Joie de Vivre

(former) Gift Shop - fun and unusual gifts!

Permanently closed.

06/18/2026

As we approach Sunday, this year's longest day, I find myself thinking about a clock I saw on a design blog years ago. I contacted Harc Lee, its creator, as I really really wanted to sell it at Joie, but sadly, it was a one time concept piece, not in production. A simple light switch - with a backlit embedded digital clock. You could turn off the time. I loved that idea and I love these long light filled days and want to turn off time for awhile before we begin the slow but inevitable return to the dark.

06/14/2026

Alas, looks like we missed our chance to participate in an "upgraded direction for the gift industry" by closing before we were able to offer you customers the chance to "move beyond paper and ribbon, immersing your gift recipients into more interactive culinary and environment-scented experiences" when we wrapped your gifts! Our apologies! And that said, the bread wrap is kind of appealing . . . though not sure we'd want to lick it!

06/10/2026

I had a friend who opened a wonderful shop in Providence, R.I. called The Curatorium that existed for eight years and sadly, is no more. I was looking through some drawings he'd sent me over the years- he liked to draw his customers. Especially the ones that drove him crazy and - there were lots of those. He was a brilliant curator/collector of interesting items but he just didn't have the right temperament for dealing with most people - a rather important part of running any store. Anyway, I'd forgotten that one of the drawings had a mention of Joie! (& I can see why this customer may have rubbed him the wrong way! 🙂)

06/05/2026

File under "Sign of the Times." The Boston Globe just published a "Best of the Best" list, a list of what "Greater Boston has to offer across 28 categories, including sandwich shops, record stores, ice cream, seafood, nightlife, breweries, and more." It was 90% food and drink related. Then, Bookstores, Record Shops, Thrift Shops and Music Venues. And a Best Places to Watch the World Cup" category. No gift stores or craft galleries at all. I guess gift stores and galleries are no longer considered fun places to browse and hang out. Of course, there aren't as many as there used to be and not all, but most bookstores, now carry quite a few gifts. It reminded me of our early days when the categories were much broader - shoes, women's clothes, men's shops, gifts, etc. (And, it reminded me of our first award - "Best Adult Toys" from Boston Magazine, an award that as you might imagine, led to a certain amount of confusion - and "wink winking!" 🙂)

06/01/2026

According to the news, “whimsy” is now having a moment, "thanks to Gen Z-ers and some millennials who have recast the word to characterize a lifestyle that blends playfulness, spontaneity and being present.” Searches on Etsy involving the word whimsy have increased 50% thus far in 2026 and as per their trend expert: “We’re seeing shoppers turn to whimsy as a form of everyday escapism, seeking out pieces that feel personal, playful and a little unexpected to make everyday life more extraordinary.” Well, we'd like to note that Joie de Vivre and its devoted customers were many many years ahead of this trend! (If we were still in business might hang a banner saying “Joie de Vivre - bringing you whimsy since 1984!"

05/28/2026

Kind of a poignant New Yorker cartoon . . . (even though I hasten to add that both around here and elsewhere - some of those little stores definitely still exist and we should all support them!!)

05/23/2026

Devil Duckie visiting Philadelphia where he was excited to pose with Benjamin Franklin and George Washington! My former brother-in-law/good friend Peter was there for a Museum Exhibit Designers conference and besides his more serious jobs involving design, fabrication and museums, he worked at Joie on and off for many years so no surprise - fell for our little red duck. File under: Joie de Vivre may no longer be open, but its spirit definitely lives on.

05/18/2026

Once I overcharged a customer for our very popular chicken handbag. Someone at the front desk asking if the price was $34 and I said yes but after the customer had paid and left, I realized I had confused the $30 chicken bag with the $34 koi bag. But I had recognized the customer so I resolved that the next time she was in, I would refund her $4. Then, a few nights later, I was eating dinner at the bar at (the badly missed) Rendezvous with a friend, and noticed the waiter bringing a celebratory dessert with a birthday candle to the women on our right. I looked at them, and one was my overcharged customer! Excited to think I could correct my wrong so soon, I found $4 in my purse and went over. "Hi," I said. She recognized me, though she seemed a little puzzled. "Didn't you buy a chicken bag in my store a few days ago?" I continued. She pointed at her friend's dessert and whispered: "Shhh! It's for her birthday!" but it was too late. "Chicken bag!?" asked the friend. "You know I wanted that bag!" With flaming face I soldiered on, telling her we had accidentally overcharged her. I stuck out my hand and gave her the money. "It's not her only present," she reassured me. Soon we were all laughing, but I felt foolish. Lesson Learned - or maybe relearned would be more accurate: Birthday celebrations often involve surprise.Think, before you open your mouth!

05/13/2026

Many Joie customers regularly bought specific things for specific people, and with the recent Hantavirus and Norovirus outbreaks, I remembered one who always bought cow items for a friend who'd written a book about milk. At the start of the Covid outbreak, she bought and sent this friend a bunch of miniature cows and later, sent me her friend's response: this photograph, labeled "Herd Immunity."

05/09/2026

Today is Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday and look what LEGO did to commemorate the occasion - they actually changed the age range labels on their boxes in his honor - and not just for today! ❤️

Address

1792 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA
02140

Website

http://www.joiedevivre.net/

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