Small Comforts

Hello, and welcome to the first W&L blog post in over a year!

We're so proud of ourselves for making it through 2020 that we did this big jump!

Like most of you, we have been adjusting ad hoc to unexpected challenges, eating more carbohydrates than usual, and trying to use this weird time to assess our goals a little deeper in light of our rapidly changing world.

[Fresh prints by Jeff Macklin of Jackson Creek Press]

From a business-owning perspective, things were a bit dicey during the first lockdown, but so many of you made the wise and admirable decision to buy your holiday gifts locally that we were able breathe easy-ish through our triple layer cotton masks. 

[More 3D Nest Boutique masks coming soon. Follow us on Instagram or Facebook to catch the restock.]

 You continue to allow our little shop to exist and put funds in the pockets of local creatives and we are SO GRATEFUL. Maybe we sound like a broken record when it comes to all this gratitude and privilege business, but hey, acknowledging that stuff and spreading it around is just, like, the secret to happiness and a functioning society and planet...

[Risograph print by local artist Kathryn Durst.]

If it wasn't clear to us before that the arts are an absolutely, positively, undeniably essential part of our survival (it was), it is crystal clear now. No need to write about it at length because so many people already have, but we're also turning to books, music, theatre, dance, arts & crafts, and the small comforts of unique handmade goods now more than ever. We need these glimmers of connection, creativity, and joy to work through the grief, anxiety, depression, uncertainty, and paralysis that comes with having normal routines upended by invisible forces beyond our control. 

[New stained glass work by Sweetfern Studios and herb-infused beeswax by The Eclectic Herbal]

Despite being technically non-essential, the acts of collecting, organizing, photographing, describing, advertising, packing, and delivering your thoughtfully purchased gifts and pick-me-ups during a global pandemic has re-affirmed our love for this community and our place in it. We hope to serve you for long time, and to keep finding ways to do better for our staff, our makers, our community partners, and the planet. 

Here's hoping we can re-open safely and see all your beautiful foreheads again soon.

[Embroideries by Meg Elliot of Sew Pretty by Meg]

Workshops and the "Vintage Room" are sadly still on hiatus, but we are really excited about sourcing new and wonderful treasures for you in 2021. First up: Melissa Falconer's original pop art inspired by black culture, and Calyx Wellness hemp-derived CBD products are on their way to our door this month, followed by new jewels (gold!? clay!?), and more fresh prints by local artists.

And because some of you like to know about this stuff, we are very happy to announce that after a long road, Anna and her partner are becoming parents this month, and they are beside themselves with (an embarrassing amount of) glee.

[Toque by Purls to Poms, grow-with-me tops and bottoms by Kid's Stuff, and booties by Coyle's Cubby]

Thanks for your continued support. It means the world to us, our families, our staff, and over 60 local makers and artists. 

With love, and hope that you have many small comforts and glimmers of joy and connection during this craptastic pandemic,

Anna & Erin