I received this tip the other day and I just had to share. Does your guy need to wear ties to work or maybe he likes to wear ties? Or maybe you are a guy who needs to or likes to wear ties. Whatever the case may be, I know you don’t want to see anymore tired, staid, lackluster ties and you won’t see any over at Cyberoptix. Each necktie is hand-silkscreened onto a quality, 100% charmeuse silk or poly-blend base with designs such as Poppies, Raven, Skull, Bombs Away, Bats, Heart Attack, and many more cool motifs from which to choose. Get one for your boyfriend, your husband or even your dad and get the whole office talking about his cool new tie.

Looking for a great weekend bag, the Zelda Weekender by Offhand Designs is the supreme choice. The Zelda Weekender is available in a wonderful plethora of rich and luxurious fabric choices, but I love the plush Rainbow Stripe the best. This roomy bag is 12” high, 22” long, and 6” deep and is big enough to pack for weekend getaway, store your latest knitting project, serve as your workbag, or as a very chic diaper bag. It also passes my test of being able to hold a book—I think this one could hold a small library. Offhand Designs are available in select shops both brick and mortar and online. Check out the list of stockists.

Sweet Pea Handcrafts are sweet as can be. I just love these Retro Dishtowels and matching Aprons. They would make the perfect kitschy holiday or hostess gifts. Just brilliant!

Okay people, you better get serious now. There are only 12 days left to enter the I Support Indie Knockout contest. Sign-up here with your name, valid email address and a little blurb about how you are the biggest indie supporter ever. Don’t miss out on your chance to win the gift package pictured above. Prizes donated by:

They say it takes a crooked man to walk a crooked mile, but I think it takes a pretty okay woman to make Crooked Mile Candles and Ginny Ritenour of Crooked Mile Candle Company is one okay woman. I ordered about 30 of the soy votives to give out as little gifties for the holidays and after burning one, I just had to keep a bunch for myself because I loved them so much. Long burning and highly fragranced, Crooked Mile Candles are handmade from an all-natural wax blend of soybean oil, cottonseed oil and beeswax. The soy votives come wrapped in plastic with a bit of raffia at the top, and are ready to hand out as gifts. They are available in great scents too—white tea and ginger, blackberry sage, cinnamon sticks, sunwashed cotton, apple harvest, caramel pecan crumble, and spiced cranberry among others. They will make perfect gifts for co-workers, your kid’s teachers, neighbors and all those people you like to include on your gift-giving list, but on whom you don’t want to spend a small fortune.

Sometimes no matter how good you think you are, there are just people who blow you out of the water. I think I have a pretty good sense of style and design, but I have nothing on Grace of Design*Sponge. I have long been a fan of Design*Sponge and when I heard that Grace was opening up an online shop I was thrilled, because I knew everything in it would be beautiful and amazing. The premise behind the Design*Sponge Shop is to offer limited edition designs by some of Grace’s favorite independent artists. Every item was designed exclusively for the shop in a limited edition run and sells for under $100. Good affordable design—now that’s what I’m talking about. As the designs sell out, the list of available designers will change. This month there are designs from:

To top it all off, 100% of the proceeds go to the artists themselves and Grace donates 10% of her ad revenue to charity. This month, the donation is being split between 826NYC and 826Valencia, nonprofit organizations dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.

Sign-up to win from free stuff in the New Orleans Craft Mafia Handmade Holiday Gift-Away. To enter, sign-up for the NOCM newsletter for a chance to win one of three prizes with donated goods from the New Orleans Craft Mafia. Miss Malaprop, a friend of Indie Fixx is a member of the New Orleans Craft Mafia.

From another friend of Indie Fixx…If you are looking for more indie ideas for the holidays, be sure to take a look at the Modish Holiday Gift Guide. Whether you are looking gifts for teens, guys, or just something completely different, the Modish Holiday Gift Guide has a little something for just about everyone on your list.

While you are here, don’t forget to sneak a quick look at the Indie Fixx Holiday Gift Guide. Some of the best and brightest of the indie design world are included in this gift guide. There are gifts for her, gifts for guys, stuff for home, totally unique gifts and other really cool stuff. Shop indie and blow them away this season!

You know the holiday shopping season has started, so periodically I will share gift ideas with you that will knock their socks off. Today I am sharing hot new gift ideas for the crafters in your life. Handmade knitting needles made from wood and glass offer knitters something a little bit different.

From All Stix, handmade and hand painted wooden knitting needles available in US sizes: 11, 13, 16, & 17. They are available in a variety of designs, including Christmas Candy, Sheet Music, Flames, and Camouflage.

I love these beautiful Knitting Needles from Young Designs and available at Stitch Elegance. US Sizes 6, 8, 10, & 11

More Glass Knitting Needles from the Glass Gem. These one-of-a-kind handmade glass knitting needles vary in size and length.

And because your knitter giftee will need a nifty needle case to store and transport those needles, check out the Knitting Needle Cases at Textile Fetish. I have one and I LOVE it.

Be sure to check out the sale going on at Linda Trent Jewelry. There are fifteen designs on sale from 20% - 60% in the Tuesday Temptations sale. I really like the simple lines of the Solo Bracelet –there is also a similar bracelet with interlocking circles called Friendship.

Don’t forget about the Handmade Market in Raleigh, NC next Saturday, November 11th. The Handmade Market is a showcase of artists, independent designers, and crafters that is produced by The Handmaidens, a North Carolina collective of nine independent designers. Get all your holiday shopping done at the Handmade Market!

If you don’t live in the Raleigh area, shop online from the participating artists and designers.

Your intrepid Indie Fixx writer has not fallen off the face of the planet—I was in the hospital for several days with an unexpected illness and only just got home this weekend. I’d like to say I went undercover to do some investigative blogalism, but truth be told I was actually under the weather for real…I’m all better now and glad to be home and back on the indie beat.

It’s here—the Indie Fixx Holiday Gift Guide. Looking to cross those names off your list, you will find some of the hottest and most unique designers and products in the Holiday Gift Guide. You will even find special discounts to help you stay within your holiday budget this year.