I bought these beautiful Frida Kahlo paper dolls in a little boutique in New York City earlier this week. Stocking stuffer for the kiddo. I don't think she's old enough to appreciate paper dolls, especially if given the chose between these and an iPad, but in a few years I think she'll get their appeal. 

These paper dolls -- which you actually have to cut out yourself -- make you feel as if you're peering into Frida Kahlo's closet. Next to each dress is a description of when she wore the dress and at what point in her life. The booklet describes how Frida carefully cultivated her image. Whether it was pants and short hair, or regional dresses with ruffles and lace, a shawl and braided hair, her selection of clothing spoke volumes about the woman she was. I'm scared to think what the clothes I wear say about me! 

Anyway, I would love to have these clothes hanging in my closet.

Diego Rivera, her husband and brilliant artist (and mujeriego) in his own right, is also included, although there are only four changes of clothing for him, including the denim overalls he often used while working.

I loved playing with paper dolls as a little girl, and my mother always talks about how she and her sisters used to save their money to buy them at the Woolworth in downtown Laredo. She says they used to even cut furniture out of the Sears catalog. My daughter is starting to get into role-playing with her dolls, and it's always the everyday activities she knows: sleeping, eating, playing, singing and dancing. I can imagine role-playing with the Frida and Diego paper dolls. Oof, complicated!

Just a few days before the holiday shopping hell fun begins. Joy! Actually, I like shopping, but I usually do better online or in focused stores (Sephora) or boutiques. I feel totally overwhelmed every time I step into catch-all stores like Target or Wal-mart, or even Macy's or Marshalls, because I feel pressure to get through every department and not linger too long in any one.

OMG, and Ikea -- I can only do it about twice a year, and I have to take a mental break at the cafeteria every time. It's too much for me, especially with the toddler in tow because when she's done shopping, we're all done.

My husband gets frustrated with me when I go into a store, spend half an hour there and buy nothing. I always try to explain that's a good thing, but he sees it as a waste of time. That I should shop with a purpose. The thing is, the older I get the more I am shopping with a purpose. And that is to not let myself get overcome with "shopping disease" -- which is when you just totally buy crap just to buy crap.

Over the past year, instead of unleashing myself on Etsy, I've saved a bunch of different Etsy stores and items to my favorites list, thinking I might eventually buy some of these as Christmas gifts. If you aren't familiar with Etsy, it's basically like Ebay, but for handmade items that range from jewelry to clothes, art, toys, ceramics, etc. etc.

Etsy rocks my friggin' world. Prepare to be sucked into the black hole of shopping if you've never visited the site, muahahaha. If you'd rather look with a "purpose," here are a few things that I've found that are great for the chiquitos and mamacitas that would make terrific Christmas gifts:

1. ABCs of Cuisine kids shirts: Lala Lu is an organic baby shirt company from the Bay Area, and their selection is bilingualicious! It goes from 'A is for Amor' to 'H is for Helado' to 'P is for Pho' to 'F is for Falafel' and more. $20

2. Mi Vida heart necklace: The hard plastic resin heart, in red, that says Mi Vida is perfect for a little girl or big one. $15

3. Se Habla Espanol onesie: Hand-printed onesie is simple, and I love the font. $12

4. Spanish Nursery Decor: I ordered the Spanish alphabet poster from this Etsy store, Art and Philanthropy, a few months and framed and hung it in the toddler's room. The vintage farm animal cards are super adorable. They also have items in French, German, Italian, Hebrew and a few other languages. $22 and up. Holiday sale going on NOW!

4. Kids Enmascarado (Lucha Libre wrestler) Shirt: This Etsy store, minimalista clothing, also has some cute Frida Kahlo shirts for little girls. And cool stuff for big girls, too. $15

5. Bibs from Trata Threads, including one that says No Cookies for Santa Just Tostones. $10

6. Brown is Beautiful baby tshirt: Need I say more. $15

And if you're looking for handmade Christmas cards, there's always a Feliz Navidad lucha card or a Feliz Navidad mariachi card. Ah, nothing like a mariachi to make your holidays sparkle.