Debut Concert Comes to 7th Street

You have heard whisperings, it is showing up on your Facebook feed and you love the name of the band.  Now here we are to give you all the up close and personal information you need to be at the right spot on the 20th of October.

A live recorded Debut Concert at 7th Street Theater for Roy Reinertsen and The Oarsmen at 7 p.m. is where you need to be this Saturday night.  If you need more convincing check out these videos here, and here!

Roy Reinertsen is a Bluesy-Folksy-Country singer who also happens to play an amazing acoustic guitar.  Born near Pullman, Wa, Roy grew up playing in the school band, however it wasn't until High School that Roy picked up a guitar and the rest was history.  Those first guitar chords he learned because of Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, but Roy is also inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Bukka White, Hank Williams, Willie Nelson, and Bob Dylan as well as by the places he has lived and traveled though over the years. He has lived all over the pacific northwest including Portland, Seattle and Aberdeen, but traveled extensively through Europe, Canada and Korea.  Roy and the band currently live in Olympia, Roy with his adorable dog Bart.  Roy's day job is a full time nurse at a retirement community in Lacey, but his passion is and will always be music as he plays at local festivals and fairs around Puget Sound, including our own Lake Sylvia Festival in Montesano.

Recorded last year was Roy's first studio Album entitled Roy Reinertsen, and he is hoping that the upcoming debut concert will give him the push he needs to become a full-time mainstream musician.  His songs are one part heartbreak, one part fun and most importantly they tell a story.  What is so unique about this debut concert that began as a Kickstarter campaign is that Roy will not only be performing his solo routine, which consists of songs from his first album, but The Oarsmen will be joining him and playing songs from their upcoming album of the band.

The special guest of the evening is none other than Kelsey Bergey of Bergey Voice Studio. A contralto and voice instructor and a personal friend of GoGo Grays Harbor, you can learn more about her here. She will be lending her amazing voice singing arias, expressive melodies for a solo artist, in Italian, French and English.

Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets online and Grays General Store.  Tully's Coffee will be working on promotions and 7th Street Theater is putting on the production.  It is sure to be a wonderful evening, and remember it will be recorded live and the live production will be for sale after the show.  Come out and support local music and musicians while you dance the night away to great live music!

Calling all Quilters!

If you're anything like me, you can appreciate a good nap or a cozy evening watching a movie on the couch. So, let's talk about the real hero in these situations... warm blankets.

Is it even possible to do either of these things without one? Especially now that fall is here and the nights are starting to get colder. I'll admit, I am a blanket hoarder, but when fall rolls around I always find myself drawn to quilts and soft throws. I have a fake furry one that is so soft (and has now basically been taken captive by my dog), a few Pendleton wool blankets for when things get really cold, and the essential down comforter.

If you're in the mood to get comfortable this fall, I have some suggestions for you.

-Today is Last Day of A Whale of a Quilt Show in Ocean Shores. The Sea-Gals Quilters show features an exhibit of handmade quilts, vendors, a boutique, quilting tips and demonstrations and food in the foyer. Attendees vote and prizes are awarded. Free admission. Convention Center - Ocean Shores. I stopped out there yesterday and there are some really interesting pieces. The raffle quilt is huge! Plus most of them are for sale, so if you want a blanket that doubles as art, this is the place to go.

-Do you have a pile of old t-shirts that you don't wear anymore but can't seem to throw away? Turn them into a quilt with Queen B Quilts! All you have to do is pick out your favorite shirts and send them off. Three weeks later you'll have a cozy, flannel backed quilt for your cuddling pleasure. T-Shirt Quilts also have a lot of attitude, since you can fill them with whatever shirts you want, like the Rock and Roll quilt below. Queen B Quilts is located in Hoquiam and you can find out more online at www.myqueenbquilts.com.

-Speaking of t-shirt quilts, if you want to actually learn how to make your own, you better make your way to Gray's General Store. They have a t-shirt quilt class coming up at the end of October! Plus they have a variety of fabric for all of you DIY mavens out there so you can make something of your own. I'm thinking about making something more modern, myself. Luckily there's even studio space and sewing machines for you to use at the store for just $10 a day so you can work among friends. Check them out at 520 Simpson Ave in Hoquiam.

Gray's General Store: How to Craft in Real Life

My name is Jen and I craft whenever I get the chance. I feel like being a crafter/artist/maker gives me a VIP pass into a deviant subculture. It's edgy. Even if the last person you saw crochet was your grandmother, I feel rebellious and progressive when I fish a skein of yarn and hook from my purse in waiting rooms and coffee shops. I am not alone, either. There are people who glance over glossy pages and shiny window displays and say "I bet I could make that." There is a colorful underbelly in America, and it's crawling with cross stitchers. And extreme embroidernaires. And sassy seamstresses. Gray's General Store has landed in downtown Hoquiam to unite these often reclusive artisans, teach those with interest to learn, vend thoughtfully curated products and gifts, and tempt with cookies, chocolate, coffee and tea.

Judy and Britta are doing their best to lend to their community and build relationships that strengthen Grays Harbor.  They encourage those who know to teach, and support those with interest to learn in a cozy nook to collect new skills. I also know from experience that Judy is a great source for sewing guidance and reassurance. Gray's General Store also offers a unique place for local makers to purvey their wares. Sure, Etsy is nice, but there is something about passing a carefully crafted scarf through your fingers. Or feel free to take a quilt for a test snuggle, and pick up a new tote that just feels right. As exciting as it is to purchase a special handmade product in a real storefront, it's even more empowering and wonderful to see one's labor appreciated. In real life. Browsing the handmade items may even inspire you to create something all your own. On top of boosting the local economy, one of the best perks of sourcing craft materials here in the Harbor is the instant gratification of taking home a new stash of yarn that is exactly the right color. Sewists can attest that piling up a stack of fat quarters and fanning them out is a great way to see new projects come to life. If you get stuck, rest assured there is a fully stocked studio, comfy chairs, and friendly faces waiting to cheer on your progress.

Gray's General Store is not just a new craft/coffee/gift shop. It is a venue and a meeting place. Here, quality is important, conscious consumerism is normal, and if you can dream it, you can make it. With a little help from friends, of course.

If you haven't gotten a chance to wander through Grays General Store, you should stop in to 520 Simpson Ave in Hoquiam on Monday through Saturday. During the week they are open from 11am to 6 and on Saturdays.

The Magic Mason Jar

Our Sponsor Gray's General Store carries many useful home supplies, including the popular mason jar, Cuppow lids and cookbooks - here you'll find out just how useful these things can be!

When I first decided to open Gray's General Store, I knew one thing for sure... we would have mason jars. The almighty mason jar, with it's seemingly infinitely possible uses, is essential to my life in so many ways and I wanted to spread the word that the mason jar will make your life better!

Here are just a few reason why the mason jar (which I sometimes refer to as magic jars) is amazing:

1. The Mason Jar Turned Drinking Jar

With the invention of the Cuppow lid in 2011, the mason jar exploded onto the trendy scene! I had been drinking out of jars for years. Hot Chocolate. Lemonade. Margaritas. Coffee. Milk. You name it! The truth is, all delicious drinks taste even better out of a jar. Glass jars do not retain smells and stains so your drink is untainted. They are easy to clean, especially the wide mouth version, and they are practically unbreakable! Add the Cuppow lid ($10) to your jar ($1.50) and you have a fantastic travel mug that won't start smelling like mold after a few weeks of use! You know what I'm talking about...

2. The Outdoor Survival Jar

Heading out camping this weekend with a cooler full of cold goodies? Fill a few jars with water, freeze them then throw on the air tight lids for a easy ice pack for the road! They'll keep your snacks nice and cool all the way to the camp ground. When the ice melts, you can use the glasses for drinking out of and then when the temperatures start to dip down after dark, as they so often do around here, fill the glass with hot water, seal it tight with a canning lid and put it in your sleeping bag. It'll warm you right up! Just make sure you don't burn yourself when the glass heats up - a jar cozy is always a good idea.

3. The Essential Kitchen Jar

Not only are jars great for drinking out of, but you can store individual portioned leftovers in them and then pop them in the oven or microwave to reheat (without the lid, please). You can even bake cakes and pies in jars! Is your mind blown yet? Last summer I went to an outdoor music festival for the weekend and brought jar pies for my group. We were the hit of the lawn. Everyone wanted a pie! But seriously, how can you resist? And they travel so well.

Impress your friends with this jar pie recipe:

What you'll need:

• 4 Pint Size Wide-Mouth Canning Jars
• 1 package of pre-made pie crust
• Pie filling of your choice (we used 3 cans of blackberries and used the recipe on the can)

Directions:

• Use the jars to cut out 4 circles of dough. 
• Push the dough inside of the jars to the bottom. 
• Cut pieces of dough to wrap around the insides of the jar. No need to be too precise, just make sure the dough gets mushed together to create a cohesive pie crust. 
• Use your filling and fill the jars 3/4 of the way to the top of the crust. 
• If you want, you can use another circle cut of dough to seal the top, just make sure you cut slits in the dough so they don't explode!
• You can put on their lids and seal them at this point OR bake them right away. 
• Place the jars on a cookie sheet WITHOUT the lids on them. 
• Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. 
• Keep an eye on them to make sure nothing boils over or gets burned. 
• Let them cool before covering with a lid. 
• You can also freeze them before you bake them, for future spontaneous desserts!

Stop by Gray's General Store to grab a mason jar and Cuppow lid and tell us how you use your mason jar!

Saturday Shopper: Gray's General Store in Hoquiam

Gray's General Store

Owned by Britta and Judy Folden, Established 2012

520 Simpson Ave.

Hoquiam WA

360.532.0366

www.graysgeneralstore.com

www.facebook.com/graysgeneralstore

M-F 11am-6pm; Sat 11am-5pm; Sun 12pm-5pm

All About the Business:      Gray's General Store is a source for high quality, handmade, local goods. Come in and find the perfect gift or make something yourself using the variety of sewing and craft supplies in the store. You can even stay a while and use the sewing studio for the day to work on your project away from the house or, better yet, bring some friends in to make something together!

What Makes Your Business Unique?      We are expert makers. We will use our creativity and resources to help you make something yourself and we guarantee you will have a good time. And for the coffee and tea snobs out there, we've got some really good stuff for you to try! Our coffee comes from a Seattle roaster who buys direct, meaning everyone involved is fairly paid, and our tea is from an artisan tea-maker out of Portland. Customers have claimed it's the best tea they've ever had! Not only do we believe in quality, but we love having unique products in our store. Most things we carry are not available anywhere else in Grays Harbor and we are adding new things every day.

Advice for New Customers: Come in and say hello! Tell us what you're working on. Bring us your questions and out-of-the-box ideas, we love the challenge of answering them.

Music Monday: Black Keys- Gold on the Ceiling

im chronically disorganized and sluggish on mondays thus this poorly grammartized post from my phone. but this song is infectious and gets me energized instantly. it also makes me wish i had some gold. i might have to buy one of those goldbar piggy banks at grays general store and pretend.