WHEN YOU THINK of mimosas, you probably think of breakfast, but at Morgan Hill bookstore they have paired mimosas with coloring books. No, minors aren’t drinking; adult coloring books are a new trend.
Several adult coloring books have become best-sellers.
What’s an adult coloring book?
Cinda Meister, co-owner of Booksmart in Morgan Hill, which holds the coloring events, says that adult coloring books aren’t really that different from children’s coloring books.
“It’s basically a mindful activity, it allows your creativity to come through.” she says.
“The adult coloring books are basically intricate coloring books, as opposed to the simple children’s coloring books. So there’s something for every interest.
“It’s crazy,” she continues. “We’ve had adult coloring books since we’ve been open, 20 years ago. But just recently it has become a big craze because it’s very meditative, it allows you to kind of free your mind. I have people that color instead of eating at night. So it’s really gained traction.”
Meister says the store sold a lot of adult coloring books during the holidays. “One of our most popular Christmas gifts this season was a coloring book, and a package of colored pencils, or markers.”
Her husband, Brad Jones, who co-owns the store with Meister, says they sold hundreds of coloring books during the holidays.
Meister says the The Mindfulness Coloring Book “pretty much started the craze, it was on the best-seller list.” She adds that that there are coloring books for everybody, “There’s tattoos, folk art, botanicals, I mean there’s a little bit of everything. Chalkboard art just came in.”
She says the one that stood out the most to her was one on wigs.
Booksmart hosts coloring events on some Friday mornings. Check for dates on their website, mybooksmart.com.
In Gilroy, librarian Lisa Duff started hosting adult coloring events in November, and says they hold the events once a month. “I thought it would be a good way around the holidays, somewhere where people could go, as kind of a stress reliever.” she says.
About 14 people showed up to the first event, and Duff says it was successful, so she decided to continue holding them.
“I noticed that when people came together they met people they didn’t know before, and it was a very relaxing atmosphere, and they just kind of all chatted, and had a nice time together.”she says.
“It’s stress-relieving, bringing the community together, and it was more successful than I even imagined.”
Duff has noticed one family in particular that seems to really enjoy it. “I have a family who’s come and they just really enjoy it and they ask me, you know, ‘you’re gonna have it again next month right?’ I’ve been told they just really like chatting with people, and I see that they’re having a good time there.” she said.
