Press

So lovely when the press recognizes what great things we have at the shop. A bar of soap from The Bubble Roome, and a giant peony flower ring (used as napkin ring) from Omondieu! are featured in the April issue of Shop Etc. The rings we have in stock, and the soap is winging its way to the store this weekend hopefully, so you will be able to restock.

I'm off to Boston for a couple days of R&R, if there are any places to visit or things to eat I should know about, please send me an email at rena_tom@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Undesigned

Late in the day, we received a couple pieces of clothing from Carol at Undesigned. So pretty! There is a smooth French nylon/lycra blend, a sash top, but in a lovely pinkish-purple shade called amaryllis. There is also an amazing skirt, denim, flocked, with a floating pocket and a curved hemline. I borrowed some pics from Carol's site...

Today

Today is so almost springtime it hurts - my cheeks frozen into a faraway smile at the warm weather. The light right now is curious and blue. I can't see the sky from my perch at the store but there is a reflection of it on the fender of Kiku Sushi's delivery scooter...some clouds, some sun.

New at the shop - some fun buttons by Crowded Teeth. One of the button series is titled "Go Outside", a little reminder by the designer to get away from the computer, go camping, do something fun. What good advice this weekend!

Cards

For fans of Hanna Werning's posters, you can rejoice - I have greeting cards in stock with her wallpaper-poster designs on them! If a 20x27" poster is too much of a commitment, how about a nice card? I have 5 designs, three of which I have poster-sized at the shop.

I also have a new card line by a UK company called 1973, after the year the founders were born. (This is also my birthyear so that's an added bonus.) The designs are bright silhouettes and silver foil on brown kraft stock, very fun. Yes, the silhouettes are of deer, birds, ferns, butterflies...I guess some people are tired of this, but others love it to death!

I wonder when the trend will die down, and what will replace it. This year is also about skulls, swords and the like, but what is next? I vote octopi, seahorses and jellyfish. The world needs more jellyfish.

Rains, Pours, Etc.

Well what was I saying about waiting for the UPS guy? I got 8 packages today and the recycling alone is filling up the shop! I know that I should hold some items for later but that's just not my temperment, dammit. So I'm putting some things away (ask if you don't see it anymore) to make room for new goodies.

Lemon Twist clothing is here, made by a sweet couple in San Francisco, and Pippi is in the window wearing a great orange striped Italian silk shirt and the Best Brown Skirt. From Japan are some lovely little table items, vases and cups and whatnot. There are tiny glass pebble vases which "freezes forever in glass the shape made by a single human breath". Well how could I resist that? There are new, funny, fill in the blank cards and party invites by Paper + Cup, and lots of magazines, and books. And the Clare Nicolson russian bird pillow set is back, as well as some sweet little birdie lavender sachets.

Today the chamber of commerce came by to announce the 7th Ave Fair, it's on Father's Day this year. We will of course have a table out in front, probably with lots of clearance-sale items, and maybe with some of the local designers representing as well.

Ramblings

It's such a nice day out (finally!) that my mind is wandering. I think I'm just going to honor that and do one of my favorite activities - make lists.

1. Think of store activities. I'd like to have events here, not just sales but something useful or educational. Any suggestions? I will have some trunk shows for bags, and possibly a sew-in (a custom Giant Dwarf hat made for you while you wait). The space constraints are tough, but I guess we could move it elsewhere...I was just at Perch, a new cafe on 5th Ave and 5th St, it was heavenly, and how can you not like a place with Amy Ruppel artwork? They do coffee in the day and cocktails at night so that is a possibility.

2. Plan a trip to Trader Joe's. Yes, I am one of those people (ex-Californian) who can't wait for TJ to hit Manhattan. Here are some of my faves from there: Charlee Bear dog treats for Mia-dog; rosemary-flavored marcona almonds, the best almonds ever; cases of cheap Clif and Luna bars; well-priced frozen fruit chunks; smoky black bean dip, the only jarred dip I will eat.

3. Take home CDs. There is a growing stack at the store and it's taking over the floorspace. Here are today's discs: Gillian Welch, Art Blakey, Cibo Matto, Neutral Milk Hotel, Richard Buckner. Yes it's true, I haven't bought new CDs in 5 years.

4. Come up with new jewelry designs.

5. Get some ordering done. I am supposed to be thinking of Autumn right now!

6. Rearrange the window display. It is looking stale after about 3 weeks, time for a change.

If Sal the UPS guy brings me any new products today I will post again...

Sharon Spain

We were pleased to see Sharon Spain's silkscreened bangle bag in the Gen Art Pulse blog, we are such fans of her graphics and design sense. Plenty of people have been eyeing that bag in our shop, but I think it takes the right spring day to carry it around. Spring is coming and everyone can feel it!

I've just ordered more books and decks...decks are the clever little things in the shop that propose 50 different exploratory walks around New York, or 50 knitting patterns. In preparation for summer and travel season, I am getting more decks about destinations - S.F., Paris, Rome, London. It's a nice way to explore a town on foot (or bike), with sort of a destination in mind but without the rididity of a full-on tour.

The fun part about having is shop is befriending other shopkeepers. The Brooklyn boutique owners I have met are all so nice! Yesterday I was at Dear Fieldbinder, on Smith Street - beautiful clothing and jewelry. Lara has a lot of designers you won't find in Brooklyn and the shop was hopping. I will do more store reports in the future!