Phish Love: Happy Birthday, Page McConnell!

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Happy 50th birthday to one of our very favorite piano men, Page McConnell! The Phish keyboardist is the driving force behind some of the best jazzy jams we’ve ever heard, and we hope he’s celebrating his birthday in style!

Here in the Mexicali office (we’ve got a couple of BIG Page fans here), we are trying to pick our favorite Page song, debating between the jams in Lizards, Fluff’s Travels, Suzy Greenberg, or maybe lounge-singer Page crooning Lawnboy? Oh man, we just can’t choose, so we had one of our resident Phish heads make a rad playlist of her favorite Page tunes:

What’s your favorite Page song or song featuring an awesome Page jam?

Traditional Techniques: The Art of Henna

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Katrina, awesome employee of our Portland store, rocks a gorgeous henna “tattoo” created by Mary Schmaling.

The art of body painting with henna has been practiced for over 5000 years in Pakistan, India, Africa, and the Middle East.  Because henna has natural cooling properties, it originally was applied as a paste to soothe overheated hands and feet.  When the stain then faded away, it naturally left patterns on the skin surface.  This eventually led to the idea of using henna to make designs for decorative purposes, which is how we usually rock it today!

While intricate henna painting has long been used in many cultures as adornment for celebrating weddings, birthdays, and holidays, it is so incredibly easy to use that we just love it as a gorgeous way to express personal style in a non-permanent way.  Particularly in the Summer, this exotic body art looks so boho chic peeking out from under your favorite tank top or sundress!

Fun henna fact: Henna can act as a sunblock, creating tan lines around the patterns you create! If you create a henna design and would like to see this awesomeness in action, let its natural color stay on for 3-5 days, and then go hang out in the sun for awhile!

Here’s our video tutorial on how to get started with henna:

Feeling curious about henna?  Mexicali Blues offers a full kit so you can try out this terrific traditional body art for only $5!

FARMS Community Kitchen Kickstarter: Building a Local Food Economy in Midcoast Maine with Your Help

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Here at Mexicali Blues HQ, we feel so grateful to live and work in a community in which sustainable agriculture, healthy whole foods, and local farming are growing to be valued as important facets of life.  In a world that is frequently oriented towards speed and convenience, the benefits of growing and cooking our own healthy foods often get lost in the shuffle.  Even when we intellectually believe that harvesting and preparing our own food is healthier for our selves, our families, and our planet aren’t always able to pursue that idealistic way of life because we don’t know where to begin!

FARMS is a non-profit organization created in 2004 by parents, teachers, and farmers who wanted to find ways to offer fresh, local foods in Maine school cafeterias. FARMS has thus far provided more than six years of successful hands-on programming in local schools, offering local foods procurement assistance, as well as experiential education in culinary methods and gardening curriculum. However, it is clear that adults are as much in need of FARMS programming as children!

To fill this need, FARMS hopes to open the FARMS Community Kitchen on the second floor of Rising Tide Community Market in Damariscotta in Fall 2013. It will provide a venue where people of all ages can make and share recipes and gather as a community around healthy food.  Teaching people how to actually cook, preserve, and grow local foods is essential to supporting a healthy local food economy, and the FARMS community kitchen will be a place where children and adults will learn these valuable skills in a fun and focused way.

Where time (or the lack thereof) is often a factor in driving us to eat unhealthy convenience foods, FARMS hopes to educate the community on quick and easy ways to create healthy dishes from local foods.  Through hands-on education, FARMS is building a market of educated consumers who are relearning the art of eating locally, healthfully, and with an openness to trying new things. FARMS will get local products into the hands of community members, not to mention cafeterias, offering them a fun opportunity to check out something new, and providing the skills necessary for incorporating local products into people’s lives. The work of FARMS also offers a boost to the local economy, providing midcoast farmers with the income they need to maintain their businesses and keep producing fresh organic foods to feed our community in a healthy, sustainable way.

FARMS is an awesome organization with community-and-earth-friendly goals that we can wholeheartedly get behind!  If you feel the same way, please consider helping them fund their Community Kitchen Project through their kickstarter.  Every little bit helps, and they will be working to raise the money they need to build the community kitchen over the next 24 days.

Check out a cool video of the Community Kitchen and why it has the potential to transform our community for the better here.

Mexicali News: Revamping the Portland Store w/ Hard Work & Awesomeness

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Some companies pay big money for team building or experiential stuff.  We just take on a 1200 sq foot wood floor with a 48 hour deadline!

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Our gorgeous goods were not complimented by the dingy old floor of our Portland store, and we decided it was time to do something about it!  Though the store itself has always emanated good vibes, looking down revealed a worn and scuffed design that no longer fit the evolution of Mexicali from Deadhead tees and Guatemalan baskets to an eclectic array of sophisticated yet funky fashions. . . the time to take action had come!  A small Mexicali crew was formed to take on this daunting yet doable task:  company owners Pete & Kim, CEO Topher, merchandising manager Steve, store manager Meg, and awesome employees Kelly & Jim.  Topher had a bit of experience from laying down new flooring in his home, but for everybody else, this was a completely new experience!

They worked tirelessly for two days, laughing and listening to sweet tunes as they went (which makes every task-load seem a bit lighter!), first stripping the original flooring, and then putting in the new, piece by piece.  At the end of the second day, their valiant efforts were rewarded with a gorgeous floor that makes our original Portland space look like a brand new store: lighter, brighter, and filled with awesome energy!   Surveying their completed project, the Mexicali team felt extraordinarily proud of their hard work and so pleased that the new look more accurately reflects the earthy elegance and eclecticism of Mexicali clothing and accessories.  Be sure to stop by and check out the revamped store, bask in the groovy glow of pretty paper lanterns reflecting off our shiny new floor, and fall in love with our huge selection of brand new clothing and accessories for Spring!

Pink Moon 2013 & the Lunar Phases

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This post is in honor of tonight’s Pink moon! A pink moon does not actually mean that the moon will be pink, but is named for a pink grass called wild phlox.  The pink moon occurs every April, and usually brings with it the arrival of Spring flowers!  Other names for this April full moon indicate more signs of full spring, such as Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, and Fish Moon (common among coastal tribes).  This pink moon is particularly special because it will occur with a simultaneous lunar eclipse!  While it unfortunately won’t be visible to those of us in North America, our friends in some areas of Asia and Europe should get an awesome sight in the evening! 

According to astrology, today’s full pink moon is in Scorpio, which will partially eclipse the Taurus sun. This duo signifies tension between all that is yours and all that belongs to others. Be gentle with yourself and all things today, and let go of rigid expectations and things that no longer serve you. If you release, go with the flow, and don’t participate in the tug-of-war, you’ll find peace today that has the potential to help you be objective, grounded, and calm in the face of whatever the next 30 days brings!

We love our Lunar Phase Calendars for brightening up any space and keeping track of the moon! Did you know that the moon affects the tides and also the motion & orbit of the earth? The moon doesn’t orbit around the center of the earth either, they both revolve around the center of their masses. The way we view the moon depends on the angle in which the light from the sun hits the moon, not because of the earth blocking the sun’s rays!

There are many mythologies, superstitions, and religious beliefs surrounding the moon and its phases. There are eight distinct lunar phases. Our 2013 Lunar Calendar shows the phase of the moon for each day in an easy to interpret visual style. Below are the eight phases along with some feelings people tend to have during that time, as well as the seasonal changes the phases relate to.

New Moon: new beginnings, fresh start, self-centered, question the status quo – Winter Solstice

Crescent Moon: intention, wishes, new ideas, impulses

First Quarter Moon: challenges, decisions, action, exert all effort to achieve goals – Spring Equinox

Gibbous Moon: adjust, redefine, analyze, edit, crave perfection

 
Full Moon: completed, aware of your effect on others, objective – Summer Solstice

 
Disseminating Moon: gratitude, sharing (especially knowledge), enthusiasm

 
Last Quarter Moon: release, forgiveness, “tearing down the old to prepare for the new” – Fall Equinox

 
Balsamic Moon: rest & recuperate, feeling alienated, strike out on your own

Many people are unaware that some of the holidays we celebrate are based on the ancient Lunar Calendar. For example, Easter is calculated as the first Sunday after the full moon after the Spring Equinox. The holy month of Ramadan begins at the sighting of a new crescent moon.

We love watching the moon as it changes from night to night, and often feel its energies.  Do you ever notice that animals start acting crazy around the full moon?  Studies show that this happens to people as well, as hospital emergency rooms get a LOT of business when the moon is full.

Keep track of the moon and its phases with a lunar calender, and see how it affects you and the people and critters in your life!  It could be enlightening!

Earth Day 2013: One-Day Sale on Recycled Goods at Mexicali!

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While we try to be conscious of our impact on the planet in our daily lives, Earth Day is a perfect day to release our inner ultra-granola hippies on the world!  If you’re not sure how to celebrate, here are a few ideas:

  • Recycle
  • Plant a tree
  • Turn off the lights when you leave a room
  • Shop at stores which use ethical buying & manufacturing practices

Mexicali Blues is proud to be all over that last one, as all of our products are responsibly imported from around the globe.  We’re committed to creating and maintaining long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with the artisans and families who create our products.  Pete and Kim have known many of our vendors for a decade or more, and a highlight of their travels is the chance to visit workshops and catch up with old friends!

In honor of Earth Day, we’re offering 25% off a groovy selection of goods which have all been handcrafted from recycled materials!  From picture frames created from shredded magazines to magic wrap skirts crafted from recycled silks, it’s amazing what can be created with something that one person might consider “trash” combined with a heaping helping of creativity!

Swing by our website or any of our locations in Maine to celebrate Earth Day with us & save on some awesome recycled gear!

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DownEast BEST OF MAINE Issue is Coming: Help us WIN!

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Do you love Maine & Mexicali Blues?

Help us get top votes in DownEast Magazine’s BEST OF competition by writing “Mexicali Blues” in the “Men’s Clothing Store” and “Women’s Boutique” categories!

You can also vote for your favorite Maine restaurants, theaters, lobster rolls, local authors, cocktails, and more! It’s a great opportunity to get your voice heard and celebrate your favorite Maine people & businesses!

Vote online at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LPQTRFZ