Perfect for new moms, dads and...

people like me who are terrified of books with no lines and empty pages. I can do this. Just jot down one line a day - funny things your kids say, random thoughts or even that great glass of wine you had ... but nonetheless ... a great (and easy) way to document the small things.

Perfect for chef, hostess, friend and foodie ...

Rifle Paper Company Heirloom Recipe Box



These heirloom recipe card boxes are made by local craftsmen from locally salvaged hardwood (trees that were destined for landfills). All of the boxes are unique and hand-crafted during a 3-month-long process (a month for the mill to source the salvaged wood, a month to build in the workman's studio, and a month for the hand-rubbed finish to dry). The lids are then screen printed with two different design options.

Lists and Calendars

Yes, we have the 2010 - 2011 momAgenda in stock. If you are new to these calendars they begin August 1st and go through December 31st of the following year! A great long term planning tool!

And how about this for lists - letterpress and in a really cute wicker holder. Looks great on your desk and is functional - can't beat that.

Party with Pica Press

We just received our new Pica Press party album last week. The designs are fresh and modern. I am going to be using one of their designs for a dinner party I am having in the fall. In addition to the invitations, they also have some great personalized recipe cards, calling cards, etc. Stop in and take a look, and because it is new, we are offering 15% off all orders placed from their new album from today until August 31st! What a great way to plan ahead for that fall event!

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.