Why worry about how to stuff your stocking? Let us do your shopping for you

B&B HARDWARE
Sometimes one piece makes a room—like the vintage, Ming green, cast-iron bathtub with the cast-in Streamline Moderne speed lines I scored at B&B Hardware back in the early part of the year. I just happened to roll up there (knowing I needed a bathtub), but I left with a bathtub. (Not really: they delivered it.) But the point is, if you don’t find a bathtub, you’ll find a matching vintage ceramic soap dish and toothbrush-holder. Or a cool kitchen light fixture. Or an old medicine cabinet, some brass or glass doorknobs, or some of those glass knob cabinet handles that are actually handles, not just knobs. Even though they’re based on the knobs. See? It’s the perfect gift that first year you move into a new (old) place—and you’re broke. ’Cause you just moved. And bought a bathtub. (Who does that?) 387 Redondo Ave., Long Beach 90814. 562.438.2669.
bnbhardware.com THEO DOUGLAS

THE BEAST CALENDAR
It’s a fact: hirsute dudes are the boys du jour. Don’t believe me? The New York Times said as much. Moded. Anyway, this holiday season, give the gift of great chest hair in calendar form with the Beast Calendar, featuring 12 photos of the follically-endowed David MacNeal, whose chest (and back) hair has been coiffed for every season: a heart shaved into the middle of his chest for Valentine’s Day, a shamrock shaved on his back for St. Patrick’s Day, even a phenomenally beastly hair shirt to herald the onslaught of summer. For too long, hairy men have hidden their hides in shame. It’s okay, boys, you can come out now. $20. Available at Songbird, 2240 E. Fourth St., Long Beach 90814. 562.439.4444. ELLEN GRILEY

BELLA COSA
Just-opened Bixby Knolls store Bella Cosa has something for every green thumb. The new boutique sells “upcycled” products: aprons made from old men’s ties; handmade, reversible bags; and all sorts of local and independent home goods. Once Bella Cosa settles in, the store also plans to begin offering craft workshops in its backroom. There’s even a selection of native and drought-tolerant plants for those looking to celebrate a more water-conscious winter. 3803 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach 90807. 562.426.2100. MILES CLEMENTS

THE BOOK OF GENESIS ILLUSTRATED
R. Crumb, the sexual fetishist and American roots-music aficionado who brought you the Keep on Truckin’ guy, Fritz the Cat and the cover art for Janis Joplin’s 1968 album, is back with the adventures of Adam and Eve. Well, actually, that’s only the beginning—which is what genesis means, of course. Crumb presents all 50 chapters of the Old Testament’s first book in text taken word-for-word from the Bible and in the intensely over-the-top style that could only come from his brain. The result is a graphic novel that is both—graphic and novel, that is—and a potentially religious experience, too, if you’re open to that kind of thing. $24.95. Order from your nearest bookshop or at {open}, 2226 E. Fourth St., Long Beach 90814. 562.499.6736. DAVE WIELENGA

CARBURETOR LAND
Carburetor repair is just our latest lost art, now that everything’s under dealer warranty. Didn’t used to be like that. The engine in your car had this big metal box on top that precisely regulated how much gasoline got in, and when—and sometimes it got out of whack (the technical term). Then, fuel injection came in, and carburetors slowly slipped away. Many mechanics today won’t touch ’em, except to send them out for a rebuild—to Carburetor Land, the land for a carburetor rebuild this gifting season. Carburetor Land #2 (the name is a tip-off: there are other Carburetor Lands) is a spotless, solvent-smelling gearhead’s holiday of a place. Pegboard-lined walls are hung with hundreds of gaskets; and in one corner is a parts washer that gets used a lot. Best of all, if your heap even runs and you can drive it in there, call ahead and they’ll pull the carburetor off hot and rebuild it, sometimes in a matter of hours. 21627 Pioneer Blvd., Lakewood 90715. 562.402.7142 TD

CSULB BOOKSTORE
For Cal State Long Beach students there is one place where—no matter how tired, wiped out from finals, hungover or any combination of the previous three things you may be—holiday shopping is still made easy: the CSULB bookstore. You can pick up a “CSULB Mom” coffee mug, a “Long Beach State Dad” license-plate frame and a bear wearing a sweater that says “Someone at CSULB loves me.” Someone at CSULB also waited until the last minute to give you this gift. 1250 N. Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach 90815. 562.985.7891. DALE JOHNSON

DAILY GRIND GIFT CARD
Much like the doting mother who sends her children off to school with a sack lunch and pat on the bum, Daily Grind is a must-pit-stop for every commuter exiting the city via Seventh St. Here, you can find an array of caffeinated beverages (lattes, mochas, coffees, cappuccinos and teas) plus enough nibblies (bagels, scones, breakfast burritos from Nick’s) to tide you over until lunch hour. If you happen to love someone who is loath to start his or her day without at least one of the aforementioned items, consider a gift card to DG (available in $20 increments). It may not be made from the durable plastic that befits competitors’ gift cards—it’s but a simple paper card—but those are a waste of wallet (and landfill) space, anyway. 5590 E. Seventh St., Long Beach 90804. 562.498.1667. daily-grind.com. EG

EAT: LOS ANGELES
Chowhounds have myriad ways to keep up on the twists and turns of greater LA’s food scene, but strewn as they are across dozens of newspapers, magazines and Web sites, it’s often a more difficult task than it should be. EAT: Los Angeles, a guidebook to all things edible locally, launched last year to solve that problem. This year’s edition, EAT: Los Angeles 2010, publishes Dec. 1 with over 200 new listings and some 50 additional pages from a cast of veteran food journalists. Fullest disclosure: I’m a contributing editor for EAT: Los Angeles 2010. My writing aside, the book is probably the single most comprehensive LA food resource. Contained within its pages are plenty of Long Beach favorites, plus the best ethnic markets, ice-cream shops, barbecue shacks, caterers, yakitori joints and parking-lot food fairs to be had. $19.95. Purchase at eat-la.com, amazon.com or local independent booksellers. MC

FABRIC BARN
Brown paper packages tied up with string? The recession can’t be that bad. Fabric Barn has miles of ribbon to dress up your drab packages—which will, in turn, set off your fancy ribbon nicely. See? One hand washes the other—which, incidentally, is always what you should do before embarking on a craft project or wrapping gifts. Does this ribbon have names? It does: French ribbon (the kind with wire edges); satin ribbon; many different kinds of grosgrain (ribbed ribbon, if you will); and, of course, organza. The cool thing about organza is that you can cut sections of the wider varieties into floral shapes, singe the edges with a flame, then glue several together on a hair clip—and you’ve got yourself a flower to put in your hair. Or so I’ve heard. 3111 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach 90804. 562.498.0675; fabricbarn.com. TD

HELP! MOM! RADICALS ARE RUINING MY COUNTRY!
The latest children’s book from Katharine DeBrecht portrays Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi as “an elitist, tiara-donning radical out of touch with everyday Americans,” brags a press release from iTouch Publishers, which also describes the collection of overworked caricatures as “funny.” We get the joke: no responsible parent would really demoralize their kids with a political screed that assassinates the character of the first woman to get within a couple heartbeats of the presidency and sews the seeds of lifelong cynicism in our youngest citizens. This over-the-top satire of the off-the-wall right wing is a perfect stocking stuffer for the progressive who just can’t get enough of Glenn Beck. $26.95. Available from radicalsruiningmycountry.com. DW

ICE CREAM MAN CHARITY AUCTION
Over the summer, Long Beach’s own Matt Allen (aka the Ice Cream Man) documented his adventures passing out free ice cream at music festivals across the country on Babelgum’s Web video series Road Trippin’ with Ice Cream Man. Featuring stripped-down sets by such bands as Band of Horses, Daniel Johnston, Henry Clay People, the Cold War Kids and more, Road Trippin’ captures musicians at their most relaxed, jamming with odd instruments plucked from Allen’s own collection and often in the back of the ice-cream truck itself. Off-camera, Allen had each band sign a donated acoustic Voyage-air Guitar VAOM-06 (the neck folds up for easy plane travel; visit voyageairguitar.com for a closer look), which he’s now auctioning on eBay through Dec. 4 beginning at $100 (the guitar itself retails for over $800). One-hundred percent of the proceeds will be donated to SmileTrain, the world’s largest cleft-surgery organization. With surgeries available for around $250 per child, here’s hoping the auction nets enough for at least five, if not 10! eBay via link from icecreamman.com. EG

LA ESPAÑOLA MEATS
This Christmas, give him pork! At La Española Meats, it’s not only possible—it’s probable. This market produces its very own savory Catalonian salami Salchicon de Vic, as well as a myriad of chorizo sausages styled after links from all over Spain—Soria, Bilbao, Pamplona and Cantimpalo, for example. This store is also your one-stop paella shop: they sell the authentic Valencian or Bomba rice you need to make paella, plus the Spanish olive oil, the sweet paprika, the coveted saffron threads—or, for the less culinarily adventurous, an all-in-one paella spice packet. Either way you’re covered. And, on weekends, they actually make paella for sale here. That’s service. 25020 Doble Ave., Harbor City 90710. 310.539.0455; donajuana.com. TD

LIL’ DEVILS
Walking out of chic baby and toddler boutique Lil’ Devils with just one gift is like trying to pick just one pita dip at Kafe Neo: it’s impossible. From Mis Cositas’ Día de Los Muertos-themed crib blankets ($40) to Where the Wild Things Are puzzles (36 pieces, $12; 24-piece floor puzzle, $20) there’s enough here to cover both you and your besties with babies. But by far my favorite item spotted on a recent drop by the shop was Plan Toys’ chopping board set. Featuring wooden produce Junior can easily slice (every piece is actually split in two and held together by Velcro), it not only helps kids with those all-important knife skills, but features essential fruits and veggies, too, like carrots, apples, bananas, zucchini, pears and mushrooms. Start choppin’. $26. Lil’ Devils, 2218 E. Fourth St., Long Beach 90814. 562.439.0555; lildevilsboutique.com. EG

LONG BEACH CRAFT MAFIA
Just in time to stuff those final stockings, the enterprising and creative crafters that stitch together as the Long Beach Craft Mafia have organized their first-ever trunk show, to be held Sat., Dec. 12. The collection of crafters will set up inside of Retro Row’s Songbird, creating a boutique within the boutique full of one-of-a-kind items sewn, sculpted and molded by Long Beach locals. Look for felt dinosaurs and cacti, handmade jewelry, wallets, unique clothing and food-themed hats. Songbird, 2240 E. Fourth St., Long Beach 90814. 562.439.4444. MC

MIX TAPE USB STICK
File under: ideal stocking-stuffers. From the design team over at SUCK UK comes the Mix Tape USB Stick, featuring a 64 MB flash drive ready to be loaded with over an hour’s-worth of your favorite songs. The drive is joined by a plastic cassette-tape-shaped shell with a space in its center to store the stick and is wrapped in a fold-out cover ready for your written tracklist. Rekindle your flair for mixing and give someone the gift of (digital) music. $22. Available at the Academy Store, 433 E. First St., Long Beach 90802. 562.901.3936; theacademylb.com. EG

NESLAY PARIS COATS
The coats came to Long Beach from Paris, and they took the long route—stylistically, at least—through Eastern Europe and the Orient. By the time they were hanging in the windows of the Saga boutiques on Second St. and in Shoreline Village, they’d picked up so many influences that we hardly knew what to make of them . . . except the perfect present for her. A little bit Boho and a little bit kimono combined with a shot of cocktail party, these coats from Neslay Paris come in a half-dozen combinations of color and fabric. All are tea-coat length, conservatively cut, with a collar that can climb up the neck kinda Japanesey or open up and lay back all Long Beachy. The variations on this theme are what makes them festive or subdued, elegant or funky. Only $118 gets them out the door. Saga, 5228 E. Second St., Long Beach 90803. 562.439.1237; 429-K Shoreline Village Dr., Long Beach 90802. 562.436.0855. DW

OFF THE VINE
This downtown San Pedro wine shop may be small, but its unique stock offers plenty of limited-production, good-value bottles. There are hundreds of wines under $25 and some excellent specials under $13. Plus, if you’re buying for a frequent drinker, Off the Vine also offers a number of wine clubs whose benefits range from staff-selected specials to $35 store credits and sizable discounts. 491 Sixth St., Ste. 103, San Pedro 90731. 310.831.1551. MC

ONCE READ BOOKS
Loss-leaders are on the sidewalk at Once Read Books, but inside you’ll find a variety of automotive literature for the kustomizer in the family—including autographed copies of one of the better books on racing wizard Harry Miller. Also: numerous copies of vintage Popular Mechanics—from when every cover was still a painted illustration worthy of Norman Rockwell—mixed with a smattering of old New York Times and Los Angeles Times magazines and even a few issues of L.A. Style. Then, way in the back, is the mother lode: several shelves of pulp paperbacks with the requisite lurid covers. Stand outs include John O’Hara’s Butterfield 8 (pre-Elizabeth Taylor); and something I’ve never seen: an original copy of the Georges-Jean Arnaud novel about nitroglycerine haulers that was made into the Yves Montand film The Wages of Fear. Nice! 5422 E. Village Rd., Long Beach 90808. 562.420.1034; oncereadbooks.com. TD

WORLD FAMOUS V.I.P. RECORDS HOODIE
Nothing says the LBC like World Famous V.I.P. Records, the birthplace of a hip-hop sound—heavy on rhythm and hard-core blue—that became nationally anthemic during the 1990s. And nothing says World Famous V.I.P. Records—now equal parts music store and tourist attraction—like a high-quality pullover hoodie emblazoned with the store’s iconic sign. In black, gray and blue. $24.95. World Famous V.I.P. Records, 1014 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach 90806. 562.591.2349. DW

Tags: b&b hardware, bella cosa, gift guide, holidays, ice cream man, la espanola, lil devils, Long Beach, off the vine, once read books, the academy, VIP Records, {open}