Just thought we’d let you know: The pirate store will open up at 1:00 pm instead of noon this Friday. Let’s just say we’ve got some long-overdue careening to do on a schooner we picked up off a guy named “Shrimpy Tim” that we’d rather do in private. Sorry in advance for any inconvenience, bad smells, or bad blood this change of schedule may cause. If there was another way, believe us, we would have taken it. Our hands are tied.
Valencia Corridor Sidewalk sale, May 19th
Do you love shopping? Do you love sidewalks? Do you worry yourself sick trying to choose between your love of hot pavement and your love of hot deals? Well, my friend, worry yourself no more! Join 826 Valencia May 19th for an amazing sidewalk sale put together by the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association. All up and down the street there will be special events going on and deals and probably some kind of entertainment and maybe drinks. We’ll be there, standing on the sidewalk, plying our wares, and taking in the summer sunshine. We hope to see you there!
Here’s what the VCMA has to say about it:
In honor of San Francisco’s Small Business Week (May 14-19) the Valencia Corridor Merchants Association is inviting you to celebrate small businesses and shop small on Valencia Street Saturday, May 19th.
From 11 to 8 sales, art openings, live music, menu specials, pop-up shops and much more will be taking over at 30+ local businesses along the corridor.
So grab a friend (or 5) and spread the word about this all day event where you can sip, nosh and shop your way through the Mission District.
Participating Businesses:
Candystore Collective
DEMA
Monument
Weston Wear
HANGR 16
Venga Empanadas
Paxton Gate
Paxton Gate Curiosities for Kids
Good Vibrations
Five & Diamond
Aldea Home
Aldea Ninos
The Detox Market
Silver Sprocket
The Curiosity Shoppe
Carte Blanche Gallery
The Front Porch
Dog Eared Books
Casanova Lounge
Fix Studios
826 Valencia
Glama-Rama Salon
ArtZone 461 Gallery
Retro Fit
Community Thrift Store
BellJar
Mira Mira
Hazel & Gerties
Therapy
Check the Facebook wall for each business’ event details!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRIGHT ANTENNA!
Hey all! Join our amazing friends at Bright Antenna Records for a fun show in honor of their 5th anniversary! Tickets are a measly $15, and proceeds go to funding the free programs at 826 Valencia! How cool is that? So cool. The show is Thursday, May 10th at the Uptown in Oakland. Tickets are available here.
Performing will be:
Middle Class Rut
Magic Wands
Flagship
Beware of Darkness
Plus a DJ in between sets!
When: Thursday May 10, 2012. 7pm – Until they shut us down
Where: The Oakland Uptown. 1928 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
Woo hoo!
WE’LL BE CLOSED THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 8th
We thought you should know. Stop by another time. We’ll be happy to see you.
Join us and Sappi Fine Paper in San Francisco on Feb. 23
Our friends at Sappi Fine Paper have teamed with 826 for the 2012 edition of their annual design journal, The Standard. This year’s edition, titled “Special Effects,” is packed with gorgeous photos, illustrations, and typography, all inspired by the creative themes of the 826 storefronts.
To celebrate this collaboration, Sappi and AIGA San Francisco are holding a release party in the Cowell Theater at Fort Mason Center on Feb. 23. Join us for a conversation between designer Kit Hinrichs and 826 National CEO Gerald Richards. Drinks and snacks are at 6pm, presentations follow at 7pm, and best of all, everyone who attends gets an advance copy of The Standard. RSVP today, and if you’re not in San Francisco, don’t fret! This is just the first event of a 10-city tour, so watch for future dates.
SAY GOODBYE TO THE RABBIT AND HELLO TO THE CAVE-BUGS
Join us this spooky Friday the 13th to celebrate our brand new, mysterious bug-filled cavern of a window display by local artist and wizard, Amy Ho. Amy makes wonderfully mirage-like installations with fabric and video and mirrors; and peculiar, other-worldly human-sized fruit-disguises—and she is real nice, and real talented, and we’re real excited to have her work in the window! So, come on down this Friday. The reception begins at 7pm and goes until 10 or so.
Also this Friday! 826 Valencia Program Coordinator, Miranda Tsang and 826 Valencia Young Authors’ Scholarship winner, Sally Mao will be hosting a poetry reading in the writing lab to say goodbye to the year of the rabbit! Like the window display reception, it starts at 7 PM and should be a really poet-y time—some of the people are Kundiman poets. No one will read for too long, if you’re wondering, because it’s no fun for anyone! Readers include, Miranda Tsang, Sally Mao, Vickie Vertiz, Rona Luo, Dan Hossain Lau, Jai Arun Ravine, Carolyn Ho, Gein Wong, and Debbie Yee.
Hope to see you there!
THE FOLLY OF LILLIPUT
When We’ll Be Around
In case you were wondering, our store at 826 Valencia St in San Francisco will be closed December 24th and 25th. So, if you were in San Francisco, and you were thinking of setting sail on either of those days and you were picturing yourself gallantly bursting into the pirate store to pick up a last-minute Monkey Leash or eyepatch, or Brain Bucket—think again! Maybe even re-think the whole voyage. We’re just saying—maybe some downtime around the house would do you some good. Might be a good time to get some long-put-off chores done, you know? Hint hint? All those gutters that need flushing? And all that grout that needs a good grout-scrape? And the dog? And the dishes? The filthy piled-up piles of dishes covered in things only you eat? And remember how we all agreed to each share responsibility for cleaning around the house, and everyone but one person set down diligently to work? This ringing any bells? Hello? Jenny? Jenny, pay attention to me when I’m talking to you.
Where was I? Oh yes. We’ll open up again on the December 26th. Happy Holidays!
SWORDS VERSUS PENS 2011
Which is mightier? The pen or the sword? Well, neither will do you much good if you don’t know how to wield it. On December 9th, we’ll be staying open late for the Mission Holiday Block Party to help you brush up on both your writing skills, and your swordfighting technique with a letter-writing station and drop-in swordfighting demonstrations from Davenriche European Martial Arts School. Now you don’t have to choose.
The festivities begin at 6 and go until 9pm.
All 826 publications will be fifteen percent off.
LET’S JUST SAY, WE’RE CONCERNED
We got a call this morning from this guy, urgently requesting that we expedite him a Monkey Leash. Like, overnight it. He could not wait the standard three to five business days it would take for the package to get there.
What the heck is going on with that? Is a monkey attacking that guy? Or running away real fast and getting into stuff? Is he spoiling tea time?
We’re concerned.
Anyway, the guy said he’d call us right back and then he never called us back. All we know about him is he’s Canadian. So, any Canadians reading this—if you know that guy, or you’re hearing some screeching and howling that you’re not used to hearing, or otherwise have something monkey-wise going on—let us know. We’ve seen this kind of thing before. And trust us—one over-nighted leash is not going to solve all your problems. You’re going to need a dozen or so. And a flashlight. And oven mitts. This is going to be a long night.
DRAB WALLS IN MORNING, SAILORS TAKE WARNING
Your ship’s cabin is looking like a pig sty. Oh, wait, it literally is a pig sty? Like, a real pig lives in there with you? Her name is Eugenia? Well, in that case, it looks really great. Like a real nice place for a human being to live. Anyway, pig sty or not, you could use some new posters. Spruce up your space with these four brand new pirate posters—designed by us, for you, because we’re as sick of looking at the things you’ve put up on your walls as you ought to be.
Posters are 18″ x 24″, screen printed on really dark brown French paper by Bloom Press in Oakland. They are $20.00 each. Click on the images above to order yours today.
NOTE: This is a pre-order; these will ship the first week of December, just in time for the holidays.
HOW HE LOST THAT EYE (partial list)
1. Double-sided fork.
2. Cutting own bangs during sea storm.
3. Accidentally tied eye to string attached to doorknob.
4. Someone replaced eye drops with burning acid (not funny).
5. Tripped while spying through spyglass.
6. Simultaneous wink and sneeze.