February is Black History Month, a time when everyone should reflect on and celebrate the countless achievements and contributions made by our African American brothers and sisters. Lapstone & Hammer will be honoring this occasion by highlighting a few of our favorite black-owned businesses from our local community: Meagan Cook and Botanic Village, Briana Green and The Fancy Crumb, and Khoran Horn and Stripp'd Juice & Guard House Cafe.
Beginning next weekend, February 12th & 13th, we welcome the first of these amazing businesses into our shop, Botanic Village (@botanic_village) for a two-day floral pop-up shop. Meagan Cook is the creator and owner of Botanic Village. A lover of the flowers and a sucker for romance, Meg calls herself an accidental florist by trait. Her favorite part of owning Botanic Village is the connections she has strengthened in her community. Sourcing from local farmers and collaborating floral pop-ups with small local businesses allows her to provide her community the opportunity to bloom and support one another. "It's wild sometimes to see the magnitude flowers could bring to our city," Meagan says.
Meg is also the proprietor of Our Village, a plant-based skincare brand made from 100% natural ingredients that are all handmade in small batches from locally sourced or fair trade. A selection of Our Village (@ourvillageacc) products will also be available for purchase at the shop on Saturday and Sunday.
From 12pm-5pm on Saturday and Sunday Meagan will be in our shop celebrating Nostalgic Love with the combination of two classic Valentine's Day staples: fresh kicks and fresh flowers. In Meagan's words, "That nostalgic love is the best love. Let's bring back the days of love letters, matching sneaks, and a bunch of their favorite flowers. This Valentine’s Day, let Botanic Village and Lapstone and Hammer join your love for flowers and sneakers as the perfect gift for the ones you love."
While Meagan will have a limited selection of blooms available for walk-in customers, the best way to secure your bouquet is to order here before 2/8 for pickup at our shop on 2/12 or 2/13.
Our Black History Month series continues on Friday, February 18th when we will feature 4 different types of special custom-made cookies from Briana Green and The Fancy Crumb (@thefancycrumb). Each design will be inspired by that weekend's release of Jordan Brand's brand new silhouette, the WMNS Jordan LV8D SE. Cookies will be available free with any purchase while supplies last.
Briana is a confectionary artist and the owner of The Fancy Crumb. She enjoys creating edible works of art full of detail, depth and flavor. She is the winner of the Netflix Original show “Sugar Rush” and can be seen on Season One Episode 2. Her artistic background allows her to creatively collaborate with her clients to turn their imagination into reality. 
The series concludes on the weekend of February 25-27th with a range of organic cold pressed juices from Khoran Horn's Stripp'd Juice (@strippdjuice).
Khoran Horn is the Philadelphia-based chef and restaurateur behind VIII XII Hospitality which houses Old City’s renowned Stripp’d Juice and Guardhouse Cafe at the Frankford Arsenal in Bridesburg.
In 2015, he opened Stripp’d Juice, which was immediately a massive hit. Named one of the best smoothie and juice spots around by Be Well Philly that year and the top acai bowl spot by Eater Philadelphia in 2016. In April 2019, Khoran expanded the Stripp’d empire and opened an outpost in Wilmington’s inaugural food hall, DECO, and is thrilled to be a part of the revitalization of the city. Khoran’s latest restaurant endeavor, Guardhouse (@guardhousecafe), opened in fall 2021 as a lively cafe by day serving sweet + savory breakfast, healthier comfort food, sandwiches and bowls alongside an unparalleled coffee program. By night, the historical venue which served as the guard house for a U.S. Army ammunition plant in World War II, transitions to a warm and welcoming venue for exceptional food experiences.
We are honored to celebrate these three great businesses and the incredible people behind them, and hope you enjoy their products as much as we do!