Post Holiday Hours

Happy holidays to all! Thanks for making Rare Device very welcome in the neighborhood this season. Today you can get last-minute gifts and try some One Girl Cookies, they are so good. We're going to close a bit early and get some celebratory sushi at Blue Ribbon tonight.

Rare Device will be closed until Wednesday, January 4. I've been debating about opening the last 4 regular days between the holidays but we do need a break - have to see friends and visit the museums - as well as to clean, do inventory, rearrange things, and prep for the big January sale. We'll have handbags, clothing and other sundries on sale from 15-40% off, to make way for lots of new goods. You *may* catch us open during the week but officially we will be closed.

Please have a safe and happy holiday, and we'll see you in the New Year!

Pups

Thanks to all who came in to say hi to my tim'rous beastie, Mia Dog, yesterday. To set the record straight, yes she's part ridgeback, and no, we don't know what else is mixed in there. Perhaps hyena. She very much enjoyed greeting people and licking tasty hands and baby faces.

The stump teapots are all gone, but more are on the way. We were also down to one j.fold wallet but I got a box of them today so whew! for your dad or brother. I got more Beccalights candles too, including some new scents - Tomato Vine to remind one of summer, and Earthen to remind one of...dirt. No really, you have to give this one a try!

Journals

New cards and journals by Perla Anne - the designer uses linoleum cuts to hand-blockprint her papers, then creates paper goods from the results. They are sweet!

If you didn't get to the BUST Craftacular, you missed some great items (and pierogis - yum). Definitely got the wheels turning for what to add to the shop in the spring...I ran into Miss Erin of Sodafine and Miss Jenny of Cutxpaste, as well as many indie design luminaries. The only drag on the evening was losing a hat my mom crocheted for me - time to make another.

It seems that the transit strike means lots of wandering the neighborhood today. I had a long but not too bad walk here this morning. A new coffeeshop is opening tomorrow on 5th ave and 5th st in Brooklyn, if anyone is idle tomorrow. I think I'll check it out.

Scarf status: about 16" long.

Breezy

It's breezy at my shop and the little sandwich board I bought keeps blowing over. I know, I know, I need a hanging sign so you can find the shop more easily. Working on it.

More congrats, this time to Grace of design*sponge, yours and my compulsive page-reload throughout the day, and also R. Kikuo Johnson, author of a slender little graphic novel called Night Fisher which I have at the shop. Both are in New York Magazine's "27 under 26" New Yorkers to watch list in this week's issue.

Also: Kelly Lynn Jones, who is a super artist (I just bought her TinyShowcase.com print) and also makes the deer and helicopter Ts at the shop under the moniker Little Paper Planes, has started yet another project - this time a small clothing line called Augustine. I'll be peeking at samples from their first collection tonight and bringing it into the shop for Spring.

Self-promotion

I am pleased to announce that my own jewelry (under the Rena Tom label) got some recognition by Venus magazine! We are in the category "TOP 5 INDIE DESIGNERS I'D GLADLY HAVE BLOWN MY RENT MONEY ON IN 2005", and I am in very good company. Check out the other Top 5 lists at the link, too.

This will be my first Monday open at the store, I hope someone comes by to visit! You'll find me frantically working on a scarf for Derek. The yarn is from Artfibers, a drool-inducing store in San Francisco that designs and sells its own fancy yarn.