The Shop Dream In Plastic Changes Name To Zakka Joy - And Embraces All Caps!

Dream in Plastic rebrands to Zakka Joy. Same great store, different name. You’ll find the ever-changing curated inventory from the same owner, Jenny Zuko.
Photo Caption: Katie Hellmuth Martin

When you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s, pretty much all of your retail therapy dreams involved plastic. Charm necklaces, gummy bracelets, banana clips, you get the drift. And let’s be honest, plastic still is the foundation for a lot of what we buy. When Jenny Zuko opened her first shop in Brooklyn, NY, in 2007, naming it Dream in Plastic was a safe bet. Today in 2019, the name has become a liability. People dismiss the store’s contents as something they don’t want - plastic. What does a business owner do when her customers shift? She shifts with them, does a soul search, and rebrands.

Welcome Zakka Joy To Main Street - Same Great Shop, Different Name

“It straight up hurts our feelings when people sometimes dismiss us as a store full of single-use plastics and useless junk,” admitted Jenny in an email to her customers (of which I am one!). Dream in Plastic - I mean Zakka Joy - moved to Beacon in 2009, and is one of the veteran shops on Main Street, weathering many tipping points and being on the front lines of foot traffic that comes in - both legit, focused customers and wandering youth with backpacks who hover about the store, touching everything but buying nothing (why the empty backpacks?).

Dream in Plastic isn’t the only store to rebrand in Beacon. One of her neighbors, The Pandorica restaurant, went through a major rebrand when owner Shirley Hot transformed her Cup & Saucer theme to the Doctor Who show. She now attracts customers from all over the world.

What Is Zakka?

Photo Credit: Zakka Joy

According to Jenny: “Zakka (“Zah-kah”) is a Japanese word, for which there really is no English equivalent.”

In sum, Zakka means:

• Seeing the beauty in something mundane.

• Uncategorizable or miscellaneous things.

• Everything and anything that improves your home, life and appearance.

• Humble, everyday objects that bring their users great satisfaction.

• Things that accompany our everyday lifestyle spaces and provide an element of decoration.

• Things mixed together with great variety.

Combine this word with “Joy,” and you have that precious moment of joy. “The shop really is about is that moment of happy (ahem, ‘Joy’) you experience when you discover that one thing (or ten): a pencil that you cherish, a pair of socks with your favorite animal on them, a toy to keep you company, a hand-poured soy candle, or the perfect gift for someone,” explains Jenny.

Zakka (thing) + Joy (the feeling when you discover the thing) = Zakka Joy

You’ll notice similarities in the old and new in the new logo. Still a cute shape in the name (originally a little cloud, and now an emoji-type smiley face). Where Dream in Plastic was in all lowercase, Zakka Joy’s logo stands big and bold in all caps.

What Will You Find Inside of Zakka Joy?

The smiley face from the logo grows inside on the wall.
Photo Credit: Zakka Joy

Regulars of the shop know Jenny to have an ever-changing collection of inventory, from walls of cameras to walls of socks. In recent years, her collection of paper stationery and kitchen goods has grown. There is not an official stationery store in Beacon. There used to be - down on Jenny’s end of town - but that store closed long ago. (I still have several very pretty file boxes I purchased from that shop!)

While not a full-blown stationery store, Jenny’s addiction to paper is very much alive right now, with her large collection of journals, planners, and party decorations. Her art supply collection is growing as well, with charcoal pencils, funky erasers, highlighters that smell like strawberries and peaches, and some of the best rolling pens you have ever used. Impress your friends or even the ladies at the DMV with a pink pen carried in your purse (like I did!). It’s real easy and cheap retail therapy.

Inside, you’ll still find the pusheens you love, and collection of stuffed animal keychains. You will definitely find stickers and figures from the famous artist (who now lives in Beacon!) Tara McPherson.

It’s Real - The Instagram Has Changed

The name on the storefront has changed, and the handle in your Instagram has changed from Dream in Plastic to @zakkajoyny. Don’t worry, if you already followed Dream in Plastic, you don’t need to do a thing to follow the new shop online. If you don’t follow, why not? Hop to it for frequent doses of joy.

There’s a party to celebrate the name change on Second Saturday, August 10, 2019 from 6 to 9 pm. Remember when the shop used to have artist display on Second Saturday? Now the store itself is on display. Go give Jenny a high-five for all the work she has done to recreate her shop, which is always recreating anyway.

Postcard Books - Yes, Mini Books Sent By Mail - From Paravion Press At Binnacle Books

Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

Summer is a haze of rush and lull with lazy days stretching like evening shadows and busy days of bustling afternoon traffic. Sunny seasons in Beacon are filled with expressions of travel: tourists flooding in for the various festivals and serenity of this riverside city; residents trickling in and out of town.

Traveler or not, postcards offer a distinctive alternative to a stale phone call or a routine text as a way of staying in touch. Especially intriguing, however, are postcard books - mini books to be mailed - available at Binnacle Books, published by Beacon-based Paravion Press.

What is a postcard book? The publisher at Paravion Press, Will Brady, enlightens us: “The concept came about at the shop in Greece [Atlantis Books, which Will co-founded] because we wanted to give customers an alternative to postcards, something they could mail easily but which had a bit of literary substance to it.”

The first page of a postcard book, intended for your short letter to your recipient. The rest of the essay or short story is printed on the pages behind this one. An envelope is included.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Binnacle Books, a charming bookstore nestled on Beacon’s Main Street, sells a collection of these postcard books. Postcard books are short reads meant to be sent by mail. Each book comes with an envelope and a blank first page titled “for your correspondence” for the sender to add in a few words of their own. Postcard books reveal a sense of thoughtfulness to the receiver, the sender having chosen a specific title to express a particular theme or message creatively through stories or essays in place of mundane phrases and cliché sayings.

Says Kate, co-owner of Binnacle Books about the postcard book project: “We love Paravion Press because the books are really beautiful, and because we think that the power of literature is the strongest when people connect with each other through it: Paravion builds in a charming and unexpected way to share literature and we love that. Will Brady designs and prints new editions of all the works, specifically to be mailed and shared. It's a whole engaging intellectual and aesthetic experience in a mailable form.”

What Inspires A Person To Send A Postcard Book?

One girl in the bookstore said that she loved the postcard books because they made available essays that were otherwise hard to find, usually lost in other larger collections of essays. Years ago, she said, a friend had sent her a PDF of an essay she loved. She re-discovered the essay through a postcard book from Paravion Press, and sent it back in postcard book form to her friend with a handwritten note on the intended first page. Postage is the same as a regular letter.

What Titles Are Available In These Postcard Books?

Inside of Binnacle, I found seven postcard book titles. Five are included in their first collection, appropriately titled “The First Series.” The collection includes:

• “The Beauties” by Anton Chekhov

• “On The Decay Of The Art Of Lying” by Mark Twain

• “Sophistication” by Sherwood Anderson

• “The Lumber-Room” by Saki

• “Feuille d’Album” by Katherine Mansfield.

The single titles include “The Hunting of the Snark” by Lewis Carroll and “How the First Letter Was Written” by Rudyard Kipling. Available in a variety of muted colors, from dusty maroon and delicate ivory to powder blue and subtle green, the sophisticated aesthetic adds to the appeal of miniature books in the mail.

A postcard book, “On The Decay Of The Art Of Lying,” by Mark Twain. Available in Binnacle Books. Envelope is included with the package. Postage is the same as a regular letter.
Photo Credit: Izdihar Dabashi

On Sending A Postcard Book To One’s Self…

Mark Twain’s “On The Decay Of The Art Of Lying” immediately caught my eye in my search for a birthday card to send to a friend; I figured a postcard book would provide sentiment and provoke conversation. I could not help but skim over the words inside, and before I knew it, I thoughtfully read the brief 11 pages of this curious piece. A balance of sharp critique and tongue-in-cheek remarks, Mark Twain crafted a refreshing, clever piece unraveling the psychology of lying.

To my delight, Paravion Press sells three more postcard book collections online including “The Madrid Series,” “The London Series,” and “The New York Series.”

Is it strange that I wish to collect as many as I can to send to myself?

Journaling Off The Grid - Where To Get Your Journal Book In Beacon

This month, I wrote my column for our friends at the Highlands Current about journaling. By hand. Preferably in the morning before you do anything else. The article talked about the exercise of moving your hands and fingers for writing in print, cursive or just doodling. It also talked about how to bring your kids into it. Read the article here online if you didn’t catch it in print this week on newsstands.

PS: Yes, there is a misspelling of a word in that photo above. And yes, it is the misspelling of my son’s name. It is missing the “r.” And yes, I am aware of it. And yes, it is what happens when you have three children. Remembering all of the letters in a word can become besides the point as you rush to get things done. :) Or if you need to maybe get tested for dyslexia, which I would actually love to pursue and learn more about.

Journals at Binnacle Books

Binnacle Books is first known for selling new books. But they also sell journals when they come across distinguished versions, because in addition to new books, Binnacle buys old or used books and writerly things.

Like a classic old trusty black leather journal with a wrap-around tie. Good for any person, and not declarative of any kind of whimsy or emotion that you might possibly be putting in there. It is ready for every mood.

For those with a more outreach-writerly mood, Binnacle has postcard books! Because why simply send a postcard, when you could send a postcard book, designed and produced by a publisher here in Beacon - Paravion Press - out of the old Beacon High School.

Postcard books from Paravion Press, a Beacon-based press. Available at Binnacle Books
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Blank but stately journals at Binnacle Books
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Journals at Dream In Plastic
(soon to be called Zakka Joy)

I know - before we get into this journal roundup at Dream In Plastic, you must know that shop owner Jenny has been working in the paper world for a while now - curating her storefront to be filled with stationery and kitchen fun - and is moving on from the word “Plastic.” More on that to come in an article. Because right now, we are focusing on what journals are in her shop.

Like these Japanese-inspired journals of many colors. Some are lined with regular old lines, and some are collages of different pieces of paper woven together. One could call these “blank” pages, but they may include grids or other designs. Great for those who fear staring at the blank white empty page.

The most non-committal form of journaling is to scribble onto random scraps of paper. You could then slip them into this rainbow-hued accordion paper filing book.

You might think these playful gray elephants below with polka-dotted ears are birthday invitations for a little person, but really, they are mini-journals for YOU. For those who are starting thin - you might not want to commit to a thick book - you could get a mini-journal. If you filled it up, and wanted another, you could have a library of these little journals, and then you could decide how to decorate the cover of the journal with a dated system to order the mini-journals that you accumulate…

PS: Loving those glossy purple nails? Shop owner Jenny got them done at Kim Nails in Wappingers Falls.

Back by the beard oil in the back of the shop, you’ll find this crackly little journal (and others, it has cousins) for if you are feeling especially literary. And introverted. If you are over-caffeinating, you might as well have the coffee with a chocolate croissant from All You Knead Bakery, to smooth you out a bit.

PS: See that nail color? That’s mine! Not quite as glossy as Jenny’s, but covered. Picked up this polish at Rite Aid, but you can also find nail polish at La Mère on the other side of town on Main Street.

So… under the sock wall, you’ll find rows and piles of journals. Pick up some of them, and you’ll see pages with flower prints and other prints to make you less scared to face the blank page. Don’t be fooled, though, into thinking this is a totally serious store. Sometimes this shelf holds rows of piles of birthday party plates and cups that sometimes are iridescent and involve unicorns.

Journals At Play

Located just down the block a smidge from Dream In Plastic is the store called Play. They have journals too, and in different styles. Some covers are heavier than others, and some paper thinner than others. If you’re the kind of person who writes on the reverse page of each page of your journal, then you’ll want to check to make sure these pages are thick enough to handle your ink.

For the young (or old) musicians in your life, there is the Songwriter’s journal at Play. Parts of the design inside the journal are dedicated to taking special notes if you were to capture sounds from your head, putting them onto paper.

Journals At No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works

Some real heavy-hitters in the bookmaking business in Beacon are No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Books Works, located down on the east end of town near the mountain, in a quaint building that the business owners and artists bought in order to fit their needs. While mainly closed for a long summer vacation, they will have custom journals using handmade indigo-dyed paper over purse-sized journals, and letterpress-printed bookmarks with quotes about books, poetry and reading available during the holiday season. So be sure to check back!

Pens and Pencils

There are also pens and pencils at both Dream in Plastic and Play, which you could play with as you write in these journals. I know that when I was at the DMV getting amazing service at 4:30 pm to renew the registration on my car (it was weirdly empty at that hour midweek - so weird), the woman helping me loved the pink pen from Dream in Plastic that I took out of my bag to sign the receipt. You might say she was delighted, and wanted to buy that plus kitchen decor for her family member who just moved into an apartment.

Treat yourself. A really easy small spend to make you feel good for weeks and maybe months.

A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide!

For more shopping tips like this, and to find more shops that also might carry a journal or two in their store - maybe your next favorite journal - see A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide.

Beacon Fine Jewelers Moves Next Door

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

When a store is no longer in the spot you’ve seen it in for years, your first thought might be that it is simply gone. Looking right next door is actually not a thought that occurs to some people. Like when Beacon Barkery moved next door a couple of years ago. Such is the case with Beacon Fine Jewelers, who for years occupied a corner spot on Main Street, where they could hang a store shingle, as well as have another sign on the side of the building. That side sign has been replaced by their new neighbor, Edward Jones.

Run by a father/son team from Newburgh, Beacon Fine Jewelers can do most anything you need with your jewelry. They have their workshop in the back, and fire up and pound out many designs, including these little cutie copper critters we featured last Christmas. More of those critters are showing up in the storefront window, so do drop in to see more of them, and the other projects Beacon Fine Jewelers are working on.

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Pink Optical Closes Beacon Location

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The pink bench outside of Pink Optical that matched its geraniums has cheered its last tush. It was carted off down the street last week to its new home, as Pink Optical closed its Beacon location. It was known as “The Eye Candy Store” for designer frames from Betsey Johnson, Prada, Versace, Tom Ford, and other clothing designers who expanded to include eyewear lines.

Pink Optical came into town shortly after Luxe Optique opened up shop about five blocks west on Main Street. The big difference between the two is the lines of eyewear carried by each shop. Different brands were carried in each - Luxe Optique carries handmade frames from designers who specialize in only designing eyewear. Pink Optical may have had stronger competition from deep-discount online glasses stores.

If memory serves, Pink Optical replaced Get Frosted Cupcakery. Before they closed shop, A Little Beacon Blog interviewed Get Frosted’s owner Karen, which is a good read if you’re interested in why businesses start up and what factors into closing their doors.

Wishing Pink Optical the best as they are off to new pastures! Not sure where those pastures are, but chime in if you know!

Style Storehouse Closes In Beacon - Remains Open Online

Style Storehouse was a boutique at 484 Main St. in Beacon on the far east end of town, beyond Tioronda Avenue (Howland Cultural Center), all the way around the bend toward the Dummy Light. A collection of lovely boutiques, galleries and eateries are located in this strip, which is known as the quiet end of Main Street, and some argue, the most charming. May marks the final month for Style Storehouse, who announced the closing of their location via Instagram, with intentions to carry on via their online store.

Said store owner Savanna Ainsley in her post: “We are sad to announce the closing of Style Storehouse on Main Street in Beacon, NY. Although we are sad to say goodbye to what has been our home for 5 years, we are beyond excited to announce that we will be continuing Style Storehouse as an online boutique!”

The Beginning Of Style Storehouse

Style Storehouse was started by Michele Pitcairn Williams from Poughkeepsie. She dug into Beacon by advocating for more business on the east end of town, trying to create initiatives to encourage people to go beyond Tioronda to continue discovering Main Street shops. She joined the board of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce for a year, endured flooding into the shop from the apartment above (that we wrote about here, to educate about the benefits of renters insurance for apartment renters), and worked with her then-neighboring business Waddle ‘n Swaddle to jazz it up on that end of Main Street. (Waddle ‘n Swaddle later closed their Beacon location, remaining in Poughkeepsie.)

Shop Life Under New Owner

Michele, who has three young children and recently welcomed a fourth addition, later sold Style Storehouse to her then-manager, Savanna Ainsley, who ran it successfully for years after and developed the online version of the shop. Savanna also hails from Poughkeepsie and commuted to Beacon to open the shop each day.

Said Savanna of her customers: “None of this would have been possible without our amazing customers. Without your love and support, Style Storehouse would not be what it has been.”

Brands that Style Storehouse carries include Hardtail, Free People, Mother Denim (best jeans with stretch), Minkpink, Madewell, and many more. The curated collection was known for comfortable large and small sizes.

Shop Life Beyond Tioronda - Not To Be Missed!

While the building that housed the two boutiques - Style Storehouse and Waddle ‘n Swaddle - now has empty storefronts, there are plenty of not-to-be-missed shops, galleries and eateries around that area. Denise Gianna Designs just opened her interior design shop in the former Utensil spot, Kaight Shop Beacon, who sells eco-friendly fashion, is located past Style Storehouse and has jeans and overalls you want to discover. The Blushery offers makeup and beauty services such as waxing and laser, and many others.

Shopping is exciting on that end of town, and you can even get ice cream and chocolate-covered Oreos to punctuate your experience at the Chocolate Studio, followed by coffee at Trax, and Thai dinner at Sukhothai.

Be sure to follow Style Storehouse on Instagram as they design their next moves and make announcements.

Explore A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide to discover all of the shops as you visit Beacon. If you live here, our Shopping Guide is a great way to keep up with which business is where, as shops shift all the time!

Happy Independent Bookstore Day, Binnacle Books! Last Chance On Their Original Tote Bag

Happy Independent Bookstore Day Binnacle Books! It’s risky for any retail shop to open a brick-and-mortar store, but perhaps even more so for an indie bookstore! Many cheers to Binnacle Books for doing that in Beacon, and for connecting all of us with the printed page and for readings and other book 📖 based events.

It’s also really easy to order any book you want from Binnacle - just tell them what you want over the counter or the phone, they click up some magic, and 💥 BAM, you can pick it up in the store!

Binnacle Books has helped promote other indie bookstores by making available the Hudson Valley Book Trail Map, debuting today in their shop. Plus, this is your last chance to get one of their original tote bags - perfect timing for the plastic bag ban!

Says their newsletter: “Stop by to browse some fantastic recent releases, revisit old favorites, or get a recommendation for something new. If you spend $75 or more with us today, we'll throw in one of our original blue totes with your order. If you ever wanted one, now's your chance: after this run sells out, we aren't printing them again.” 

A Little Beacon Blog is honored to partner with all of our sponsors, but especially so when Binnacle approached us, wanting to sponsor our Shopping Guide. Thank you for having faith in us! Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, but this is not a sponsored post. It’s a “Celebrate Indie Bookstores!” post.

Go give Binnacle some love! Binnacle Books is at 321 Main St., Beacon, NY.

The Beacon Flea Is Open! Balance Is Restored To Sundays

The Beacon Flea has opened.

Order is restored. Spring is here!

The vendor spots were filled on this Opening Day for lots of things (including some local golf courses). The Beacon Flea, located in the free municipal parking lot on Henry Street behind the gas station and near the post office, looked like a full house of fresh collections. The event, every Sunday, has regular sellers and rotating visiting sellers each week. Signing up to be a vendor is easy and affordable. Call the number in this picture - (845) 202-0094 - should you want to set up a table one weekend. 

Happy digging! 

Exciting New Frames From Anne & Valentin Visiting Luxe Optique

What a delightful surprise while making our sponsor rounds today for this weekend’s Friday Feature in the newsletter (subscribe if you haven’t!). When stepping into Luxe Optique, we got to see a real live stylist and representative from Anne & Valentin with the newest designs.

Often, actually, we stumble in when a major line is in the store with all of their suitcases filled with precious goodies while we’re collecting a feature photo.

Meet Andry pictured here. He was sooo nice, and knew all about the designer curves of all of these new frames. Look for Luxe Optique’s feature photo in their sponsor spot this Friday!

Discover more shops in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide! You can always tap Guides and Calendars in the navigation above - from your computer or mobile.