saving my life: a little retail therapy.

I’m not much of a shopper normally, though I can rarely (if ever) resist a bookstore. But I love getting mail and supporting small businesses, and in these still-strange days, I’ll take my joys where I can find them.

So lately, I’ve been indulging in a little retail therapy: mostly online, but a little bit in person, when I can. I thought I’d share a few recent finds, just for fun.

I fell deeply in love with the magic of Newport Folk Fest last summer, and was so sad it couldn’t happen in person this year. But I jumped at the chance to order a bit of merch (above) from their online shop, and am proudly sporting my new neck gaiter on my morning runs.

It’s no secret I love New York in the fall and everything else about You’ve Got Mail, so I swooned over The Bookshelf Thomasville’s gorgeous new stationery collection featuring Kathleen Kelly. You bet I pre-ordered a couple of those goodies.

Just as everything shut down here in Boston in March, I went to Bob Slate in Cambridge and bought a stack of journals. That stack is all gone now, so I was thrilled to find a few lovely new notebooks for half price at the Booksmith recently (above), along with a couple of used books.

Several of my girlfriends have had birthdays recently, so I’ve ordered them stickers, stationery and other fun things from small vendors like Kwohtations and Carrot Top Paper Shop. And since we’re going to be wearing masks for a while, apparently, I picked up two beautiful ones from DIOP, Detroit-based and Black-owned.

I’m trying not to go overboard: I’m still furloughed and I still have to buy groceries and pay rent. But these bits of joy for myself and others are helping me get through. And I get a thrill when the fun packages arrive in the mail.

Are you indulging in any fun retail therapy recently? Do share, if you are.

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Stories from quarantine: my favorite small businesses.

 

One thing I miss, in this strange time of restricted movement: popping into my favorite shops (and restaurants).

A couple of my faves, like my beloved florist and the best taqueria in Maverick Square, have simply closed down for the duration. There’s not much I can do except look forward to the day when I can visit them again. (You can bet I’ll be hugging my florist, when it’s safe to do so.) But there are a few other small businesses I’m supporting with my dollars, during this crazy time. Here’s a list, in case you’re in need of books or tea or stationery, or other fun things, and have a bit of cash to spare.

• Trident, Brookline Booksmith and the Harvard Book Store are my three favorite indie bookshops in Boston, and they’re all still operating online. (Trident’s cafe is still open, too, if you’re local.) If you’re a book lover, please support an indie bookstore during this time – they are such centers of creativity and joy, and they really need the cash flow.
• My two favorite yoga/fitness studios, The Point EB and Savin Hill Fitness, are offering online classes via Zoom. They’re super reasonable – Savin Hill even offers one free class each day – and the instructors are great.
• Mem Tea Imports, based in Somerville, is still shipping their delicious teas. I stocked up in mid-March, and I’m sure I’ll be making another order soon. They always stick an extra sample or two in each order.
• I ordered some fun quarantine correspondence cards from 1canoe2, a small stationery business I’ve loved for years. They are hilarious and cute.
• Jenny at Carrot Top Paper Shop is still bringing the cheer, even drawing some of her heroines wearing masks. Love love love.
• Marathon Sports, my favorite Boston-based running store, is still shipping online orders. They’ve provided me with new running shoes and a much-needed foam roller since this all started.

What are some favorite small businesses you’re supporting right now?

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The Love Note Project

My name is Katie and I am a stationery addict.

I have a whole drawer in my desk dedicated to notecards, spare pens, stickers and envelope seals. (There’s a separate drawer for notebooks and notepads.) I have a snail mail pen pal with whom I exchange long, newsy handwritten letters. And despite the fact that I didn’t manage to send out Christmas cards this year, I think handwritten notes are always a good idea.

I’ve been looking for a challenge to pep up February – since the shortest month can feel awfully long when you’re caught in the grip of a New England winter. Since Valentine’s Day falls in February, it seemed like the perfect time to write love notes – not just to my husband (though he’s definitely on my list), but to lots of the people I care about. So, this month, I’m writing one snail mail love note a day.

This project will force me to use my stash of stationery and notecards instead of hoarding them, and I’m hoping my increasingly chicken-scratch handwriting will improve with a bit of practice. And, of course, I hope my loved ones will smile when they open up the mailbox and see a note from me.

The month has already started, and so far I’m right on target. (Here’s hoping I don’t lose steam after Valentine’s Day has come and gone.)

What are you doing to make February a little brighter? Want to join me in writing a few love notes?

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