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The Fabric Studio

Working here at The Makery is like being a kid in a candy store. Having the privilege of choosing fabrics and yarns for retail has been a dream come true and I’d love to have a chance to share them with you. So here’s a short overview of what we’re offering!

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Cottons: Good old faithful, the staple of the sewing world. We have all the designer fabrics that you’ve been wanting from Westminster, Free Spirit and Riley Blake. Best to come see this in person, it’s worth the trip. What can’t you make with cottons?: pillows, totes, aprons, bibs, it’s limitless.

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Voiles: This fabric is less well known but super luxurious. A silky cotton based fabric with amazing drape. Slightly sheer and perfect for summery tops and dresses, we’ve also seen some amazing quilting done with this.

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Flannels: Who doesn’t love some flannel? This is a great layering fabric and we’ve got some cute, whimsical prints for the cute lil’ ones. We love this for a receiving blanket, pj pants and just about anything you want next to your skin

Jersey: We are still adding to this collection and are excited about all the cute baby things that will come from this stretchy cozy fabric.

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Cotton Laminate:  a fancy name for waterproof fabric. Think tablecloths, lunch bags and grocery totes. Much easier to manipulate than a vinyl or oilcloth with a nice malleable drape.

Cotton Gauze: We love this lightweight loosely woven fabric for swaddling baby blankets and beach cover ups. This is also a great opportunity for block printing.

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This is just the beginning. We're hard at work sampling projects, putting together kits and fabric packs. You won’t be disappointed!

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Baggu Reusable Totes

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Just in time for the Reusable Bag Ordinance in Los Altos, The Makery has tons of bright & sturdy Baggu reusable totes to help you go green!  These adorable carryalls are perfect for hauling groceries, gym gear or your purchases from The Makery.

We offer the Baggu reusable tote in an array of colors & patterns, including animals & stripes.  These totes come either as a single bag or a set of 3 in a handy zipper pouch.

The Baggu tote is made of ripstop nylon, is machine-washable & can hold up to 50 lbs.  Also, these reusable totes are so much cuter than a plastic bag!

We also have a lot of other Baggu designs that can be used for this same purpose in a variety of colors. Check out our Baggu stand the next time you come in. 

 

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Fun Happens All the Time at Bumble!

There are really awesome things happening every week in the playroom at Bumble.

We're always planning ahead to have the most exciting crafts and activities planned for your kids on a daily basis! 

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Did you know that every Sunday is Movie Night at Bumble? This coming Sunday we're watching Matilda in the Playroom and you can always check Bumble's event schedule for what movies is on the schedule for month. 

This Thursday we will be celebrating Independence Day with a 4th of July Themed Picnic in the Playroom.  Come join in our red white and blue themed event!  The kids can create their own 4th of July themed tissue wreath, colorful streamer windmill or take home a yummy mini s'more goodie bag.

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Don't forget -- every second Friday of the month Bumble's Playroom hosts it's Fun Friday Event! Friday July 12th we will be celebrating all of this warm weather we have been having with our Fun in the Sun themed event!  Take a dip in the summer sun, Bumble Style! Create a hand print paper sun plate, a summer spiral windmill, or decorate and take home one of our tasty jell-o sand cups!

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Red Racer Hobby Shop to Open on the 4th of July

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Start your engines...

Our custom built slot car track is ready for racing and will be open to drivers on The 4th of July! (10am-6pm) $5 for 15 minutes of track time.

Don't miss a minute of the action!

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Also, don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook and follow us on instagram. (@redracerhobbyshop)

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Corey Peters, Bumble's New Executive Chef

Corey Peters is the new Executive Chef at Bumble! 

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 Creative, talented and passionate about doing great things with locally sourced ingredients, Corey's been a part of the Bumble Family since before our doors were officially opened. 

We're excited to have Corey at the helm in the kitchen and we can't wait for all of the subtle but important refinements Corey is making to Bumble's menu.

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Summer Token Happy Hour

Summer solstice means it stays light out later - and Area 151 is open late too! All summer we are 10am til 10pm everyday!

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We've got a great deal for our Area 151'ers starting this week too... Summer Token Happy Hour! If you buy tokens between 8-10pm any night you get DOUBLE your tokens for the same price.

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We've extended our hours so you can enjoy the summer fun and win those tickets for lots of great prizes. Also, be sure to follow our social media accounts this week as you might win something!

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Dancing the Day Away at PLAY!

We are excited to add another delightfully creative and playful class to our schedule this summer, DANCE with teacher Karen Dycaico! 

Teacher Karen has been teaching young children dance for over 25 years in the Bay Area. She believes that dance is for everyone and introduces dance in a fun, creative, and playful manner so children learn to move and coordinate their bodies while having fun.

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Come join us for fun class full of jumping, skipping, leaping, marching, and of course dancing! Children will be led through a variety of exercises, will learn about classic ballet stories, and will improvise their own dances to express themselves.

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Teacher Karen will be here through the end of summer every Wednesday at 3:30 pm! 

 

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The Botanist Adds her Touch to the H&H Companies

The Botanist has been helping give a fresh look to various H&H Companies this month. 

With her unique eye and talent for making the unusual look beautiful, she's put a special touch on every room her arrangements grace. 

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The Bumble Adult Patio is now home to a gorgeous Staghorn Plaque Wall -- grown by Marisa Lyssand and installed by her husband Eirik. Staghorn ferns are epiphytes, which means they are air plants. They gladly grow on a wall mount, which lets air circulate around them. Aside from looking fabulous, they get their awesome name because their fronds look like the antlers of a staghorn deer! 

The Botanist will create the most luscious arrangements that add edge to any business or party and will be a huge H&H Event contributor, available to you soon!

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We stopped off at the home of The Botanist to get a sneak peek at what will be coming soon. We thank her for letting us poke around her cool nature environment for an afternoon.

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The Quest for the Best Burger

We have been hard at work the last two weeks with more tireless recipe testing. After about three months of trial and error, we have achieved a great level of consistency with our caramelized onion brioche bun. It is a very fickle process that seems to change just a bit each and every time we make the recipe. The burger pictured here had a bit too much bun, so yet another tweak will be necessary next week!

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The burger itself is made up of some beautiful natural beef from 5 Dot Ranch in Susanville. The composition is made up of short rib, chuck, and beef suet (fat). The suet really helps to ensure a juicy/delicious burger. It is topped with house made bread and butter pickles, our unique spin on 1000 island dressing, and pickled onions. The idea is to really keep things simple and with any luck, transport ya back to when you were a kid.

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Also this week we grilled up some 5 dot hanger steak and topped it with taberu rayu (Japanese for edible chile). It is a condiment made from red chilis, toasted garlic, toasted onion, peanuts, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. It has an addictive heat that you just can't stay way from!!

Just to add a little ruffage to our diets this week, I made a butter lettuce salad with Dungeness crab, avocado dressing and crispy avocado to act as croutons. A really delicious, light salad on a warm evening.

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We continue our quest to create what we hope will be the best burger you have ever eaten, and trust us when we say we love every minute of it!

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Preview Party at The Makery

It was a very exciting week at The Makery!  After months of preparation and hard work we launched our new business and had a very successful Opening Party on Friday June 14th.

The store was buzzing with friends and family who got a lucky first look at all that we’ve created here at The Makery.  

People were shopping and making, eating, drinking and enjoying our beautiful studio and retail space.  We are so happy to have officially opened to the public on Monday the 17th and hope that we continue to grow and impress our concept on as many people as possible, so come check us out soon!

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Makery Does Custom Requests

The Makery is now accepting orders for custom decorations your next party or event!  

Stop by anytime to tell us about your custom request.. anything from our tissue poufs to felt pennant banners in your party's color theme. 

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 As always, you can come by our studio to #MAKE your party decorations yourself or with friends anytime the studio is open.

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We can't wait to help make your event spectacular! 

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Fun at the Fair

June is the month for kicking off summer fun, and what better way to do it than a "Fun at the Fair" themed day in the Bumble Playroom!

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Over the past few weeks the playroom staff were busy organizing this month's Fun  Friday to make sure every detail was jam-packed with a Bumble good time. Well, after a day full of parachute filled ceilings, face painted cheeks, clown paper plate art projects, polka dotted balloons, carnival music and a special apple carousel themed cooking project-- we'd say the day was a success! 

So would the 40 kids who joined in on the fun and took their special "Fun at the Fair" souvenir home with them. 

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Next on the Bumble Playroom menu is our Tie Dye Fun event taking place Wednesday, June 26th.  Come by and brighten up one of our tote bags or bring in your own t-shirt, bag, hat or even socks to decorate!

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Come July you will be seeing stars and stripes at Bumble Playroom's 4th of July Party!  Wear your red white and blue and come ready for a summer picnic!

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Brad's Tracks' Custom Build for Red Racer

Hello Red Racer fans! Just speeding through to bring you some cool news, updates and lingo of what we've got crusin' behind the scenes!  

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Red Racer is most pleased to announce we are the new home of a custom Slot Car Track by Brad's Tracks.  Brad is one of the original custom slot car track builders in the US and we are honored to bring one of his creations to Los Altos.  Our PIT CREW is hard at work getting our new custom time tracking software installed and up and running. 

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It measures in at 6 ft wide x 18 ft long with 4 lanes and 72 ft of lap length. You and your friends are sure to be practicing your BREAKAWAYS in no time at all. That's not all-- the most exciting addition is the new face lift we are giving this baby. No BEAR GREASE on this track! Equipped with recreated miniature H&H specific businesses from around town to set the scene!  

Don't be a DRAG-- stay up to date on all our Red Racer Hobby Shop news! Ready your engines for our green light so you can race to our doors as soon as we open!  

Your CREW CHIEF will be glad you did!

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GLOSSARY:

PIT CREW: Members of the team that services and repairs a race car. 

BREAKAWAYS: Suddenly driving away from a pack of racers, quickly enough that opponents cannot keep close enough to draft.

BEAR GREASE:  Slang term used to describe any patching material used to fill cracks and holes or smooth bumps on a track's surface.

DRAG: When a rider can no longer stay with a group.

CREW CHIEF: Team leader. Depending on the team, duties include everything form making assignments in the shop, to calling the shots in the pits, to handling airline and motel reservations.

 

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Rebuilding Together Peninsula

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The H&H Company was proud to be a part of this years National Rebuilding Day and had such a blast chipping in to help give Lily a new home.  

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You can read all about the day from our founder, Mary Heffernan's perspective on HER BLOG.

Also, enjoy a video from the day we gave Lily a new home brought to you by 
Alison Reyes and The H&H Company.

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This is a short film about a non profit organization, Rebuilding Together Peninsula, and a sweet 88 year old woman named Lily. On April 27th 2013, 40 volunteers from Bumble Los Altos and Cody Brock Commercial Builders helped Lily by building her a new kitchen, a new bathroom, repainting her house, and re-landscaping her entire home. RTP and their amazing volunteers also fixed the plumbing and electrical making sure she was safe and warm in her house and so that she can to live independently for years to come. All of this was done at no cost to Lily and entirely with donated labor and materials. This film is to document the day they gave Lily a new “Home” and to promote Rebuilding Together Peninsula and its effort to inspire others to help other homeowners just like Lily.

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The Makery Knit Division heads to the East Coast!

This week Jannie and I are buzzing about our whirlwind trip to the East Coast, on behalf of the Makery.

Our first stop was to Squam, an arts workshop, or as we like to think of it: craft camp for adults. [http://www.squamartworkshops.com] Our visit at Squam included a party hosted by the well known Ravelry [http://www.ravelry.com] (a social site for knitters), a craft fair populated with local artisans and a slew of excitable crafters who loved hearing about our new venture, the Makery. There may have been a knitting race or two!

 

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After spending the night in our little cabin we snuck to a little dock for our morning knitting. What else would you do with a patch of sunshine on a lake?

For our next leg of the trip we drove South and scooped up all the vintage goodies we could find for the Makery. Who knew there were so many cute New England antique stores?  

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Our next task was visiting Northampton, MA, the home of WEBS (yarn.com). Jannie can’t pass up a good yarn store and I couldn’t wait for her to see my old workplace.

While we were in town we met up with the very talented Gail Callahan, also known as the Kangaroo Dyer [http://kangaroodyer.com] (author of Handdyeing Yarn and Fleece and creator of the Color Grid, [http://kangaroodyer.com/our_products/books.html]  both for sale in our store). Gail taught us how simple applying dye and paint can be. Even though we felt like novices we stumbled our way into masterpieces with very little effort. We can’t wait to add this to the class list, so stay tuned...

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The epic journey has come to a close but the real adventure begins today when we invite you to experience all of the magic with us.

Happy knitting,  

Cara

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Did you know...

As we prepare for our opening on Monday, we wanted to share a few things with our guests that they may not know about The Makery!  

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The H&H Company Presents The Botanist

We have an exciting new shop coming to downtown Los Altos! Brought to you by The H&H Company and run by floral and garden designer Marisa Lyssand, The Botanist will be a beautiful shop for all things botanical.

Here is an interview with Marisa herself...

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So, we're curious about you! Where did all this start?

It all started when I was young. I've always been a gardener and have always loved plants and flowers. I started working in a nursery when I was 18 and learned a lot of what I know about plants. I was the buyer and the designer there for 10 years and decided I wanted to try it on my own. I started my own business doing botanical design and have been doing that ever since. 

How does your process work?

I see color first, and texture. It starts with one or two things and I build from there.

How do you feel your style will influence the work that comes out of The Botanist? 

I do love using unusual things that you would not see in typical arrangements.  It could be carrot blossoms or my fascination with foliage while I'm running or driving. I love branches and trees. I see nature everywhere. 

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What will The Botanist offer?

The Botanist will offer well-curated planted pots, small scale landscaping, events florals, weekly arrangements, orchids and house plants. It will all be very specific to The Botanist aesthetic.   There will be lots of found amazing artifacts as well. 

Where do you see trends going in the industry right now? 

I see them going toward natural gardens. I like a kept garden, but I also love the feeling that you've come upon natural beauty on your hike or somewhere that might surprise you in the outdoors. 

So Marisa, what are you loving for summer? 

A wild garden rose. Nevermind all these weird, straight, scentless grocery store roses. We love things that come from the garden, not the science lab. I also love to throw in a few succulents here and there. I might surprise you!

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Heard it Through the Vine

We've had some huge winners at the arcade this week... 

Sara has been coming in with her family every Friday for months in order to earn her brand new iPod Touch. She definitely deserves it!

Samir has also been saving up big time through our ticket accounts and has won his own remote control helicopter.

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This week we've set up a brand new Vine account to help keep you guys updated with what is going on in the arcade, video-style!

We have already posted a few videos to keep our Area 151'ers updated, but here is one of our first Vines that we've posted with many more to come.

Make sure to follow us as we are sure to have contests and other fantastic updates on our Vine. You can follow us at Area 151 DTLA and be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming contests within the next week!

 

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First Friday Pizza Party @ Play!

The H&H Company embarks on DTLA adventures every day. Last Friday, Teacher Nora and her stoic assistant Seamus braved the busy streets to bring some delicious pizza back to PLAY! for our June First Friday Pizza Party!

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It was a total blast! We had quite the turn out for some Spot pizza and playtime last Friday evening. Play hosts a pizza party every first friday of the month from 5pm to 8pm! 

Join us in our indoor courtyard for the next pizza party on July 12th. You bring the hungry kids and some sippy cups and we'll provide the pizza and playspace! 

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*Pizza is included with your Play Pass purchase. 

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