Summer Vacation

I have been taking some additional days off this summer to spend more time with my kids (mostly my twin daughters since they are heading off to all-day kindergarten this fall). So when I do show up at work on Friday, after three days off - it is like Christmas! Very exciting. So this is just a post of some of the fun new things that arrived in the shop this week.

And...don't forget our sidewalk sale begins next Thursday, July 15th. We have some great stuff that will be at least 50% off, if not more. This is not stuff we don't like, most of it is great stationery, invitations and gifts that have been discontinued and we only have one item left - since it is hard to retail and display just one one item, we are selling them to you at a very generous discount. So, stop by on Thursday to catch the best of it!

I think I am taking one of those sugar paper recycled To Do List pads home to make a list of all the fun things we still plan on doing this summer:

1. Take in an outdoor movie at Briarcliff Village - Our choice - Free Willy
2. See the Paul Mesner Puppets present "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
3. Shawnee Mission Parks Theater in the Park - Cinderella
4. Get out to the Gardner, Kansas pool - they have a great lazy river and slides and not nearly as pricey as World's of Fun
5. Camp at Shawnee Mission Park

and much more, but that is a start!

Jewel Ball Party

We did a lot of great invitations this season for parties surrounding Kansas City's Jewel Ball. This one was probably my favorite. I love the idea of a F. Scott Fitzgerald themed lawn party. The attire for the party was white and I can't wait to see some photos of this event. Invitations are by Karen Adams Designs - don't you just love the colors!?

Summer's Favorite Food

I am obsessed with ice cream lately! I am especially loving the concept of custom, hand-mixed ice cream and gelato made-to-order. The good kind, fresh milk, all natural ingredients, local fruit, etc. In fact, don't be surprised if Bennett Schneider soon launches an ice cream business. I think paper and ice cream are a delightful combination.

So I have been online checking out all the great designs surrounding the ice cream business! Keep your eyes open! You never know when your favorite paper shop will soon be the place to go to order custom, hand-mixed ice creams and gelatos!

Hello Summer!

I know that today is the first day of summer - but here in Kansas City my kids have been out of school for a month, the temperature is well into the 90s and the humidity - yuck! And, oddly enough, as retail goes, we spent two hours today with a manufacturer rep ordering Christmas and fall seasonal items. In addition to that, I actually caught myself in a conversation with a customer about how we are beginning to transition to our fall invitations and when exactly we would be putting those out! I still want to sell invitations for pool parties, summer bar-b-ques, ice cream parties and I really want to spend a lot of time outdoors, sipping margaritas with friends and family. I know that it is a cliche - but time sure flies.

So, I raise my margarita glass - welcome summer! So glad you are here. And if you want to celebrate summer - please come in and we will help you find just the right invitation whether it be for five people or 50!

Photo Style Me Pretty

Happy Father's Day

Don't forget Dad! We have some great gifts in the shop right now - clocks, a place to put his glasses, something to make those drawers smell a little bit better and some really great cards!

Congratulations

Another wedding we worked on this spring! This is one of elum's newest designs (in fact, we were the first to order). The wedding planner and bride were going for a very modern black/shades of gray reception - very hip and swanky! I think this invite fit perfectly. Congratulations to the newlyweds - hope we get to see some photos soon.

The wedding and party was held at an event space located north of downtown called Black on Burlington. The place looks awesome and I am sure Ellyn Bold did a fantastic job with the space.

Don't forget ... an invitation truly sets the tone for your event. Elum is still offering the address printing for free when you order invitations and response card sets - until the end of June!

No More Belated Birthday Cards

I have always been a fan of Linda & Harriett's designs - calendars, notes, notepads, etc. Recently, there company has made some changes and this amazing birthday calendar is a result of that change. I wish I could show all the months here...but I guess you will just have to come in and take a look. Calendar contains an adorable, letterpressed graphic with one month on a page and lines to fill in birthdays by the day. Get one for yourself and everyone else on your list.

Bar Mitzvah II

Another great Bar Mitzvah - this one is this weekend. For his service project he is collecting old game systems (Wii, Playstations, XBox, etc.) and donating them to charities for children who have less. (I hope I got that right.) Anyway, the event is this weekend and so, best of luck.

We really loved working with these guys - we based this invitation on the greens and blacks of the Xbox 360 Box, which will be used for table decor at the party. Our goal was to keep the invitation very sleek and modern. I think they were perfect. If anyone ever asks you if an envelope lining really matters - I think you can say yes! We kept most of the print black and called out his name and his Jewish name in that great green - love it!

Invitation design by us - printed by Crane & Co.

Bar Mitzvah

We have had a lot of fun and met some really great people while working on some Bar Mitzvah invitations. Having not grown up in the Jewish faith, I had no idea the amount of work that went into these events. And it isn't just the planning. Do you know how much work it is for the kids involved?

The animal invitation is letterpress printed by Mr. Boddington's Studio of New York. This invitations was chosen as a result of the service project this boy was working on - don't you just love that lining?

If you know someone preparing for a Bar Mitzvah or Bat Mitzvah have them stop in. We have lots of great ways to personalize invitations to meet their needs and tastes.

National Stationery Show: Pica Press

We are very excited to have the new party album from Pica Press on its way to the shop. We have had great success with their baby announcements, holiday, wedding and stationery albums - we fully expect this to be a big hit! Should be in the shop in a few weeks.

Get ready ... here comes summer!

Well, whether or not I was ready - my kids were all dismissed from school today and summer is upon us. Looking forward to lots of great get-togethers with family and friends. So, I am going to stock up on some of these great fontaine maury items - love the tray, party tub, cooler and especially the great soy candles - which by the way would make a great hostess gift - and we stock the single letters in the store.

Stop in and order some summer plates for eating outside ... then enjoy this time with your family and friends. See you this summer.

Party Tub - $45
Candle - $45
Drink Cooler - $25

Soup to Nuts

Often we are asked, "Do you (fill in the blank)?" And most of the time, the answer is yes. If you are planning a wedding, you can count on Bennett Schneider from everything from save-the-dates to the programs, menus and placecards (even the "Just Married" sign for the car).

This invitation is a sugar paper letterpressed invitation on a creamy deckled-edge paper. The program is tied with hand-dyed silk ribbon in the lavendar color to complement the flowers and other wedding colors. Not pictured - the adorable save-the-date, the tablecards and placecards, and "Just Married" sign for the car. Congrats to Lauren and Andy - whose lovely wedding I can't wait to see photos of!

Where has the time gone!

Okay - I took a very long break from posting (didn't even realize how long it had been until I went and looked)! We have just been very busy with weddings and I was feeling somewhat uninspired - but now the weather is starting to look good, Memorial Day and summer vacation are right around the corner and I just returned from the National Stationery Show - full of new ideas and inspiring new products. So keep following and I will have lots of new product photos as things begin to roll in. I am also going to post some great photos of some of the invitations we have been working on since I last posted. Stay tuned...

In the meantime, enjoy this photo - we are going to be carrying this great line of new but very vintage alarm clocks - they will make awesome graduation gifts, father's day gifts and will truly liven up any bedside table. Truly a great gift for the guy in your life.

Old Tom Foolery

New Cards! How simple...new cards! They can really perk up a sunless stretch of winter - just a few of the new headline series from Old Tom Foolery. View the whole collection here and stop in and pick up a few!