New Orleans (WGNO) – If you’re stressed about finding all the right gifts before Sunday, you may want to take a stroll down Magazine Street. The shopkeepers there are urging New Orleans residents to avoid getting “malled.”
At Hazelnut New Orleans, elegant gifts start at less than $10, and you can spend a lot more than that if you’re so inclined. Co-owner Bryan Batt says you don’t need to spend a lot of money — instead, he says it’s important to spend a lot of time, thinking about how to match the gift to the personality of the person getting it.
Some of the most popular gift items this year include aprons made from Hazelnut’s signature toile, books highlighting local legends (such as the artist Simon, who designed the Twist set!) and products bearing the official logo of the city’s tricentennial. (That’s happening in 2018, in case you’re wondering!).
“One thing about our city is we love ourselves — we love our city and we love everything about it,” says Batt.
Down the street a short drive away, you’ll find the whimsical flair of Funrock’n, where co-owner Rhonda Findley says you can easily fill a stocking for around $20.
“Star Wars items are a hit, Walking Dead, anything related to pop culture is flying off the shelves,” says Findley.
One of the store’s hottest items is something you probably wouldn’t want to have at the dinner table on Christmas Day, but Findley says, that’s a common place to find it after it is unwrapped: It’s a $20 fart machine.
Both Batt and Findley agree that humor can help you find the perfect gift.
Check out the video above to see what gifts Twist Reporter Stephanie Oswald found for her News with a Twist co-workers: LBJ, Susy, Curt and Martha.