvey is employed full time as a set painter he cannot produce these things himself, so he uses a third party called Redbubble. The benefit of this is that the materials are of a consistently high quality.
You may also want to take advantage of some of their excellent offers, that run permanently, like 25% off if you buy 2 mugs.
Evolution Posters online shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/evolutionposter/collections
Evolution Posters website: http://evolutionposters.com/
Black and Beech: Online shop for Cardiff artist
This brand was developed by Stacey Grant-Canham, a lecturer in Fashion Design at the University of South Wales. Unabashedly an intersectional feminist, Grant-Canham’s focus is affirming a woman’s need to support progress and inclusion. She designed a range especially to support the ‘Repeal’ movement in Ireland and donated profits to the cause.
Now, while any feminist might enjoy Black and Beech products, there is also a range of ‘nevertheless she persisted’ stuff that could appeal to anyone, but I’ve actually highlighted this stuff with mums of babies and toddlers in mind.
As a mum herself, Grant-Canham wanted to incorporate style into mum duties, so she designed a range of teething necklaces. They are handmade with food-grade, BPA free silicone and wooden beads, all safe for chomping. It’s a simple product that makes it one less thing for a mum to pack (and potentially forget), plus, it’s not going to get dirty when the little tyke throws it on the floor repeatedly.
There’s also some very snazzy Perspex statement necklaces that say, ‘Coffee and Calpol’ or ‘Liquid Gold’ (referring to breastmilk) and, for the more subtle types, a range of pin badges with ‘Coffee and Calpol’, ‘More than a Mum’, ‘Resist’ and ‘Liberté Egalité Sororité’ on them.
Perspex necklace, in black, with Coffee and Calpol slogan
Pin badge with 'More than a mum' inscription
Black and Beech is a fashion brand, led by an industry expert, that should be the model we expect all brands to follow. Firstly, the factories used offset their carbon footprint, they use organic cotton and are independently verified to be sweatshop free. Secondly, a percentage of the profits go into funding Women’s Rights campaigns, a tidy £7000 so far.
Poster of raised fist holding a crayon
Like Evolution Posters, Black and Beech isn’t just profiteering from a popular movement, it is supporting change. In a world where Brexit, Trump and Oxfam’s 2018 report revealed “82% of the money generated last year went to the richest 1% of the global population while the poorest half saw no increase at all”, we need to be the change.
Black and Beech attend Cardiff based events, keep track of these by checking the events tab on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/blackandbeech/
Buy directly through the online shop: https://www.blackandbeech.com
Penny Lane Vintage: Wellfield Court Arcade, Wellfield Road.
cabinet of costume jewellery
Got a vintage loving, retro obsessed, Hipster in your life? How about someone with a fascination for quite specific trends, fashion or furniture, from any period between the Victorian era and the end of the 70s? A vinyl collector maybe?
If you do, Penny Lane Vintage, winner of ‘Cardiff Best Fashion Retailer’ in 2016, is worth exploring. It’s a shop of two parts, with clothing, jewellery, and paraphernalia in one, furniture in the other. The enthusiasm the owner, Belinda O’Donnell, has is clear from the range of things she has managed to seek out, everything from rare vintage Vogue dress patterns and original film posters, to an opera singer’s dress collection.
record player reflected in a mirror with a pink lamp
At the moment there's a collection of Winston Churchill's speeches on vinyl in the shop.
O’Donnell personally selects every piece sold in PLV. She physically goes to view items, checks their quality and finds a place for them in the shop. Penny Lane Vintage is always evolving to meet the needs of stock; sometimes a set of drawers will contain bow ties, other times it will contain watches.
I ask her if this ever becomes frustrating and she laughs, “part of why people will sell me their things is because I respect the significance of them. A dress might just look like a dress to me, but then I’ll hear the story of how it was the owner’s engagement dress and see the way it has been cared for, sometimes wrapped in tissue paper in a box, I can still feel that story when I take it away. It’s exciting knowing I can rehome it, so I want to showcase it in the most flattering way; the shop has to change to meet that need.”
It’s this personal touch, and attention to detail, that contributes to O’Donnell managing to achieve something that is rare for employees in the chain shops, “I’ve met loads of people I wouldn’t normally get to. After a while, I realised I’d made a lot of friendships, especially with older ladies. I have time to listen to stories, and people will share memories they have related to things in the shop, it’s lovely and I often learn things. I couldn’t work anywhere else, even if it’d be easier and I’d make more money!”
A basket of vintage purse mirrors
"I'm just going to powder my nose"
vintage perfume bottle on a cabinet
Find out more about opening times and current stock here: http://pennylanevintage.co.uk/
Follow the regularly updated Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/PennyLaneVintageBoutique
Heads Above the Waves: Castle Emporium, Womanby Street
Mental health is a hot topic right now, everybody is weighing in on the subject, from Theresa May to the royals. However, it is still very hard to access mental health services and there is still enough stigma around it to contribute towards people keeping their battles with mental health ‘bottled up’, especially if they are teenagers.
Heads Above the Waves is a not-for-profit organisation, its aim is in-keeping with its name, the whole point of it is to provide a safe space to talk about depression and self-harm. Especially for young people.
The HATW team runs outreach workshops in schools, has an excellent blog with features like, ‘Grow Through What You Go Through’ and on-site there are comfy sofas, video games, and staff that have been through the wringer and come out the other end, stronger.
Hope T-Shirt
The reason HATW makes it onto my gift list is because sometimes people need reminding that you are willing to be there through the bad stuff. A purchase from there with an affirming slogan like, ‘I’m glad you exist’, or ‘love yourself’, is powerful.
Heart pin badge
Sometimes people need reminding that you're not ashamed of them if they aren't in a great place. A little pin badge might do the trick.
Sometimes those independent women in your life, especially the teenage variety, are just cool and brave enough to wear a t-shirt with a slogan that's going to help open up better dialogues around mental health, like the gravestone with ‘RIP Stigma’ on it.
The products are all very fairly priced, and if you’re not sure what to go for, their satchels and beanies with the simple HATW logo are big sellers.
To see the merch, follow the link: http://hatw.co.uk/shop/
To get a better look at their blog, or some mental health support follow this link: http://hatw.co.uk/youre-not-alone/
Music Bingo: The Moon Club, Womanby Street, or Little Man Coffee, Bridge Street
This is my wildcard option for a unique first date or a cheap as chips hen, for birthday fun, the ‘getting someone out of a funk option’ or, just for celebrating the musical knowledge of the independently minded woman in your life.
"What IS Music Bingo?" you ask. Simple, it’s like normal bingo, except your bingo card will have track names, lyrics, or album covers instead of numbers, when you hear a snippet of the track played, you dab on the appropriate square. So, if you’re rubbish with numbers, like me, but mad about music, it’s going to be a winner. Plus, I host it and my enthusiasm is contagious.
Expect anything from the serious, very easy, super hard and sublimely silly. It’s £2 per person for 3 rounds, with the chance to win a prize bingo gift for a line and something from the bar for a full card. There’s an optional 4th round, £1 each, where the winner takes all the money for that round.
I set this up earlier this month, mostly to satisfy an itch! I have Pernicious Anaemia, and, like a lot of people without it, get tired very easily. I can struggle to stay out too late at the best of times, but in the week it’s a nightmare. I find quizzes, gigs, spoken word and talks a real joy, but often can’t face them if they are going to start and end late. So, whether you come to the Moon on Monday or Little Man Coffee on Friday, entry is 7pm and the end time is 9:30pm. You can obviously leave before the fourth round, or at any time before that, which makes it one of the few things you can still get a (fairly) early night after!
Because of the early finish time, The Moon can allow under 18s in the building, so this could be a quirky bonding experience for a parent of a teenager, as demonstrated by two of my customers who came to the launch; with the teen managing the 1967 round like a champ and getting cheers all around.
If you like the sound of it, keep an eye out for the monthly dates posted on the events tab of my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pg/thewanderlostcampaigner/events
Follow me on Twitter if you forget things as easily as I do, this is where the most reminders will be: https://twitter.com/CandidKelly
Poster advertising Music Bingo in Cardiff
That’s it for my first instalment, check back next week for another 5 examples of how to support the independent businesses, or hustlers, of Cardiff. Don't forget, present buying can be a perfect opportunity to support things you and/or the recipient values, so enjoy the experience.
