Nifty Gift

We had one of our favorite products mentioned in Daily Candy last week.... It sold out due to a surge in popularity, but it will be shipping again on December 18th. Order on-line or give us a call to have a pair put on hold.

Baseball Cufflinks, $145.

See the full Daily Candy gift guide here: http://www.dailycandy.com/chicago/article/78065/2009-Guys-Gift-Guide

Trunk Show this Saturday

It's independent Retail Week and we are excited to be taking part by hosting a trunk show featuring Julia Failey's beautiful jewelry. Stop by this Saturday from noon until 4pm, and take 20% off all of Julia's pieces.

You can check out some of her pieces here, and her full collection is on-line here.

Butterfly Pendant, Regular Price $190

Dragonfly Pendant, Regular Price $190

Coming Clean

Our customers have been asking us for awhile now to carry basics for the home, and we're finally obliging them. First up are these cleaning supplies from Better Life. These products are fantastic - they work really well, the packaging is fun, and they are great for the environment.

They are all priced at $6.99, except for the floor cleaner which is $7.99. Try them out today!

A Touch of Spookiness

I've always loved Halloween but have never had the time or inclination to cover the house in decorations. I'm more a fan of a few light touches here and there to set the mood. If you have a similar idea when it comes to holiday decorations check these options out. They'll last year to year, and are really touches of art. Worth the money.

Orange papier mache spider, $30 (other colors available)

Recycled cardboard skull wreath, $35

Recycled cardboard skull, $20

Good Enough to Eat?

We have just started carrying Erbaviva bath and body products at Grasshopper 510 and we love them. The scents are so fresh and clean, the packaging is simple and sophisticated, and they make us feel like we're getting pampered at a fabulous spa.

Erbaviva is one of the few bath and body companies whose products meet stringent USDA requirements, which is the same certification process that food meets. While we don't recommend eating these lotions and soaps, you should feel great knowing that Erbaviva products meet such stringent qualifications. Erbaviva does have products that don't have the USDA seal on them , but this is generally because they are water-based or have non food-grade ingredients in them.

Check out our line of Erbaviva Baby, Mommy to be, and Bath and Body products here.

Portland Loves Us

About a week ago a woman came into the store, introduced herself, and said that she'd like to do a post on Grasshopper 510 for her Portland, Oregon-based blog, Portland Loves: Local. It turns out that Portland also loves other things too, like Flickr, Yellow, Vintage Shoes, and yes - our store. We were very flattered, and even more so when we saw how gorgeous the blog is. I don't think Misha (the author) knew that we carried Portland designers like Urban Humanity, Studio Olivine, and Esque, but I was happy to point them out to her.

The blog post is here. Thanks Portland! The feeling is mutual.

Urban Humanity

We are proud to be the first brick-and-mortar store to stock Urban Humanity's organic cotton t-shirts. We got our first three designs in last week and are hard-pressed to pick our favorite (although it might be Birds of a Feather - something about that blue...). Check out all three designs here.

The Brelli has Landed

Before ordering Brellis for the store, I took one for a road test. I'm happy to report that the Brelli umbrella held up to Chicago's wind and rain, PLUS I got multiple compliments. Who knew umbrellas could be a fashion statement?

Made of a special biodegradeable plastic and sustainable bamboo, the Brelli is functional and fashionable. Check it out here and pick one up before the Fall rains start.

Dolan Geiman at Grasshopper 510

Dolan Geiman is a nationally recognized mixed media artist who lives right here in Chicago. His eco-friendly artwork emerges from a folk art tradition infused with a contemporary, urban style. We currently have panel paintings, rescued wood constructions, and his Field Guide (Tennessee) Greener BOX PRINT, pictured.

We are honored to be carrying Dolan's pieces at the store.

Mario Batali Goes Further

We just found out that Further Soap has partnered with Mario Batali: all the waste grease used to make FURTHER products now comes from Mario Batali and Nancy Silverton's Los Angeles flagship restaurant MOZZA. (Along the way, the grease gets converted to glycerin.)

You might not be able to cook like an Iron Chef(or maybe you can)...but now you can wash like one.

Get your soap here.

Making News in Detroit

We recently started carrying onesies from Project 571. The founders are great guys who are single-handedly bringing organic cotton to the Collegiate Apparel market. While they are based in the Chicago area, they have strong ties to Michigan and were recently featured in a Detroit News article. As luck would have it, we were fortunate enough to be interviewed for the piece:

'Grasshopper 510 has been carrying the university-logoed baby onesies for about a month, and sales of the organic baby wear have been good so far, said owner Jean Taylor. The onesies attract many recent and not-so-recent college graduates starting families who wouldn't normally shop there, she said. "They have the potential to bring in new kinds of customers," Taylor said.'

We currently have Loyola, Michigan State, Miami of Ohio, DePaul, and Iowa in stock. Pick one up for your Fan in Training!

Read the full article here.

Espionage and Intrigue

Just added to our website (but well-loved favorites in our store): Double K necklaces. We're particularly fond of The Heirloom but all of Kelleigh Kincaid's pieces are fabulous. You can wear them on their own or layer them for more dramatic effect. These are from her Maltese Falcon collection. Soon enough we'll have her Gypsy Sky pieces. We can't wait.....

Last Call Sidewalk Sale!

This weekend is the second and last sidewalk sale of the summer for Bucktown. Come on out on Saturday or Sunday and enjoy the deals (and the gorgeous weather we're supposed to have)!

Shop Around on Damen Avenue to Benefit Dress for Success

On Thursday from 4-8pm, Young Executives for Success is hosting a shopping event at stores on Damen Avenue. All participants will receive discounts at participating stores, as well as items for their swag bag. All proceeds go to Dress for Success; register by emailing dfs.yes.events@gmail.com

One Bag: Three Ways

This one bag can be transformed into three different shapes just by doing some quick snaps. It starts out flat, then can have a square bottom, and finally can turn into a little doctor's bag. It's absolutely perfect for travel - fits easily into a suitcase in the flat position and then you have three bags once you arrive at your destination.

All this, plus it's made of organic cotton, has a biodegradable coating, and a lining made of recycled plastic water bottles. Three colors and two sizes are available. Check them out here.

Lolla-Time

It's Lollapalooza in Chicago this weekend and we've had a number of our products called out as must-haves for the festival. Our Voltaic solar panel bags are recommended as a way to stay connected while you're out and about, and thanks to Daily Candy our ecosaucer and body wash were suggested as ways to wind up - and then wind down.

You can still get passes here - and if you're not heading out to the shows, stop by the store and say hi to us instead.

I Scream

We just got these ice cream cones in, and they make me very happy. I think they are the perfect gift for just about any occasion - they say everything from "let's celebrate" to "let's wallow in ice cream together." And yes, they are completely functional.

Check them out here.

Sidewalk Sale this Weekend!

Come on out to the Bucktown Sidewalk Sale this weekend! Tons of stores are participating - here at Grasshopper 510 you'll find savings on pillows, t-shirts, and other great stuff that's not currently on sale.

See you this weekend!

Adelaide

We just got this new bag in, and we love it (not just because of the name). It's the perfect bag for summer, but it makes an easy transition into fall given the army green color. And it's literally army green - Jack & Marjorie bags use surplus military supplies like tents, parachutes, and rifle straps for their charming creations.

Check out our other Jack & Marjorie bags while you're at it......

Summer Sale on Esque

During the month of July, we are offering 40% off all of our in-stock Esque items. These hand-blown glass pieces are artistic and beautiful.

Sale is both in store and on-line - so start shopping!

Check out the Chuck

Who knew that you could dream of a waste basket? The Chuck from studioCrank is a new edition to our store and people (including us!) are loving it already. It's great for trash - sized for a 3 gallon BioBag for the messy types, storage, and of course recycling. Best of all it's made of 100% recycled cardboard and is printed with low VOC inks. If you order it on-line it ships flat, but it takes about a minute to put it together.

Check out the Chuck - $12

NPR's The Story with Dick Gordon

We always love it when people sit up and take notice of our designers. The pretty organic table linens from Fiberactive Organics got some well-deserved attention when Julie Mullin, the founder of Fiberactive Organics, was featured on NPR's The Story a few months ago in a piece called A Gift of Hands. Julie employs Vietnamese refugees in her North Carolina business and this unique relationship is explored in the NPR piece.

We love the idea of cloth napkins at home, both to make any meal seem that much nicer, and also to do away with paper napkins. You can see Fiberactive Organics napkins here, and you can listen to the podcast here.

Have We Mentioned It's Our Birthday?

Yep, Grasshopper 510 is turning one. To celebrate we are having a major in-store sale on Saturday and Sunday: 20% off all regularly priced items. If you're local please stop in and check it out.

....Did we mention there will be cupcakes?

Teacher's Pet

Need a quick gift for your child's teacher? Look no further than this pencil case. Made of recycled cardboard tubes and repurposed flip-flop foam, it gets an A+ on its eco-report card.

Is It Summer Yet?

It's supposed to hit 80 degrees here in Chicago today and we are itching to dine al fresco. To keep the bugs at bay, we have this citronella candle that can't be beat: recycled glass, soy wax, plus the scent keeps the mosquitos away? Perfect summer host gift: FOUND.

We Love This Bag

Look what we got in the mail today: as soon as we saw this bag, we fell in love. It's the perfect fresh color we're craving for Spring, but it's also going to work well in the colder months. These Ashley Watson bags don't stick around too long, so if you love it as much as we do, snap it up!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day is fast approaching and with it comes a nice opportunity to let the moms in your life know how special you think they are. Whether that means reaching out to your own mom, or your wife, sister, best friend, or daughter - now is the perfect time to say "I think you're doing a great job."

If you're looking for a gift to go along with that sentiment, check out these suggestions:

What's better than breakfast in bed? Pick something yummy to cook like apple strata, and then present this book along with your masterpiece. We're betting she won't mind if the book has some smudges on it, if it comes along with a cooked meal.

Give mom some time to herself and pamper her with these luxurious bath and body items from Earthworks. One of our favorites is the African Jasmine scent collection - but you can't go wrong with any of them.

This cute clutch is the perfect little purse for just about any mom. And of course, she'll love that its from you.

Don't forget to take a peek at the Holiday section of our website for more ideas.

Tribune Calling....

We recently received a request to have Grasshopper 510 used in a cover shot for Chicago Tribune's Sunday section House & Home. We were happy to oblige even if we were just acting as window dressing.

In a nice turn of events, while shooting their story the Tribune folks spotted our beautiful Susan Lamp and will be mentioning it in this Sunday's Goods section. Keep your eyes peeled!

190 North

I'm hesitant to publicize this before we see how it turns out....but here goes: we're being featured on 190 North this weekend. So tune in to ABC 7 this Sunday at 10:35 pm. Let us know what you think!

Almost Famous?

When we got a phone call yesterday asking us to chat about one of the lines we carry, we didn't expect immediate gratification, but voila! Here we are quoted in the Bradenton Herald (that's in Florida for those of you who didn't know) talking about the super cute onesies that we carry from OBLI Organics.

http://www.bradenton.com/business/story/1254848.html

' “The ‘I only ride hybrid’ line is one of the most popular,” said Jean Taylor, owner of Grasshopper 510, a Chicago-based retailer that carries OBLI Organics. “Their clothes are popular. They have lots of really cute graphics. The onsies are a bit more popular for new baby gifts.” OBLI Organics is carried in 45 stores across the nation and one in Honduras.'

Props

A few of our products have gotten some great attention recently:

This sweet carafe made it's
debut in the pages of
Good Housekeeping in February...


...and the Blue Avocado bags that we wrote about back in January won "Smartest System" in Real Simple's review of reuseable bags (we personally love the veggie bags).


Congrats to them both!

Tea, Anyone?

We have been searching a long time for a candle in an interesting vessel and we finally found it. These beautiful soy wax candles are hand-poured in Chicago and use vintage teacups and saucers - the result is pure charm. Each one is different, making it a great gift. And the best part? If you bring the clean teacup back in to Grasshopper 510, we'll get it refilled for you.

Teacup Candle, $32 each

http://www.grasshopper510.com/product.asp?lt=d&deptid=6791&pfid=GRH00576

Resolutions

Here at Grasshopper 510, we believe it's all about little changes that add up to big results. We resolved to use less plastic water bottles a few years back and have stuck with it, but in 2009 we can feel even better about using our Brita water filter thanks to the new Take Back the Filter Campaign now in effect. It doesn't get much easier than dropping the used (and dried) filters off at a Whole Foods - no excuses any more! (Check with your local Whole Foods to make sure they are participating.)


And what better to take with you to the grocery store than these great shopping bags from Blue Avocado made of recycled materials?

http://www.grasshopper510.com/product.asp?pfid=GRH00572