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Our 23rd Anniversary Sale is still going on for a few more days!
We had a lot of fun on the first day of the Sale, our Customer Appreciation Day. Everyone who made a purchase got to pick a duck from the Duck Pond, turn it over and get the percentage marked on the bottom as an additional discount on everything we'd rung up! And then for every $10. spent, a ticket for The Claw was given. A mini version of those you've seen at the grocery store and at carnivals, our Claw was filled with fun trinkets and surprise bags! And it was more challenging than it looked!
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Saturdays - now open until 8 p.m.!
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Upcoming Events
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Wednesday August 5 - Wallingford Art Walk 6-8 p.m.
Featured Artist will be Cecelia Otto, our very local (Wallingford)
jewelry artist, working with goldfilled wire, pearls and gemstones to
create fanciful earrings.
Join us Wednesday evening for a great selection, meet the artist behind the work, and enjoy some refreshments!
Wednesdays -Wallingford Center Farmers Market is back every Wednesday, 3 -7 through Fall! Come enjoy local produce, pasta, meats, fish and baked goods - Yum! And don't forget to check inside for Market Day Specials at the various stores.
23rd Anniversary Sale - July 18 through August 2
Still a few days left to find some great buys!
Wednesday September 2- Wallingford Art Walk 6-8 p.m. September's Featured Artist will be Ann de Vuono, another very local (Wallingford) artist, who has a fabulous hat for every occasion!
Wednesday October 7- Wallingford Art Walk 6-8 p.m.
Our featured artist in October will be Andrea Savar, whose jewelry reflects a collector's passion for the found object!
Mark your Calendars for our Annual Kristin Ford Trunk Show: Saturday October 24, from 12 - 4
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Things to Celebrate!
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August 1 - Girlfriends' Day - How does that go? New Friends are Silver, Old Friends are Gold?
August 2 - Sisters' Day - I have 3 Great Sisters!
August 3 - Watermelon Day
August 4 - National Chocolate Chip Day
August 5 - National Underwear Day (Remember to wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident (like that's going to be what you're worried about!))
August 7-9 - Twins Days (did you know our very own Badatu is an identical twin?)
August 8 - Day to Create - I like it! And it's a Saturday! Also - Sneak some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night - the way to win friends and influence people!
August 10 - S'More's Day and Ewa's Birthday!
August 15 - Best Friends Day - lots of friends and sisters this month!
August 18 - Cupcake Day - another reason for a Trophy Cupcake - did you know the flavors rotate daily, and there's a special Farmers Market flavor each month?
August 19 - Black Cow Day - did you know that's the name for a root beer float?
August 22 - Hug Your Boss Day - okay, I'll be waiting! Hey - it's a Saturday - so give them on Friday and Monday! Also, Ramadan begins, and it's Be an Angel Day too.
August 25 - Kiss and Make Up Day
August 26 - National Dog Day - I think every day is Dog Day!
August 27 - Global Forgiveness Day
August 30 - National Toasted Marshmallow Day - Wow! Cupcakes, Watermelon, S'mores, Chocolate Chips, Marshmallows and Root Beer Floats all in one month! Maybe September is Diet Month!
August 1-7 is Simplify your Life Week, and the Week of August 8-16 is Elvis Week - Rock On!
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Staying Cool.......
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I'm sitting writing this as the thermometer climbs higher and higher! I think we will break a record today! I have found the coolest room in the house and have a fan blasting directly at me, an iced coffee at hand, frozen yogurt in the freezer and plan to have a salad for dinner. If we eat dinner. It's even too hot for the cats! I clearly was not designed for this weather, and have disliked being hot since I can remember.
As a kid, I could never understand why grown-ups told you to go sit in the shade if you complained about being hot. I grew up in Michigan where the humidity can be cut with a knife, and the shade was only darker, not cooler, and if anything, seemed stuffier than anywhere else since the heavy, lovely leaves held the air still beneath them. Michigan has a lot of small lakes as well as the Great ones, and we were often able to spend a week or a weekend near one. And as much as I enjoyed being at a cottage, I liked best the days we would wake up to fog and weather chilly enough for a sweatshirt. Those were the days we could explore any nearby town. And usually I would find something to make, to work on during the vacation, or start and then finish at home. One year I spent almost two weeks making felt Christmas tree ornaments, another time it was doll clothes. Sometimes it was just the joy of cutting out paper dolls, or assembling an historic Indian Village. But I was much more interested in those things than in laying out on the sand with my sisters and cousins, or swimming in the lake. Somehow those things didn't hold my interest for very long. Plus, I was much more comfortable out of the sun.
And then once back home, my summer memories are full of days spent in the cool dimness of my basement, making one thing after another. I sewed, I made decoupage purses from wooden boxes, I learned about stains, and glues, and thread. I did batik as I got older, batiking the pieces of an outfit before sewing them together. I experimented with natural dyes and wire sculpture, and always drawing and painting. Needless to say, I never had much of a tan, and don't swim well, but I sure know how fun it is to make things!
Oh for those endless summer days of youth! Where did they all go? Nowadays it's hard to find time to do all that I need to do, much less what I want to do! So now that my time to make things myself is limited, I find immense pleasure in the handwork of others. And having tried just about everything, I have a great respect for the talent and amount of effort that goes into all the work we represent at Crackerjack!
This Summer, take advantage of the Wallingford Art Walk to visit with some of our extraordinary artists. August 5th we will be hosting Cecelia Otto, a Wallingford resident, who will be showcasing her wonderful twisted wire earrings as well as some new earring designs and pendants. Cecelia incorporates beautiful pearls and gemstones into her designs which are very romantic and feminine, and are beautifully presented on a card featuring Cecelia's photo montages of classic paintings. The card is a gift in its own right!
Then in September, on the 2nd, we will present Ann DeVuono, milliner extraordinaire, who will be bringing her newest hats just in time for Fall. Come and try on both felt and soft hats, and get Ann's expert advice on the best shape and color for your face. (Check our newsletter archives for the interview with Ann from last summer - August 2008).
And in October (can we be talking about October already?) Andrea Savar will be here with her latest creations incorporating, and inspired by the vintage charms, religious medals and other goodies she finds on her visits to France.
So give yourself a night out to appreciate and indulge in some of the artwork of some very special people. And remember, if you don't have cloth seats in your car, put down a towel so the backs of your legs don't stick!
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NEXT MONTH: A visit with Kristin Ford
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Thank You for your continued patronage of a local independent business and for supporting American handmade! Remember that many of your favorites are available through our online catalog, and we're always adding more, so visit us there, too!
Be Happy, Stay cool!
Kathleen Koch
Crackerjack Contemporary Crafts
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Simple Summer Desserts
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Sliced, perfectly ripe peaches and blueberries together in a pretty bowl. A dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of fresh mint, optional.
Fresh from the garden raspberries drizzled with chocolate syrup. This can also be served over vanilla ice cream. Garnish with a Milano cookie or two.
Fill a champagne glass half full with raspberries, drizzle with Framboise, or similar. Pour champagne over top. Enjoy the bubbles, eat the berries, drink the champagne.
Pour a small amount of Creme de Menthe syrup into a parfait or iced coffee glass, put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Repeat layers, ending with a drizzle of syrup. Top with whipped cream. Garnish with a cherry, mint sprig, lavendar sprigs, etc. You can also alternate the Creme de menthe with chocolate syrup for a chocolate-mint parfait!
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