We view holidays as an excuse for craft projects and Valentine’s Day is prime for getting our craft on.
Not so crafty? That’s okay. We’ve got plenty of cards, gifts, wrapping paper, ribbon and more so you can be sure to spoil your sweetie appropriately.
And yes, everything’s better in Hipstamatic!
Posted in Craft, DIY, Essentials In-Store, Events
Tagged Valentine's Day at Essentials, Valentine's Day crafts
Yesterday was our Halloween Rewind in Northampton and boy, folks came out in amazing numbers. Honestly-we’ve never seen this many people come through the store for downtown trick-or-treating.
We managed to take a few shots of our favorite costumes. Hope you all had fun and thanks for coming in!
We love this particular Pippi for so very many reasons.
This handmade R2D2 costume is just perfect!
The sister/brother duo of M&M and Eminem.
For pure creativity, this kid may have been my favorite. The Press-complete with press passes, cameras, and a plaid tie. Love it!
Cute babies in outfits. Works every time. Especially when it’s twins!
There were candy lines for most of the afternoon.
Yeah-this frog costume was amazing. Whoever made this – kudos to you!
Out on the streets, these guys did a bit of a Jabbawockeez thing.
Don’t watch ABDC? Ask your kids.
Thanks again for coming and we will see you next year!
That’s right friends. It’s the Colette and Sydne Show at Atkins Farms.
This Saturday, February 26th from 12-4, Colette and I will be showcasing our selection of Wedding Invitations and Printed goods at the Atkins Wedding Sampler.
Join us to see our selections from Crane and Co., Lucky Onion, Tag & Co., our in-house printing, and so much more.
See you in a few days!
Posted in Design, Events, Wedding
Tagged Atkins Wedding Sampler, Custom Printing from Essentials
If you are as desperate to get out of the house as I am these days, what better way than to embrace the cold. This Friday, join us in downtown Northampton for the 1st Annual Ice Art Festival.
Chainsaws, hunks of ice, art. Really, the perfect combo. Visit Essentials, have dinner, and see some artists in action.
The Northampton Business Improvement District, in cooperation with the City of Northampton and Arts Night Out, invites the public to witness the creation of fabulous ice sculptures throughout downtown starting at noon on Friday. Completed works will highlight Northampton’s “Arts Night Out” from 5-8pm and remain on display throughout Saturday and Sunday. If the weather cooperates, everyone will still be enjoying these artfully crafted masterpieces on Valentine’s Day!
Look for chilling and thrilling creations at these locations: Mama Iguana’s, 271 Main; J. Rich, 22 Masonic; Memorial Hall, 240 Main; Pizzeria Paradiso, 12 Crafts; Artisan Gallery, 172 Main; Thornes Marketplace, 150 Main; Cathy Cross, 151 Main, Urban Outfitters, 109 Main; Old Court House, 99 Main; Spoleto, 50 Main; Eastside Grill, 19 Strong. A map of the ice art sites will be available.
Participating ice artists come from a wide variety of backgrounds with different levels of experience and expertise. They include professional ice carver Joe Almeida; multi-media artists Peter Dellert, Michael Kuch and Chuck Stern; installation-artist Chris Nelson; sculptor Greg Stone; Mt. Holyoke architecture students Natalie Kulikowski and Hannah Ryan; Maine-based painter Matt O-Donnell; Spoleto Restaurant carvers Bill Collins and Ralph Streete; and special guest Don Chapelle, founder of Boston’s “Brilliant Ice Sculpture.”
BID Executive Director, Dan Yacuzzo hopes the first Northampton Ice Art Festival will set the precedent for a yearly event. “This will be a great opportunity to enjoy the spectacular creations of local and regional artists,” he says. “It certainly proves that there is more to winter than shovels and snow banks.”
Yup. We’re sick of it too. And frankly, we’re kinda lonely at the store.
Come see us this weekend, Friday the 4th through Monday the 7th, (we’re counting Monday as a weekend) and receive 20% off of your entire purchase. It’s that easy. Come downtown, get out of your house, and save some money.
*special orders and items already on sale not included, but you probably knew that already.
When you’re in retail, now is the time of year when you start to get a little punchy. This morning, I decided I needed to make these last few days fun for my staff and I, and hopefully for you too.
And what’s more fun than Christmas in Hawaii? Anyone who knows me well knows that my favorite Christmas song is Mele Kalikimaka, and that I will sing it at the drop of a hat. Now, it’s your turn.
From now through Christmas Eve, entertain us AND save some money. When you visit our Amherst or Northampton stores, bring your purchases to the counter, then start singing.
A few bars of Mele Kalikimaka gets you 10% off of your entire purchase.
Sing the entire song and you get 20% off of your entire purchase. (Sorry-sale items exempted.)
Need a reminder of how great this song is? Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters knew how to do it up!
In retail, Thanksgiving means it’s time to change our window. But this month, before I do, it’s important that I talk about the ways Essentials seeks to honor adoption month. Thanksgiving seems a fitting time to do that.
Nearly 9 1/2 years ago, my husband and I were lucky enough to meet the boy who changed our lives. Our son was born in South Korea, to birth parents who we honor and thank, and was cared for by foster parents who continue to love him and care for him, despite the physical distance between us. We became his parents, but we were not the first to love or care for him, and to those who were able to before us, we say thank you.
We became a physical family that nine plus years ago, but in addition, we entered a new kind of family. The family of the world of adoption. Parents, children, birth parents, foster parents, grandparents, siblings, and the countless adoption professionals who helped us. Like all families, this larger family has its problems and difficulties. But, it’s a family I now couldn’t imagine our life without.
This year, we honored Foster Parenting in our Adoption Month window, but for Thanksgiving, I say Thank You to all the members of the adoption community. I’m sure I’m not alone in feeling like MY family is the luckiest family around, that we are truly fortunate to have this remarkable young man as our son, and that coming together from across the world is a bit of a miracle. Without the other parts of our community, we wouldn’t have been able to become this little family at all.
Whether you know it or not, you have probably been touched by adoption in some way. This Thanksgiving, before you move on to preparing for Christmas, please take a moment to honor Adoption Month. (And then, of course, come shopping at Essentials on Friday!)
A crossover post from our Japanistic Blog. We’re just so proud of getting a little love from our local papers. And yes, I did bring back the Pokemon goodies!
I am back from Japan, and getting ready to post fun goodies for you all–as soon as I get over the jet lag.
In the meantime, here’s a nice article from today’s Daily Hampshire Gazette and The Republican talking about my big adventure. (via)
By SCOTT MERZBACH / Special to The Republican
NORTHAMPTON – For years, Essentials, a shop with locations in Northampton and Amherst, has been selling products made in Japan.
Now the knowledge and experience Sydne Didier has in retailing and wholesaling through both her stores and the website Japanistic is giving her the opportunity to spend a week in Japan.
Didier was in Japan last week at the invitation of the Japan External Trade Organization, or JETRO, which flew her and several other retailers from Canada, New York and Louisiana to the Pacific rim.
“It’s part of an effort to increase Japanese exports to the United States that are not electronics and cars,” Didier said.
The relationship with the trade organization, Didier explained, developed after an interview she completed with a Japanese program.
The Japanistic website has grown in the last year, with more than 1,000 products, ranging from Japanese bento boxes, which are small lunch pails, to stationery, jewelry, water bottles and mugs.
Didier said her store’s mission is always guided by aesthetics. “I had always been attracted to Japanese design; it’s a consistent thread for me,”Didier said.
She expects to tour various production facilities, meet with mayors in small towns and hopes there will be a chance to improve the selection of items for her customers.
“I’m always looking for new products to bring into the store,” Didier said.
Didier said other retailers may also benefit, as the trip could increase opportunities to pool orders and cut down on the costs of shipping.
“I basically want to go in with an open mind and see what opportunities are there,” Didier said. “I hope to stumble upon products that they are not marketing to us.”
Didier will also have time for sightseeing, visiting attractions such as Nara Park, and her son has asked her to bring back Pokemon paraphernalia.
Posted in Events, Japanistic, News, Travel
Tagged Essentials in the news, Japanistic in the news, Jetro, My Big Japan Trip
When I was in 3rd grade, my denim jacket was home to endless buttons. (I wish I still had that collection of Police buttons because that Synchronicity one was awesome.) We still sell a fair share of buttons at the store-something about the small cuteness appeals to people, and hey, denim jackets still look good with a button or two.
Maybe I can score some new ones through Buttonfeest, a “design competition and trading party.” Yup. It’s all about the buttons.
What’s the scoop? “Artists, illustrators and designers are invited to send in a 2.3 cm button design.
The designs will be shown in the button gallery. A jury (consisting of the well known Dutch artist Klaas Gubbels and cartoonist Ruben L. Oppenheimer) will select 50 designs. These will be made into buttons – 25 for each winner and 25 for the trading party on november 5th, 2010. The winners will each receive their buttons in the mail.”
Have some ideas? Or do you need some inspiration? If so, here are some of the offerings in the gallery already.
The cute Nest of Narwhals is from Northampton artist Maeg Yosef, of Edison Rex, who is responsible for the head’s up on this great event.
Of course, I’m pretty partial to our own Essentials Buttons.
Perhaps I should submit these babies! Either way, I can only imagine what’s to come in the time before the big jury verdict.
Posted in Cuteness, Design, Events, Fun
Tagged Button Trade, Buttonfeest, Edison Rex, Essentials Buttons, The Utrecht Button Party
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I Love My Sister Wife
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Tokyo Tape
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Tintin in America
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I <3 NYC
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