28 October 2016. Shop Fog Linen shares space with our sister business, Pod, a brick and mortar retail shop in the middle of a residential neighborhood in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The shop is on the corner across from an elementary school and a highly trafficked playground. Our day to day is pleasantly marked by children's shrieks during recess and the school's broadcast that the "Chocolate Cone" bus has arrived for pick-up. (Fun fact: "Chocolate Cone" sounds exactly like "Chaka Khan" when you marry a loudspeaker with a Boston accent.)
Years back, a nearby side street was designated as the main stage for October 31st festivities. On Halloween, the street is closed to traffic so that kids can flood the area. Each year has a different theme, and homeowners enthusiastically decorate accordingly. Last year's theme was Star Wars; this year's is still a secret.
It might not be obvious from our wholesome image or selection of homey linens that we take great pleasure in Halloween. We love to walk down Crescent Street, marveling at the costumes on the kids and the houses. The street is a whirlwind of noise, lights, and action. Our favorite part, though, happens beforehand. We decorate the shop's entryway with cobwebs and a huge spider and hunker in the doorway to greet trick or treaters. Kids that we see almost everyday are transformed by a costume, becoming more brazen or soft-spoken, depending on the child and the get-up. Last year, we misidentified a little one's costume and we're pretty sure she'll never forgive us. For a few hours, we get to see the neighborhood transformed, and they see us outside of the shop's four walls. If you're nearby, come visit. We'll be on the stoop with plenty of candy.