Party On… some new party items at the shop—

We just got in some FUN NEW PARTY stuff in so I thought I would share with y’all so maybe we can be a part of next soiree. Check out the Digit Candles, above, you can buy whatever numbers you like- for $.95 each, or you can spell out 7-1-8 (Brooklyn’s area code) for someone that just moved to town!

And check out this fun Cootie Catcher! Remember these?? This one is super fun and underneath the tabs are silly sayings like “Yep, & before you ask your next question, the answer is yes, Bob Saget loves you.” Lots of entertainment (and fun little gift). $8.95.

Or as little favors or as another little present, check out these wonderful new Surprise Boxes- $6.95 for a box of six fun treats. There’s always a reason to celebrate and make it a Blue Ribbon Day!

Ideas for a rainy day…

It’s RAINING in New York City AGAIN today. I can’t take it much longer!! I feel like we haven’t seen the sun much this month. Since we will all be spending some time inside cuz of the rain, I thought I’d write about some fun ideas for rainy day activities, including the wonderful colored pencil sets & matching sketchbooks. Surely these will brighten anyone’s day! $6.50 for Sketchbooks and $15.50 for Colored Pencils.

Lots of Love for Fido

We have lots of great things for Dogs and Cats at the shop, but today I am going to boast about the great Organic Cotton Rope Bones from Harry Barker that are on Oprah’s O- List this month. As I started to write this, someone just came in and bought a Blue one- but we have more in Blue, Red, Orange, Green, Brown and Pink.  They will keep your dog occupied for hours, as well as keep your dog’s teeth and gums clean while promoting better dental health through non-destructive chewing. $10 each.

I Like You– a sweet little book

Do you remember this sweet little book? First published in 1965 and written by Sandol Stoddard Warburg this book is a wonderful treasure for everyone’s library. My best friend got it for me several years ago and I hunted it down for the shop. Each page has precious lines- this is one of my favorites:

I like you because

I don’t know why but

Everything that happens

Is nicer with you

$6.95 (cover is actually a nice deep red, for some reason it looks orange-y above).

Max’s 4th Birthday & The Balloon Powered Drag Race

Funny little story at the shop over the weekend. First of all, there seemed to be TONS of Birthdays this weekend (including Little Leo from next door who turned 2 yesterday), and a good customer came in early in the day on Saturday with her cute little son Max to buy a birthday present for a party they were going to straight away. Max picked up the Balloon Powered Drag Race Cars (above) that were not-so-stragetically right by the counter and he instantly wanted one. His mom politely said that they were looking for other people’s presents today but he would have plenty to open tomorrow. Max did not easily take no for an answer, but as usual he was very well-behaved. That is when I tried to change the subject and when we learned it was Max’s birthday over the weekend and heard about the festivities, etc. On the way out Max’s mom said, if anyone comes looking for a present for Max’s Birthday- he wants the BALLOON POWERED DRAG RACE! About 2 hours later the shop was pretty busy so I did not see one of my other favorite customers walk in, and after a few moments I found her checking out the toys and she asked for a good present for a four year old boy. I suggested my favorite Al’s Auto Workshop and Doodle Track cars amongst other things, and then thought to ask– “Wait, is this for Max??” Low and behold, it was for Max so we quickly wrapped it up and she was on her merry way knowing Max was getting EXACTLY what he wanted! Mission Accomplished, all for $7.50.  Max- I hope you had a great birthday!

Making & Keeping a Journal– and our new “Simple Diaries”

We had a wonderful Girls Club event yesterday morning where we learned how to make and keep a journal. I have kept a journal for years but it is more for appointments, dates and to-do lists, so I am inspired now to start one now more about ME. This is how we got going after we made journals out of construction paper and sewed them together with bright orange thread all under Jill’s amazing tutelage:

If you were delivered to a doorstep today with a set of instructions, what would the instructions be? [Editors note: this reminded me of Paddington Bear a little and his cute note attached to his overcoat. Rob loves Paddington, so I was anxious to read him my finished product].These instructions should be thorough directions on how to treat you so that you flourish.

Cover the following topics:

1.         Basic needs (food, sleep, comfort, etc.) – use details

2.         How to be your parent

3.         How to be your friend

4.         How to teach you so that you learn best

5.         What makes you mad?

6.         How to comfort you when you are unhappy

7.         How to make you laugh

8.         How to calm you down when you are stressed.

9.         What are you afraid of?

10.       What should you be protected from?

11.       Where do you feel the most safe?

12.       Where are you happiest.

13.       Who are the people you would want invited to a surprise party for you? (Who are the important people in your life?)

Add anything else that is missing.

Jill also walked us through some “journaling prompts”– things we can think of to help guide us in thinking about what we want to write about. Here are a FEW of the MANY journaling prompts we talked about:

Today I feel

Yesterday I dreamt

I give myself permission to

I want to explain

Deep Down I know

I wish I could get the answers to

The pockets of my life are filled with

THANKS SOO MUCH to Jill for leading this wonderful event, we might repeat it in the winter again as well.

And in the meantime- if you want something that truly is a guided diary, no bones about it- check out these great NEW Keel’s Simple Diary’s from Taschen (my favorite publisher of the moment!)-

Keel’s Simple Diary’s are “an assistant for life, a book for any occasion, for any person at any age. One every page you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight.  And here are three things Simple Diary can do for you:

1.Entertain the mind.

2.Help you focus.

3.Keep you company.”

They were created by Phillip Keel, internationally acclaimed artist and writer. The Simple Diary is “Keel’s response to having too much information and not enough meaning, and needing to remember what made him smile.” Here is a sample page to get your mind going-

So, here are two different routes to Keeping a Journal- the DIY version, or the fun & funky Simple Diary route ($15).  Either way, remember to cherish each and every day.

They’re here!! Our new Keep it LOCAL T-shirts!

Yeah! They are FINALLY here- our new Keep it LOCAL T-shirts. I am so psyched to be wearing mine today and I just hung some in the window (like a clothesline, I think it looks pretty cute!).  I love the idea of Keeping it LOCAL, wherever you are. T-Shirts are available in all sizes for Women and Men from American Apparel in this wonderful saturated sapphire blue that is our signature blue color (FYI, I am wearing a medium, I think they run small).  Email me (ann@blueribbongeneralstore.com)  if you want one- and will also try to get them on the website soon.  $16.

Taking of Pelham One Two Three (and a few other classic movie recs)

Today is the release of the Summer Blockbuster, The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 with Denzel Washington and John Travolta. This film holds a special place in my heart for a few reasons– the first being that my dad helped with the taping of  the original (1974), with Walter Matthau. My father was a Civil Engineer with the MTA (Transit Authority) here in Brooklyn and since this film is a subway heist film, they needed help from the subway system and my dad, among many others, helped facilitate filming. The second reason is that last year (34 years after the original) they filmed part of the re-make right here in Brooklyn again, at the stop right next to the shop (A,C,G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn) on one of the empty tracks.  Although we never saw the “Big Guns”, we did meet many people involved in the making of the movie and got a ton of business from them too! Their make-up and costume trailers were right outside the shop for most of May last spring and this is actually how I first heard about my dad’s part in the original movie. So, my brother had us all over to watch it and it is a GREAT MOVIE- suspenseful, captivating, intense– I LOVED IT.

I hope the newly released version is just as good- but if you need a good rental, put this classic on your Netflix Queue.

While we’re on the subject of movies, I thought I would also mention a few other great movies that we’ve watched together as a family. My father passed away 20 years ago, but he always loved movies, so we have movie night every few months to watch his favorite movies & help keep his memory alive (c0mplete with Popcorn in our fun Popcorn boxes!). Here are a few more we enjoyed–

The Secret of Santa Vittoria. Loved this one too!

The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming!

Taschen’s New York & our photographer, Poul Ober

We are very excited to get the new book TASCHEN’S NEW YORK in the shop. It is a beautiful book about Angeika Taschen’s favorite places in NYC (sadly we are not IN it, it is all Manhattan– maybe there will be a TASCHEN’S BROOKLYN someday!). Most importantly though, from our perspective, all the photos were shot by our photographer, Poul Ober.  Poul is an amazing photographer (he did the exterior shot we use as our main photo, as well as several other interior and exterior shots) and this book is the perfect place to showcase his talents. The book is broken into three sections- hotels,  restaurants and shops- all with wonderful photos as well as descriptions of each place and even prices off the menu’s, etc.  plus a great pull-out map for you to take on the go. Here is a little write up from the flap:

Angelika Taschen has been behind the velvet rope, explored the secret, unmarked restaurants and beloved downtown delis, scoured Soho, Nolita and Tribeca’s uber- stylish shops, and scoped out hotels uptown and downtown, from the sleek and chic to the hidden and charming. In this book she gives you a backstage pass that will let you access a New York that even a lot of New Yorkers miss out on. You’ll sip Martinins on barstools designed by Mies van der Rohe, buy bagels from Russ’s daughters, and sleep in a room with views of Bowery rooftops or of Fredrick Law Olmsted’s landmark Central Park. With this guide in hand you’ll never have to worry that you’re not “on the list.”

Enjoy! It’s a treat to read for the New Yorker OR the Out-of – Towner. My dear friend Tine visiting from Austin this weekend might be the lucky recipient of one at dinner on Sunday night- she loves her NYC visits!! $39.99

Girls Club this weekend: Saturday 6/13 10-11am

This weekend is the SECOND meeting of our GIRLS CLUB and we hope you will be able to attend, whether you are 8 years old or 80! We started the club because I started to notice all the young girls in the neighborhood who would come by the store, shop with their friends & family, take our cards and pass them out to fun Aunts & Uncles. They always have the best “eye.”  They will notice new items in the shop straight away and tell me new things to try and are all-around just the most fun to hang around with! I really want to encourage that creativity and energy and make sure they know how AMAZING they are. One of the girls across the street from the shop has a book club (sometimes they buy fun “Pick Your Nose” Party Cups for their events-she just turned 11), another has a small business with her dad (she’s 12 now), another is one of the most savvy shoppers I know (she’s 9, and yes it’s true the last time she was in the store I fell in love with her shoes and went out and bought them the next day).  So, you see there are a lot of great YOUNG girls out there and I hope they all can make it. But there are also lots of LOVELY LADIES that have a few years on the 10 year olds, and we ALL need nurturing too! When I sent out an email yesterday announcing this event I got several emails back saying– “I wish I was 8 so I could come.” Do it! Feel it! There is nothing more freeing than feeling like a kid. This weekend we will be learning about Journal Making with my wonderful friend/teacher/therapist Jill. Come join us!

p.s. this ad is from June’s Time Out New York Kids. Thanks TONY Kids!!