Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "bows and arrows"

Creativity Revived

2012-01-21T01:04:05Z

Growing up, sometimes we forget to exercise our creative activities. For some, our creative drive dies right along with the hand-me-down car from Grandma senior year in high school. Sometimes our creative energy is put on the backburner as stresses and responsibilities of being an adult such as finding a job, keeping a job, paying bills, the mortgage and providing for our families take over… or our creative energy fades away completely.

Here in Sacramento, we love each other. We support each other. Seriously, we do. Just stop for a moment and think back on how many creative projects, ideas and businesses that have thrived in the last decade or so. Regardless if the doors of any of these ideas or businesses are still open or not, the point is... they made it happen. There is no denying the inspiration of such creative ventures have spread faster than a California wildfire during a dry, hot heat wave.

The latest album you’ve had on repeat is your best friend’s band. The last film you watched was your boyfriend’s short film that was screened at the local art collective spot. The earrings you are wearing are handmade from a local designer bought from the boutique your neighbor owns. Within the last few years Sacramento has built a pretty comfortable and welcoming cushion for the our creative class to fall on.

We were fortunate enough to have events like SellOut/Buyout, which was a combined art and trade show that called for local artists and designers. For some, Sellout/Buyout was how we were introduced to many of our favorite local designers and artists today. Annually, Sacramento hosts Launch, an art, design and music festival. Launch highlights some of the most talked about local artists, musicians and designers. Both events like Sellout/Buyout and Launch were opportunities for artists of any avenue to showcase their creative pursuits and network with like-minded people.

Julie Cassotta, 29, a Sacramento native who recently discovered her talent and love for handcrafting jewelry, recently said goodbye to an 8-5 office job to pursue more satisfying opportunities. She admits she used to do a great deal of creative writing when she was younger that she no longer does. She is also a graduate from the Elite Academy pursuing hair and makeup, but hasn’t been using those skills as much as she would like to these days.

For the last 14 years Julie has learned the art of repairing and building custom guitars at her family owned shop, SonFather Guitars, alongside her brother, Jesse and her Father, Dave. All those years working intensely with her hands has acquired her precise skills that have helped her with her jewelry designs, as she works towards a collection of hand crafted one of a kind pieces of jewelry that includes a bevy of necklaces, rings, earrings and bracelets.

For Julie, what started out as a creative hobby for herself now has her pieces for sale at Bows and Arrows Vintage clothing store in midtown Sacramento as well as her Etsy online shop, Real Life Dollhouse.

Julie's pieces are reconstructed, mixing different types of materials together such as vintage charms with modern, and she has taken the time to share some information in the interview below regarding her new jewelry designing success, and how it has revived the creativity back into her life.

Question: What inspired you to start designing jewelry?

Answer: Initially, I was frustrated with buying cheap jewelry that fell apart and not being able to afford some of the rad jewelry that I was seeing online and whatnot. I started remaking pieces that had broken or lost parts or were out of date, etc. Then one day I was looking for a lion necklace and couldn't find what I was looking for so I decided to use my inlay knowledge and make something myself. A light bulb kind of went off in my head and it just took off from there.

Question: When did you realize your creative endeavors could become more than a hobby?

Answer: I started posting some of the pieces I had made on my blog and had received great responses. I figured it was time to take it seriously and put together a collection and start an Etsy store.

Question: You know you've found the perfect material to incorporate into one of your pieces when...........

Answer: …… I find something interesting or just catches my eye really. If there's something I'm looking for but can't find, I'll try to make it myself.

Question: Do you have a plan of attack when you start creating pieces such as sketching ideas or do you just dive into it?

Answer: Both really. Sometimes I have a clear vision of what I want to make and other times, more often actually, I just look around at what I have and start piecing things together. Especially when working with natural materials like stone and wood, sometimes they have a mind of their own and will only let me manipulate them so much.

Question: You also repair guitars at your family owned custom guitar shop, SonFather Guitar. Explain how working there has influenced or helped your jewelry design?

Answer: Well, I've been working with wood from a very young age because of the shop and my father being a woodworker. The inlay aspect of guitar building has always been an interest of mine and has become a skill I have developed and specialized in for over 10 years now. The influence it has had on the jewelry is very literal and apparent, I basically use the same materials, mostly scraps or samples that we've had lying around for years. I started with the lion piece that I made for myself, then I started making similar ones for friends then I just kind of developed a "let's see what else I can do" mentality about it.

Question: Your Soapstone, Heartbeat Wooden Double Finger and Ebony and Turquoise statement rings are featured in your Etsy Shop. All very unique, and obviously hand crafted. Tell us about the work that goes into those pieces compared your reconstructed pieces.

Answer: The wood and stone work is definitely more unique and personal. A lot more work is involved. It takes time and planning, templates, samples, test runs, etc. The reconstructed pieces are simpler, easier, the kind of thing I put together sitting on the floor in my living room watching a movie. Those are more about having a good collection of interesting items to work together.

Question: Do you favor making one style of jewelry over another?

Answer: I love both really, the ones that I wear the most myself are the reconstructed ones, they're a little bit more casual, easy to wear with many different things. The statement pieces have to wait for the right occasion but they're more challenging for me to make so I take a bit more pride in those pieces.

Question: Do you have a favorite local designer(s) that createhandmade items? ( jewelry, clothes, accessories, etc.)

Answer: I have a friend in San Diego, Georgina of Trevino Joyeria, who makes fantastic jewelry. Also, Tessa Parks has been making some really rad stuff lately, although I'm not sure if she has any for sale yet.

Question: What direction do you see your jewelry designs going?

Answer: I honestly have no idea, I'm inspired by all kinds of things all the time, I think it will always be changing and evolving. I'd like to learn how to do some metal work, so maybe things will go that direction? I don't know. I'm not much of a planner. I just do things and see what happens.

Hopefully for some of you who have shelved your canvases in the depths of your closet or let dust collect on your camera in the recent years, remember why you had those items in your pocession in the first place. Make time for your long lost creative activity or try a new one you never imagined you had in you. Who's next, Sacramento?

Sacramento Music's Numbers Game

2012-01-17T03:51:30Z

Music promoters in Sacramento gathered Sunday evening to discuss the need to create more local venues and how this would help the local music culture thrive. Time Tested Books hosted the Living Library discussion, called, “The State of Live Music in Sacramento.” Many panelists said that creating more venues in Sacramento is vital and find the city’s regulations to be a huge obstacle.

No chairs were empty, and a crowd stood for the whole two hours of the event. When the moderator, local writer/music fan Dennis Yudt, asked if anyone present was a musician, more than half of the attendants raised their hands.

Yudt spent the first hour and a half prompting the five panelists with questions – music promoters Jerry Perry (who once ran a popular venue called The Cattle Club), Brian McKenna (promoter of many local bands, including Hella), Mindy Giles (who was once vice president of Alligator Records and was marketing director for Tower Records) and Rick Ele (who hosts the “Art for Spastics” show on KDVS). Also with them was Olivia Coelho, co-founder of the music venue and vintage shop Bows and Arrows.

When Yudt asked the panelists what Sacramento has that other cities don’t, Perry had great things to say about the local artists. When looking for Sacramento’s new great band each year, he said he finds 10 or 20 that are up to par.

The conversation quickly switched to what Sacramento lacks, and for all the panelists, it’s a key way of presenting these artists to bigger audiences.

“There’s a 1,500-seat venue that’s the missing link,” McKenna said.

McKenna outlined this missing link as a transition for bands to go from smaller venues to big shows – not necessarily a “huge building to fill every night,” but a new venue open to all genres and all audiences.

Everyone on the panel agreed that supporting the city’s culture and opening more music venues could help revitalize K Street and would be a step toward turning Sacramento into a world-class city.

Ele said that he could easily brainstorm 80 venues in Portland, but not even two dozen in Sacramento, which he finds extremely problematic.

“If (Portland) can rise from the joke of a scene that they were,” Ele said, “there’s no reason Sacramento can’t, too.”

Perry expressed a lot of frustration with the city’s regulations on entertainment. He said that many restaurants would be selling food and alcohol without any trouble, but once live entertainment was involved, suddenly people would worry about minors drinking alcohol.

“What makes you think we’ll let them drink?” Perry said. “They treat us like children…. I wish the city would open their eyes and support us.”

McKenna agreed with Perry’s point, and he said that it is important for the missing link to be all-ages and still provide alcohol.

“Adults don’t want to come out if they can’t get alcohol,” McKenna said, “but it’s the kids that really bring new enthusiasm for music.”

Coelho said she knows this venue struggle firsthand. She explained how tough it was for her to present live music at her store, Bows and Arrows, legally. The process consumed a lot of time and money, sometimes leading to paying bands out of pocket.

“It’s incredibly expensive to make sure bathrooms are up to date and to have sprinklers,” Coelho said. “(It costs) tens of thousands of dollars just to have amplified music in your place.”

Coelho spoke of one victory she had for Bows and Arrows, where she was able to save money by asking the city to allow her one security guard instead of the required two.

When she pointed out that her venue is small and that two guards for so much as two attendants was unreasonable, they listened to her plight and agreed with her.

“Sometimes (the city) will be more responsive than we think they will,” Coelho said.

Despite this victory, the “one-size-fits-all” entertainment permit has to be renewed every two years, even if nothing has changed with the establishment. The application fee is supposed to cover the cost of time the government gives to investigate a venue, she said, and the renewal is $1,400.

“I would be so sad to not be able to bring live music to people,” Coelho said.

Once Yudt finished his questions, the panel turned to the audience. Many hands filled the air to offer ideas and brainstorm new strategies for helping Sacramento’s music culture. One audience member suggested that they file petitions against certain regulations, while another said that the panel could easily be the founders of a special interest group.

One audience member, Michael “LP Sessions” LaPlante, pointed out that theaters in San Jose have several months of off time, and that they supplement income with live music performances. LaPlante said that The Sacramento Theatre Company, Wells Fargo Pavilion, and B Street Theatre could easily do the same.

“We have lots of diverse music in this town,” LaPlante said. “Venues and presenters and bands need to get together and organize.”

Yudt closed by thanking everyone for coming to the event. He asked that they take action to help Sacramento’s music culture, even if it’s something as small as bringing a new friend to a live performance.

“Everyone can have a say to institute change,” Yudt said. “Young, old, regardless of genre… tonight, we’re all in the same genre.”

The next Living Library will be held Febuary 19th, and will have beer historian Ed Carroll, author of “Sacramento's Breweries,” discuss Sacramento’s brewing heritage.

Ringing in the New Year

2011-12-29T16:36:36Z

Looking to celebrate the New Year in style? The Sacramento Press has compiled a list of New Year's Eve events that will start 2012 off with a bang.

Sacramento New Year’s Eve Dinner Gala
Hornblower Yacht
1206 Front Street
Boarding at 6:45 p.m. Cruise is from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
$128 per person. Discounts are available for seniors and children

Get a private viewing of the fireworks on the river aboard the Hornblower Yacht. Hornblower Cruises and Events offers a three-hour cruise that includes a four-course seated dinner, a cocktail bar that includes dinner liqueurs and house champagne. There will be a DJ on board for guests who have their dancing shoes on.

For more information, visit the website or call 446-1185.

Sacramento New Year’s Eve Midnight Cruise
Hornblower Yacht
1206 Front Street
Boarding at 10:45 p.m. Cruise is from 11 p.m. – 1 a.m.
$90 per person. Discounts are available for seniors and children

For those looking to ring in the New Year on the river; there is a later two-hour cruise, which also offers a private viewing of the fireworks. Hors d’oeuvres such as a local artisan cheese display and mini crab cakes with spicy remoulade will be served. There will also be free-flowing house champagne and a DJ on board for dancing into the New Year.

For more information, visit the website or call 446-1185.

Sacramento New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular
Corner of J and Front streets
6 pm - 12:30 am
Free

Sacramento 365 and the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau have come together to sponsor the 12th annual Spy Spectacular. Families are encouraged to visit the tent under Waterfront Park for kid-friendly entertainment from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. Radio Disney Rockin' Road Crew and SING Inc., Pop Academy will be playing kid-friendly jams.

There is a break at 9:00 for the first fireworks display, which will be set to children’s music. Then, Too Smooth will be playing R&B and Motown hits through the final fireworks display at 12 a.m. Street entertainment will be provided by Robo Party Band and Live Band Karaoke with Kiss N Tell. from 6 p.m. - 11:55 p.m.

Prepaid parking is available in Old Sacramento, and there are hotel packages available.

For more information, visit the website or call 808-7777.

The Roaring '20’s New Year’s Eve Celebration
Crescent Club Speakeasy
1150 Firehouse Alley
9 p.m. - 2 a.m.
$50 online/ $65 at door
21+

The Crescent Club, an underground Prohibition era Speakeasy, is located in Governor Newton Booth’s Historic Mansion, built in 1848. The event is based on the ‘20’s. and guests are urged to dress in gangster and flapper attire and there will be awards for the best costumes.

Guests who are feeling can play poker with an Al Capone look-alike or spin the roulette wheel. Live jazz music will be played by the Crescent Katz and there will be complimentary champagne and appetizers at 12 a.m. Special pricing will be offered on the Prohibition and Boardwalk Empire cocktail menus. Complimentary valet is available.

For more information, visit the website or call 498-9098.

New Year’s Eve and Day 5k and 10k Walks
Pioneer House
415 P St.
Day: 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. / Eve: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
$3

The Sacramento Walking Sticks organization is walking straight into the New Year with day and evening walks. The walks go through the city streets and by historic landmarks. Participants are urged to bring flashlights for the night walk.

The Sacramento Walking Sticks membership is not mandatory and neither is the $3 fee. However, all participants must sign an Amateur Athletic Waiver and Release of Liability at the beginning of the event and parents or guardians must sign for minors. A start card will be given to participants at registration and they must have it validated at control points and then turn it back in upon completion.

For more information, visit the website or call 961-0937.

Suspects New Year’s Eve
Suspects Murder Mystery Dinner Theater
1000 Front St.
$70/ $99 for Delta King Party Package

Guests are welcomed to dine on New York steak and Scampi style prawns, pan roasted half-chicken, salmon or seared polenta and grilled vegetables while they enjoy a murder/mystery dinner show and then are invited to stay around for the midnight fireworks display in Old Sacramento.

For those who purchase the Delta King Party Package, they can test their luck with Black Jack, Roulette and Craps for prizes or can boogie down on the dance floor to live music. Then it’s time to toast to the New Year with champagne and party favors.

“For more information, visit the website or call 443-3600.

Fox and Goose Public House
1001 R St.
9 p.m. – 12 a.m.
$10
Ages 21+

Fox and Goose Public House is partying with DJ Larry Rodriguez for New Year’s Eve. The live show starts at 9 p.m., and tickets are $10 each. While there will not be any drink specials, guests are welcomed to a complimentary glass of champagne.

Bartender Michael Henning said that Fox and Goose has always had a New Year’s Eve celebration since they opened in 1975 and this will be the third consecutive year with DJ Larry Rodriguez.

“Last year was good,” Henning said. “It was busy.”

As for this year, Henning said he is ready to have a good time again.

“I’m looking forward to a fresh start to the new year,” Henning said.

For more information, visit the website or call 443-8825

New Year’s Eve with Utz! and the Shuttlecocks
Harlow’s Restaurant and Nightclub
2708 J St.
10:00 p.m.
$45
Ages 21+

Utz and the Shuttlecocks, a local self-described drunken cover band that has been playing for five years, will be celebrating its last live show on the last day of 2011. Utz will be playing eight new songs but promises to bring the same dance moves and white pants, and an extra fog machine.

For more information, visit the website or call 441-4693.

End of the World Party
Luigi’s Slice and Fungarden
1050 20th St.
8:30 p.m. – 1:00 a.m.
$5
All ages

Luigi’s is hosting a New Year’s Eve party with local bands Lite Brite, Musical Charis, Mondo Deco and The Trees. The bands will be playing in the Fungarden, and pizza slices will be served next door.

For more information, visit the website or call 447-1255.

Black and White Purrball
Happy Tails Pet Sanctuary
6001 Folsom Blvd.
12 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Free

Happy Tails is holding a Black and White Purrball, where the adoption fees for black and black-and-white cats over 1 year old are waived with a cat food donation.

Happy Tails told The Sacramento Press that these cats are often overlooked, so this gives them special attention. Black and black-and-white cats under a year old can be adopted for $25 at this event.

All felines are tested, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and microchipped. Cats over 1 year old can be adopted at their adoption center at 6001 Folsom Blvd. from noon - 6 p.m., and kitten adoptions are held at PetSmart at 1738 Watt Ave. from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information, visit the website or call 556-1155.

Bows with Booty Jams
Bows and Arrows
1815 19th Street
8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Free

Bows and Arrows, which opened its new location on June 4 of this year, will be blasting jams from the Oh Dang! crew for their New Year’s Eve party. There will be drink specials at the Beer and Wine bar throughout the night.

For more information, visit the website or call 822-5668.

Editorial Note: This article was updated after it was published.

Shopping through time, vintage store roundup

2011-09-16T06:14:52Z

Looking for retro prints, vintage dresses, concert tees, tailored suits, fedoras, one-of-a-kind jewelry or even a hand-sewn dress from the 1900s? The search can be satisfied right in the heart of Midtown and downtown Sacramento.

Vintage shops and boutiques pepper the city, and shop owners are constantly on the lookout for interesting, in-style and hard-to-find secondhand or even generations-old pieces to reintroduce to the public.

The Sacramento Press searched the streets of Midtown and downtown to round up some of the vintage stores offering unique, vintage goods and fashions.

Crimson and Clover
1617 16th St.
442-1800

Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Friday noon - 8 p.m.
Sunday 1 - 6 p.m.

Crimson and Clover offers classic, vintage and handmade women’s clothing, jewelry and accessories primarily from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. The store is a hodgepodge of delicate, hand-sewn Victorian gowns and “museum pieces” to party dresses and pieces from the 1970s, store co-owner Kara Perez said.

“It looks like grandma’s house,” Perez added. “There are a lot of little knickknacks – it’s really girly and cute.”

Perez and business partner Nicole Honeyeater hand-make accessories, charms, rings and other jewelry from recycled material such old buttons, studs and unmatched earrings. The clothing is all hand-selected by Perez and Honeyeater. The two owners frequent thrift stores, yard sales and estate sales to find pieces fitting with current trends in clothing.

“We definitely pay attention to craftsmanship and details,” Perez said. “We usually look for something special like pleating or buttons – things that are a little more one-of-a-kind.”

Average prices range from $9 to $40. A typical outfit of a couple pieces and accessories could be put together for about $35 to $45.

Fringe
2409 21st St.
706-0216

Hours:
Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday noon - 4 p.m.
Second Sunday Love the Lot Flea Market 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
or by appointment

Since 2008, Audrey Wells, proprietress of Fringe, has offered a large selection of gently used retro fashions, home and garden decor and antique furniture from as far back as the 18th century. Wells said her shop can be compared to the store Anthropology. The styles are bohemian, modern and industrial with a touch of Chanel, she said.

She carries jewelry made with polished metal and exposed gears and pieces with rusty, heavy and masculine looks right alongside soft and feminine pieces. Women’s and men’s clothing is available, including vintage dresses and gowns, jackets, coats, shoes and cowboy boots. Along with the vintage pieces that Wells finds from foraging estate sales and flea markets, clothing lines such as Love Heals, Tamara Berg and other local designers are carried.

“I think mixing really expensive stuff with really inexpensive stuff is genius,” Wells said. “I think nothing is more brilliant than wearing something that is maybe more expensive because of what it is and then offsetting that with just a $5 thrifted T-shirt.”

Prices range anywhere from $1 for lower-end pieces to $12,000 for highly collectible, rare, vintage antiques made by artists considered to be the “Louis Vuittons of furniture.” Clothing ranges from $5 to $500, with most pieces falling into the $30 to $150 range.

Thunderhorse Vintage
2522 J St.
444-7723

Hours:
Daily noon - 7 p.m.

Thunderhorse Vintage carries unique, handpicked, “rock-and-roll-style” clothing and memorabilia ranging from pins to concert T-shirts and concert jerseys from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Much of the items at the store are music-related, co-owner Marilyn Ayres said.

The store offers kitschy, funky stuff of every era, Ayres said. These include 1980s cartoon toys such as Transformers and He-Man from Masters of the Universe, a 1900s vintage opera coat, authentic German military jackets from the 1950s, motorcycle boots from France and fancy western rodeo ware from the 1950s.

The apparel selection includes sundresses, dresses from the 1930s, leather jackets and accessories such as hats, gloves, purses and sunglasses.

Ayres and her twin sister, Jennifer Ayres, have been collecting since they were 16 years old. The items carried at the store come from around the globe. The two sisters travel often and constantly look for unique items during their trips. They opened the store in January 2009.

“It was our dream since we were 14,” Marilyn Ayres said. “We wanted all of the most unique, hard-to-find collectibles – the rarest of the rare, the cream of crop, the most unique and one-of-a-kind items.”

The average price ranges from $10 to $40 for sundresses, $40 to $80 for 1930s dresses, $40 to $250 for leather jackets and $4 to $10 for many other items around the store.

Ed’s Threads
1125 21st St.
446-8183

Hours:
Tuesday through Wednesday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Walking into Ed’s Threads, jazz music and Frank Sinatra classics fill the air and immediately set the tone for what’s to find in the small Midtown shop.

Focused on “Mad Men” -style looks and tailored, high-quality men’s vintage, Ed’s Threads carries pieces primarily from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s as well as some from the ‘70s and a few contemporary pieces from higher-end lines such as Armani and Tommy Bahama.

The shop is lined with shelves of men’s shoes, hats, sweaters, cardigans, dress shirts, suits, ties, pants, belts, jewelry and lamps from the 1950s. The walls are decorated with vintage posters, paintings, art and various collectibles.

“It’s like a step back in time,” said Ed Castro, owner of Ed’s Threads.

Castro has been selling vintage clothing for 31 years, and clothing has always been a passion of his, he said.

Castro said he feels the quality of vintage clothing is better – fabrics are more interesting, and the tailoring was more streamlined to the body as opposed to the modern-day styles of over-sized and looser clothing, he explained.

Prices range from $25 for shirts to $125 for suits.

Bows & Arrows
1815 19th St.
822-5668

Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Bows & Arrows offers a vintage, handmade and reconstructed selection of a bohemian “glamour-hippie” aesthetic – fit with natural elements such as wood, crystals, tie-dye, leather, turquoise, feathers and agate rock formations. Women’s and some men’s clothing is available.

Store owners Olivia Coelho and Trisha Rhomberg hand-select the items carried in the store. They often reconstruct old pieces to create modern looks, shapes and styles with vintage fabrics and material.

“Things have their own presence and their own energy,” Coelho said. “As long as things are made well, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t continue with their own lives on the planet.”

The store opened at its new location on 19th Street in June after three and a half years at its L Street location. Rhomberg said that the new store has a more finely edited, smaller selection of high-quality vintage pieces from the 1950s to early 1990s. A majority of the items come from the 1970s. Antique lamps, furniture and artwork are also available.

“It’s kind of an extension of our homes,” Rhomberg said. “If Olivia and I lived in a place this big, it would be our closets blown up and put out on display.”

Prices range from $9 to $70. The upper-range items consist of vintage Native American, hand-foraged metals such as silver, turquoise and semi-precious stone jewelry.

Cuffs
2523 J St., suite 101
443-2881

Hours:
Monday through Saturday 11 a.m - 7 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Cuffs carries both new and vintage dresses, tops, shoes, bags, purses, sunglasses, jewelry and accessories for men and women. Store owner Lacadia Olsen said she tries to carry unique items that fit in with current trends. She described the overall style as young, contemporary, modern and hip.

The vintage selection at Cuffs ranges from the ‘50s to the ‘90s, particularly focusing on the ‘60s and late ‘80s to early ‘90s – the era when Olsen was a young teenager discovering fashion, she said. Olsen said she likes to keep the vintage pieces current and wearable.

She currently stocks more printed pieces, such as animal prints and southwestern geometric prints. She gets a lot of her items from shopping and hunting for vintage finds. She orders from wholesalers in Los Angeles and Canada who collect vintage clothing. In addition to vintage pieces, Cuffs carries several lines of clothing: Unif, Ark & Co., Motel, and, in the fall, Jeffrey Campbell will be available.

“I think the important thing about vintage is that you need to mix it with current stuff,” Olsen said. “You can get a vintage dress and throw it together with a new blazer and a new bag.”

The average price range is $18 to $40, with many items under and over those prices as well. Olsen said she tries to keep prices under $100.

Which vintage stores are your favorites? Share your experiences and suggestions in the conversation below.

Why do you love Sacramento ?

2011-07-19T06:56:29Z

We've all heard it before, “I need to get out of Sacramento."

The above statement has been muttered out of the mouths of people born and raised here or forced here beyond their will as a child by the likes of their parents or family, just waiting for the day they turned 18 to flock to wherever the cool kids are. You have probably also heard the generic, "There is nothing to do here," or, " If I want a real career, I need to move to San Francisco or Los Angeles, where it's happening."

Maybe so, or maybe, these people haven't given our state capital a fair look at a microscopic level with a new pair of eyes.

You know what, no microscope needed, just open your eyes.

Sacramento's popularity is rising. People who are now old enough to spread their wings and fly have chosen to nest here. It's not because they have failed to take flight and venture out and find exciting endeavors in new places, it's because Sacramento is one of the most amazing places to be and some people don’t even know it.

A group of people who share the same view gathered Sunday evening at Time Tested Books, a long standing independent book store owned by Peter Keats. Keats curates an event called, “The Sacramento Living Library,” that happens at the bookstore every third Sunday. The Living Library is hosted by the editor at Midtown Monthly magazine, Tim Foster. Each month, the group focuses on a cultural legend in the Sacramento area and opens the microphone to their guest speaker(s) and attendees. This past Sunday was a showcase dedicated to why we love Sacramento. Each attendee was welcome to share why Sacramento is so special to them. Guests could also choose to simply listen.

The group served as inspiration to one another as people approached the mic, claiming they were only there to listen at first, but felt obliged toward Sacramento as they heard others speak about their love affair with our city of trees.

The evening started out with Living Library regular, local writer and security guard William Hughes. Hughes expressed his love for Sacramento through a thoughtful poem that showcased his favorites, brunch at Tower Café or golf at William Land Park.

Not only is Sacramento a great place for our natives to stay, but it is a growing place to call home for people hailing from different cities and states. Forget Los Angeles, as did a painter named Jeff who left southern California for northern and hasn’t looked back. What captured him about Sacramento was the city’s history, the architecture of our buildings and the fact that he can walk everywhere.

“Carmeggedon!” yelled a guest from the crowd, referring to closure of the 405 highway, a major Interstate Highway in southern California that demonstrated how reliant on cars southern California really is.

Interestingly enough, the editor of Midtown Monthly magazine, a magazine that highlights the going-ons of greater Sacramento, is in fact from New Jersey. Tim Foster came to Sacramento “kicking and screaming,” planning on going back to the East coast the first chance he got - until he moved to midtown. After five years of living in midtown Sacramento, he says he can’t imagine home being anywhere else. Foster says midtown had everything in a community he was looking for and his earliest memories of New Jersey did not.

Other reasons on why Foster loves Sacramento: he can ride his bike to not one, but two different rivers; affordable housing with a garden and garage; and he “never had to pay for band practice in my life.”

Performing Arts teacher Melanie Smith admits that when she moved to Citrus Heights and worked as a teacher at American River College, her life consisted of her daily commute to the college and back home. Her view of Sacramento changed once she moved to Curtis Park. She describes it as “uncovering a new world.” Smith said getting to know the neighborhood and her neighbors on a more personal level is what brought about her love of Sacramento.

Smith also touched on the topic of film and stage performances. Sacramento has it all, the actors, the writers, the producers, the directors. So why move? Why move when we can stay where we are and create here?

This goes for all areas of creative endeavors. We need to dive into the resources we have and reach out to one another for support and inspiration. It’s here.

Olivia Coelho, co-owner of Bows and Arrows, recalls memories of her time growing up in the foothills where she was surrounded by “McMansions” and didn’t share the same views as the other kids she grew up with. As an escape, she moved to Santa Cruz briefly to complete her studies before returning back to the Sacramento area.

Coelho then uncovered her journey in finding what she wanted to do with her life: to find out that Sacramento wasn’t just a pit stop to bigger and better things. Sacramento is where she found a group of like minded people with whom she could create, recalling memories of art shows at Joe’s Style Shop. Coelho was also overwhelmed with outpouring support from other small business owners when she asked for advice.

“I’m not going anywhere,” Coelho beamed.

Coelho’s business partner, Trisha Rhomberg, who focuses on Bows’ gallery, is from Missouri. She came out here to attend CSUS ten years ago. She must have seen something in Sacramento because not only is she still here, but she shows no signs of slowing as the growth of Bows and Arrows burns faster than a wildfire.

The evening’s last speaker was Karen, a Sacramento native, whose natural smile radiated from her as she reminisced about Sacramento’s lovely features. She mentioned the weather, palm trees, diversity and affordable housing. She also said it was heartwarming to watch small businesses grow.

The group of speakers lightly touched on politics and what we can do to keep people here. Why are you here?

Rivers, B street theatre, yearly festivals such as Launch and Bicycle film festival, eccentric dance nights hosted by Shaun Slaughter, the State Capital, McKinley Park, The State Fair, Tower Theatre and café, bike rides, Crest Theatre, Crocker Art Museum, 2nd Saturday Art Walk…. Why do YOU love Sacramento?

Photos of Bows and Arrows' new digs

2011-06-22T01:03:54Z

Vintage clothing store Bows and Arrows opened in its new Midtown location June 4, and the space is fitting the shop’s needs perfectly, according to co-owner Trisha Rhomberg.

Located at 1815 19th St. across from Safeway, the store now includes Fat Face cafe and is being called Bows Collective overall, so customers can pick up vintage clothes, sandwiches and something to drink – including beer and wine – at the same location.

Also incorporated in the new space is an art gallery.

The custom-made wooden bar is a focal point at the rear of the store, surrounded by rustic tables made by a friend of co-owners Rhomberg and Olivia Coelho from salvaged wood in front of the doorway to a patio, where more tables are interspersed with flowers to give a welcoming feel.

Rhomberg previously told The Sacramento Press that she wanted to give the feel of being in someone’s home while also being friendly to the environment.

To read more about Bows and Arrows’ new space and move, click here.

Bows & Arrows moves, adds Fat Face cafe

2011-06-03T01:27:00Z

Sacramento shopkeepers Olivia Coelho and Trisha Rhomberg will open a new take on their vintage clothing store Bows & Arrows this Saturday. And this time, they will not be alone.

The new Bows & Arrows, opening across from Safeway on 19th Street, will also sell the gourmet popsicles, panini sandwiches and other fare made by Jaymes Luu of Davis-based Fat Face cafe.

The new store, located in a former recording studio, will continue to sell clothes from the 1960s through the early 1990s. Coelho and Rhomberg will also sell refashioned clothing under their own label, Miss Chief of California.

The new store will also contain an art gallery, the cafe, and a beer and wine bar run by Coelho and Rhomberg.

Luu operated the Fat Face popsicle and sandwich shop in Davis. She's also sold popsicles in flavors such as Kaffir Limeade, Thai Tea & Sweet Potato or Melon Horchata at local farmers markets and at the recent mobile food vendor festival, SactoMoFo. She'll now operate Fat Face cafe from within Bows & Arrows.

From the entrance toward the back, the new store moves from a retail shop to an art gallery with cafe tables and then to the cafe. A courtyard patio was added in back.

"It is a multi-use building," Coelho said. "We wanted the spaces to feel distinctly their own, but also have an open flow so you could move throughout the space."

They closed their first store at 1712 L St. on April 30 to focus on furnishing the new space, which had been gutted and completely rebuilt. A kitchen, dressing rooms and new bathrooms were added. More light was let in with new front windows and double glass doors in back.

The recycling ethic and aesthetic has been carried throughout the space. While new lights hang in the art gallery and over the redwood bar, the rest of the lighting is supplied by vintage swag lamps.

Friend Matt Hummel made tables from salvaged wood and various bases, including a pair of antique cast iron Singer sewing machine bases. Salvaged doors and windows add privacy to dressing rooms and partially block a view of the train tracks from the 875-square-foot back patio.

The idea was to recreate the feel of being in someone's home while also being friendly to the environment, Rhomberg said.

"Why put a larger demand on the earth when we can use what's already here?" she said.

Much of what's inside will be either vintage or handmade, such as new art from emerging and established artists. Mixed-media artist Hilary Pecis, recently featured in Juxtapoz Magazine, will show her work at Bows & Arrows' opening-day reception.

Bows & Arrows will be open from 6 - 9 p.m. Saturday. The cafe will serve lunch and dinner five days a week. Regular hours will be 11 a.m. - 11 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

They're working to get an entertainment permit so they can showcase local musicians, filmmakers and other artists.

"Sacramento and Midtown, especially, are really flooded with a ton of talent – visually and musically," Rhomberg said. "There's so much to show to people. I love having a space to do that in – to show people what we're growing here."

Building Sacramento’s art scene by spotlighting local artists and giving them space to collaborate and feed off each other’s energy will help the city's economy grow, she added.

"It's going to be what puts us on the map," Rhomberg said.

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

Kevin Best at Bows and Arrows

2010-04-09T07:03:59Z

Saturday, the vintage boutique Bows and Arrows is hosting returning Sacramento native artist Kevin Best. Known for his comic book-influenced pop-art and unorthodox choice of canvas, Best will be showcasing and selling some of his artwork and clothing.

Best currently lives in Los Angeles and commands a style that capitalizes on the current high-speed world. Inspired by tabloid media and harnessing the power of the Internet, he has attempted to upload himself in the public eye, "taking the last six months very seriously to expose my art," Best explained.

Celebrity gossiper Perez Hilton and "Californication" creator Tom Kapinos are two art owners who have caught on to Best's work. He connected with the celebrities through e-mail and Twitter.

Best has contracted other work, creating an 8-foot by 12-foot mural to spruce up the Hermosa Beach office of Circus Boardwear, as well as designing the cover for Flatmancrooked's collection of short stories, "Not About Vampires: An Anthology of New Fiction Concerning Everything Else."

Best got in touch with Bows and Arrows though Bob Macauley, Sacramentan and co-founder of Best Apparel. Macauley consulted the vintage boutique for advice on launching the clothing line, and estimates an "earning of $1,500 since its inception two months ago." Support mostly came from friends, however Saturday night's event will display the full line of men's and women's T-shirts in an attempt to broaden their market.

Best will present two separate collections of work, Celebz and Thrift Store Remix. Celebz is part of his "Versus" series, featuring a mash-up of pop icons set to an electric acid-washed monochromatic backdrop. Thrift Store Remix is a collection of forgotten paintings the artist discovered in various thrift stores and modernized with a pop-art flair.

Best admitted the TSR collection has turned into an interesting hobby, and he is developing a keen eye for bad taste.

"It's like I've become a connoisseur for awful paintings," Best said. "I'm looking for something people don't want to buy."

Examples of the TSR collection included prehistoric raptors hijacking an old covered wagon, a UFO invasion of a Spanish countryside, and the Technodrome, which some might remember from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles," sitting atop Half Dome in a Yosemite landscape.

When asked if he had a favorite, Best replied, "The Matador Vs. Zombie Bull was the first painting in the collection and still the favorite."

The event will be held from 6-9p.m., at Bows and Arrows, 1712 L. St. Best will be available to answer questions. It will also feature musical performances by Slumgum and Electropoetic Coffee (guitarist Ross Hammond and Poet NSAA, a.k.a. Lawrence Dinkins).

More information on Kevin Best and his work can be found at kevinbestart.com

Yoga sends 'chi' to Deftones bassist in coma

2009-10-07T17:59:16Z

Last Sunday, the Yoga Solution studio was filled with the relaxing sound of "namastes," "oms" and a meditation gong. But what spoke the loudest, perhaps, were three chants of "Chi."

On Oct. 4, 10 people came together to practice yoga and send "chi," or life force energy, to Chi Cheng, bassist for the Grammy-award-winning Sacramento band, Deftones. Cheng has been in a coma since Nov. 4, 2008, after being involved in a motor accident.

The event was organized by yoga instructor Julie McKechnie, who normally teaches classes for members of the Gold River Racquet Club. Her friend Jennifer Sadugor, the owner of Yoga Solution, 887 57th St., allowed her to use her studio for the fundraising gathering, she said.

"I'm such a big (Deftones) fan and when (Chi) had his accident, I was upset and distraught," McKechnie said before the class. Looking for updates on Cheng's condition, she found a way to help through the website www.oneloveforchi.com.

A little over six months ago, another Deftones fan, Gina Blackmore, set up the website to update fans on Cheng's status and allow fans to send "get well" messages as well as donate money to pay for his medical bills. At the time of publication, more than 2,334 donations totaling nearly $73,000 has been donated through the website.

"'One Love for Chi' touched me because I was once in the hospital and received overwhelming support from friends and strangers," McKechnie said. She decided to get her family and friends together and hold a yoga fundraiser, she said.

At a cost of $20 per person, all proceeds went to www.oneloveforchi.com. Among the attendees was McKechnie's mother, there for her first yoga lesson.

"It was great, even though I don't know (Cheng); he's a friend of a friend," said Christine Nicholson, one of the attendees. "It was a great way to get into yoga and to do something for someone else."

In fact, only one person practicing yoga on Sunday actually knew Cheng: his ex-wife Adrienne Cheng. Their son Gabriel also attended the fundraiser, but waited in the other room playing video games during the lesson.

"It was amazing; I'm blown away and really touched," Adrienne Cheng said after the yoga lesson. She mentioned that benefit shows for her ex-husband have been held all over the world.

"Chi's family wants me to thank everyone for coming to this event as well," McKechnie said after the lesson. "Our energy has made its way to (him and) his family."

The next fundraising event will be during this weekend's Second Saturday event. Vintage clothing boutique Bows and Arrows, 1712 L St., will be selling "One Love For Chi" t-shirts.

Those who want to donate can check www.oneloveforchi.com for future fundraisers or donate directly to Cheng's family for medical bills via Paypal.

Local Sacramentans "Sell-out" and "Buy-out" at Bows and Arrows

2009-06-15T00:41:06Z

Trisha Rhomberg and Olivia Coelho, owners of the Bows & Arrows Boutique, held their second Sellout Buyout Art & Fashion Bazaar of the year during June's Second Saturday Art Walk. Bows & Arrows is a vintage store that buys, sells and trades all fashion trends. It is located at 1712 L Street in midtown Sacramento.

The Sellout Buyout event allows local Sacramento artists and designers to have a place to sell some of their creations and to network with other designers.

“My partner Olivia and I wanted to showcase local talent and have people own clothes and accessories from Sacramento designers,” said Rhomberg. “It’s a great opportunity for them to get all the profit from the sales without going retail,” she said.

Rhomberg and Coelho have been doing Sellout Buyout since 2003, four times a year. They first started at Body Tribe, moved to a salon and then moved to Fool’s Foundation before opening Bows & Arrows in November of 2007.

“The Sellout Buyout event is very close to my heart," said Coelho. "It’s the first thing I did in Sacramento."

The Sellout Buyout event this Second Saturday had a mix of artists in different areas, including Tina Leanne Jewelry and Fine Arts, Kristina McClanahan, Archradish, Kewish Designs, etc.

“This was my first time at the Sellout Buyout event,” said Tina Leanne. “I came out here three months ago for Second Saturday. I first got into jewelry when I first went on a missions trip to New Orleans. It was really disturbing. I went there five weeks after (Hurricane Katrina). I took pictures and God gave me the inspiration to become an artist. People gave me some beads and here I am.”

Tina first found out about the Sellout Buyout from her friend, Lisa Elliott, who was also there to support the creations and designs of her daughter. Her daughter was there to sell all the designs they sewed, from clothes to handbags and accessories.

“I’m a paper artist and I also sew. I normally do gallery shows,” said McClanahan. “I’m a normal customer of Bows & Arrows and this is my first time actually showcasing my work. I think there’s a lot of traffic and I’ve been okay with sales.”

For more information about Bows and Arrows, visit www.bowsandarrowsvintage.com

All images photographed by Fino Balanza

Second Saturday boutique bazaar

2009-03-04T00:56:02Z

Hot, fashionable, and crowded - no, Thomas Friedman isn't debuting a clothing line.

Sacramento boutique Bows and Arrows is holding the first Sellout Buyout of the year, and it's sure to be packed with people, clothes, and an array of whimsical and crafty art items.

Sellout Buyout is a lively and loud fashion/art market that gives relatively unknown designers the chance to show their wares alongside established local names.

"It's a different line up every single time," says event organizer and Bows and Arrows co-owner Olivia Coelho. "You never know what you're going to get, but I try to make a balanced event."

Regardless of the specifics of the line up, visitors to Sellout Buyout can expect to find a ton of hand-made clothing, vintage outfits, and great accessories, as well as music provided by local DJs and musicians.

Coelho described the art at Sellout Buyout as utilitarian, saying "The art is the apparel and the accessories. Everything has to be usable."

Anyone looking for a huge variety of interesting and crafty things and stuff could do much worse than checking out Sellout Buyout.

Since it was started in October 2003, Sellout Buyout has been held at a number of Sacramento businesses and galleries, including Bodytribe, Lotus Gallery, and the now-defunct Fools Foundation. It has become a midtown institution, with many well-known members of Sacramento's music, arts, and crafts scenes attending regularly.

Artists and designers looking to show their wares at Sellout Buyout don't have an arduous application process. "Basically they just contact us," said Coelho. "We have it in Bows and Arrows now, so they can come by the store and sign up, or they can use the internet or myspace."

Sellout Buyout takes place four times a year, on the Second Saturdays of March, June, and September and December. Entrance to the event is free. All the vendors are cash-only.

This Second Saturday it will be open from three to ten p.m. Bows and Arrows is located at 1712 L street. There is a small parking lot, and limited on-street parking, but given the traffic on Second Saturday, walking or riding from a less congested area is recommended. Further information can be found on the Sellout Buyout and Bows and Arrows websites.