SURE THINGS

Is there a “rule” for styling a coffee table? Maybe, but rules are for suckers! So I say layer your favorite pretty books and objects on it like it’s a visual board of things that inspire you at the moment. Perhaps the only thing for me to keep in mind is to have a tray, a box, or some sort of lidded container to hide your smaller utilitarian items like matchbooks and lighters to keep it from looking cluttered or just thrown about. Otherwise, it’s your coffee table, screw what Negative Nancy on the internet is gonna say, just go and have at it!

Here’s the other sister spool shelf 🧵 I brought her with me last August to style this room inside a beautiful brownstone my friend @creatures_of_place designed. And now the shelf sits in the shop window stopping people and turning heads. I like to say the other spool shelf (previous post) is the older, more responsible sister, and this one is the laid back, young adventurous one. 😉

UPDATE: All claimed! Thank you for sharing this post – y’all are amazing! A total of $520 were donated today to Immigrant Defense Project, NJ Alliance for Immigrant Justice, Make the Road NJ, and NJ Consortium for Immigrant Children. Thank you to those of you who made these donations! 🙏🏽♥️🫂 Please continue to make contributions to organizations especially local ones who have boots on the ground and are actively offering support to immigrant families affected by 🧊 — Channeled my rage into craft and art-making the other day and made these with vintage frames we already had to display and hang in the shop. Some of you asked if they are for sale. They weren’t intended to be but we’re happy to “sell” it with a donation (of $25 or more) to an organization or charity that helps support immigrants during this time of crisis. Here are some suggestions: /donate/ /donate /support /donate/ Or you can pick your own that you are inclined to support. Just come in and show or send us a screenshot of an email or page confirming your donation, and then you can come to the shop to pick up the piece! 💜

You’re invited! 📣 ISSUE 03 LAUNCH PARTY 📣 The latest and greatest issue of By the WAYE mag has arrived, and we’d love for you to come help us welcome it! From way over here in Jersey City to way across the pond in the UK, this issue is 148 pages (it keeps getting bigger!) of powerful poetry and visual art. 🗓 Wednesday, May 27 📍 Andco North | 220 Ninth St, 2nd Floor, Jersey City ⏰ 7–9 PM, 6:30 Door Expect poetry (of course!) from our featured poet @noah.arhm.choi and a reading of selected poets from the issue. As always, there will be delicious bites, bevies, and great company! Special thanks to our generous friends at @andcowork for hosting us once again in their gorgeous space 🩵 Free & open to all — bring a friend or two! ✨ This magazine was paid for in part by a grant from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund.

ISSUE No. 03 is here in all its glorious print and PREORDERS ARE LIVE! (Link in bio) Snag a copy at an early bird price and don’t forget that if you’re local, you can select the pickup option to save on shipping! 🕊️ Volume 01, Issue 03, 2026 148 pages Release date: Spring 2026 CD & Design: Marinell Montales Editorial Director: J. T. Trigonis Guest Readers: Isabel Cruz, William J. Van Sickel Contributing Editor: Raul Garcia Photographer: Brian W. Fraser By the WAYE is an independent print magazine of poetry and visual art published by WAYE Small Press & Sure Things. POETRY Janet E. Aalfs, Dagmawe Berhanu, Beth Boylan, Noah Arhm Choi, Gia Clark-Grillo, John Compton, Isabel Cruz, Hugo Dos Santos, Alexander Eagan, Romel Espinel, Mark Faunlagui, Raul Garcia, Ebony Gilchrist, Ella Hatfield, Josh Humphrey, Munsif Husami, Christopher Lopez, Yetvart S. Majian, Martin Middlewood, Hayley Mojica, Theta Pavis, Ollie Pierce, Paul Rabinowitz, DC Restaino, Stephanie Rodriquez, Millie Maria Serrano, Salvatore Roseo, Annabelle Roses, Cyn Grace Sylvie, Bianelly Tellez, J.T. Trigonis, William J. Van Sickell, Annabelle Veith, S.J. Willett, Dominique D. Wilson FEATURED POET Noah Arhm Choi VISUAL ART Carlos Aponte Cover art: PEACE BIRD by Carlos Aponte Digital illustration 2023 This magazine was paid for in part by a grant from the Jersey City Arts and Culture Trust Fund. @jcartandculture @jerseycityartscouncil

📣 We’re proud to announce our featured poet for By the WAYE, Issue 03, Noah Arhm Choi (@noah.arhm.choi ) Here’s some behind-the-scenes footage from our portrait shoot with them last month with photographer @brianwinstonfraser . More about Noah in the coming days as we reveal more bits and pieces of what’s to come in the next issue.

The dads are still planning Mother’s Day… and this stop is all about self-care, creativity & thoughtful gifts 💐✨ Stops: 6. @heightspsychotherapy getting psychotherapy for themselves to lift the mental load off mom 🫶 7. @solspiritstudios Special Restorative Class for Mother’s Day Sun 6:30pm 🧘‍♀️ 8.@atacama Mother’s Day wheel throwing classes for adults + mother & child 🤍 9.@surethings Unique antique finds for mom 10. @lildovecafejc Mother’s Day greeting cards 💌 Stay tuned for Part 3 👀 The final Mother’s Day stops are coming… and they might be the best ones yet !!!

[SOLD OUT] Get in, babe, we’re getting off our phones and making things with our hands! 🚫🤳🏽✋🏽 Help us kick-off Analog Club, a monthly meetup for those of you who are tired of all the AI slop and want to learn something new, be in community, and get back to using your hands. There’ll be art-making, letter-writing, workshops, and just days for body-doubling. We’re starting off with collage-making with the one and the only Kiki, AKA @cutpasteface ♥️ an incredible collage artist and dear friend to so many of us. If you’ve been to the shop in the last month, then you’ve seen and bought her collage kits! Tickets are only $25! That includes all the supplies and your very own collage kit that Kiki put together herself. Expect music coming from a boombox (yes, that’s right. It’s been a few months since we’ve broken up with Spotify and it feels great!) and you are welcome to change the CD or cassette once we finish an album; and we might ask you to deposit your phone in a safe box (fine, it’s optional!), so we all can go screen-free during these couple hours. We’ll have our Polaroid camera, too, because we know you need evidence that you’re doing things! ♥️ GET YOUR TIX IN BIO 🎟️

Sofar Sounds is coming to New Jersey 👀 If you don’t know, Sofar is known for hosting secret, intimate live music shows all over the world and now it’s finally touching down in New Jersey! Their first show is happening at Sure Things and the whole point is simple: no distractions, no loud bar energy, just artists and a room full of people vibing You don’t always know who’s performing. You don’t know exactly what to expect. But that’s kind of the point! It’s one of those live music experiences in New Jersey that feels super intimate and off the cuff 📍 Jersey City, New Jersey | @surethings__ 📅 April 25 ⏰ 7PM If you’ve been looking for: 🎶 live music in NJ 🎶 unique music events in New Jersey 🎶 things to do in NJ You better keep them on your radar. Once people catch on? Shows will be selling out asap

A mini shelf refresh with some fun ideas of what you can put on your bookshelves in addition to books 📚🏺🖼️ How are we liking these styling videos?

🆕🆕🆕 Lots to see, touch, and sniff! New on deck we have: • @yourlocalforestlady linen napkins and kitchen towels in fun new spring colors! • @misc_goodsco incense sticks and cones with the loveliest, most interesting scents. Each are hand-dipped and rolled in Louisville, KY! • Beautiful potholders that are handwoven by @kate.kilmurray in Ojai, CA! • your favorite Tesser lamps by @ridezign are back in stock. New sizes and new colorways!

In motion and on set with @brianwinstonfraser , bringing you a very Good Friday with some behind-the-scenes for Issue 03. Blink and you’ll miss it!