Angel Y. https://studio-404.com/author/neelarocsi/ Crafting Stories with Paper Mon, 07 Feb 2022 17:07:28 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.5 https://studio-404.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/cropped-S404-HolidayGradient-32x32.jpg Angel Y. https://studio-404.com/author/neelarocsi/ 32 32 54808273 Black Businesses & Creators Guide https://studio-404.com/blackbusinessescreatorsguide/ https://studio-404.com/blackbusinessescreatorsguide/#comments Mon, 07 Feb 2022 05:00:00 +0000 https://studio-404.com/?p=10634 Welcome back! It has been a year, well over a year, since my last post. In good old pandemic fashion, 2021 was not an easy year for me. Creatively, I was, as The Youths™ say, “Down bad.” With one new collection in the shop to show for the entire year, it is easy to see […]

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]]> Welcome back! It has been a year, well over a year, since my last post. In good old pandemic fashion, 2021 was not an easy year for me. Creatively, I was, as The Youths™ say, “Down bad.” With one new collection in the shop to show for the entire year, it is easy to see from the other side that surviving was the goal. We are back with a new look and to celebrate, I’m spending this month highlighting the Black businesses and creators that have kept me sustained and inspired. You can bookmark, Pin, or print (#ElderMilennial) this post and check in with me on Instagram throughout the month as I continue to showcase these amazing individuals below for creating and making amazing things.

Two candles sitting on white wool woven blanket
Kismet + Charisma

My podcast other-half, Charisma, keeps herself booked and busy but her candles are the only candles we should be talking about during Black History Month. She sells out QUICKLY and each of these hand-poured, soy candles are sure to keep you in your hygge feels all winter long.

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Image of hand holding a red heart bookholder to keep their book open while reading in bed
Heretics Shop

With their resin jewelry, book memorabilia, accessories, and more, Heretics has something for everyone. Did I mention that they also do commissions? Not only is Jade dedicated to their craft, but they have also done an amazing job of curating an e-commerce store that gives you the feeling of walking into your favorite small, town gift shop.

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Book cover featuring the words Who Will You Be and an illustrated mother holding her baby while kneeling in a field of flowers with butterflies flying around them
Andrea Pippins

Honestly, I could host an entire blog post dedicated to my love and admiration of illustrator and author, Andrea Pippins. Her work has inspired me for years and her journey as an artist is awe-inspiring. I highly recommend purchasing any of her published books to add a piece of that bright, happiness that her work illustrates into your life.

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Photo of red velvet cheesecake in front of bakery sign that says Val's
Val’s Cheesecakes

1. Watch Jonathan Morris’s Self Employed on Magnolia Network. 2. Come back very inspired by Val’s story, hungry, and craving cheesecake. Cheesecake is a love language and Val has taken his mother’s legacy and created a cheesecake empire right in the heart of Dallas. This post is also a plea that Val’s can start delivering nationwide, expeditiously.

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Several different pairs of different styled earrings in hues of reds, pinks, and blues
Shop After Another

Alyissa is a MAKER-maker. She makes jewelry, art, greeting cards, pins, patches, and so much more. Alyissa’s work is colorful, bold, bright, and empowering. She makes products that radiate joy and embody positivity. I cannot say enough about how talented she is and how you should be supporting her for all of your 60s and 70s revival needs.

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Woman wearing brightly colored abstract athleisure during a styled shoot
Simisienna

Simisienna is one of three sister brands that have a HOLD on me. As we are still #pandemicliving, athleisure is a top clothing choice for me. I don’t want to wear hard pants. Simisienna makes beautiful options for those who are looking for something stable for their next workout or whoever else wants to elevate their #WFH lifestyles.

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Woven black calabash bowl on table in front of giant monster leaf
Afrohemien

Afrohemien is everything. This craftily curated shop of handmade jewelry, cultural goods, and vintage finds is my favorite e-commerce find of the pandemic. I could easily have an Instagram feed of the amazing work Lakesha is doing to create this shop. Her eye for details is immaculate and everything highlights the beauty in Black and African culture.

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Blue satin bomber jacket with the words Moonies Club on it with a Sailor Moon wand
Namiwear

This is an obvious outlier for my style choices. I am a woven blanket, chai latte person, but, this jacket is everything. Honestly highlighting an anime-influenced streetwear company is all-encompassing on the Black joy scales. For bonus points, enjoy the Sailor Moon Fan Club podcast, a Sailor Moon fan podcast hosted by a Black woman.

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A pink print with the worlds "Being you was always enough." handlettered in red
Eso Tolson

Eso’s lettering embodies every feeling of Black joy for me. He has effortlessly created some of my favorite pieces. I have shamelessly highlighted him before on this site. I cannot say enough kind words about his bold block or fluid lettering style that makes you feel each phrase in your chest. 10/10 Must-buy.

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Woman leaning against post outside showcasing her leopard print roller skates
Moonlight Roller

One of my favorite pandemic trends has been the resurgance of roller skating. Growing up in Atlanta in the 90s and early 00s meant that roller skating rinks were a welcomed weekend destination. Insert Moonlight Roller, a black-founded roller skating brand based out of Tennessee. These stylish skates with their signature crescent moon will help you stand out aamong your local skate gang.

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Five bags of coffee surrounding a cup of coffee with coffee beans and coffee grounds styled beside them
Black Brew Bros.

I am heavily invested in Black people roasting coffee. I discovered this gem out and about at my local farmers market. You can smell the beans before walking to the booth which is nothing but a good sign of coffee worth trying. With a variety of different roasts of their Grade AAA Arabica coffee beans, there are plenty of options to choose from. I can’t wait to gift these beans to all of my fellow coffee-loving friends.

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Many childrens book on white bookshelves
Brave + Kind Bookshop

This bookshop was also a pandemic find of mine. Located in my hometown, Brave + Kind is a bookshop that carefully curates books for littles and some books for grown-ups too. As a parenting person, it is so much easier to browse the wide variety of children’s literature when someone has done the work of putting together an artful selection to choose from.

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Black-Hosted Podcasts

One of the things I’ve learned in my six years of being a podcast producer is that there are some real gems out there, despite podcasting having a ROUGH 2022 thus far. The best way to help support podcasts is to share them, rate them, and consistently talk about them if you love them. Remember how you found out about Serial for the first time? Now do that with some of these podcast gems.

  • Black Moms Chat Podcast – Black Moms Chat hosted by Schnelle Acevedo and Adanna Dill, two NYC moms with six kids between them. Schnelle and Adanna are friends and parenting lifestyle bloggers/influencers. This podcast will discuss Black motherhood and interview guests on topics that will inspire, encourage, and support their community.
  • hey, girl – hey, girl. is a podcast that unites the voices of phenomenal women near and far. Created with sisterhood and storytelling in mind, author Alex Elle sits down with people who inspire her. From friends to family members and strangers, the hey, girl. guests give us a peek into their stories through candid and intimate conversations.
  • Brown Ambition Podcast – Brown Ambition is all about everything we can to make a better life for ourselves. We talk about everything from dealing with office bullies to caring if someone comments about your resting bitch face to raising money for a business when you have no idea what you’re doing, and even what to do when you’re making more money than bae.
  • Essah’s Way – Essah’s Way encourages people to embrace their journey by sharing a bit of their amazing story.
  • Revisionist History – Revisionist History is Malcolm Gladwell’s journey through the overlooked and the misunderstood. Every episode re-examines something from the past—an event, a person, an idea, even a song—and asks whether we got it right the first time.
  • The Creative Block – If you’re curious about the world around you and longing to tap into your creative side, then kick-it with us at The Creative Block — the dopest spot for exploring experiences, brands, and culture. Join experience designers (and friends) Danielle, Jeremy, and Treasure as they debate about how to apply their love for human-centered design in the most unconventional way.
  • Your First Million – Your First Million takes you on a journey to find out how the world’s most successful people finessed their first million…dollars, customers, or downloads. This weekly podcast features Arlan having real, in-depth conversations about topics they normally reserve for friends and family. Is there a trick to becoming a millionaire? What is the common thread that makes someone successful? Tune in and take notes, as Arlan works towards making her first (personal) million!

I’ll do my best to highlight Black creators and businesses on Instagram stories throughout the month in this Celebrating Black Joy series. This is just a small snippet of everything I want to share but let me know of your favorite Black businesses, creators, artists, and technologists in the comments below I can follow along.

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]]> https://studio-404.com/blackbusinessescreatorsguide/feed/ 2 10634 2020 Small Business Holiday Gift Guide https://studio-404.com/2020-small-business-holiday-gift-guide/ https://studio-404.com/2020-small-business-holiday-gift-guide/#comments Fri, 13 Nov 2020 18:29:18 +0000 https://studio-404.com/?p=10029 Remember yesterday when I said I’d have a gift guide for you? Well never fear, that day has come. Unsolicited gift guides are a longstanding blogger rite of passage. Due to the nature of our fun year, I’ve decided to share gift guides in six different categories, highlighting some of my favorite small businesses that […]

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Remember yesterday when I said I’d have a gift guide for you? Well never fear, that day has come. Unsolicited gift guides are a longstanding blogger rite of passage. Due to the nature of our fun year, I’ve decided to share gift guides in six different categories, highlighting some of my favorite small businesses that are doing amazing things. It’s very hard to navigate the holiday shopping noise so I hope I can introduce you to some fun shopping ideas, not only during our generic winter holiday season but all year-round.

My Holiday Shopping Must-Haves

My go-to candle provider is Kismet + Charisma all year-round. It has been so difficult to find a soy candle company locally that provides scents that appeal to me. My friend and co-producer Charisma has done just that. I am not just saying this to be nice, these are actually really good candles. They just as long as my favorite bigger box candle company which is a big deal for me, as someone who has candles going all of the time. She will be sharing her winter/holiday collection very soon but I wanted you to bookmark the shop and come back to check this out.

Unfortunately, this is a Central Florida-local thing, but my dear friend Kim of Chaos Bagels makes the very best bagels I’ve had in this state. I am not a bagel-snob by any means but I have had bad bagels here. If you have friends in the Central Florida area, do them a favor and order these bagels for the holidays. I gifted my husband bagels for his birthday which is how wonderful they are. Also, who better to trust with your bagel providing than a mom of three boys?

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide

2020 gave us a unique perspective on living indoors for prolonged lengths of time. Now that we’re heading into cooler weather that is typically a tricky time for many people health-wise, we are extra-vigilant on keeping our outdoor time to a minimum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are some fun things to keep you occupied while you make the best of your physical distance winter season.

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide with three circles of a tote that says Snack Dealer, a blue abstract floral pattern face mask, and a card that says Save the Post Office

1. Snack + Go Organic Cotton Tote by Project Pop | 2. Blue Dottie Adult Face Mask by Sarah Hearts | 3. Save The Post Office card by Creative Future Studio

Quarantine Holiday Gift Guide with three circles. One is a photo of three different Haus aperitif bottles, the second is a green greeting card with the words In Therapy and Triving with multi-color confetti surrounding it, and the third is a t-shirt hanging from a branch that has the USPS logo on the left corner

4. The Sampler Kit by Haus | 5. In Therapy and Thriving Greeting Card by Curated Dry Goods | 6. Postal Service Crew Neck Tee From Natalie Reales Designs

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide

Fellow art nerds, assemble! Some of my favorite items to express how much you love the visual arts. If none of the things vibe with you, I recommend donating to your local theaters and community art groups as they are all looking for support while keeping their artists safe.

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide with three circles. The first circle has four different bright multi-colored postcards that say Thank You and one says Abrigada! The second circle has four stamps with the word Thank You hand-lettered in a golden script on top of burgundy, olive green, dark green, and purple backgrounds. The third circle has a black Corckcicle bottle that has a rose gold top with a rose gold Basquiat crown on it.

1. Postcards do Bem by LOJA by Barbara Astrini| 2. Thank You Stamps by Dana Tanamachi | 3. Basquiat Corkcicle Canteens

Art Enthusiast Holiday Gift Guide. There are two circles. One circle has a collage art piece of a woman standing on a green hill with butterfly wings behind her. The second is a market tote bag that says Stop Stealing Art from Black Girls.

4. This Joy I Have The World Didn’t Give It by Christa David | 5. “Stop Stealing Tote” by Jasmine Mans

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide

Your entrepreneur friends always need a gift, no matter what they say. We are running around and we’re thriving in making it up as we go along. Supporting small businesses while uplifting your friends who own small businesses is a win-win anyway. 10/10 would recommend.

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide which has three circles. One is a screenshot of a website in a laptop. The second is a polka dot black and white planner with golden rings and a golden title. The third circle is an enamel pin that says Grinding All My Life in white lettering with a black shadow.

1. Emma Design Squarespace Kit by JDS Creative Studio| 2. Classic Polka Dot Customizable Planner – Undated / Open Dated by June Paper Market | 3. Grinding All My Life Pin by Adé Hogue

Entrepreneur Holiday Gift Guide The image has three circles. The first circle is a black and yellow book cover with the world Explore on it. The second circle is a collage of women on a book cover with the title In The Company of Women. The third circle is a bright multicolored keyboard with magical symbol keys on it (a moon, wand, heart, and other signs).

4. Explore: Journey from Fear to Happiness by David Yarde | 5. In the Company of Women by Grace Bonney| 6. DSA Magic Girl Keycaps Round 2 by Mintlodica

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide

If you follow me along on my very rare Instagram sharing journey, you probably know that I, too, have fallen into the trap of millennials with plants. What better way to raise your serotonin levels, than with plants that spark joy? If you’re not sure where to start, never fear, I’ve got some gems below.

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide. This image has three circles. The first circle has a pink spiral notebook with green watercolor plants painted on it. The second image is a rubber plant in a black planter on black floors with white walls. The third image is the book cover for Wild At Home which showcases an interior shot of various house plants and a brown leather chair.

1. Jungle Dreams Notebooks by Castlefield Design| 2. Ficus Elastica Burgundy Rubber Plant by Botany | 3. Wild at Home Book by Hilton Carter

Plant Lovers Holiday Gift Guide. This image has three circles. The first circle has an image of a tote bag that has an illustration of a plant and a hand sticking out that says Buried in Plants. The second image is several macrame holders with small plants in them. The third circle is a snake plant in a white planter with black circles on it.

4. Buried In Plants Where I Belong Tote Bag by Jungalow | 5. Macrame Plant Hanger No. 1 by Eco Vibe| 6. Tall Painted Clay Planter by The Jungalow

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids

If you don’t interact with kids, it’s not the easiest to just jump in and buy a gift for one. There are various things to consider and so many places to buy gifts. Here are some fun things I’ve found that aren’t your typical pickup in your local superstore.

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids. The image has three circles. The first circle is a gray t-shirt that has the words Curious, Creative, Confident, Brave lettered in blue with white stars on the letters. The second circle is an image of the ABCs of HBCUs book cover that is red with an illustration of two people who are graduates on it. The third circle is the image of the Who Will You Be book cover which features an illustration of a Black mom holding a baby outside with flowers.

1. Constellation Kids Tee by Jessica Hische| 2. The ABCs of HBCUs (Board Book) by HBCU Prep School | 3. Who Will You Be? by Andrea Pippins

Holiday Gift Guide for Kids. This image features three circles. The first circle is a wooden board with squiggles and zig zag shapes on it with a pencil. The second circle has is a framed print that has LOVE in sign language and letters underneath. The third image is a multicolor puzzle in a box.

4. Double-Sided Pre-Writer Shape and Squiggle Board by Schoene and Son | 5. Black Lives Matter – Love ASL Print from Nicole Marie Paperie 6. Little Likes Kids – Fun Outside 48 Piece Floor Puzzle

Home Holiday Gift Guide

If you’re looking to try some fun things at home or buy for friends who may be living in a new space, here is the gift guide for you. It’s been a good time to try some new products from companies you may not ever have had the opportunity to support to help make your living space a home.

Home Holiday Gift Guide. This image features three circles. The first circle is an image of rose body scrub in a tin with a white label. The second circle is a pennant banner in black with the words You Are Your Best Thing in white hanging on the wall next to a plant. The third circle is a picture of a bag of coffee that says Blk & Bold on it with a gold crown next to the words.

1. Rose Body Scrub from Luna Nueva Apothecary| 2. You Are Your Best Thing by rayo and honey | 3. Rise & GRND – Coffee Blend, Medium Roast by Blk & Bold

Home Holiday Gift Guide. The first image is of a traditional matcha kit with a tin of matcha on a wooden background. The second circle has an image of an abstract calendar. The third circle is an image of a yellow tea towel with white lines all over it.

4. Matcha Set by Junbi Matcha| 5. 2021 Sun Wall Calendar by Under the Sunlight 6. Playful Marks (Golden) Tea Towel by Ritual Morning Studio

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]]> https://studio-404.com/2020-small-business-holiday-gift-guide/feed/ 1 10029 Studio 404 Paper Holiday 2020 Gift Guide https://studio-404.com/2020-gift-guide/ https://studio-404.com/2020-gift-guide/#comments Thu, 12 Nov 2020 12:00:00 +0000 https://studio-404.com/?p=10019 Unsure of what to get your friends from the Studio 404 Paper shop? Don’t fret! There are plenty of options for yourself, your favorite people, or even something fun to add to the office gift exchange. Shop the official Studio 404 Paper Holiday Gift Guide below and stay tuned for the gift guides this week […]

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Unsure of what to get your friends from the Studio 404 Paper shop? Don’t fret! There are plenty of options for yourself, your favorite people, or even something fun to add to the office gift exchange. Shop the official Studio 404 Paper Holiday Gift Guide below and stay tuned for the gift guides this week that will be showcasing other amazing small businesses for you to support!

Best Sellers

Gifts for Co-workers & Professional Colleagues

Gifts for Teachers

Appropriate Gifts for 2020

Gifts for Coffee Drinkers

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