New Styles in the Shop

 

 Just a few of the new styles that popped up in the shop this week ...

Listen: Kennedy - Karate

Something To Do: ARGON 40

Ah, I love when I have a "to do" on my calendar that isn't work related. Actually this as far from work related as possible I think and -- seeing as which that happens pretty infrequently these days -- I thought I'd share.

So if you are around Jersey City/Hoboken this Wednesday come have a cocktail with me and the lovely (local) Heather Greene as she presents a night of music and whiskey at the W hotel.

Shop Local -- Black Friday Sale!

Just a reminder that all coats and jackets are 10% off today .... pop by and take home one of these beauties (the clothing, not the model --- she's married)!

Credits: Gorgeous photography by the extremely talented Melanie McLean

Black Friday Sale!

Fall Coat Photo Shoot

I'm always equally blown away and humbled by my amazing group of friends. Kanibal Home is better shop because they are eager to help and lend their eye to projects. The below is no exception.


Friend, neighbor and local photographer Melanie McLean once again worked her magic and captured some of Fall's most spectacular coats in the following shoot:

........................................................ More to come tomorrow! ...................................................................

Redesign: Kanibal Home Website

So I'm pretty psyched about this post for a number of reasons. First off, not that many people realize that Kanibal Home started as an online shop back in 2006. With the help of friends I was able to put together a website with a back end that was probably way bigger than I actually needed. But it was fun and worked and got the job done.

Then I opened the shop in downtown Jersey City in 2009. That whirlwind took over my life and for about a year all of my attention and creativity was funneled into making the brick-and-mortar location the best little lifestyle shop that ever touched down in this great armpit of a state. That accomplished, I really wanted to return to the  brand's roots and redesign the website.

So that brings you up to speed. And now this is where it gets exciting ... the new Kanibal Home website is done!! Okay, there are still a couple things that we're polishing (so keep an eye out for that), but it is completely functional. The website won't have everything that the store does (you'll notice we're only going to be carrying our line of clothing), but it will have home goods and new items will be added every week.

So peruse around, let me know what you think and keep on the look-out for updates, offers and exclusives!

Gifts Galore

Oh holiday time. I had a lovely convo this morning with two small business owners in Jersey City and we can't help but giggle and swap stories. The holidays bring out a frenzy in everyone from the shop owner to the consumer, but one thing that's unanimous -- people wait to the last minute to buy gifts. We do it (even though we should know better) and the every day shopper definitely procrastinates (hello, can you say "mad dash" one week before Christmas?).

Whether you're an early bird or a Patty Procrastinator, I got you covered at Kanibal Home. Here's a small selection of some of the gifts we have in the shop, but I promise you this: From now until late December I will be adding new stock to the store every day. Enjoy!

(Wooden learning puzzles for the little ones)

(Vintage-inspired Print Frames)

(Vintage-inspired bottle collection)

(Slippers and hat sets!)

(Butterfly pillows)

(Keepsake boxes)

Holiday Wish List

In addition to all the wonderful things available at Kanibal Home (shameless plug), I was just thinking today that I needed to start to pull together a "wish list" blog post. When -- lo and behold -- I was reading my friend's blog (YAY! DIY) and ran across the perfect holiday gift ... for me, from you.

(Amazingness via Williams-Sonoma)

 Yes, I know, you're as blown away as I am. And yes that is a mini tabletop pie maker. I don't even know if I've been good enough all year to receive something this amazing.

This is every fat kid or culinary-inclined pot smoker's dream. It's like the Easy Bake oven for adults!

I guess I've already been bitten by the holidays because I need one of these bad boys. Now.

Make My City Week: Jersey City

Kanibal Home is thrilled to be participating in the second MAKE MY CITY week. In connection with the event, we will be offering 10% off everything in the shop to our customers. The only catch? You need to mention MMC at checkout.

Also, mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20th. Kanibal Home will be hosting a HUGE craft market outside and inside the shop to kick off the holiday season and celebrate Make My City week. We've invited our favorite local artists to take part, so it will be a bazaar (and probably bizarre) setting. We'll have everything from custom jewelry to paintings, sculpture and gift items.

Support your local businesses and get something back for putting your money where your heart is. KH hearts JCity and we want to see all our favorite spots stick around ... help us help our community flourish.

Global Entrepreneurship Week

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Kanibal Home is proud to be involved in this year's Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), running from Monday, November 15 through Sunday, November 21. There will be over 30 seminars, panel discussions, market fairs, networking and fun events brought to you by local non-profits, volunteers, business support organizations, and Rising Tide Capital.

I'll be hosting office hours in the shop surrounding the topic "How to market your small business effectively using social media" from 6:00 to 10pm next Saturday, 11/20. Everyone is welcome. The seminar will be structured as a Q&A, so if you plan on attending please bring questions that you would like answered about your business and I'll so my best to address everyone's specific needs.

In addition, please visit www.GEWjc.org to see all the excellent opportunities to connect, learn and grow. While you are on the website, don't forget to take the Buy Local Pledge - a simple way to show you care about small businesses. 

KH in the News: Hudson Reporter

November 7, 2010

Shopping local, thinking global
Global Entrepreneurship Week in Jersey City spotlights businesses and economic growth

By Ricardo Kaulessar
Reporter Staff Writer Hudson Reporter

Global Entrepreneurship Week is coming back to Jersey City for another year to acknowledge local enterprise in a tough economy. Over 100 countries will hold more than 40,000 events and bring out 10 million people during the week of November 15-21. And in Jersey City, a host of events will take place featuring a variety of local businesses, and government and community leaders.

Sponsoring the event is Rising Tide Capital, a local non-profit organization that provides training and coaching to entrepreneurs, along with the City of Jersey City and others.

City Hall, 280 Grove St. will be the site of two events during the week – the kickoff event/fair on Monday, Nov. 15 at 10 a.m., and the city’s Green Fair/Third Annual Sustainable Cities Conference from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20.

_____________

“I think it is a very important week for our clients, as it gives them something to aspire to.” – Catherine Tansey
________

Rising Tide, the brainchild of downtown Jersey City residents Alfa Demmellash and Alex Forrester, will hold an orientation for their Community Business Academy, an 11-week course in basic business management and planning, on Wednesday, Nov. 17 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Hall, 440 Hoboken Ave.

Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is an international initiative that emerged in 2008 through the joint efforts of Enterprise UK and Entrepreneurship Week USA 2007 as a way to foster entrepreneurship amongst young people.

Getting down to business

Kanibal Home is a store on Montgomery Street specializing in lifestyle items, home décor and apparel, or, as its founder and owner Kristen Scalia puts it, “a little bit of everything.”

Kanibal is also one of the participants in the Global Entrepreneurship Week with an event on social media at its location on Nov. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m., although Scalia said the public is welcome to come into the store throughout the day if they have any questions about social media networking.

And there is a good chance that Scalia will have some answers. She can cite her experience in building her business from two years online until opening her store over a year ago.

“It is an opportunity to tell business owners that haven’t ventured into Facebook or Twitter about what they should be sharing online and not sharing about their business,” Scalia said. “And most of all, using social media that is advantageous to them building their businesses.

Catherine Tansey also looks forward to Global Entrepreneurship Week as the executive director of the Immigrant Institute of New Jersey, which is located at 1Journal Square Plaza.

Since 1918, the institute has helped immigrants and refugees adjust to American society through a number of programs, ranging from helping them learn English to finding a job. The institute is also holding two events during the week – “Global Entrepreneurship and Immigration” (Nov. 15, 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. at the institute office) and “IINJ Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week” (Nov. 17, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at Loew’s Jersey Theatre, 54 Journal Sq.)

Tansey said the Nov. 15 event will focus on immigrant entrepreneurs, with speakers including Hoboken restaurateur Maricel Presilla, a native of Cuba who owns the Spanish restaurants Zafra and Cucharamama, and Adenah Bayoh, a Liberian immigrant who owns International House of Pancakes in Irvington and some other real estate in Newark.

“I think it is a very important week for our clients, as it gives them something to aspire to,” Tansey said. “And while not all our clients may be thinking about entrepreneurship, it is encouraging for them to see this activity.”

To learn more about Global Entrepreneurship Week, visit http://www.gewjc.org or www.risingtidecapital.org

Ricardo Kaulessar can be reached at rkaulessar@hudsonreporter.com

A Day in the Life: Hunting with Kanibal Home

The most frequently asked question at Kanibal Home is: Where do you get your inventory, specifically the vintage and found objects?

And it's not an easy question to answer. Because, if I was an honest person that didn't come from a public relations background, I would respond simply with the following answer: Everywhere. But most people don't want to hear that and I'm a fan of a good adventure story anyway.

So here's the tale of how I procured the most recent batch of goodies at Kanibal Home. I'll try my best to not exaggerate (but no promises).

(The setting ... if this was a made for TV movie)

It's the second Monday in November and Kanibal Home is closed for the day. But we're not sitting back and relaxing, diving through our money like Scrooge McDuck. This is a working day. I'm on the hunt.

Several times a month I set out on day-long trips to hunt, scavenge, barter, bribe and beg my way into the lives of strangers so I can drag a car load of found objects and vintage treasures back to Kanibal Home. It's not glamorous work, but it's rewarding. I often come home late with dirt under my nails and bags ringing my eyes. This trip was not an exception.

I knew I had a two to three hour drive to upstate New York ahead of me so I whispered some kind words to The Beast (my truck ... you know, the one with the fork wound on the hood and the Pollock-like splashes of urban dirt everywhere) and started out on the trip. Except, the weather didn't look anything like the above image ... it was hailing.

(Don't worry, I wasn't snapping pictures and driving during inclement weather ... that's what Australian navigators are for. Well that and snacks. She brought enough food to feed us for a week-long excursion.)

And then it wasn't just hailing. As soon as we crossed the New Jersey border it started snowing. Not just a few mistaken flurries, either. It was an all-out mini blizzard. Hail, rain and fat, sloppy snowflakes. Within two minutes of the snow starting we passed three accidents. My navigator kept everything calm in the car as other vehicles careened off the road and into embankments. I told her it was her soothing Australian accent. She told me to stop being a bugger and keep my eyes on the road.

We weren't in Jersey City anymore, that was sure. There were trees as far as the eye could see. And as the cars on the road started to dwindle, so did the frequency of the streetlights. Really? Who thought that was a good idea? Obviously not someone traveling in an old Jeep Cherokee. I might as well have turned off my lights and held a flashlight out the window. But I digress ...

We reached our destination and spent several hours (and several hundred dollars) picking through an estate in the woods. The house itself was extraordinary. In addition to the main residence there was also a carriage house, potting shed and garage on the property. They kept their three horses in a stable down the road. The husband kept joking and asking is I wanted to buy the estate and I could just keep all the odds and ends where they were ... sigh. Did I mention that there were multiple libraries with built-in bookcases and a cast-iron fire place? If I had a first born I would have considered trading it. Wait, my navigator did! Did she want to ... no? ... was she sure? ... OK, OK, I was just kidding. Kinda.

So now it was late and pitch black out and we were on the road traveling back to Jersey City. I pulled up to the shop, unloaded the car, ate dinner standing up in the kitchen, walked the dog and went to bed. The next morning I came into the shop, sorted through my finds (most of the bigger items went out in the shop, some got stashed in the back for later and an even smaller percentage got put aside and photographed for the website).

(A large antique mirror and vintage fire extinguisher cuddle up in the kids corner.)

(A vintage garden stool in a bright teal is added to the center display area.)

So when I'm asked about where I get Kanibal Home's treasures I can go on and on about the hunting adventures. The old houses, the auctions, the people I meet ... the stuff that I find inside other stuff (I once found a human tooth nestled in the back of an old jewelry box. I still have it.). But the truth is that I get the shop's goods everywhere. I pick up tips, make calls, visit old friends and make new ones. I travel up and down the east coast. But, more importantly, I never stop looking.

KH in the News: Jersey City Independent

Want to Get Crafty This Holiday Season? Upcoming Classes Focus on DIY Ornaments and Cards

By Jon Whiten

As this year’s holiday season approaches, two Jersey City venues are gearing up to teach you how to craft your own ornaments and cards.


The DIY learning gets rolling this Friday, with a Holiday Card-Making class at Kanibal Home. The Montgomery Street boutique will bring in local artist James French, who will teach how to make custom cards using a number of methods, including cut paper and stamping. The course is $25, which includes all materials and refreshments, and it is Friday, November 12 at 7:30 pm. Space is limited, so RSVP to kanibal (at) kanibalhome.com if you are interested.

Next week the Jersey City Art School kicks off a larger-scale DIY holiday class. Jersey City glass artist Kiva Ford will teach how to create hand-blown glass ornaments. He’ll host two-hour one-on-one tutorials beginning next Tuesday, November 16, and running through December 11. You’ll get to take home between six and eight glass ornaments and learn glassblowing techniques, including heating and manipulating molten glass.
Available time slots are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 5 pm and 7:30 pm and Saturdays at 1 pm and 4 pm. Additional times may be available by request as well. The cost is $115, which includes all materials. No experience is necessary, and beginners are welcome. To RSVP, click here. If you have any questions, email kiva (at) kivaford.com.

And next month, Kanibal Home will also host an ornament-making class, focused on three-dimensional ornament designs. James French will return to the store to teach how to use felt and decorative thread to create stuffed felt ornaments. The cost of this course is $25, which includes all materials and refreshments, and it is Friday, December 10 at 7:30 pm (213 Montgomery St.). Like the November class, space is limited, so RSVP to kanibal (at) kanibalhome.com if you are interested.

Photo of Kiva Ford blowing glass courtesy of Andrea Ford Quinones

Craft Class: This Friday at 7:30pm

There's still room in this Friday's Holiday Card-Making class at 7:30pm in the shop. RSVP if you're interested in attending!

New Styles in the Shop

(Don't be left out in the cold this winter ... Kanibal Home just got a full shipment of scarves, hats and gloves in the shop!)

(A sexy black blouse goes a long way ... wear with leggings or jeans, tucked in or out, dressed up or down.)

(More coats and jackets!)

(Because all we want for the holidays are toys anyway.)

It's a week of new and noteworthy products in the shop. Monday was an adventure (and there will be more about that in tomorrow's post), but -- in the meantime -- I've been stocking Kanibal Home with all kinds of goodies. Tons of new hats, gloves, scarves, jackets and comfy cool weather clothing. Not to mention we're starting to get more and more gift items in. Phew, we sure are keeping busy over here.