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Out Of The Woods

Out Of The Woods

We’re not quite there yet, but in this season of great transition we can finally start to see the forest for the trees. As we approach the end of 2020, placing one particularly hard-earned ring around the tree of life, we celebrate all things dendrological; the intrinsic flexibility and elemental beauty, the scent and sensuality, the innate symbol of growth and stalwart strength that is, wood. Whether smooth or rough-hewn, uniquely against the grain or plainly presented in olive, oak, ash, alder, mango or mahogany, we are tree huggers through and through, in love with the precious properties of this most natural element. This source of fire, this most ancient and replenishable material that has been bent and burnt, chamfered and chiseled, drilled, dovetailed, patched, planed, sanded and stained by the artist and the artisan for as far back as civilization has been recorded. Its roots run deep. We want it now, and always. We’re going out on a limb and guessing you feel the same.

Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryDecember 17, 20204

Soft & Sumptuous

Soft & Sumptuous

What would we do without the warp and the weft? What would we sleep in, dress up in, or curl up by the fire in? What would we dry ourselves off with, and what soft surfaces would we walk upon? Without these two basic ingredients that fashion thread or yarn into fabric, what would we make our beds with, cover our cushions in, or rest our silverware upon? Seriously – textiles define practically everything we love and rely on in our daily lives… from our underwear to the drapes that give us privacy, from the macrame objet that dress up our walls and hanging plants, to the ubiquitous masks we now wear upon our faces. This week we celebrate all things woven, spun, knit or loomed, stitched, crocheted, knotted and tatted or felted and braided, with a special appreciation for the conscious effort to develop sustainable production practices that support both the planet and the maker, in soft and sumptuous harmony.

Textiles, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryDecember 13, 20204

Charmed Life, Jewelry Forever

Charmed Life, Jewelry Forever

Wearing jewelry is more personal and imbued with more pleasure and sentiment than anything else we put on our bodies. Humans decorated themselves with beads of shell and bits of bone long before wearing clothing, and the meanings, symbols and reasons behind wearing jewelry still resonate today, more than 100,000 years later. To adorn oneself with jewelry can be a ritualistic act of creating beauty, like painting or composing, on an intimate scale. Jewelry carries love, culture, belief, protection, memory, accomplishment, worth, esteem and so many of the things that drive and connect us in our human existence. Whether knotted, beaded, metal, gemstone, bright, bold, rare, sculptural, discreet, expensive, costume, or purely sentimental, we can’t get enough of jewelry. Never have, never will.

Jewelry, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryDecember 11, 20204

Thank You, Shop Small

Thank You, Shop Small

If gratitude had a shape it would be a spiral — and we’re lost in a labyrinth of appreciation for our Shoppe Object community. This Small Business Saturday and everyday, we’re thinking of our independent brands, our inspired makers and artists, our peerless retailers, and everyone among us who works to keep the wheels of creation, commerce, and gift giving spinning. We’re so thankful to have enough and more, so that our spirals can expand outward to spread love and cheer this season. Give, receive, turn, turn, turn.

Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 28, 20204

The Giggles

The Giggles

It’s Sagittarius season, and we need all the comic and carefree relief we can get. Take a cue from the archer’s signature hilarious, IDGAF and ready-for-anything traits, because when the world’s turned upside down, there’s no better soul medicine than laughter. From chortles to roars, laughter is up there with diet and exercise for optimum health, so we’re comfort-watching reruns of old sitcoms and finding solace in Twitter’s wittiest quips as part of our self-care this week. Winks and clever nods across cards, novelties and grin-making shapes are just what the doctor ordered.

Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 23, 20204

Super Kawaii

Super Kawaii

Ok, “cute” can be an offhanded insult when used dismissively to undermine someone, but sweet stuff makes the world go ‘round – especially when it comes to things for our little ones. Tiny and delicate or squishy and puffy, wide-eyed and smiley, fluffy or feathered, there’s something about loveable goods that make us smile and keep us in positive vibes. Take a cue from Japan where kawaii is culture, and add a dash of adorable to any and everything.

Kids, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 19, 20204

Teach Your Children Well

Teach Your Children Well

We’re all homeschool teachers now! There’s never been a better time to make the right investments in all the books, toys and creative tools that help our littlest ones in any and all ways to learn and grow. Almost everything children do is a learning experience, and because that state of wonder and hyper absorption is so fleeting, it’s even more important to make those experiences count. Books that influence and inspire, act as mirrors and also expose them to new things are precious lessons each. Provide them with toys to treasure that are made to last and spark imaginative play, with craft kits for them to go crazy and get messy with, and with all the things they’ll love and love.

Kids, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 14, 20204

Le Bain

Le Bain

Begun by Indus Valley peoples, Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, bathing has been a treasured, sacred and spiritual rite of civilization for thousands of years. Cold, hot, and every temperature in between, cultures and religions everywhere value bathing for reasons hygienic, ritualistic and transcendental. With family members in a Hinoki soaker in Japan, a social, thermal dip in the magnesium-rich waters of a Palm Springs resort, or just an hour of alone time in a shallow fiberglass tub in your apartment, one thing’s certain; bathing is special. Pamper, indulge and make bath time better with all the accouterments for an amazing bathroom sesh; think candles, books, salts, scrubs, herbs, brushes, rubber duckies, soaps, oils, lotions, mellow tunes or sweet silence.

Wellness, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 13, 20203

High Times

High Times

To be frank, we’re totally onboard with the theories about Cannabis Prohibition being some larger evil scheme to keep wellness away from the people. And worse, we know the federal ban of cannabis in the US was directly related to the influx of Mexican immigrants to Southern states after the turn of the last century, who brought with them a cultural tradition of smoking marijuana in cigarettes and pipes for medicinal purposes (Americans had up until then mainly been using oil or hashish orally). So basically this fear-of-other turned into a vilification campaign of both Mexicans and cannabis (they threw hemp in there too, thanks to a W. R. Hearst-led mission to stamp out this cheaper and more eco-sound alternative to wood pulp…

Wellness, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryNovember 8, 20203

Supernatural

Supernatural

Earth lovers and practitioners of magick celebrate Samhain today, marking the end of harvest and the welcoming of the dark half of the year. Allhallowtide begins, as does Dia de los Muertos. Cultures have agreed for centuries that tonight, the veil between the spirit and physical world is at its thinnest - if you’re of the mind to honor and commingle with ancestors, angels, saints and lost loved ones, now’s the time. Throw a full, blue Hunter’s moon into the mix and you’ve got a doozy of an energetic night for celebration, revelation, wish making, question asking, vibe gathering, healing, recalibration and letting go. Decorate accordingly.

Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 31, 20203

Dear Diary

Dear Diary

The days are getting shorter and I’m already nostalgic for the late-night sunsets and elastic days of summer. Coffee when it’s still dark out really gets me down, but I’m determined to stay positive. I’m trying hard to stick to a routine of writing my thoughts here, and keeping all of my To Do lists, big and small, jotted down on paper in journals and even pads so I can really see the day, months and even years ahead. Diary, there’s so much I want to accomplish. I know I’ve got to take small steps every day to reach any of my goals, no matter how lofty. Oh, I started dream journaling too – they got so crazy in quarantine, I’m trying to find some patterns. Fact is, I’m anxious about the future, but it helps to write it out. Right?

Ever yours,
Me

Stationery, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 27, 20203

This Season’s Greetings

This Season’s Greetings

This year, maybe more than ever, we’re looking forward to the escapist, tender, warm and fuzzy feelings that the holidays bring. We need the Silent Nights, the O Holy Nights, and yes, Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe too. We love the songs, the mittens and stockings, the boughs and branches, the sparkle and the lights but what we really need right now is connection with our loved ones. Big, in person holiday celebrations might not be possible this season, so we’re planning our most thoughtful packages, carefully written notes on gorgeous cards or tags, and all the beautiful ways we can express our hope, warmest wishes and love from near or far away.

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Stationery, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 26, 20203

Noted!

Noted!

While our ever increasing addiction to our smartphones may not be any indicator, we still firmly believe in the time-honored tradition of jotting things down. Science seems to agree. Studies show that tasks that have yet to be done can cause us stress, but even identifying them, say, by recording and formulating a plan of attack, can ease anxiety. Simply writing things down will make you feel better and will actually make you more effective. So move beyond iCal and those apps for list-making, and return to the simple tools we’ve always relied on; pen and paper. From gorgeous journals, thoughtful planners, stylish pads to have at the ready and the writing instruments for letting it all out, we’ve got the goods.

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Stationery, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 24, 20203

Take Care of You

Take Care of You

What better way to wrap up Cozy Week than with a plethora of goods that almost scream and demand a gentle, soft slowing down. Rest, reset, relax and find your perfect pace, no matter what that looks like – especially on Saturdays and Sundays. A morning hike followed by an afternoon of cooking, then family game night before planning the week ahead over a cup of tea? A movie marathon with an herbal smoke and hours-long daydream sesh from beneath the sheets? A resounding yes and yes to whatever makes your days off work for you.

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Cozy, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 23, 20203

Footsie

Footsie

There aren’t too many scientific studies around reflexology which sort of sucks, because not only do we love those colorful zone maps – the ones that show corresponding body parts and organs to little areas on the feet – we feel like there MUST be something to it. A good foot massage, after all, does seem to banish all bad feelings, and if we could have our footsies rubbed around the clock, we’d be happy campers. Foot washing is an important exercise in Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, and there is a long-held belief that feet embody the conjoining of body and soul, or on some level represent the outward, grounded nature of our lives here on earth…

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Cozy, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 17, 20203

Cocooning

Cocooning

Protection, isolation, an envelope made of silk in which to grow. We wrap up in blankets, booties, shawls and sweaters. We build forts of pillows, plush rugs and wall coverings to insulate. Cocooning is self-preservation and sweet relief, from the world outside and even our own noisy minds. Indulge in the finest materials and loveliest designs for ultimate relaxation, respite and growth.

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Cozy, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 16, 20203

Knit & Purl

Knit & Purl

Cast on! There is little as comforting, sentimental or downright charming as handknits. Perhaps your aunt painstakingly knit you a first blanket or cardigan sweater. Maybe you are the girl on the subway with needles flying, oblivious to your surroundings and wrapped up in the meditative process of counting stitches and rows as you work to finish your latest project. Even if you’re not the crafty sort, there’s still plenty of joy to be had in holding or wearing something that has been lovingly created with a meticulous series of loops and knots. From DIY kits for beginners, fully fashioned clothing and accessories, to blankets and home accents, Shoppe Object offers plenty of knits to fall for. The squishyness, the softness, the drape and the hand, in yarns pulled from every kind of fiber, nubbly or smooth…did someone say Fall?

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Cozy, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 15, 20203

Lounge Luxe

Lounge Luxe

Let’s face it, we’ve all been doing a lot of lounging lately. In the age of Covid-19, formal clothes have hung untouched in our closets for months, like sad, slack skeletons with no bodies to fill them. We may wistfully think of our abandoned blouses, buttons and blazers, but truth be told, the horrific news cycle and the sheltering in place have left us really craving only the very, very comfiest of clothes. We’ve all read the statistics on skyrocketing sweatpants sales, so we know we’re not alone. To keep things somewhat stylish, we keep soft natural fibers like silk, cashmere, wools and soft cottons in loose silhouettes at the ready…

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Cozy, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 15, 20203

It's A Wrap

It's A Wrap

Brown paper packages tied up with string… With all of the many complexities, variations, customs and rules around gift giving and receiving around the world, wrapping presents remains a comforting constant. Wrapping gifts is a thousands-year old custom originating in Ancient China and its essence remain unchanged: to decorate, for presentation, to shroud and inspire breathtaking anticipation, to end in the ceremony of undressing, and a surprise. From butchers to double-sided printed and gilted papers, recycled newspapers or sumptuous fabrics, cello, stuffing, tissue and boxes, ribbons and bows; the art of presentation is one of the most important elements of any gift (and sometimes our favorite thing!).

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Holiday, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 14, 20203

Baubles, Bangles & Beads

Baubles, Bangles & Beads

The tradition of decorating with rushes of palm, from Ancient Egypt and Rome evolved into a myriad of worldwide traditions of decorating for the Winter Solstice or the Judeo-Christian holidays of the winter months. Tinsel, candles, apples, nests, glass ornaments of every shape and size, mistletoe, sparkling fruits, ribbon bows, and electric lights in a rainbow of colors or shimmering white…these are the ornaments that bring the holiday season to life. Ornaments and decorations of all kinds, in endless combinations, allow us to express our personal style, and add instant warmth and good cheer to any home. Go ahead: deck the halls!

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Holiday, Shoppe Online, EditorialHillaryOctober 14, 20203