Our weekly $25 shopping challenge continues. This week, I headed downtown to check out Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave., and pick out the best, budget-friendly finds, made by local businesses and artists.
Let me tell you: there were more options than could fit in one list, so I picked a few favorites to share.
Arizona Poppy, 150 S. Fourth Ave.
Looking around the shop, the first thing I was drawn to were bright red, handmade candles by Laterite Designs, shaped as a pair of cherries. There were also candles shaped like a prickly pear cactus, a pink mushroom and what looked like marigolds. Each of the candles ranges from $12 to $24.
Handmade candles by Laterite Designs shaped as cherries, cacti, mushrooms and more.
I personally love a good incense holder, and they had a cactus-inspired ceramic incense dish from Tough Kitty Designs, priced at exactly $25.
Barrel cactus incense dish from Tough Kitty Designs.
Linnie Damm, the artist behind Tough Kitty Designs, works across multiple mediums and gathers inspiration from all things vintage, metaphysics, pop culture, and Tucson’s desert landscape for her artwork.
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Damm creates everything from earrings to trinket trays and spoon rests, so if incense dishes aren’t your thing, there’s still bound to be something you’ll enjoy.
Local fiber artist Paige Mariesa creates nature-inspired embroidery, featuring desert creatures including roadrunners, quail and local flora.
Speaking of earrings, Arizona Poppy also sells a collection of earrings from Warm Shape, featuring cartoonish mushrooms and fried eggs. The pair of mushrooms cost $22.
Mushroom earrings from Warm Shape at Arizona Poppy.
Warm Shape, owned by Linus Schief, opened in 2022 and sells locally designed t-shirts, hats, mugs, bookmarks, keychains, stickers, clothing, skin care, herbal remedies, ceramics, and more, created by local artists and makers.
Axolotl hair clip from Turtle's Soup for sale at Arizona Poppy.
If you’re looking for a way to add some whimsy to your clothes or belongings, local fiber artist Paige Mariesa creates nature-inspired embroidery, featuring desert creatures such as roadrunners and quails. Mariesa has several patches with local flora and mushrooms. Each patch retails for $18, and would be fun additions to your pockets or tote bag.
Turtle’s Soup is a Tucson-based business known for its aesthetic pastel designs, stickers and accessories. Its bright pink axolotl hair clip was so cute, I just had to include it in this round-up; it costs $24.
Arizona Poppy also sells a collection of Arizona-themed stickers, priced at $3.50.
A 16-ounce jar of fresh, local honey from Amado Bee Co. (formerly Horseshoe Honey House) is $18.
Finally, I can’t talk about Arizona Poppy without talking about owner Rosie Crocker’s line of herbal skin and body care, “Sonoran Rosie.”
Honey from Amado Bee Co. for sale at Arizona Poppy.
All her products are marketed as organic, sustainable, and handmade from foraged plants of the Sonoran Desert, which she uses to create face oils, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, body scrubs, lip balm, perfumes and more.
Sonoran Rosie products are marketed as organic, sustainable, and handmade from foraged plants of the Sonoran Desert. The line includes face oils, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner, body scrubs, lip balm and perfumes.
If you’re keeping your budget under $25, there is plenty for you to pick from, including: the Desert Rain Tattoo Salve for $10, the Healing Desert Rain Salve for $20, the Solace Balm for $20, the Desert Rain Soap Pack for $14, the Desert Herbal Hand Sanitizer for $16, the Saguaro Soap for $8, the Self-Love Body Scrub for $24, a Sonoran Bath Bomb or Sonoran Soap Bar for $14, the Desert Showers Shampoo or Conditioner for $16, or the Desert Dreams Roll-On Perfume for $24.
