Posted on January 05 2016
After closing the shop for the last time in 2015, the H+A squad ventured out to Whidbey Island for dinner with friends in Langley. After short drive, a long wait for the ferry and a quick journey across the sound, we connected with our pals Joel and Lisa at Prima Bistro. Being Island royalty, they were able to secure a prime spot at the bar for our NYE dinner. Settling into cocktails, wine, beer, and a gluttonous amount of savory dishes from this great little French bistro. Don’t let the laid back island vibe fool you, the folks at Prima know their stuff. Bellies full, we said goodbye to 2015 in style with one last drink and scrumptious desert.
A frosty morning greeted us outside our tiny cottage on the edge of town and coffee awaited to assist with the usual NYE hangover. Venturing out into the cold, warmed by some of our favorites from Taylor Stitch and Yellow 108, we ended up at Useless Bay Coffee greeted by a vibrant scene accompanied by a little live accordion music. Sipping a few cups of spro and nibbling on a scone, we reminisced on what was a chaotic, but great year for Hammer+Awl. From relocating around the corner (including a complete build out of a new space!), tradeshows in NYC (4 of them in 48 hours!), adding loads of great new brands & products (Still By Hand, Rains, Giles Brothers and Aloha Sunday among others) plus starting our own cyclocross team (Team DGCC), it was about as busy of a year that one small store could have.
As the coffee shop got busier and busier, it was time to move on to yet another spot on our list, Mukilteo Coffee Roasters, for a bit more bean and to plan for the upcoming year. Tucked neatly away in what most would consider the middle of nowhere, this micro roaster delivers beans across the globe. We’ve sampled their roasts in places as near as Seattle to as far as Hong Kong and was great to finally enjoy a cup at their headquarters on Whidbey Island, Washington, USA. Plans were hatched for what Hammer+Awl has in store 2016 as we topped up on enough coffee to power a small village.
Zipping back to downtown Langley, we dropped in on the local favorite The Star Store to wander their shop for local goods and gifts. Last, but certainly not least, we headed across the frost laden street to see our friends at edit. A great little art space & shop run by two awesome folks who share our passion for well-designed goods, art and of course, cycling. It’s always good to be able to see a like-minded business in person and share stories. That entrepreneurial spirit and care for what you’re creating is never lost between folks like us.
As sun warmed our backs, it was time to say goodbye to Whidbey, pack our Tanner Goods bag, shed a layer to expose yet another shop favorite shirt from Parker Duesseau and jump on the ferry ride home. A perfect end to an awesome year and a great beginning to what’s coming next.
Thanks for all of your support in 2015 and be sure to keep tabs on us in 2016, we’ve got a lot of big plans to bring even more to our favorite little neighborhood of Madrona.
Cheers,
Erin and Anthony, the duo behind H+A
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