How can those holidays be just as grand with no money?
Bruce: There are some serious bling machines at Kroger. I'm going to get all my friends some serious bling. It's going to cost me like four dollars. I'm going to get me like the best chains, best watches. It's hard enough to find affordable panties for your wife, let alone the cool toy for your nephew. So, aside from making your own stuff or reallocating the will, it's not gumballs or superballs, maybe the bling machine is where it's at this year.
Collette: Fuck Christmas. I have medical bills. You can make toys out of Dixie cups and straws. We don't need to go out and buy gifts. We don't have to go to stupid Toys "R" Us. I don't need money to make Christmas and I don't need to see my family at Christmas. They were just here. I got rid of them a day ago. They were here for three days, so that was enough. They don't live here so they can't read this. And we're making toys out of hot dogs, out of Popsicle sticks and toothpicks. It's going to be a banner year.
Jerry: I have a new loved one in my life, so I get to celebrate my holidays this year with a new loved one. I just moved to Atlanta five weeks ago. I'm not too crazy about this traffic, so that's more of an incentive for me to spend my holidays with my new loved one curled up and nestled in front of a fireplace. I'm soaking it in all year. With the economy being the way it is, it actually does bring us closer together because in spending less we actually receive more. We give more of our hearts.
Hard Times Holiday Guide 2008
Times are tough and they're fixin' to get tougher. That's why we decided to institute the Creative Loafing holiday bailout plan. We may not have $700 billion, but we've got heaps of ideas on how to make the most of seasonal celebrations while asking little of your wallet. Our features include DIY alternatives to some of Atlanta's most beloved holiday...
DIY alternatives to Atlanta's holiday traditions
A year of financial turmoil can put a crimp in your holiday planning. The past year has been marked by downsizings, home foreclosures, skyrocketing fuel prices, (Chapter 11 filings) and meltdowns in world financial markets. It's enough to make you appreciate George Bailey's cash-strapped panic attack on Christmas Eve in the perennial broadcasts of It's a Wonderful Life. But don't...
Handmade gift how-to from Christy Petterson, Indie Craft Experience co-founder
Plus a Q&A with the artist
Handmade gift how-to from Shannon Mulkey, Indie Craft Experience co-founder
Plus a Q&A with the artist
Where to shop locally without dropping a lot of cash
Money's tight. How are you going to get everyone on your shopping list interesting gifts that don't break the bank? The answer is: Shop where you're going to get the most bang for your buck-and-a-half. The goal is to find tchochtkes and presents that are so unique, they'll distract the recipient from how little money you actually spent. It doesn't...
Volunteer Janet Katz celebrates 20 years of good deeds with Scottish Rite
Janet Katz always makes it a point to greet people with a smile. It's one of the simplest ways to comfort frantic patients and their families as a volunteer at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. "Even if you have someone that comes in and can't speak English, you smile and you take them where they need to go....
Holiday bike tours of lights
Gas ain't cheap and you spend enough time in your car as it is, so why not break out the ol' two-wheeler for a spin through Atlanta to check out holiday light displays? The Southern Bicycle League holds its annual Christmas Light Ride Thurs., Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. The route changes each year depending where the most eye-dazzling displays...
Ted Allen's budget-friendly holiday entertaining tips
Ted Allen is best-known for his role as the foodie on Bravo's "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy," as well as his stint as a judge on "Top Chef," where he was a big fan of Atlanta's Richard Blais. Allen's an entertaining guru and a prolific author. He visited Atlanta a few weeks ago as a brand ambassador for Robert...
Top five ways to see concerts on the cheap
1) LOITER AT CRIMINAL RECORDS With weekly in-store performances from touring and local bands, the only thing missing is a cooler full of PBR. Visit www.criminal.com for scheduled performances. Other in-store performance venues include Moods Music in Little Five Points and the Apple Store at Lenox Mall. 2) GRAB AN OPEN MIC Make your own dang music. Eddie's Attic in...
