Made In Philly

west philly holiday craft shows

Please join us Sunday, December 7 from 1-7 for the “Made In Philly” holiday craft show, presented by us and Studio 34 Yoga. There will be over 40 local artisan vendors offering their unique creations, including jewelry, clothing, accessories, bath & body, ceramics and more. We’ll also have live music, light refreshments, and information about the studio’s various holistic wellness providers. Find the perfect holiday gift for someone you love, and feel good about it because you supported a local artist. Sunday, December 7, 1-7 pm, at Studio 34 Yoga, 4522 Baltimore, 2nd floor. Take the 34 trolley to 45th St.

Also, don’t miss the UC Arts League show, which opens Dec. 5 and runs through the 19th. West Philly’s got you covered this year!

happy “I”!

VIX is now 1 year old! We had a great party on Saturday too, thanks so much to everyone who came out! It was great to see everyone, friends and neighbors who came out to wish us well. Dozens of folks showed up — we lost count after a while!

Shakey and Sean rocked out

friends Julie and Mark

Shoppers explored all our handcrafted goodies, like jewelry made of bicycle parts by Spokespeople. Mark won one of our door prizes!

the radiant Taryn Hipp, aka mymy (wearing glasses)

Taryn, who makes our awesome and sassy 1″ buttons, came out from Willow Grove for the occasion. She won a door prize too!

the slightly blurry Emily, 7 months pregnant

What a great kickoff to the holiday season. We have a lot to be thankful for this year. Happy Thanksgiving!

anniVIXary!

On the Saturday before Thanksgiving 2007, VIX Emporium opened its doors for the first time with almost 70 different artists and crafters represented. Now we’re up to around 200 different vendors and going strong. This calls for a celebration! Bluesman Shakey Lyman will get the hips shakin’ at our anniversary shindig. Get a head start on holiday shopping and find the perfect handmade gift while enjoying live music and refreshments, not to mention door prizes. Saturday, November 22, 6-9 pm.

save kingsessing library!

As many of you may have heard, the City of Philadelphia is proposing to close 11 branches of the Philadelphia Free Library due to major budget shortfalls/deficits (projected to be $1 billion over the next 5 years) with the ailing local/regional/national economy. One library in particular is the Kingsessing Branch, which is housed in an historic structure that could be eventually sold as part of this action.

There will be a rally this Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m. 1201 South 51st Street . For more information go to:

http://www.savekingsessinglibrary.com/

The petition

http://negatia.com/skl/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/petition-to-save-kingsessing-library-real.doc

Most libraries that are targeted are in poor neighborhoods, which need this valuable resource. Here is additional information from the Friends of the Free Library website:

The Latest News

Rallies & Emergency Meetings

Volunteer to help with rallies: contact Aaron Birk at brinewater@gmail.com

• Kingsessing: RALLY! Saturday, November 15th at 2 p.m. 1201 South 51st Street Save Kingsessing Blog
• Holmesburg: RALLY! Monday, November 17 at 4:00 p.m. 7810 Frankford Ave. Flyer downloadable here.
• Eastwick: RALLY! Thursday, November 20 at 4:00 p.m. 2851 Island Avenue Download a flyer here.
• Kingsessing: RALLY! (part 2 – even bigger!) Saturday, November 22 Time: TBA 1201 South 51st Street Save Kingsessing Blog
• Haddington: RALLY! November 22 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) 446 North 65th Street
• Central: RALLY! with State Rep. Mark Cohen; Saturday, December 6. 12:00 p.m. (noon) 1901 Vine Street

Important Links:

• List of Library Branch Closings: by branch or by legislator
• Download a petition
• Write a letter to the editor: Philadelphia Inquirer — Daily News
• Donate to support the cause.
• Find Your Legislators
• Mayor Nutter on NPR

Breaking News

The Free Library will take significant budget cuts that include the permanent shuttering of 20% of its buildings or 11 branches; 71 layoffs and a $1.6 million reduction to the materials (books, tapes, DVDs, periodicals, graphic novels, etc.) budget that has not been increased in 8 years. These library buildings, some of which were built with funds from Andrew Carnegie will revert back to the public properties division to be sold. The time to take action is now. Contact us (215.567.4562) to find out how you can help. Also, contact your legislators with your concerns. Click here to find your legislators. The list of branch closings can be found here. And visit WHYY’s It’s Our City Blog for more information and community reaction.