Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories to Help You Sleep

Episode: The Curios Shop (Encore)
Host/Narrator: Kathryn Nicolai
Release Date: October 16, 2025

Overview

In this special encore presentation of The Curios Shop, Kathryn Nicolai, creator and narrator of Nothing Much Happens, invites listeners into a gentle, magical bedtime story that's perfect for easing anxiety and leading the mind toward rest. The story, first of a two-part Halloween special, centers on a mysterious shop in the town of Nothing Much—a place that can only be found when the circumstances are just right. The episode is bookended by calming instructions and reassuring messages about sleep, while the story itself unfolds slowly, steeped in sensory detail and cozy intrigue.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Episode’s Purpose and Approach

• Encouraging Restful Sleep: Kathryn frames bedtime stories as a tool for rest and relaxation, emphasizing the importance of sleep for creativity, mood, and overall well-being.
• Bedtime Rituals: The story is meant to gently distract the listener's mind from stressful thoughts, offering a comforting place to mentally rest.
  • "The story is meant to be a soft landing place for your mind so that instead of circling through the same thoughts you've been stuck in all day, you can rest in a sweet, peaceful place." (06:31)

Sleep Preparation Guidance

• Listeners are guided to physically and mentally prepare for sleep:
  • Dimming lights and stowing away electronics (06:48)
  • Deep breathing exercises: "Take a deep breath in through the nose and a soft sigh from your mouth. Do that one more time. Breathe in, sigh out. Good." (07:34)
  • Settling into a comfortable position and letting go of the day

The Story: "The Curios Shop"

• Setting and Discovery:

  • The protagonist repeatedly notices a mysterious shop named "Curios" in their small town, only for details about it to slip from memory until the perfect moment arrives (07:54–10:35)
    • "The sign was small and wooden, hanging from an iron brace over a door. I'd never noticed, and even then I'd forgotten it as soon as I looked away." (07:58)
  • The shop seems to almost materialize only when the protagonist truly looks for it:
    • "It was an odd sensation, but it seemed like the lines of the door... were coming into existence as I looked at them, I'm sure, because there was so much to take in, so many details to observe." (13:52)

• Sensory Rich Details:

  • The exterior and interior of the shop are described with magical specificity: carved moons, acorns, honeybees on the door, jewel-bright velvet in the window, and a comforting smell of rose petals, lavender, and sandalwood (13:58–18:08).
  • Warmth inside contrasts with the chill outside, glasses fog with the sudden change.

• First Encounters:

  • The protagonist’s scarf is gently taken for them by a mysterious figure:
    • “I’ll just hang this up for you. So glad you finally made it in.” (17:51)
    • The curtain sways, but the speaker is already gone, increasing the sense of otherworldly hospitality.

• Exploring the Shop:

  • The shop is painted like a starry midnight sky, with luminescent stars (18:12).
  • Vitrines display tinctures, crystals, coins, and other objects inviting gentle curiosity and sensory engagement.
    • "There was a table full of old golden coins and handle bells and something made from dried reeds that rattled when I shook it, and I wanted to feel the weight of each object in my hand." (19:10)
  • The protagonist is drawn to experience each object, grounding them in the present.

• A Feline Host:

  • A gray cat with bright yellow eyes appears, resting on a fuzzy shawl and inviting the protagonist to share in the quiet magic of the shop (20:00).
    • "She stepped daintily into it and laid down like a sphinx and just stared at me. I laid a hand on her soft body and she purred without blinking." (20:15)

• The Proprietress Appears:

  • A woman with a long braid and a green velvet book invites the protagonist for tea—a gentle promise of connection and comfort (21:00).
    • “Well,” she said, “shall we have a cup of tea and talk about it?” (21:01)

• Repetition and the Second Reading:

  • After the first telling, Kathryn repeats the story at a slower pace, reinforcing the cozy details and deepening the soothing effect (18:02–32:22).

Ritual and Reassurance for Listeners

• The episode closes with calming, recurring instructions for listeners to find peace if they wake in the night:
  • "If you find yourself awake again later in the night... just take your mind back to the beginning of the story and walk yourself through any part that you can remember, especially anything that felt particularly cozy. You're training your brain and body to wind down..." (06:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Finding the Shop:

  • “It wasn’t till today... that all the times I’d seen it before came back and finally stuck. I’d stopped because I spotted the moon rising over the trees in the park, and its full, pale face seemed bigger and more beautiful than I’d ever seen before.” (11:35)

• On Being Present:

  • “I stroked the kitty between her eyes and supposed it was being right where I was supposed to be at this particular moment.” (20:45)

• Invitation to Tea:

  • “Well,” she said, “shall we have a cup of tea and talk about it?” (21:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Rest Guidance and Story Setup: 05:07–06:47
• First Telling of "The Curios Shop": 07:34–21:04
• Second, Slower Telling for Sleep: 21:04–32:22
• Concluding Soothing Remarks: 32:22–end

Language and Tone

The tone throughout is deeply gentle, atmospheric, and nurturing, with rich sensory description. Kathryn’s narration is slow, kind, and imbued with warmth—carefully geared to soothe anxiety and quiet the mind. The narrative style blends a subtle hint of magic with the everyday, inviting the listener to lean into wonder and rest.

Summary

This encore episode of The Curios Shop is a masterclass in cozy storytelling. With every detail crafted for comfort and calm, Kathryn’s voice and the gentle unfolding of a magical little shop offer listeners an invitation—to curiosity, to rest, and to sweet, restorative sleep.