//Illustration by Madison Lauterbach | mlauterbach@msmayhem.com
Another year has come and gone. The holiday shopping season is upon us once again, whether our wallets like it or not.
Throughout the year we profiled so many amazing small businesses and artists in Denver that all deserve equal attention. Our 2021 shopping guide is a little smaller than last year, but you’ll see some familiar names like Awakening Boutique, Gasoline and Us and CC Oddities by Cera. We’ve also added some new names to the list selling incredible products. As always, we’ve highlighted Denver-based companies that are woman, LGBTQ+ or BIPOC-owned.
We all feel a little guilty picking something up for ourselves when we’re supposed to be shopping for others during the holiday season, don’t we? But with the companies we highlighted below, it’ll be a challenge not to get yourself a little gift as well. Some of these shops are also offering our subscribers a discount, so make sure you sign up for our email newsletter!
Happy shopping!
Awakening Boutique
Awakening Boutique is the perfect place to find holiday gifts for even the hardest to shop for people on your list! Browse high-end adult products, as well as a carefully curated selection of gifts, cards, apparel, jewelry, and art, at our online store or our safe and welcoming boutique at 38 N Broadway, Denver, CO. Shop small this year, and support local orgasms.
The Parallel Art Space
The Parallel Art Space is a Denver & Miami-based, Latina-owned art gallery and print shop that celebrates diversity and features art by POC. We sell original art, art prints, photography, and collages. Every purchase directly benefits the artists we represent. We are available for commissions. At Parallel, our mission is to build a positive space through community; to spark creativity, and to spread the joy of art and making.
IamtheYaki
Jaki is the artist behind IamtheYaki. She is inspired by American Traditional Tattoos and Mid Century Modern design. Her bread and butter are art prints and original paintings but she has recently branched out to stickers and shirts. You can find her artwork hanging currently at Improper City in RiNo, as well as on Etsy. Current deals are live on Etsy as well as in-person at local events.
Zenith Moon Co.
An Oklahoma-born native now calling Colorado home, Shay is a studying herbalist and artist who started Zenith Moon Co. two years ago. The company was born out of constant battles with health issues and years of failure with modern medicine. Zenith Moon Co. is Black woman-owned and magically operated. We pride ourselves on quality natural and organic products, made in small batches, tested daily, and provide products of herbal and metaphysical healing. All product comes in glass reusable bottles and biodegradable paper packaging. We have handmade lotion bars, holiday soaps, body oils or spiritual oils, sprays, organic teas and smoke blends! We offer all-natural and always tested products that are safe for the whole family!
Buy 5 or more items to receive 25% off your order using code “GIFT5” or 10 or more items to receive 35% off your order using code “GIFT10”! Need more than 10? We offer a wholesale option for a great price! Shop small for the holidays!
Sfoglina
Sfoglina is a women-owned, Denver-based company that specializes in craft pasta. Owner/operator Jesse Albertini produces the pasta utilizing local, heritage and heirloom fresh milled grains, extruded through a brass dye, and slow dried for upwards of three days. This maximizes flavor, nutrient density, and texture.
Pasta of the Month Club is a cult-favorite subscription box that includes a 14 oz bag of pasta and a seasonal recipe. It also comes with an informational newsletter highlighting the grains used, the pasta shape, and the produce used in the recipe. It’s a monthly subscription that can be purchased in any amount from one month to one year, with six months being the most popular. Sfoglina ships Past of the Month Club to all of Colorado and will personally deliver it in Denver or surrounding areas. Subscriptions start at $10.50 with a 5% discount for subscriptions over a month.
Velvet Skateboards
Velvet Skateboards is not in the business of making a profit. A queer-run exercise in anti-capitalist philosophy, Velvet sells our boards at-cost to keep skating affordable and accessible. We make the kinds of skateboards we want to ride: colorful eye-grabbing art, various shapes and sizes from old school to classic popsicles, and an anti-brand ethos informed by our personal politics. Since we don’t make any money from our decks, we try to support the community in other ways that don’t involve capital, such as board giveaways, fundraisers, organizing queer skate meetups, and creating space for marginalized skaters in the city. We’re not just another brand that wants your cash, we want to get out there and skate together, and to love ourselves doing it!
Gasoline and Us
We believe in a motorcycle culture as open as the sky and the road in front of you. No secret lingo. No need to ride a certain bike or look a particular way. That’s why our clothing is designed with everyone in mind. Gender-free and in sizes and cuts that fit all people. Because there’s room on the road for everybody. Designed in Denver by a wife and husband team. We recently released a collection full of hoodies, sweatshirts, tees, and hats and have a number of designs from past collections significantly marked down for holiday gift-giving.
CC Oddities by Cera
At CC Oddities by Cera we are spreading the holiday cheer with handcrafted small batch artwork, antiques, and magic are for sale! This small woman-owned business specializes in breathing life into death with delicate creations in hopes of breaking the idealization that the afterlife is something to be feared and rather is something to be celebrated! I also offer custom collaborations; see the “service” tab on the homepage of the website! Happy shopping everyone!! Have a safe and happy holiday from my coven to yours.
Use the code ’25OFFMYORDER’ at checkout to receive 25% off your ENTIRE PURCHASE!!
Wild Lobo
I’m Elise from Wild Lobo! I make handcrafted jewelry. In my business, I strive for sustainability and keeping it “as close to home” as I can. Each stone is carefully hand-curated from ethical mines and my silver that is not recycled is purchased locally! My jewelry is inspired by nature, and the organic flow of the non-human world. You can shop with us this holiday knowing your piece will last through your adventures and that there was only love poured into its creation.
Half Moon Travel Clothing
Half Moon Travel Clothing is a female-owned outerwear company specializing in cloaks, capes, cowl hoods and other anachronistic outerwear for cosplay, renaissance fairs and everyday protection against the elements. Handcrafted in Colorado, our garments are primarily made of wool but are also available in linen, velvet and fleece. We offer many custom appliqué designs and work closely with every client to make one of a kind pieces.
Coupon code for 10% off is NEWMOON10
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