A boom box, just in case
Since the summer of 2012, the four-person team at SIR Case (Suitcase in Rhythm) has been scavenging vintage suitcases—the kind that may have once been attached to 50s-era door-to-door salesmen—from antique shops and garage sales, subsequently gutting and repurposing them into functional boom boxes. The modernization makes the suitcases useless for transporting stuff, sure, but they were clunky and cumbersome to begin with, and you couldn’t plug an iPhone into one. Each SIR Case comes standard with a 3.5-millimeter audio jack, and the portable version has 15-plus hours of battery life. Some are available with Bluetooth capabilities and USB ports. You can customize the vessels, too: founder David Dodgson explains that he and his partners will put speakers in most anything, from old tin lunch pails to steamer trunks (the size likely dictates the power, which can range from 15 to 400 watts). And if you ever want your very own portable DJ setup, that’s an option. Ten percent of the proceeds of each SIR Case benefits Lot 2545, which supports boys living in the slums of Uganda. —Kevin Warwick $650-$1,195, sir-case.com.
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Dogs are not easy to buy presents for. They destroy toys, vomit up treats, and become mutinous if you try to make them wear sweaters. Dog owners, on the other hand, are complete suckers for anything bearing the image of their furry beloveds. Dog City & Co. takes gross advantage of this weakness by selling throw pillows, T-shirts, iPhone cases, tote bags, and mugs emblazoned with silhouettes or typographical pictures of popular breeds. (They also do custom work.) Their best item, though, may be the “Rules of the House (Regarding the Dog)” pillow, which describes the process by which dogs ignore all attempts at setting boundaries and take over the house. Anyone who has ever had to sleep contorted into an impossible position because her dog has claimed the best part of the bed will understand.
Share the gift of bike share
There are two options for membership in Divvy, the bike-sharing program with stations—and wheels—across the city. The “Pedal” membership includes unlimited 30-minute bike trips. “Gear” offers the same, plus five 24-hour passes to share with friends and family, as well as a T-shirt. Bikes can be picked up at and returned to any of 400 stations across the city. The system is designed for riders who want to make quick commutes, run errands, or simply be tourists. —Deanna Shilkus $75 “Pedal” membership, $125 “Gear” membership, divvybikes.com.
Comic-art card
A gift card might not be the most inspired thing you can give someone for the holidays. It kind of says, “I didn’t feel like putting in the time and effort to get you something thoughtful, so just take this plastic thing and get it yourself.” We’ve all done it. Luckily, the Book Table (1045 Lake, Oak Park) has gift cards that are gifts themselves. Comic artist and literary hero Chris Ware created two new illustrations for the bookshop to use as art for its gift cards. For the lit nerds in your life, these aren’t so much gift cards as they are collectibles that happen to come loaded with cash they can spend on books. —Drew Hunt $10-$200, booktable.net.
