· By Phoebe Carpenter Eells
March 2025
March 6th 2025
Things keep getting weirder but somehow I still have hope.
Sometimes I write down themes when I'm in a rush but have topics on my brain. I typically come back and fill them. Yesterday I wrote the bullets below intending to return to them this morning and expand them into paragraphs. Sitting here this morning I think they're interesting just as they are. This era for me is all about allowing room for different, weird, and unique approaches. Acting with more freedom and less fear.
Themes on my mind this week:
- We can do hard things.
- Community.
- Figuring it out.
- Focusing on prioritizing: health, joy, hope.
- Fighting back wherever/whenever we can.
- Standing up for who & what we believe in.
- Be the change you want to see.
I'm in my middle aged, weighted vest while walking era. Moving my body everyday, getting outside, & turning off the news have all been key parts in my wellness lately. How are you holding up through the chaos that is our political system? What are you doing that is helping you stay sane?
In the last week I went to the Cinderella play at McIntyre Hall, hosted a workshopfor the most delightful duo, worked on 2 custom commissions, secured a new location for our winter Valley Made Markets (woohoo!), attended Tuesday's protest (thanks to my dad for getting me there), and worked hard on logistics for the outdoor series of Valley Made Market (opening day is April 27!!!). New stickers arrived yesterday and will be available later today. I have one collection of art drying and a fresh batch of boards gessoed and ready for color/art. Creativity and community are spilling out of the shop lately!
Prioritizing life in-real-life feels important right now. Less news, more coffee with friends. Taking a kid to the playground over doomscrolling, making art over reading the paper.
There's a lot of chatter about using our dollars to vote for what we want to see (not see) in the world. As we spend less at Target and Amazon we look for alternatives like locally owned pharmacies, Main Street businesses, and independent companies along with larger corporations like Costco who are pushing back against the current government overreach. There will be loss during this era, let's fight where we can to keep what we want to see in this world!
Stay creative, remain whole, keep hope!
In Solidarity,
Phoebe
|
March 12, 2025
Hope is a practice, and sometimes it involves limiting your exposure to reality 🙃
A few short thoughts. Things are full over here which is a decent distraction all in all.
My week has been a whirlwind of parenting, Valley Made Market preparations, self care, and creating wherever possible.
A few exciting happenings: we have a full line up for Valley Made 2025 Outdoor Series! New vendors, a full scholarship booth line up, 2 bands each month. We're looking forward to the opportunity to gather, support indie made businesses and listen to live music.
New stickers are here, hats are on the way, and spring apparel is not far behind. It feels good to be creating.
I hope that you all find space to create, move, & exhale this week. Even if it's just for a moment.
Until next time,
Phoebe
 |
|
March 28th
March has been busy. So much so that I haven’t been in touch as much. I did start a log of these 2025 newsletter notes. You can find January here and February’s here.
In this bizarre political timeline we’re in, I continue to focus on building community, leaning into my creativity, and elSage Shop being a democratic landing spot downtown. I’m trying to keep the work sustainable and also keep the wheels on everything so elSage can stick around. I hope you’re also making time for resistance work but balancing it with all of the other things on your plate. I’m a firm believer that we can’t let their chaos consume us.
A few projects our team has been working on:
We put together all of the Valley Made Market outdoor line ups and have posters and handbills all ready with maybe the most delightful poster design ever. Stop by the shop if you need a flyer for your fridge or if you’re willing to help us network with posters!
Our dates are set for the holiday market at (new location) Hillcrest Lodge this year! Save the dates for 3 shows this winter right at Hillcrest Park in Mount Vernon. This new location is ADA accessible and just up the hill from our shop and Downtown Mount Vernon.
November: 15-16, 10-4pm
December: 6-7, 10-4pm December: 20-21, 10-4pm The shop greeting card racks got new signage! There are now proper labels on all of the categories helping you find what you need. Some of the signage out front was also upgraded- more to come on that with window signage on deck.
I’ve been thinking a lot, and chatting with other business owners, about your economic power. Boycotts are doing some serious work out there and people realizing that spending power is significant. I’m curious to see if this translates into a renewed excitement for shopping small, attending Valley Made Market and supporting real (good) people (rather than billionaires). Community is Queen I always say, and I think she’s about to be on trend!
I buried the lead a little. Last week I was thinking through our second ever “Locals Sale” to launch right before a literal million tourists come through Skagit Valley for tulip season. As I was thinking (last Friday morning) it occurred to me that maybe other shops in our amazing downtown would want to join forces. Within a few hours we had the makings of an event. I’m super excited to kick off the first ever Locals Weekend on Mainstreet in Downtown Mount Vernon. Starting today, you’ll find sales, specials, fresh energy, demos, and more all on 1st Street in Downtown Mount Vernon. See more details here!
You don’t have to be local to join in the fun- locals are just our muse for this one. Here’s the line up at elSage:
25% off all elSage Made goods (including our new Tulip Moon design). Discount is valid both in store and online, no matter where you live.
That discount includes Workshops + elSage sale. Print your own trucker hat! Stop in and pull your own trucker hat print during the weekend. Choose the hat color and we will have a variety of inks and designs on press. These work out to be $21 after the discount- make a memory and get a cool hat for spring! Today 4-6pm, Saturday and Sunday 12-2
Over a dozen Mainstreet shops are participating with The Coop offering a $5 dinner tonight at 5pm, KLT:Works showing off pot throwing demos on Saturday, Jeka offering DIY terrariums, Kids Stuff will have giveaway prizes, Dorothea Coffee has $3 pour overs, and bloom floral is gifting a 25% discount on Tulips. Stop in and say hey to your favorite shops this weekend. Be part of a new Locals Weekend tradition and check out the daffodil fields on your way.
I’m ever-grateful to everyone who gets on board with new ideas, even on short notice. Huge thanks to Mainstreet folks and to all of you who are out there on the other side of what can feel like screaming into the void at times.
Alright, no links this week because I’m tight on time. My advice? Buy something nice for yourself this weekend- even if it’s a $10 bunch of flowers that make you smile. Breathe in the spring air, talk to someone in real life.
I’ll be in touch next week. There’s a people power protest shaping up for April 5th (save the date/time, I’ll be heading over to the courthouse at 1:45). Does anyone want to make signs at the shop beforehand?
Next week I'll send over a little bit more activism and plenty of fresh prints. Hope to see you this weekend at the shop.
xx, Phoebe |
