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!

Hello from Essentials! Yes, this blog has had a bit of hiatus but now that the holiday season is over, we can return to normal. And get ready for LOVE.

Today, some photos from our newest window, a celebration of marriage featuring a collaboration between Essentials, the wonderful Sandra Costello of Studio SMC Photography, and Pearl Bridal Boutique, a terrific source for stunning wedding fashions.

Essentials’ addition to the mix? Our wide array of paper goodness. Invitations, programs, banners, thank yous, labels, table cards – we could go on and on.

Our favorite part? The chance to work with some other terrific local business, supporting one another and showcasing the variety of services available in our little Valley. Remember – shop local!

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!

The quick and easy answer is YES! We still sell children’s clothing and we have some in stock right now.

As many of you have noticed, however, our clothing selection has been a bit slimmer than usual. There’s a few reasons for that. While we’re working to increase the selection as best we can, there are some things I thought I would share with you. .

The first reason has to do with something truly upsetting for me because it means the end of the perfect underwear my child has been wearing since he turned three. What will I do without his favorite undergarments!?!

Yup. Claesen’s, the fantastic brand from Holland that you have all come to love, is no longer distributing in the United States. Due to a massive fire in their European warehouse, Claesen’s lost the bulk of their inventory and have been unable to fulfill their Fall orders. In addition, they made the decision to leave the U.S. market while they rebuild their business. They will, of course, keep us apprised of any changes and let us know when and if they decide to re-enter the U.S. market.

Because of the timing on all of this, it means we were too late to replace the missing Claesen’s with items from another vendor.

In case you don’t know how the system works, we place our seasonal orders at least 6 months in advance. That means that when it’s freezing cold in the winter, we’re already choosing what you might like next summer. And yes, that is as tough as it sounds.

Right now, we are still awaiting some of our Fall orders from vendors like Green Baby, and will let you know when things arrive.

The second reason for our slimmer clothing section right now has to do with the way some vendors sell their clothing. Several of our vendors carry their clothing in bundled selections. As retailers, we pay a certain amount and receive a variety of clothing in assorted sizes. When we purchase clothing that way, we do not have the opportunity to choose individual items.

As you know if you know the store at all, Colette and I are pretty picky. We want what we want, and have a sense of what will sell best in the store. With vendors who make the decisions for us, it’s tough because we can’t make the choices we feel might be best for our customer.

This is something we are increasingly conscious of as we purchase our clothing for the store. As we all know, people are increasingly thoughtful about every purchase they make. We need to make sure that every item we bring in to the store will work for you. And if that means we have a smaller selection until we can find just the right thing, so be it.

Currently, Colette and I are also working on increasing our selection of Organic clothing, and love that there are now more options. I will keep you posted on new lines as they come in, and as always, thank you for your continued support.

Occasionally, I like to showcase some of the fantastic signage made by our amazing staff. We are so dang lucky to have such creative folks to share our days with.

Come visit Essentials soon, and spy the crafty bits and pieces hidden in nooks and crannies all over the store.

Perhaps I could say, “It’s so hot, I want to ride around my pool on a Mini.” Doesn’t have any comedy, but at least it would be true. If it were one of these Minis.

Yep. Mini Floaties for your water pleasure. (via)

That’s right. An iPhone cover you can Cross-Stitch! (via)

Who care if it actually protects your phone? If it looks cute in your cross-stitch cover, does it really matter if it works anymore?

This New Yorker cartoon has Essentials written all over it, don’t you think?

There’s something about an old time Barber Shop that gets me every time. And I am loving these Barber Shop photos of NYC from artist Ken Brown.

For those of you who saw our blank Matryoshka dolls in the store and couldn’t figure out how to do them yourself, some inspiration. (via)