Black Friday Launch of POP SHOP NEWARK

Now more than ever, it is time to support your own community. Shop local this Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and more throughout the year. Empower the businesses that IMPROVE, & SUPPORT the lives of those around them. 

POP SHOP Newark 2014

at Gallery Aferro

73 Market St

Newark, NJ 

Erica Jones, CEO (CrafterExtraOrdinaire) of The Crop Shop

Erica Jones is one of my real life heroes. Despite her petite size, she has the vision and heart of a giant. The NJ-based, Rutgers University graduate landed a sweet, high paying job for a Fortune 500 company in NYC after graduation but eventually walked away from it to follow her dreams. It was a simple enough dream of being able to be a mother to her young child while earning a living doing work she loves. So she took her savings and opened a scrapbooking boutique in the hip and happening town Hoboken, NJ. Business took off and she had the luxury of creating a healthy work/life balance. Dream come true, right? Well, not exactly...

When Hurricane Sandy hit, her business was completely and utterly demolished. Totally destroyed. Did she close the door on her dreams and go crawling back to Corporate America, though? Absolutely not! Erica Jones rebuilt The Crop Shop and is now, after 5 years running a successful business, on the verge of expansion. She is terribly modest and her interview below may disguise the fact that she's a super hero but don't let her modesty fool you.

Erica Jones ROCKS.

PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF. 
My name is Erica Jones and I am the Owner of The Crop Shop located in Hoboken, NJ. 

 
WHAT DO YOU CREATE? I would consider myself a multi-media artist. I love to work on canvases and in journals, but I also find myself creating a lot of functional pieces too, such as tables, chairs, and bookcases. I’m probably more of a crafty carpenter!

 
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED ON YOUR CREATIVE PATH? I began taking pottery classes at the age of 7 years old. I made vases and plates that my mother still has to this day! I’m pretty sure that was my only structured instruction. I just continued to work on my craft because it was a source of comfort and relaxation to me. Around my college years, I began getting into scrapbooking, which was the inspiration for starting my own scrapbooking business. I opened TCS in December 2009, first starting as a scrapbook studio, and then transforming to an all around Arts & Crafts studio a couple years later. 

 
WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO CREATE? I am inspired by all things beautiful and different… oh, and the color turquoise! I love experimenting with different mediums and I am usually inspired by the desire to have things on display within my own home or a determination to use a material or medium I have never used before. 

 
HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO MAKE A LIVING BY BEING YOUR AUTHENTIC, CREATIVE SELF? I make my living by inspiring and teaching others to love the creative process too. I teach classes and run workshops, hoping to inspire the next generation of artists and creators! 

 
WHAT NEW PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON? I am currently expanding my studio to become an Art Café, a place where people can convene and create in the same space. 

 
HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND & SUPPORT YOUR WORK? TCS can be found online at crop-shop.com, on FB at https://www.facebook.com/TheCropShop on Twitter at Twitter.com/cropshophoboken or by visiting us at 720 Monroe Street, Hoboken,NJ 07030.

Fashion ReDesign Birthday Parties and Deck Design Workshops

Are you in NYC or North Jersey and have a 'tween or teenager have a birthday coming up? Show him/her that you're the COOLEST parent ever and book a Fashion ReDesign Birthday Party at The Crop Shop! (Hosted by me) Your child and his/her 9 besties will explore how to transform everyday items into fashionable accessories and garments.

Activities may include:
• Upcycle Market Bag
• Gemmed Wooden Clutch
• Fabric-Covered Bangles
• Leather Earrings
• Studded/Chain Zipper Bracelets
• Recycled Denim Bib Necklaces
• Floral Sandals/Chain-Trimmed Boots
• Upcycled Sweater Totes
Book your emerging fashion designer's party at www.crop-shop.com today!

And for skaters (adults, 'tweens and teens), they will LOVE you for enrolling them in THIS class:

Students will learn techniques to create personalized artwork on skateboards.  They will learn how to mix paints, create stencils using the tape masking method, and learn how to protect their artwork with protective coatings. The completed skateboard is intended to be used as a work of art, however, they will be functional decks and their safety lies at the sole discretion of the handler. All materials and tools are included in class fee. While an artistic inclination is helpful, it is not necessary and no artistic experience is required to succeed in this class. Class in taught by industrial designer Keith Kirkland.

Register now at www.crop-shop.com. Spaces are limited.

= Space : Newark, NJ's Sharespace & Incubator

=SPACE (also known as EQUAL SPACE) is a brand new sharespace & incubator that will be a magnet for creatives, techies & entrepreneurs of NJ, providing access to resources, co-working space & opportunities. 
Located at 89 Market St, downtown Newark, NJ, = SPACE strives to create a unique culture filled with  positive vibes. =SPACE will provide resources for startups, coaching for tech companies and a wealth of intellectuals to bounce ideas off. The next wave in Newark's enterprises will be born within these walls and will have access to the positive culture of its parent company MEDINA = CITI.
If you are an entrepreneur in need of space to work, conduct meetings or an environment for networking and collaboration, this is it! Features include indoor mini golf, wifi & internet, Socialisto coffee, yummy treats, and of course, office space and conference tables. Daily, weekly, and monthly plans are available.

So what are you waiting for? Claim YOUR space today at http://equalspace.co/ Connect on Facebook!

So You Wanna Date a Model? RECAP

Playing cupid has never been so FUN!
If you remember a couple of weeks ago I posted that I was searching for a nice guy to take my model friend out who was having bad luck in the romance department of her otherwise awesome life (see the post here).
I was soon surprised to discover that although men LOVE to ogle models and claim to want a successful woman, most are intimidated about the idea of approaching one. The post got lots of hits but very few applicants, to my dismay and confusion but my man broke it down for me like this: the AVERAGE guy isn't confident enough in himself to go for a woman of this caliber because he doesn't feel he has much to offer her.
Hence, the problem that many a progressive, fly girl faces.So what's a girl to do? STAY FLY AND KEEP PROGRESSING! The dude who finds your grind sexy because it matches his grind will come along, trust me.

Pietra

So, getting back to our covergirl; professional model/designer/makeup artist Pietra of Retrochic Beauty. She was very clear about her type of guy: clean cut, young professional with great manners, solid work ethic, confidence, and is a man of his word. If he just so happens to be at least 6 feet tall with John Legends' good looks, that would be icing on the cake.
Well, I'm happy to report that I did deliver this and more!

Zo

Enter Lorenzo aka Zo Brown of ZoBownSpeaks.com. Motivational Speaker and Development Coach, he is an ambitious, tall, clean-cut, worldly, educated and John-Legend-esque attractive. He graciously took on the quest to have a casual, fun night out with my friend with no hesitations. And not only did he arrive on time but the brother had a luscious bouquet of lilies because he read in the original post that Pietra adores them.  
Nice touch!

I had them meet at The Crop Shop for Date Night, which is an evening of Paint-Your-Own-Pottery (PYOP) among other couples in a mellow setting with wine and candlelight that occurs monthly at this Hoboken arts/crafts boutique.They did a special activity called "bubble plates" that required blowing glaze through a straw to create a "bubble" design effect on the face of the plates that look stunning once fired in the kiln. It was totally hilarious and a lot of fun. Both were great sports about it.

Pietra: As for first impressions, I was surprised by the flowers and immediately thought he was cute. When he smiled, he totally looked like John Legend! And he's tall with facial hair. I LOVE that! I like that I didn't feel nervous with him. It felt like I was talking to an old friend, we even shared a few jokes. We have similar levels of education: he has his Master's and I'm finishing mine now. We have similar interests and work ethics. It was so nice to have a "no-pressure" date. I would like to see him again. Actually, we are texting now about going to the beach together!

Zo: My first impression of Pietra is that she's a true "entrepreneurial go-getter," which I can definitely appreciate. We do plan to get to know each other more, particularly in the business sense. I believe we can make some things happen! 

Making bubble plates

Zo and P chatted all night

A bubble plate before it is glazed and fired

Pietra's finished bubble plate

Zo & Pietra are all smiles. :)

To Zo's surprise, I was sitting only a table away throughout their date on my own date. :) It happened to be my birthday so I invited my man and my closest friends to join my private little PYOP celebration. I got a bird's eye view of Pietra and Zo's interaction and I was impressed to see how naturally they related. They talked and laughed all night. 
My  job is done here friends. Never give up! Good things are always possible when you give them a chance.

Meca xoxo 

"Ready Or Not" Exhibit at the Newark Museum

I recently enjoyed a private press tour of Ready Or Not, a new exhibition at the Newark Museum that features the works of 40 NJ-based artists at different points in their careers, varying in practice and style. The curator and organizer of the show, Schlomit Dror, explained the complexities and inspiration behind some of the individual pieces during the tour, as well as gave us an idea of what is coming ahead. Fantastic performances, such as the one of opening night that took place in the 1784 Old stone School House found in the museum's backyard garden. And the upcoming jazz concert happening on July 10th from 3-4:30pm that fuses digital and instrumental sounds for an unique visual experience.
Every Thursday from now through August 7th has a related performance, which are all FREE with the suggested museum admission.
On the final night of the exhibit, September 6th, The NEWARK issue of HYCIDE will launch there, which is super exciting. I almost never miss the HYCIDE launch parties.

Besides all of the fab events surrounding the exhibit, the exhibit itself is really dope! Everything from sculpture to murals to paintings and performances and on-site installations are all included; making it an audio/visual multilevel experience like none I've ever experienced there. 

Get the full calendar of Ready or Not events at Newarkmuseum.org.

So You Wanna Date A Model?

Meet P. 
She's a NJ-based professional model, not an Instagram "model" or a "video vixen" but an employed professional who has been on the cover of best-selling books, in ads throughout Essence and Ebony Magazines and most recently, you can find this hard-working young lady in an episode of Orange Is The New Black on Netflix. Due to her busy career, she could use a little help meeting a good guy. 

P:  "I wear many hats. Working on many projects at once keeps me motivated.  For example during the course of the week, I may jump from designing quilts, doing makeup for a photo shoot, writing short stories or publishing beauty articles, auditioning for a commercial, teaching S.A.T. strategies to high school students for a nonprofit organization, appearing on QVC as a model, developing a marketing strategy, writing chapters of my novel, or going to one of my graduate school classes."

Recently I wrote an article for PrincessDominique.com about the rumored dying art of courtship titled "Terina Nicole's Favorite Date Ideas" because dating is alive and well in my life. My friend "P" commented that she has never really had positive dating experiences so I decided to do something about this travesty! 

P isn't looking for perfection. But she would prefer a guy taller than her, with his own mode of transportation, and for him to be well-mannered, polite, and confident in every way. She wants a man who stands by what he believes to be true and maintains his personal values. She says she wants a man that keeps his word, says what he means, and always keeps promises. He’s the kind of guy that brings flowers ("my favorite are orange tiger lilies") and "compliments me on my dress or hair".  This man isn’t overly forward, he takes the time to get to know me, what I like, what makes me smile. He treasures the art of courtship.

If going out for an evening of casual fun on July 24th, 2014 that will cost you nothing (sponsored by The Lifestyles of The Authentic & Creative and The Crop Shop) with a 5'9" 30-something from NJ with no children who is creative, educated and single as a dollar bill sounds good to you, we'd love to hear from you. Email jypsealeathergoods AT gmail dot com with a photo and a description of yourself in 100 words or less for your opportunity to snag your Mrs. Right, or at the minimum just have a fun-filled date with an amazing, young woman.
Due date: July 20th, 2014.

Jypsea Leathergoods at JC Fridays PLUS Etsy Craft Party 2014!

Join us on JC Fridays, a quarterly city-wide celebration of the arts in Jersey City, as the latest work from designer/artist Terina Nicole, founder of Jypsea Leathergoods is presented at Ed's Salvage Co.
Participate in a fab design DIY project and goodie bag giveaway! (while supplies last) in conjunction with Etsy 2014 Craft Party!

Free and open to the public.

June 6th, 6:30-8:30pm at 672 Bergen St., Jersey City

Terina Nicole is a New Jersey City University graduate student, Fashion Institute of Technology alumni and creator of Jypsea – a home & body luxe line of leather goods. The collection’s focus is jewelry, handbags, small leather objects and furnishings. Materials used includes exotic skins, up-cycled finds, wood and metal; with all, she provides an infusion of soul.

See the full art crawl line-up at http://jcfridays.com/

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/303702259796999/?ref=22

Also, now until midnight on Friday, all of Jypsea Leathergoods earrings are 20% off at the Etsy Shop!

Nyah Beauty

Last Thursday, I had he surprise pleasure of dropping into the work studio of La Shonda Tyree's of Nyah Beauty, located in Paterson, New Jersey. La Shonda and I have been online friends for almost a decade but had never met in person. it was so wonderful to finally do so. She was such a warm, generous presence. Plus, my senses got their fill thanks to the scents and visual power of her natural, skin-loving cleasing bars of goodness! What I already knew about Nyah Beauty is that it is a luxurious, artisan soap brand that's been going strong for almost 15 years following the tradition of soapmaking in La Shonda's family. Nyah Beauty has goodies for men, women, children, and pets. Owner, La Shonda Tyree, also offers soapmaking classes.


What I learned since meeting her, is that she is dedicates 10% of her sales to ending the industry of child brides and has done more than talk the talk, she helped with the purchase of equipment needed for the organization to create their own soaps to sell in area hotels so that it could provide the finances needed to save young girls from a dreadful fate, some as young as 7 years of age.

If you need more reason to fall in love with the Nyah Beauty brand, just try any bar. While at her studio, I was chatting with a fashion photographer who has a studio down the hall fromLaShonda's and that brother made it plain. "It changed my life," Stefan said (www.kingboyett.tumblr.com) refering to the Wake Up Call bar.  http://nyahbeauty.com/shop/wake-up-call-natural-soap/

 I grabbed one of those for my own man. Gotta love a serious testimonial! Also, I got the Oatmeal facial bar to switch up my facial cleansing routine. I never, ever, ever use bar soap on my body, let alone my precious ;) face. But,  when I say its super gentle and nourishing, it really is. My face is pleased. Find out for yourself by shopping the Nyah Beauty website or find a retail location near you.

Inside the Nyah Beauty studio

Inside the Nyah Beauty studio

Nyah Beauty signage

http://nyahbeauty.com/

The Debut of The Brick City Design Market

Every Saturday, in conjunction with THE VINYL SWAP, come shop & mingle with the most talented indie fashion, accessory, and product designers in the tri-state area!
Vintage records spinning. Inspiring art exhibits. Food & libations abound in a chill atmosphere. Networking with the creative community. And SHOPPING the best designers around. Each & every Saturday at Seed Gallery.
Curated by me,  Meca McKinney of  
Jypsea ~Eclectic Handcrafted Leathergoods.

Brick City Design Market
12-6pm at SEED GALLERY
210 Market St. in Newark, NJ.
Free admission
More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/659617510745878/

See you there! 

Haute Hangouts on Halsey Street

Halsey Street, without equivocation, is the best street in the city of Newark, NJ. As the land of my birth, I kinda feel like I became an expert on the city since leaving there in the 90s, entering college then the corporate world. I spent years defending the place to outsiders who refused to believe I came from such a "bleak" place and, as a result, I learned more about Newark's rich history.
But I digress! Enough about the city...let's focus on my favorite street there: Halsey Street. Located downtown, it runs parallel to Broad St from Washington Park to Lincoln Park. The enterprises below are on the blocks between Central Avenue (one block in from Washington Park) and Commerce Street.
Halsey is literally around the corner from my favorite Newark gem--the Newark Museum--and has been ahead of the curve in creating a chic, cosmopolitan row of cafes, restaurants, salons and boutiques. One spot more fabulous then the next. And with a Whole Foods opening there soon, Halsey St. will surely see a massive increase of popularity soon.
 Here's the lowdown:

The Coffee Cave:
45 Halsey St.
My go-to place in the area for salmon wraps, Italian sodas and homemade soups. Also known for its house music parties. It keeps strange hours but is usually open in the middle of the day, Monday-Friday.
Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Coffee-Cave/155658297829808 

Elbow Room:
41 Halsey St.

The latest addition to the Halsey St eateries is the Elbow Room which originates from Brooklyn and serves hearty comfort food with macaroni and cheese being the central sticking point. From cheeseburger mac & cheese to lobster mac & cheese, you are bound to found something for any macaroni & cheese lover. And you'll linger playing board games over dessert. 

http://www.elbowroombrooklyn.com

Art Kitchen: 

61 Halsey St.

Known first as Newark Art Supply, which had been around since I was a child, this retailer used to sell art supplies. The Newark Art Supply then later merged with a cafe. Now, the art supplies are gone and the name has since changed to the Art Kitchen. It's has a hipster vibe, pretty decor and serves sweet treats.

www.newarkartkitchen.com

27 Mix:
27 Halsey St.
A cool Southwestern, Asian, and Italian fusion restaurant and bar with a downtown vibe. Exposed brick walls, intimate outdoor seating in the back and delicious bites with  fair prices makes this a MUST-GO Halsey St experience.

http://www.27mix.com/

Luxe Boutique:
83 Halsey St.

Sexy, body-hugging dresses with equally sexy strappy stilettos are what you'll find at Luxe Boutique. If you need a freak 'em dress, this is the place to be! The boutique caters to its clients with fun shopping parties, brunches and other fab events.

https://www.luxenewark.com

Blush Spa & Lounge:
32 Halsey St.
I've never had their services but I have been inside twice. Hip environment with a pretty staff and an impressive list of pampering services.  If you're into faux lashes, the word on the street is that they're the best for lash extensions.

Marco Hall Boutique:
29 Halsey St.
Originally Karma Boutique, which featured the designs of Newark's own internationally-known fashion designer, Marco Hall. On December 7th, 2014, it will re-launch as the Marco Hall Boutique. Marco Hall is a genius at what he does. I had the pleasure of meeting him and watching him drape a new design on a mannequin. In minutes, he had a piece SO BAD, I was astounded. Not only is he extremely talented, but also fast---which is an oxymoron in the design world. He is a prized Newark design star. Can't wait to see the new shop!

St. James & Co.
25 Halsey St.
Finally, something for the fellas! Hi-end eyewear (the owner of shop, Cabral Miller,  is also the co-owner of Newark optometry shop, Elegant Eyes), leather man bags, silk ties, skin care, candles, and all the cosmopolitan urbane man needs to distinguish himself. The vibe is luxurious yet unpretentious there, thanks to the friendliness of the crew.

Other places of interest-
Lenzy's Health Bar:
I never been in but if they have all the natural goodies stated in the signage, I need to make that my next stop. It's been there for ages so it must be doing something right. I've seen quite a few shops open and close on Halsey over the last few years due to lack of support from the locals but this one has stood the test of time.

 

The Weave Bar:

1212 Raymond Blvd

(973) 733-2881

No, it's not directly on Halsey but just a block away on Raymond Blvd. I'm a natural chick BUT if I ever choose to indulge myself with a weave, trust and believe, this would be where I would do so. The owner is super sweet, the location couldn't be more convenience and the setting is totally chic! 

Enjoy your Halsey St. visit!
Meca xo