It's been almost two months since we closed our doors at the shoppe, and it's already starting to feel like a distant memory... Fortunately we are not ones to dwell on the past and make ourselves sad thinking about what we no longer have. Nope, instead we tend to dive head first into new projects, and our upcoming issue of Pop-Up Magazine, a collaboration with McSweeney's (!) and Beck (!!) has been just the thing to keep us busy.

The first issue of Pop-Up was four years ago now, and since then we've grown from a small theater in the Mission to the 2500+ seat Davies Symphony Hall. (Symphony Hall! Every time we go there we are blown away with how grand it is. Seats as far as the eye can see!) After three successful shows there, we've decided to mix it up and try something new. We can't divulge too many details yet, but it's going to be a very different show for us, and collaborating with people who we are huge admirers of has been making the process that much more fun and exciting.

So sign up on Pop-Up's mailing list for updates, head over to McSweeney's and pick up a copy of Beck's Song Reader, and stay glued to your computer screens on April 24th at noon when tickets go on sale.... we definitely want to see you all there!

Such a good question! One we received countless times from customers, vendors, collaborators, and other local business owners who came by to shop and say goodbye this weekend. Well, it wasn't for a lack of love, passion, or even money for that matter. It wasn't because of rent hikes or the extraordinary changes the neighborhood has seen in recent months and years. Closing the Shoppe was a decision that we made for countless personal and professional reasons that are neither simple to explain, nor all that interesting to hear about. And that's why it's been so easy to just say, "It was time."

When we opened the Shoppe 6+ years ago we made an ambitious list of goals we hoped to accomplish. Thanks to all of our fantastic customers and collaborators we were able to do every single one of them (and quite a few we never dreamed of). We've met amazing people, sold beautiful objects, supported talented artists, written books and articles, gotten lovely mentions in our favorite magazines, we even designed a line for Target (!!).

During that same time we also had a baby, co-founded Pop-Up Magazine, took on other jobs, and it reminded us that there are so many other things we're interested in, and so many new and exciting opportunities to explore. And that in order to have enough time and space in our lives to start saying "YES!" to new things, we needed to say "Goodbye" to some old things. 

So thanks for 6 great years! We'll continue posting on Smarts&Crafts every now and then- please check back to see what we're up to next.

xoxo
Derek & Lauren

We are closing the shoppe, and there are only a few days left to place online orders, with everything priced at 20% off! (Stuff is going FAST!) The online store will be closing at midnight this Friday, February 8th, and the last day to visit our Valencia Street storefront is Sunday, February 17th. Please come by for a visit- we'd love to see you!

Read more about our decision to close the shoppe here.

ALSO: 15% OFF all Shoppe merchandise from 6-9pm!!!

Eariler this summer we received a curious email from the outrageously talented singer-songwriter Michael Zapruder. He wondered if we might be interested in an insanely ambitious project he was working on called Pink Thunder that somehow involved poetry, music, photography, and a collection of handmade, one-of-a-kind portmanteaus. Our first reaction was "Poor-Man-whats!?!" Our second was "Whatever...this sounds crazy-awesome. Let's do something!"

So please join us next Thursday, October 18th to celebrate the release of Michael's new album Pink Thunder!! In addition to the actual album, Michael will also be releasing a companion book + cd (featuring photographs of the recording sessions, as well as hand-lettered renditions of the poems he used as lyrics), and IN ADDITION TO THAT (and this is where it gets really nuts), for each song on the album, Michael has built a beautiful and unique portmanteau (pictured below), which is part sculpture, part music player. Just plug in your headphones, press the button, and enjoy the song!

You can read more about this remarkable project here, and here, and be sure to check out the first video from the album for the song "Florida" below. So please clear your calendar and join us on Thursday the 18th to congratulate Michael and experience the Pink Thunder album + book + portmanteau awesomeness in person.

WHAT: Michael Zapruder's Pink Thunder Release Party!
WHEN: Thursday, October 18th, 6-8pm
WHERE: The Curiosity Shoppe, 855 Valencia Street, San Francisco 

Fall is here! Time to throw on a cozy sweater, bust out the telescope, climb up on the roof and gaze at the stars while sipping warm cider. Who's with us? We're loving all these constellation-themed items in the shoppe!

1. Screenprinted Tote by Homart

2. Letterpressed Notebooks by Constellation & Co.

3. Constellation Matches by Homart

4. Stitch the Stars 2013 Calendar by Heather Lins Home

Capital Pop Up At The Curiosity Shoppe from Capital on Vimeo.

When we're contemplating what items to carry at the Curiosity Shoppe, there are a lot of factors we consider. Beauty is a big one, Utility not far behind, and then of course there is that all important, totally ineffible "special something" about an object that convinces us we need it. The sunglasses created by our friends at Capital eyewear perfectly exemplify all of those things. They're obviously beautiful, their fancy Karl Zeiss Vision Lenses with 100% UV protection make them extremely useful, and the fact that they are handmade from renewable resources (wood or plant-based acetate) right here in San Francisco more than qualifies as that "special something" we so keenly seek.

We are thrilled that Capital will be taking over our gallery space for the next few weeks. We highly encourage you to come down and check out the glasses in person. They are truly unique and we're sure you'll look great in them!

(Pictured above are 2 of our personal favorites, and HOLY MOLY!, check out the amazing promo video they put together!)

WHAT: Capital Eyewear Pop-Up Shop!
WHEN: 10/1-10/15
WHERE: The Curiosity Shoppe, 855 Valencia Street, San Francisco

Thank you to all the many awesome people who stopped by our Park(ing) Day installation last Friday!! Curbed SF has a great roundup of the day, including some great shots of our little urban campsite! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to create such a beautiful and memorable space, and a special thanks to our friends at Dandelion Chocolates who elevated our S'mores making to absurdly delicious heights!!! (photos: Curbed SF) 

We have a little problem with magazines. Once upon a time we had over a dozen subscriptions, (we've since pared down) and we've been known to leave our favorite bookstores and news stands with armloads of new publications, you know, for "research".

ISSUES is one of the best magazine stores we've ever stepped foot in, and having a mini ISSUES pop up shop at the Curiosity Shoppe has been a dream come true! Only open until the end of the month, so come by soon!

We're planning a little party to celebrate ISSUES and all it's awesomeness, so if you're in SF next Friday evening, please stop by!

WHAT: ISSUES Pop Up shop celebration
WHEN: Friday, September 28th, 6-8pm
WHERE: At the Curiosity Shoppe, 855 Valencia St. San Francisco

Here's are just a few of the titles that the ISSUES team has brought to the shoppe: Colors, Lula, Domino, Dice, Cabinet, Lapham's Quarterly, California Northern, Clutter, Ugly Things, Esopus, Oh Comely, Diaspora + more!

Books: Time Bomb Snooze Alarm, Make Your Place, Rad Dad, How To Be A Man (A Guide to Style and Behavior for the Modern Gentleman), Secret Stairs East Bay, Ritual America, The Art of Daniel Clowes + more!

There are shirts and pins and cassettes (!!!) for sale too!!

Friends!! Join us!!!

We are super excited to be participating in this year's Park(ing) Day!! Thanks to Ali over at The Studio for Urban Projects and Amber from the Mission Greenbelt Project, we'll be teaming up with a stellar crew of smart and talented folks to create an amazingly inviting and fun and unforgettable Pop Up Habitat in front of the Shoppe. Bay Natives Nursery will be providing a wildlife garden with plants that attract native species of birds and insects, our pals at Alite Designs will be bringing camping gear and games, there will be habitats specially designed for Bay Area critters by CCA's Nature in the City students, and members from the San Francisco chapter of the Bleeding Thumb Whittling Club will be cutting it up!!

Please come down and join us! it's going to be a fantastic day!!

WHAT: Park(ing) Day 2012
WHEN: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 21st
WHERE: In front of The Curiosity Shoppe, 855 Valencia Street (btwn 19th & 20th)
WHY: To reclaim our city!! And because it's going to be AWESOME!!!