Too busy for blogging?

Well, at the moment, yes...so enjoy the virtual cocktail just a tiny bit longer :)

My cats have hardly seen me either ;)

Enjoy THIS blog for the moment, from Susan Schwake of the artstream gallery in Rochester, NH:

ARTSTREAM!

Have a Virtual Cocktail on Us!

We are, after all "The Speakeasy" :)

The smell could not be more delicious...

...the Speakeasy has sprung alive with the wonderful smells of Stolat Organics body products. We've got lotions, body scrubs, soaps, mani/pedi kits, lip balms and more...all made from wonderful organic products, right in Newmarket, NH.

Stolat's Shea Butter Lotion was also the winning hand creme among the magazine staff in March 2008's New Hampshire Magazine! Congrats! (and thanks for bringing up your wonderful creations!)

Happy Weekend from the Speakeasy

Holy cows! How did I forget to post my weekly cocktail! Sheesh...

NH Represent!

Hey so, I'm sure you've figured this out if you're reading this blog with any regularity, but I thought I take a second to point out that here at the Speakeasy, we sell only regionally handmade artisan-made items. Regional meaning New England, BUT we primarily feature NH creators. Here's a list of the NH artists and towns currently represented in our shop:

Anderstall Artworks--Bow, NH
Blue Sky Bindery/Emma Bates--Warner, NH
muchacha K (yeah, yeah that's me)--Concord, NH
Little Lucy/Jillian Brown--Concord, NH
drawn onward designs/Allison Murphy-Concord, NH
Susan Schwake-Rochester, NH
Diane Terragni-Dunbarton, NH
Hoopties-Epsom, NH
Bags By Melanie/Melanie Chabre--New Ipswich, NH

This is why it's so cool to buy handmade--you can get great, quality goods, from local people.

(That little lizard guy up there? Official NH amphibian...the Spotted Newt...who knew we even HAD one!? He's cute! AND...he's LOCAL too ;) !)

Colorful, fun handmade books...

Yes, handmade books. I absolutely LOVE blank books. And nothing could make them cooler unless...UNLESS...unless they were made by hand. Emma Bates of Warner, just happens to be a professional bookbinder, founder of Blue Sky Bindery. We have a lovely assortment of her books here at the Speakeasy (in fact one of them found a happy new home within about 1.2 hour of coming to the shop!), different sizes, styles, prices...stash your secrets and ideas in the creamy delicious pages of a gorgeously handcrafted book.

Need Studio Space?

We're interested in sharing...if you are a seamstress or other fabric-friendly creator in the Concord area (that means paint and anything with a distinct odor might not be a good fit!), and you are looking for studio space, send us a message at info@muchachaK.com...great price, gorgeous light, and great company, how can you go wrong!

So you've never been to Etsy...

If you haven't been to Etsy, you should visit. It's the host site for the muchachaK/Speakeasy online shop. It's also a treasure trove of handmade goods, if you're into making OR buying that sort of thing (and if you're reading this blog there's a good chance you are, we betting)...one of our hairclips had the good fortune to be featured on Etsy's front page last month. Etsy's front page is always filled with pretty pictures that will beckon you inside...

www.etsy.com

It's 6AM, do you know where your muchacha is?

Don't know about yours, but ours is sewing. Yes it's true, nothing sacred anymore here at muchacha K's Speakeasy, not even sleep, haha!

Concord is way hipper than you think it is...

In gearing up for our trunk show last week, I did a little research. I wanted to know what other businesses would be open while we were on a Friday night. Here at the Speakeasy, we're big believers in the importance of supporting your local economy, of small businesses and business people. There's a pervasive idea out there that Concord's Main St. "dies" after 5...but that's not what I discovered while talking to businesses up and down our N. Main St.

I found several businesses that are open on Fridays until 7, 8 and 9pm. These aren't big city hours mind you--but we're not a big city, lol. Here's a list of many of the downtown businesses helping to keep Concord cool by staying open later than you think:

Dos Amigos, fresh mexican eats
Madeleines, fine French pastries, outrageously delicious treats
Things Are Cooking, quality kitchenwares of all kinds
Zoe's Professional Bra Fitters, yes, bra fitters
Lotions and Potions, fine lotions, bath goods, cosmetics and the like
the Gallery Hair Salon
Britches, fine clothiers
Pitchfork Records, great selection, good indie selection, AND the bargain CD basement
Fabulous Looks Boutique
Pompanoosuc Mills
Viking House
Let's Dance, dance studios
Butter's, cheeses and wines and things
House of India, delicious Indian food
Siam Orchid, Thai food
Barley House, restaurant and pub
Margaritas, mexican food and drinks
Hermanos, best margaritas ever

There's probably a few I've missed too...see, long list!!!

I have to say, I was impressed, and I started to see Concord a little differently...

Speaking of Sew-a-thons...

Must be Spring...the phone's ringing, the orders are coming in, and I'm sewing just as fast as I can to keep up ;)

What are YOU working on for Spring...?

Sew-a-thon

If they find me here in my sewing studio tomorrow with my fingers grown onto the sewing machine, I will NOT be surprised! muchacha K is in the middle of a completely nuts sewing marathon...pics to come...must...keep...stitching...!

In answer to the question:

...how did it go!? Answer: TOTALLY awesome. It was a cozy, sparkly evening, with a wonderful flow of enthusiastic jewelry and handmades fans from open to close. Must mention: the chocolate pate from Madeleines, cheeses, olives, drinks...yum. And Diane's jewelry, in its juicy spring colors really made a gorgeous display.

Thank you to all of the Speakeasy, artists, Diane, and to everyone who joined us, it really was a lovely evening...

Must be the day...

Party dress--check! Awesome handmade stuff stocked in the shop--check! A whole extra roomful of Diane Terragni's terrific colorful jewelry for Spring--check! Tasty treats...? Check!

Sounds like we're having a trunk show folks :) 3-8pm today, it's free, it's fun, come on by!

Mmm, beads...

Just another tasty sample, picked by hand like pebbles from a beach, from Diane Terragni, our featured artist for this week's trunk show (Friday, April 4, 3-8 here at the shop)...