Shopping with Kelly – Hot Local Flair

HOT SUMMER GIFTS

with local flair Shopping with Kelly

Village Books & Paper Dreams Owner & Gift Buyer Kelly Evert Shares Her Top Picks for the Season

As I write this, it is a beautiful sunny northwest day. This particular summer is exciting; we are feeling a difference as more people become vaccinated. We are tentatively beginning to hug friends and family, shake hands, and share smiles.

Many of us will be sharing picnics, and BBQs, maybe even out at a park. We will celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and weddings. Still in small groups, but the thought of some normalcy is huge. As we celebrate those around us, we should also thank those companies that are located in the northwest that have created and have kept their businesses running this past year. I’m sure it has been difficult for them! You have seen their products in the store, and here is a little background about some of our favorite vendors.

Samish Bay Soaps

Handcrafted right here in Bellingham, every batch of Samish Bay Soaps is created, cut, and packaged by hand by a family of three—Kim, John, and Rachel Heinke. Inspired by their natural surroundings in the Pacific Northwest, they use only plant-derived, pure essential oils and herbs. You won't find any chemical fragrances or colorants in these cruelty free products. “We like to keep things as simple and natural as possible,” says Kim. "We hope you enjoy our soaps as much as we love making them!"

Fun fact: Paper Dreams was their second retail account! We were lucky enough to start selling these soaps in 1997. Coming in a variety of scents and sizes, these delightful soaps make the perfect host gift or pick-me-up for your own home.

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GurglePot

The GurglePot is a unique and whimsical fish-shaped pitcher that... gurgles! Available in a variety of beautiful colors and sizes, they've been a popular gift item at Paper Dreams for the past decade. But where do they come from? The story began in 1995 when Matt and Jennifer Ellison – who met while going to WSU–attended a wedding in a small village in Southern France. “Since there were no hotels in town," Matt explains, "all guests were matched with French hosts. Our hosts spoke no English and we spoke no French—which made for long, awkward silences at the three hour French dinners. There was, however, one saving grace... a fish shaped water pitcher that 'gurgled.' We found ourselves drinking more water than wine so we could fill the silent room with 'gurgling' and unite the table with smiles." Inspired by the lighthearted effect of the gurgling sound, Matt began sculpting a version of his own and 10 years later—after two kids, multiple jobs, and lots of mold making, research, and persistence—Matt and Jennifer introduced GurglePot. They celebrate 15 years in business this June, joined by a team of loyal and committed employees. Everyone needs a little Gurgle in their lives!

Stickers Northwest

Seven years ago, Tony Saddler found himself looking for a side hustle when a new baby created the need for an additional cash flow. So he decided to sell premium stickers online—introducing Stickers Northwest! His first success was a "12" using the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks colors. He soon started creating new sticker designs focusing on the outdoors and localized pride. There was no looking back! His work now adorns computers, cars, and water bottles everywhere you look! In addition to stickers, these popular designs are now available on t-shirts, hats, buttons, magnets, keychains and mugs as well. Fifteen employees (and four kids) in, Saddler's Tacoma-based company now boasts hundreds of designs which are distributed throughout the United States and Canada. Fun fact #1: Tony went to Western Washington University Fun fact #2: Village Books and Paper Dreams was one of the first places he visited to show his "12" sticker which we immediately bought to sell and are happy to now carry a full spinner of his art. Stop by!

ModSocks

When Urania Shaklee opened ModSock in downtown Bellingham in 2011, it was difficult for many to imagine that a shop selling only socks could survive, let alone launch their own line and become one of the largest online sock retailers on the internet. But that's what happened. They had dozens of ideas and requests for socks that didn’t yet exist so with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign (ha, get it, KICKstarter), the in-house sock design company ModSocks (plural) was created. Beginning with just 12 designs created by Shaklee, there are now more than 250 of their whimsical and creative styles available at retail stores all over the world— including your favorite gift store, Paper Dreams! NEW! ModSock is now Cute But Crazy — with a new mission to support mental health by giving 1% of sales to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Bellingham Flag

LARIAT Creative

LARIAT Creative is the design studio of Bradley James Lockhart —the man behind the popular Bellingham Flag. Specializing in animation, illustration and graphic design, his award-winning work has been featured in multiple publications including Brand New, The Daily Hive, Evening Magazine, and The Seattle Times. Lockhart designed the municipal flag for the city of Bellingham in accordance with the principles of vexillology, which is the scientific study of the history, symbolism and usage of flags. This design won an unofficial contest hosted by the Downtown Bellingham Partnership and was first raised in March of 2016. After being endorsed by the Port of Bellingham, approved by both the Nooksack and Lummi Tribal Councils, flown by dozens of local businesses and hundreds of citizens, the flag was officially adopted by the government of the City of Bellingham on April 24, 2017. It is the first official flag in the city's 113 year history.

Symbolism Behind The Flag Design 1. Blue half-circle for Bellingham Bay 2. Stars for the local Coast Salish peoples: The Lummi Nation and The Nooksack Tribe 3. Wavy lines for “noisy waters”– the translation of the word "Whatcom." When flown vertically, it also the lines represent Whatcom Falls. 4. Green stripes for the original towns of Bellingham: Whatcom, Sehome, Bellingham, Fairhaven.

Thanks for your continued support. We can't wait to see your smiling faces!

Kelly Evert Owner of an Independent Business Building Community One Book at a Time Since 1980