Maker: Adjowah of The Weekend Store
Last year at Patchwork Oakland I picked up a necklace for my mom from The Weekend Store. I was impressed with the range of cities she had highlighted with her necklaces, and was so pleased to even find one with the german city that my mom had been born and raised in. It was a special gift to her, and a lot of fun for me to shop and look at all of Adjowah’s items. Meet Adjowah of The Weekend Store, and check out her fun creations!
~Angie~
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Adjowah Keilman and I’m from NYC. I moved to CA in the spring of 1990 and never looked back. I live in Richmond now with my husband John, and our dog Buck.
What do you make or do?
I make jewelry for writers, travelers, and other interesting people. My current line consists of lockets featuring places and people’s names (like Lucy, Katherine, Alice) on the map.
Where can we find your creations?
My shop and blog are both at www.theweekendstore.com, and I also have an Etsy shop: www.etsy.com/shop/TheWeekendStore
Is there an interesting story behind the name of your business? How did the name come about?
When I lived in Burlington, Vermont many years ago, a friend owned a shop across the lake called The Store in Essex. The store had such a plain name, but it was the most beautifully appointed, well edited shop I’d ever seen. Later, when I moved back to San Francisco, there was an antiques store I’d pass on Valencia Street every day that was only open on the weekends. It was such a cool store – I could see all the great things they had for sale through the window – and I’d think to myself, “That’s kinda awesome they’re only open when they really want to be”. So, I combined both elements of the two shops I admired, and came up with The Weekend Store.
How long have you been creating and is it your full-time job?
I’ve been crafty my whole life, and after a couple of false starts (a joint venture in the handbag business and the first incarnation of my jewelry business, called Lula), I started The Weekend Store in 2003. It’s been my full time job ever since.
When you’re not making things, what do you do?
I love to take road trips – I’m lucky to live in Northern California, where a 30 minute drive can lead me to some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. My favorite adventure is to go up to Petaluma, take a left, and ‘get lost’ – literally drive around on country roads, seeing the sights, visiting tiny towns like Valley Ford and Tomales and then finding my way back home. I love finding things I didn’t even know I was looking for.
Is creativity a luxury or a necessity for you?
It is both – I feel so lucky to be able to make things for a living. I am also lucky that this business allows me to travel – I’ve driven to craft shows all over the country (Renegade Craft Fairs in Austin, LA, Chicago & NY), Crafty Wonderland in Portland, Unique in LA. I call these trips ‘fakations’ – fake vacations. I’m working, but I take a few extra days at the end to do something fun. My goal is to visit all of the National Parks in the US. I’m about halfway there!
If money wasn’t an issue how would your life change with regards to your art?
I would finally buy that house in Cazadero with the stand alone garage that has been converted into an art studio that overlooks the hillside.
What would be your perfect day off?
A perfect day off would be binge watching Broad City in bed, under the covers, while there was a thunderstorm raging outside. With a refrigerator stocked full of food.
What inspiring advice would you give to other creatives be they established or just starting out?
Don’t get bummed out by mistakes or setbacks – they are perfect opportunities for learning what you can do better, or differently, next time.
