Baes and Besties

Hello Dear Watson & Lou makers, collaborators, studio dwellers, workshop goers, and givers of supreme and wonderful handmade gifts,

After a relatively quiet month and some much needed holiday recovery, we are ready to spring into February and March with all the gusto and desperation of sun-starved Canadians who have no choice but to take a multi-pronged creative approach to warding off seasonal depression! Yay! 

Allow us to feature some activities and things that might also help you in the departments of self-care, community, and retail therapy...

For starters, due to snowmageddon, we have a few spots left in our rescheduled Instagram Bootcamp, which will now be taking place THIS Sunday, February 11th from 1-3pm. This is the perfect jam-packed two hour session for small business owners to meet other folks in the same boat and learn to vamp up their social media.

Next Saturday, February 17th, we're hosting Sarah Peers of Travelling Teacups with her incredible towers of pre-drilled vintage china. Come and Tier-It-Yourself to make a totally personalized, totally awesome dessert or jewelry stand while you consume tea and treats.

Then we're running another Etsy 101 for folks who'd like to learn how to sell their handmade or vintage goods online. A bit longer and more detailed than the last session, we are going to go over everything you need to know to get up and running and be your own boss!

Then, because you asked (so, so many times), Natalie Raponi of HeckYes! will be back with another gorgeous Succulent and Cacti Desert Garden Workshop on Saturday February 24th. This workshop provides a pretty serious succulent education, with something absolutely beautiful to show for it. 

We've been having a BLAST staying open late for the First Friday Art Crawls. This March 2nd, on your saunter from gallery to gallery in the Commerce Building and beyond, stop by Watson & Lou for a stellar Vintage Pop-Up (clothes! decor! accessories!) with return guests Mixtape Vintage and Dead Daisy Vintage. 

In terms of pick-me-ups for you and your galentines, frenemies, and lovers, we have a few super special things to recommend at the moment: 

1. Wake Up Spray by most-awesome-doulas-of-all-time Steph and Jenn at Hello Baby. This lovely alchohol-free mandarin, red ginger, geranium, witch hazel blend feels great on your face and clothes first thing, or when you hit that 3pm wall. A nice little wake-up ritual to do with your little ones too. 

2. Charcoal Mask & Exfoliant by Garden City Essentials. $27 for a face mask sounds like a lot. But $27 for a year's worth? Pretty good. Anna has been doing weekly masks since August and is only partway through the bottle. And her skin is feeling reeeeeally clean and soft and balanced.  

3. EVERYTHING BY BIRCHWOOD FINE ART!! Amber Johnson has hit the shelves, and we are over the moon about her beautiful faux taxidermy, play things, and unicorn headbands (which sold out pretty fast, but they'll be back!).

4. To top your special valentine offering, we've got some lovely letterpress cards in store by Jackson Creek Press, sweet animals by Ashforth Press, and some nerdilicious gems by local photography Mark L. Craighead.

5. Last but not least, everything by Lakeside Stitch Co. is 15-50% off in store, so get in here and warm your frigid extremities in style!

There so much more new in store too... prints by Jackie Lee Art, hand cut maps by Cardtography, essential oils.... so much more to photograph and get on the website in the coming weeks! 

DON'T FORGET: Our shared studio space is available for daytime rental, coffee, and sit/stand desks included. Come set up for TOTALLY FREE full-day trial anytime.

And with that, we will sign off. Thanks again so much for your continued support. We are really, really lucky to facilitate this little creative hub, and are forever awestruck but the talent and community support that exists in Peterborough.

Happy Valentines/Galentines/Bittertines/LoveStinkstines day,

Anna + Erin