Whoa! I sure didn’t need to spend much time on the Aviator Nation website before being entranced by their hoodies. Everyone knows great marketing is not just the product, but how you tell the story and let’s just say these guys have sold me with their lifestyle photography that makes me miss my Southern California days. I’m normally someone that enjoys dark tones, but am straight up loving the colors in these. The only thing holding me back is the hefty price tag, but sometimes you just have to say screw it and pick up the things you like. That or just enter their giveaways.

Today is Small Business Saturday, perhaps the only part of the extreme shopping bullshit I can get behind, so I’d like to take the time to mention Betabrand, a SF retailer I recently learned about since moving to the city. Besides making some unique fashions (all made locally) to the scene, what I really appreciate about these guys is the sense of humor and playful copy. The store has a number of hilarious items like the Discolab collection or Nauseating Holiday Pants, but here are two of my faves in store.

Vagisoft Blanket – The model in this photo is serving you chips, guacamole and Pacificos which is already perfection, but the fact that this blanket is described as in between the softness of the womb of a marshmallow mermaid and the pouch of a cloud kangaroo tells me it’s the perfect gift to bestow upon a lucky lady.

COLOURlovers Plaid Flannel Shirt – Betabrand always has creative ideas and promotions and the idea of crowdsourcing flannel design and colors with the COLOURlovers online community is a perfect example. Plus, this shirt looks fly. Can someone get this for me please? I’m a medium.

Made entirely of clips from YouTube, today seemed like the perfect day to share this video. There’s no denying the magic of laughing. Here’s hoping it happens more often.

If film is the ultimate art form, or at least a vehicle for showcasing all types, I can really get behind Breadtruck Films and Jeff Durkin’s Kickstarter-funded documentary Art As A Weapon. The art film/political documentary is focused on raising awareness about the Burmese struggles for human rights through a dialogue with Western artists like Shepard Fairey. This project is yet another awesome example of how we can provoke change by speaking with our dollar. Money might not be the root of all evil, but rather how we spend it. If you’re interested in funding the project, check out the Kickstarter page and the different rewards for participation, not least of which could be bettering many people’s quality of life.

Wow, I’m officially sold. Nice work BBHNY.