Hands Down 

There's something about clothing and objects designed by a singular imagination and made by an actual person's hands. This pair of Humboldt shops rounds up quirky and beautiful things with personality and soul, like the people who made them.

The Bodega

H.A. Pearson, the vivacious owner of The Bodega, is known for her super soft, comfortable apparel line Nothing Obvious (and her little dog, Olive). She does her hand screen-printing on site, using eco-friendly water-based inks. We fell in love with the men's and women's T-shirts printed with octopi and glow-in-the-dark moons, and bat-wing cowl sweatshirts. The cozy unisex joggers and hand-dyed ombre tights are perfect for cool spring evenings, and you'll find lots of tanks and warm weather options for festival season, too.

After years working alongside other makers of handcrafted goods, she's also culled favorites for the shop, including Moss Follows jewelry by designer local Aisling Svennungsen, and knives by Travis Halling, the Blue Ox Millworks blacksmith who fabricates pieces from railroad spikes, chain saw chains and old logging saw blades.

426 Third St., Eureka, CA
707-502-0108
www.nothing-obvious.com
Tuesday-Saturday | 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sunday | 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

click to enlarge

• Drew Hyland
• Gathered Handmade

Gathered Handmade

Andra Stringer makes it easy to shop for local handmade goods by "gathering" local artisans and crafts persons at her new store. Stringer, a popular local portrait photographer and one of the organizers of the annual Fig Twig Market (www.figtwigmarket.com), has curated a colorful selection of her own handiwork along with sweet candy-colored jewelry, soaps and home décor from a bevy of vendors.

Shuffle through mix-and-match letter plates and Scrabble tile charms, and peruse the homey inked farm animal prints and hand-lettered chalk signs. Vintage finds and repurposed furniture round out the whimsical inventory.

399 Main St., Ferndale, CA 95536
707-786-9504
Monday-Saturday | 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday | 12 am - 4 pm