Thursday, January 25, 2007

Fig and Fiction

New items are starting to trickle in...we were down to one lonely candle and now we have restocked - two of the best-sellers and two new scents - one is Pink Grapefruit which is what I have for breakfast every morning, and the other is White Fig which just smells incredible. There is an amazing fig cocktail at the restaurant A Coté in Oakland, CA and it makes me think of it.

We also have great graphic design books and kids books in...there is one about Olle Eksell, a Swedish designer, and there is a Japanese book design one, and a couple incredible Bruno Munari kids books with die-cut pages, vellum and other mixed paper pages, and stickers. We also have a version of Alice in Wonderland with photographs by Suzy Lee. All really great books!


We have more yellow handbags for you too. The first round of Matt & Nat disappeared so fast, we brought in more! Due in tomorrow are also some new Rabeanco leather bags, and Bungalow 360 canvas totes are on the way.

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Meet Oma

Oma is the name of a very lovely lemon squeezer. I'm not kidding. It is meant to be cupped in the hand and displayed proudly on the table, unlike the scuffed-up plastic one that sits at the bottom of your utility drawer. We can't believe we waited this long to bring it in the shop. Oma is from Tonfisk Design and you can find it here.



We are restocked on the Warm tea sets and Sula tealights from Tonfisk, too. We are also restocked on the wonderful B Jewelry hoops, plus we have a charming new heart hoop design, and a heart and arrow lariat in time for you-know-what holiday.

Site update news: Just like the tortoise, we are slowly and steadily getting ready for the 3rd version of this website. It is very fun to see how far I, and the web, have come. In 1995 I got my first job in web design and even though I quit that long ago and have the Brooklyn shop and do so many different things during my day, I seem to be still poking around at sites! In 1999 I tediously started my first blog (though we didn't call it that back then) and today I just click an button and voila, another little message to you is created. I am sure that as soon as the new site is up, I will be scheming about version four. It just seems such a natural part of business these days, and really important to this business in particular.

Blogged

oh joy! was so kind as to include me in her design*sponge guest blog store display coverage today. We are in very good company!

Tomorrow, Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting opens at the Museum of Art and Design, got to go see that. If you can't make the opening, there are many great public programs and events going on through the run of the show.

And in the near future, the first of the spring clothing rolls in...here is the tiniest preview, cute skinny hoodie from Umsteigen:


Today we expect to get a shipment of the Ivy wall rack system by mos Office. We are getting charcoal grey and chartreuse. If you drive by later, I'm sure you'll see us installing it all over the wall and ceiling.

Monday, January 22, 2007

In the Nabe

We are celebrating that our neighbors Greenjeans have launched their new site and online store. They have really special, entirely handmade gifts to offer. Now I have to get off my butt and work on our new site too. There are at least 20 products I want to put up but due to the reasons in paragraph one, it's been a bit slow.

Also in the hood, a new clothing store is shaping up next to Shoe Mine, half a block down. Just when you thought the South Slope couldn't get anymore south! And, Blue Apron has morphed into Grab. They have an overwhelming salami and cheese selection, it's encouraging.

Things have been relatively sluggish, storewise, partly due to a general winter malaise, partly due to prepping for tax season, partly due to our running a sale in the shop itself. It is interesting, we are not entirely a clothing store but all of the ones around us are having a sale, so we are having a sale too. Due in any day now: Archipelago candles, Vynil (cross fingers), more Matt and Nat bags, more Rabeanco bags, more books, new Catherine Weitzman jewelry. Our Valentine's-esque cards are here too.

Today I went to a tradeshow to choose bags and accessories with the gentlemen in mind. Our Property Of bags are doing really well - both men and women seem to like them - and it's fun to pick new styles. I am eyeing another line as well. Heavy, distressed leather with raw edges seems to be a thing this year...we'll have both handcrafted and almost rustic items, and also sleek patent leather in bold shapes. Should be interesting.

For those who are curious - I do shop the shows but I would say no more than 15% of my designers are found there. Everyone asks how I find people for the store, and the answer is - mostly online. I am a good researcher and generally know what I want when I see it. I hit the shows when I am trying to find a specific thing - keychains, let's say - that I haven't seen elsewhere. I wish my answer was more exciting, but it's not!

Things I am on the hunt for: keychains, "guy stuff", bags (always), paper products, unique electronic devices, chocolate, beauty/bath stuff, and the perfect gift under $50 that you will just have to have this year.