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Archive for May, 2009

May 29

bamboo-dry-erase

College Flashback

I’m sure many of you remember how crucial your dry erase board was to your social life back in college.  Before Facebook and even email, it was the quickest and easiest way to communicate with your friends.  So I was excited to come across a grown-up version of the dry erase board from three by three seattle.  It’s made of eco-friendly bamboo, and is extra-functional since you can use magnets to stick on photos and notes.  And it does come with a dry erase pen, for when you want to go ‘old school’ and leave an erasable message.

May 28

(photo courtesy of WDKX.com)

Celebrity Kudos

We received the nicest note from Halle Berry thanking us for her daughter Nahla’s personalized thank you cards.  The  note was written on one of my favorite Amy Adele thank you cards.  The note put a smile on my face, as it’s always nice to know that even Oscar winning actresses have impeccable manners!

halle berry thankspic 300x276; Celebrity Kudos

(photo courtesy of WDKX.com)

May 27

Owl Dropping By from Lakeside Design

Retro Owl Greeting Cards

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Green Owl Shower by Cardstore

Retro-inspired owls are a big trend in greeting cards this year. Although real owls may seem aloof or scary, greeting card owls are friendly and sweet. Other reasons we like owls:

  • Owls look wise. In this economy, we could all use some wisdom.
  • Owls are really cute. It’s hard to resist those fluffy feathers and big puppy-dog eyes.
  • Owls are your friends. Who can forget Harry Potter’s owl Hedwig?

Here are some owl greeting cards you can personalize at Cardstore.com.

dl 0008 lowres 7875x3875 flat shadow; Retro Owl Greeting Cards
Green Owls Nest by Dee and LaLa
ks 0132 lowres 5x7 flat shadow; Retro Owl Greeting Cards
Wise Owl Grad by Kate Spain
owl dropping by 201x300; Retro Owl Greeting Cards
Owl Friendship by Lakeside Design

May 26

Michelle Obama Dazzles in White

White: Why Not?

The spring/summer runways were flooded with the hottest color of the season: white.  Last year’s fashion broke boundaries by making menswear the norm in female trends and styles.  Why should 2009 be any different?  Throw the rule book out the door and have fun with your clothes this summer.  White is good any time – before and after Labor Day.  Take a note from Michelle Obama who wore white in January. In 30 degree weather.  In comparison, a little white cardi or dress on a warm day hardly seems out of line.  For something more office appropriate, update the classic style of Chanel by incorporating black into your white ensemble.  For a weekend look, I like an all white outfit such as a white dress or white jeans with a white blouse.  I prefer to keep it simple, but the more adventurous fashionistas should definitely try punching up this modern look with a bright tribal necklace, a colorful bag, or vibrantly hued nail polish.  Your whites don’t even need to match for you to look put together and stylish.  Go ahead- try it!

bwmarieclaire 234x300; White: Why Not?

Black and White Inspiration from Marie Claire

May 24

Photography Floral Notecards from Kate Spain

Garden Flowers and Notecards

After a high energy week at the National Stationery Show, many of us are enjoying reconnecting with our families this weekend. Our CEO Marty went to Tahoe and chased his kids around the beach. Our Creative Director Katy headed off to Scotland to visit her mom. I, however, decided to be a total homebody and catch up on my garden. Here is one of my favorite flowers now blooming – the Alstroemeria, or Peruvian Lily.

Occasionally, I’ll take my favorite floral shots and turn them into photo cards at Cardstore. I also like to stock up on these all-occasion floral notecards from Kate Spain.

yellow stigma peony; Garden Flowers and Notecards

Photography Floral Notecards from Kate Spain

May 22

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Travor Smith places miniature flags at Arlington National Cemetery, May 21, 2009. DoD photo by Donna Miles
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Memorial Day Remembrance

Memorial Day is a time of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country. We honor American veterans and soldiers by visiting monuments, attending parades, and observing a nationwide moment of silence at 3 p.m. local time. PBS suggests it is also a good time to read your family history, look at old photographs and help your family learn about prior generations, especially those who have died in battle.

One of my favorite acts of Memorial Day remembrance is the placing of flags in local cemeteries. In my hometown of San Diego, Boy and Girl Scouts place more than 65,000 U.S. flags on grave sites at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery. At Arlington National Ceremony, soldiers have held a Flags In tribute each year since 1948. This year, 3,000 soldiers placed over 250,000 miniature flags at Arlington National Cemetery – one for each fallen soldier.

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Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Travor Smith places miniature flags at Arlington National Cemetery, May 21, 2009. DoD photo by Donna Miles

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May 20

Personalized Lady Jayne Lunch Tote

Eat Lunch in Style

I came across the cutest personalized lunch totes at the National Stationery Show.  They’re part of the Lady Jayne collection and can be customized with your initial.    There’s even a pouch for silverware!  What a stylish and eco-friendly alternative to a plain brown paper bag.

May 20

Hooray for the Underdog's LOUIE nominated card

The LOUIEs

The Cardstore.com team attended the Greeting Card Association’s annual LOUIE awards on Monday.  We were very excited to see that two of our artists, Great Arrow Graphics and Hooray for the Underdog were honored with nominations.  And a HUGE congratulations to Great Arrow Graphics for taking home a LOUIE in the Romance above $3 category!

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The Cardstore Team with President of Great Arrow Design Alan Friedman at the LOUIEs

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Great Arrow Graphics- LOUIE nominated Card

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Hooray for the Underdog’s LOUIE nominated card.

May 18

Lilla Rogers and her Amazing Group of Artists

National Stationery Show Sightings-Day 2

As our team continued to walk the floor of the National Stationery Show today, we were excited to come across the following Cardstore.com artist booths:

picture 001 225x300; National Stationery Show Sightings Day 2
Erika Firm, the creative genius behind Delphine
picture 002 225x300; National Stationery Show Sightings Day 2
The Lovely Kate Spain
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Lilla Rogers Studio and her Amazing Group of Artists

May 18

gray-yellow

The Colors of 2009

At the National Stationery Show’s ‘Top Trends for 2009′ seminar given by Sarah Schwartz, the editor-in-chief of Stationery Trends, Sarah went over her ‘colors to covet’ for 2009.  Purple shades, particularly eggplant and lilac shades, are hot.  And since the violet hue, has already been deemed the color of 2010, it looks like purple’s here to stay for the immediate future.  Tish & Tica feature this crowd-pleasing color in their personalized wedding announcements:

purple 2 300x210; The Colors of 2009

According to Sarah, orange has a ‘proven track record’, as it has been seen in the market for the past 5-6 years.  Hues of this color range from vibrant citrus similar to the colors used in Anvil’s thank you cards designs, to pale apricot and brown-toned terracotta.  orange 300x210; The Colors of 2009

Yellow also is a crisp color to watch, and trends are showing it being ‘brought down to earth’ when paired with a neutral gray, as shown in Delphine’s personalized stationery:

gray yellow 300x210; The Colors of 2009

And according to Sarah, gray is a neutral to keep your eye on, as it is shaping up to be an ‘aspirational color’, and one that people seem to identify with for its calming characteristics.  Stay tuned for more tips from the Stationery Show!

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