Not a gift guide

just an FYI

Hello and welcome to A Newsletter! If you’ve found your way over by some miracle but are not yet subscribed, here, let me help you with that:

Hello and happy holidays, sweet ones. I hope you’re all deep in Ham Party Planning. I’ve seen some nice ones already this past weekend, I feel so proud each time.

After soft launching in September, followed by a long saga with the US Postal Service (which I love and respect) and then UPS and FedEx (and, if you’re abroad, DHL)…We have finally come to the best possible options for shipping our little care packages and mini booklets from First Bloom with the most urgency and at the lowest cost to you, the buyer (still too expensive if you’re outside the United States, but money CAN buy happiness —a box with tinned fish and stuff— if you’re very determined).

PLEASE NOTE: We will be replenishing stock daily, so if something is reading as sold out, don’t get discouraged and check back in next day. For any questions about stock or how all this works, please email shipping@firstbloomcornerstore.com

First Bloom at the tail end of summer— shop is looking quite wintry holiday these days and we love it. Photo by Chris Bernabeo.

On offer from our little online store:

SMALL BOOKS

Calling them a “zine” feels like doing them a huge disservice, but they’re certainly smaller than a book, and not as large as a magazine, so I’m not sure what to call them. They’re beautiful and we’re all very proud of them. They feature recipes- mostly new, some old- and ideas for how to make the most of your pantry items, plus, some words about our shop, a map to our favorite local places, and a general sense of what it might be like to be inside the store (they say print is transportive). They’re limited in quantity and at this rate, will likely sell out by January (and once they are gone, they are gone- no reprints).

Weeknight ragu, as featured in First Bloom Volume 1, alongside so many words on why you should always keep meat in your freezer.

CARE PACKAGES

While we are not going to offer online shopping by the item (that would be….too much), we are offering a small taste of what it might be like if you came in to buy some of our favorite things. Available in a few varieties for all your holiday (and beyond) hosting/gifting needs:

Classic First Bloom Melange

It’s a surprise what’s inside (they’re different each time! What fun), but you can expect a true mix of what we’re most excited about. Pastas, tins, jars, candies, cookies, candles, you name it. If we can safely ship it and we carry it, it may end up in this box (which is to say, we aren’t shipping anything perishable and no alcohol allowed). Available in small and large (price and size of box is commensurate with the quantity and price of contents inside).

no, we aren’t shipping boxes of matzo or breton crackers probably, but good looking basket, no?

Apero Hour

Everything you need for an impromptu Apero Hour. All boxes are unique, but you can look forward to salty, snacky things that are briny and jarred, meaty and cured, fishy and tinned, plus, some of our favorite crackers. Each box also comes with a First Bloom wine key and folding knife in case you’re taking this Apero Hour on the road (you should).

Tinned Fish Lovers

Because tinned seafood is a diverse and broad ecosystem and you deserve to sample as many as possible. Every box is unique, but expect at least three types of tinned seafood, plus accoutrements like mustard, pickled peppers, and crackers. Plus, since whimsy is a pillar of our value system, we include some of our favorite fish-themed candy.

First Bloom Essentials

Like a trip to the shop! All First Bloom essentials in one box. Our Spanish olive oil, sherry vinegar, favorite spices, the good anchovies, the local honey we jar, and a few other surprises. Each box also comes with a First Bloom tote, wine key, and a copy of First Bloom, Volume 1.

VARIOUS MERCH

Quite limited as we keep a lions share of our stock for in-store shopping only, but we have some merchandise available for shipping. Hats, crewneck sweatshirts locally screen printed by our friend Sal at Catskills Outpost, totes, wine keys, folding knives.

All available here.

sweatshirts are Champion (heavyweight), available in green/cream and gray/maroon as well fwiw

That’s all! Thank you for shopping with us, and thanks for your patience as we figure out how to do this without compromising the in-store experience we try to offer which remains peaceful and full of joy (two words I would not use to describe dealing with “shipping” lol).