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Issue: # 25 | November 2010
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***************************************************************************** Well, it's definitely Fall now! After that tease of beautiful, warm weather, (which I hope is not the last we see of the sun for a few months!) the cooler weather makes us want jackets and scarves, and prompts us to get our Holiday Shopping begun!
And here we are to help:
New cozy cotton fleece jackets arrived from Basic Threads last week, our ever popular Maralyce Ferree rainwear is in stock and we have some great hand knit sweaters made with American made yarns. And as if that isn't enough to make you re-organize your closet, we have some yummy hand knit and crocheted one-of-a-kind shawls by Sarah, each one a work of art! Add silk and velvet and chenille scarves - it's enough to make you swoon!
![Explorer Coat - Turquoise](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs023/1102133230446/img/85.jpg?a=1103901816667)
New items are arriving daily which are great for gift-giving: Umbra Candles, beautiful to look at, lovely scents, Whiskey Stones from Vermont, locally made Estrella Soap, colored glass tea light holders by Seattle artist Michelle Fokos, wooden spoons and salad tongs for the cooks on your list, and of course new selections of jewelry from all our fantastic jewelry artists. Whatever your budget, whether it needs to travel or be given in person, bring in your list and let our staff assist you in choosing just the right gift. And don't forget - we can make it "gifting ready" for you!
![Spoon](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs023/1102133230446/img/88.jpg?a=1103901816667)
As you may remember, last month we celebrated American Craft Week. As part of the event, customers were invited to write an essay about the importance of American Craft. Francoise, a Crackerjack customer sent us a copy of her beautiful essay, which is below. Keep your fingers crossed for Francoise to win! ![](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs023/1102133230446/img/70.png?a=1103901816667)
If you're on Facebook, become our Fan at Facebook.com/crackerjackcrafts. Watch for our Posts detailing special offers for our Facebook Fans during the Holidays!
And also check out the Wallingford Center Facebook page and become a Fan of the Center to keep up on events, sales and goings-on! ************************************************************************* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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Our Hours
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Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
************************************ Holiday Hours Beginning Saturday December 11:
Monday through Saturday: 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Christmas Day: Closed New Year's Eve: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. New Year's Day: Closed *************************************
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Upcoming Events
| | ![Fall post card](http://ih.constantcontact.com/fs023/1102133230446/img/82.gif?a=1103901816667)
November 12 - 14 -Best of the Northwest Art and Fine Craft show at its new home: Smith Cove Cruise Terminal Pier 91. Come visit your favorite Crackerjack artists! Save $2.00 on tickets by purchasing online at Northwest Art Alliance .
December 5 - Shop for a Cause at Wallingford Center. The whole day of shopping at participating merchants benefits the Wallingford Community Senior Center, and then, in the evening from 3-5 p.m, enjoy refreshments, a Silent Auction and the Dickens Carolers! Join us to raise funds for this worthy cause (all funds will be matched by a grant)!
December 11 - Crackerjack stays open 'til 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 'til 6 on Sundays until Christmas Eve. So relax, we'll be here for you! Watch for evening specials, games and promotions!!!!
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It Looks Right, It Feels Right! by Francoise
| | For seventy years, my grandmother Mathilde Besnard was the respected seamstress of a small village in the Loire Valley, France. Her husband, a farmer, was one of the first soldiers who died in the trenches in 1914. She was on her own, pregnant with my father and with no farming skills. She sold the farm, went to town, bought a small house and started to live off of her craft. She soon became famous and loved. Her business went well and within few years she opened a studio to train young girls in the art of sewing in the back of her house. The house next door belonged to Madeleine Berthelot, a milliner, who made hats and sold fabrics and accessories. These two women lived like sisters: they shared their yard, their garden, their meals and long evenings of games. People would enter Mathilde's house, get measurements for their gowns, discuss prices and fabric choice and then move next door to Madeleine's tiny window boutique. There, they would buy the fabric, try on several hats, have their head measured and then order the hat of their choice. When the article of clothing was ready it was often stored in my grand mother's enormous wardrobe. Early on Sunday mornings, after having traveled several miles on foot or in horse carriages, farmers would stop at my grand-mother's house, drink a coffee with a type of donuts called Merveilles and change into their best attire to go to mass. After mass, the ritual would reverse: they would change into their every day clothes and head back to their farms. When I was little, people had cars and this ritual was gone but people continued to stop by. A tradition lingers. One day, a friend of Madeleine, Madame Brisoille, a widow retired from a fashion boutique in the big town near by, came to visit the two ladies for an extended week-end. She never left. The fashion trio was complete. They were known as "The Three Graces". This place was a paradise for my sister and me. We spent our vacation days in an attic smelling of rose powder, dressing ourselves with evening dresses, purses, hats, feathers and laces. My grandmother made us the most fabulous clothing and would also make matching dresses for our Barbie dolls. Our Barbies became unique. I always knew there is hope for Barbie whose body is so standardized! Mathilde was bold and creative and always inspired by the latest fashion. I remember a parrot dress made of bright yellow and bright green poplin with a large blue belt tied by a golden ring. There was also a light blue trapezoidal dress with a pocket embroidered with a spray of lily of the valley for good luck. I remember a dark red velvet cape with a black silk collar and a tweed jacket with a matching cap. Childhood is unique. It shapes us and never leaves us. When I moved to America I carried on with me these memories and I have tried to instill in my American daughters a sense of fashion that is unique and personalized. I think I succeeded, one is making jewelry and the other has an eye for reshaping vintage and second hand clothing. When we moved to Seattle, fourteen years ago, I found my store. The name of the store is Crackerjack and it is located in an historical building in the heart of our quaint district of Wallingford. I walk to the place and enjoy the full experience. The first time I walked in I was immediately transported into my grandmother's attic. It was the melting of "Little Madeleine" in my tongue, the way back and the way in. Crackerjack wears its noun well; it is not my grand mother's attic but it is filled with marvels. The floor creaks, the light shines through the large wood windows, a familiar face is smiling, and it smells of soap, polish, cupcakes and beeswax. Here, I have bought unique and meaningful gifts for my family and friends: hats, earrings, bracelets, pendants, pins, barrettes, lotions, soaps and more. All of the articles are made by local artists. The comfortable, light and waterproof raspberry hat I bought for my mother's eightieth birthday ten years ago is a hit in her small hamlet in France. She wears it by wind, rain and shine and is now known as the "Raspberry Cloche Woman". Going to Crackerjack is like going every Saturday morning to my local farmer's market to buy fresh organic produces grown locally. It looks right, it smells right, it tastes right and it feels right.
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Next Month: The Holidays!
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I wish you a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with good food, friends and family!
Kathleen Koch Crackerjack Contemporary Crafts
Thank You for your continued patronage of a local independent business and for supporting American handmade!
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