CasaSugar -- Home sweet home.

Gift Guide: The Faithful Correspondent

casasugar — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:45:58 -0800

Mail is a precious commodity these days, so I appreciate those friends of mine who make the effort to send cards, letters, and small packages of goodness to my mailbox every now and then. These faithful correspondents, who eschew email in favor of more arcane forms of communication, are responsible for brightening the days of everyone who receives one of their letters. To encourage more letter writing in your circle of friends and family, I've found some postcards, notepads, and stationery that will be sure to delight any letter writers on your wish list. I'll start you off with this Eight Silhouettes Postcard Set ($8.50), which is perfect for the home enthusiast/letter writer. There are a lot more great finds, though, so check them out when you

Sale Alert: 20 Percent Off at Iomoi

casasugar — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 05:30:59 -0700

Now through Sunday, Oct. 19, stationer Iomoi is offering 20 percent off all items in shop when you use the coupon code take20 at checkout. The offer doesn't apply to existing orders, and only one coupon can be used per order. There isn't an Iomoi product that I don't find completely adorable, so I'm sure you'll find something you can't live without! If you're looking for stationery, invitations, announcements, calling cards, address labels, paperweights, photo cards, coasters, trays, notebooks, or matches, they've got you covered. The holidays are coming up, so keep that in mind as well!

The Card Shop: Thank-You Cards From Two Trick Pony

casasugar — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 08:30:44 -0700

Laurie Mee and Carrie Siegel, the co-owners of Two Trick Pony, create delightful card designs that are screen-printed by hand on 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper with water-based inks. I love the retro look of their designs, and the straightforward perfection in the cards' sentiments.

Since I'm in the middle of writing thank-you cards to our wedding guests, my eye was particularly drawn to these thank-you cards ($16 for six cards and envelopes). They're graced with a simple, pretty design rendered in perfect Autumnal shades. I find that everyone appreciates a thank-you card now and then, be it for a dinner party or a random act of kindness. Why not stock up so your generosity can run rampant?

The Card Shop: Hello! Lucky Welcome Home Greeting Card

casasugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:00:19 -0700

The next time you're attending a housewarming party, once you've built your housewarming bucket, you'll need a cheerful card to wish your friends or neighbors well in their new digs. The Hello! Lucky Welcome Home Greeting Card ($4.50) will fit the bill and then some. Its lively plant motifs in lime green and chocolate brown are just the thing to sow good vibes in their home, and its heavy card stock will surely impress. And, if you happen to be giving a plant as a housewarming gift, it couldn't be more appropriate!

The Card Shop: Iomoi Memo Note Pads

casasugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:30:01 -0700

I've written in the past about Iomoi stationery and how I think it's important to have cute personalized stationery for those occasions when you need to write a hand-written note. But, there's no reason you shouldn't write on smart-looking paper when you're jotting notes to yourself! Iomoi has released a new memo pad ($48) in a variety of stylish patterns, 250 five-by-seven-inch pages set in a custom-designed Lucite tray. Enjoy the cute pattern of your choice (monkey, pagoda, anchor, coral, etc.) during your daily list-making 70 percent of the year, and then use the Lucite tray as a catch-all when you've torn the last sheet! Or, if you're anything like me, you'll let the note pad sit there unfinished for years, as you collect lots of other cute stationery to clutter up your desk.

The Card Shop: Notes to Grow On

casasugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:23 -0700

When sending a hand-written note, it always pays to have cute stationery. But, what about multipurpose stationery? Why just send a card, when you can send a small packet of seeds along with it? The Lizard Press Notes to Grow On Set ($25 for 7) features beautiful green illustrations of seven different herbs reproduced from Albert Schramm’s Der Bilderschmuck der Frühdrucke (Germany 1450-1500AD), and adhered to the back of each is a small packet of coordinating seeds. Handsome brick-red type reads the name of the herb, and script indicates the most common uses for each herb. It's a small but heartfelt token to send to your green thumb friends, but who needs presents anyway? Also, check out this plantable card set.

The Card Shop: Welcome to Your New Home Card

casasugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:00:36 -0700

I'm not big on sentimental central quotes on cards, but I couldn't resist the adorable mod living-room design on this Welcome to Your New Home Card ($4). I wouldn't mind moving right into this living room; you know I adore the lime green and raspberry color scheme. It's pretty much the perfect housewarming card for all those hip new homeowners you know. Mod is where the heart is, isn't it? And so is heavy, textured cardstock . . . oh, I do love stationery.

The Card Shop: Hello Everyday Stationery

casasugar — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:00:37 -0700

Sometimes I think there's not enough "dropping a line" in the world. Good old-fashioned notes, updating your friends on what's new in your life, and asking about theirs. Yeah, there's prolific Facebook wall and Myspace commenting, but a part of me feels that that's all for show. How about a bit of private conversation every once in a while . . . the kind you can't delete from your inbox? I hope the Invita Paper Studio Hello Everyday Stationery ($10 for 6) will inspire a little more of that. How can you argue with a hand-written "Hello" and a trendy pale yellow and gray palette?

The Card Shop: Boxed Historic Patterns Notecards

casasugar — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:00:56 -0700

Since most of my correspondence occurs via email, I want my notecards to be timeless and versatile. It's always nice to bring a smile to a friend's face with humor, but when I buy a box of notecards I want them to be appropriate for more than one person, and not to lose timeliness like the set you picked up at the Musée D'Orsay on your most recent trip to Paris might. B Designs Boxed Historic Patterns Notecards ($12 for six cards) fit the bill with their decorative floral and classic patterns with a contemporary color palette. With 13 choices like Hollyhock, Chains, and Mums letterpress printed on cream-colored recycled card stock, in a variety of colors,
you're bound to find a card that's right up your alley. And when you do, address it to CasaSugar: I can guarantee you it's right up my alley, too.

The Card Shop: Screen-Printed Bird Enclosure Cards

casasugar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 07:45:00 -0700

If you're attending a birthday, housewarming, or any other party that calls for gift-giving, but you're not close with the host, your best bet is to keep it simple. Pick up a great gift that anyone would love (bottle of wine, flowers, Scrabble!), and enclose a chic, cute gift card or tag. Augment it by sharing a brief sentiment and signing your name. Take this Set of 8 Screen-Printed Bird Enclosure Cards ($10), for example. The ochre birds and branch design on heavy card stock shows that you care, but doesn't cross any boundaries like a hunky shirtless man card might (you know what I'm talking out). Try, "Happy birthday! Hope it's a blast." No one ever complains about short and sweet.

Wedding Planner: A Letterpress Program For Your Big Day

casasugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:15:31 -0700

As you may have noticed, I'm a big fan of letterpress, so it's probably not a surprise that my fiancé and I are considering using letterpress programs for our wedding ceremony. While not often used at more casual weddings, programs are always a lovely keepsake for guests. Traditionally, wedding programs are a small booklet featuring the couple's names front and center, although it's becoming more common to use a single sheet of paper explaining the basics of the ceremony. As I made the local rounds of letterpress printers, one company that definitely caught my eye was Hello!Lucky.

Hello!Lucky is an eclectic, artistic letterpress company owned and operated by sisters Eunice and Sabrina Moyle. They can design your wedding stationery, or work with designs you have in mind, and will produce everything from save-the-date cards to the menus. For a video of the ladies of Hello!Lucky explaining how letterpress printing works,

The Card Shop: Yee-Haw Industries Spring Tree Cards

casasugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:15:56 -0700

If you're not going to send a card you can plant, the next best thing is to pick up a set of Spring Trees Cards ($20) by Norwegian illustrator Bjorn Rune Lie. The eight unique stylized trees letterpress printed on recycled cardstock can be sent to an octet of your favorite pals, or framed and hung in your home. There's a Charlie Brown quality to some of these trees that gives off a childish charm. But a gander at Lie's portfolio will reveal a maturity that surpasses even that highly sophisticated, pathos-ridden cartoon series.

The Card Shop: The Perfect Note

casasugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:15:11 -0700

Inspired by the work of calligrapher Maybelle Imasa-Stukuls (a past collaborator) and their sheer delight in receiving her handwritten notes, the folks at Chronicle Books set out to design The Perfect Note ($24.95). And so they did. The desktop kit is "a stationery-lover's dream," which includes 24 cards and envelopes, an ink pad and stamps, a variety of stickers and labels as well as a 48-page booklet chock-full of tips and templates — all of which are blessed with Imasa-Stukuls's calligraphy skills and Chronicle's unrelenting devotion to good design.

The Card Shop: Lace Thank-You Notes

casasugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:00:59 -0700

Kate's Paperie's Lace Thank-You Notes ($25 for 6) may be letterpressed with antique lace patterns, but they're certainly not your granny's doilies. On the contrary, they have a modern sophistication that reflects the lace trend that's happening now. I'm loving the sage, navy, and aqua color palette; I'd actually love to snip off the text and frame them together somehow. You know how I do love my paper projects. Unfortunately, the price may be a little steep for some; it may be better to use your personalized stationery. What do you think? What do you have to be thankful for?

The Card Shop: You Float My Boat Card

casasugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:30:19 -0700

You can never go wrong with a well-designed gocco print card, tagged with a catch phrase or a classic pun. That's why the Paper Wren You Float My Boat Card ($3.50) is just my style. I'm loving the somewhat retro teal anchors and ships; they've got me mouthing "Ahoy There"! Plus, the chartreuse color of the hearts makes any love-dovey notions a notch less saccharine sweet. I also might add that I've always been keen on the folksy tone of "You float my boat." What do you think? Would you mind if this card sailed your way?

The Card Shop: Iomoi Stationery

casasugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 04:30:19 -0700

While emails may be quick, and gag cards funny, I can't stress enough how important it is to have a set of personalized notecards on hand. Sending a hand-written note on personalized stationery exhibits thoughtfulness and timeless, chic style. Of course, some occasions call for a bit of snark, or a swift reply, but when writing a thank-you note or dropping someone a line, setting a more formal tone is key. Iomoi's Custom Stationery (20/$68-200/$43 includes personalized flat cards and coordinating envelopes that are cute, smart, and classic, not to mention substantial in heavyweight paper. You can choose from a variety of designs, ranging from a simple monogram to an eccentric fox in a smoking jacket, or others tailored to the bride-to-be, the new mom, or the dog lover. Personally, I get a kick out of this top-hatted seahorse, which my friend aptly described as "a Mr. Peanut of the sea."

Etsy Find: Plantable Card Set

casasugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:00:28 -0700

Perhaps taking a note from the Blooming Wrapping Paper I wrote about, the Recycled Ideas Plantable Card Set ($10) is a set of pastel cards embedded with seeds that you can plant to grow your choice of flowers. The cards themselves are simple and blank, so you can personalize them with your own message, and of course, they come with germination instructions. Since they're handmade, they have the wonderful irregularities and texture that only handmade paper has. In the spirit of Good to Grow month, I say you send one off to a friend, and plant one yourself, and you'll soon both be growing your own hollyhocks, snapdragons, or marigolds. Take that, Hallmark!

The Card Shop: Screenprinted Bird Thank You Card

casasugar — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:30:53 -0700

Next time you need to say merci beaucoup, let the birds do the legwork. These Screenprinted Bird Thank You Cards ($3.50) from Etsy seller Sarahparrott825 come in an exquisite robin's egg blue and are blank inside so you can personalize your message. Each card is accompanied by a brown 100% recycled envelope and packed in a celo bag.

The Card Shop: Letterpress Birthday Card

casasugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:30:58 -0700

There's something whimsically beautiful about this LookyLoo Letterpress Birthday Card ($3.50). I'm not sure if it's the conch shell broadcasting birthday wishes, the "my darling" epithet, the seaweed feathers in the lady's locks, her flowing dress, or the pretty pink waves shooting out of the sea. But regardless, despite aging anxiety, I wish my birthday were just around the corner, and this one came in with the tide of utility bills and dentist appointment reminders in my mailbox. Really, who can argue with "darling"?

The Card Shop: Hippity Hop Letterpress Bunny Card

casasugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 15:00:39 -0700

Although it may not exactly be tradition to send cards for Easter (Christmas, yes; birthdays, yes), I'd be delighted to receive this Hippity Hop Letterpress Bunny Card ($3.50). I'm loving the cute bushy tails and long whiskers of this quintuplet of rosy bunnies. Considering that Easter is fast approaching, and Spring has officially sprung, I most definitely endorse sending some in celebration of the vernal equinox, too. If Trix are for kids then bunny love should be for grownups, right?

DIY: Easter Egg Cards

casasugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:45:28 -0700

Although trading may not be her forté, Martha Stewart has definitely cornered the market on Easter. She's done it again with egg-themed stationery. While the golden age of egg-hunting has long since been over for me, I am digging her Easter egg card DIY, which makes use of leftover fabric scraps and trimmings. I'm thinking of trying it with another shape, perhaps a trendy skull, seasonal pear, or wise owl. To learn Martha's steps for crafting these cuties, and mine for crafting other shapes,

Etsy Find: Masked Set of Four Letterpress Cards

casasugar — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 07:30:49 -0800

Mardi Gras may be over, but you can still put your mask on with this Masked Set of Four Letterpress Cards ($10) by Sarah Ridgley. The perfect thank you card for the krewe member who invited you to the Endymion Ball. If you're secretly admiring someone from afar, it could also be quite the mysterious (anonymous) note card. Or stock up on them now and start planning your 2009 Gras bash. Just be sure to send me an invitation! I'll bring the crawfish . . .

Home Organizing: Make Listmaking Fun

casasugar — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 15:15:23 -0700

I love making lists, and making lists on cute paper is even more rewarding. Thankfully, I know of at least two dueling stationery companies (though I'm sure there are more) making incredibly clever notepads designed for making all kinds of lists.

Knock Knock and LobotoME seem to be governed by the same philosophy: Making to-do lists, grocery lists, packing lists, and chore charts is a fact of life, so why not have a sense of humor about it? Both companies' products have cheeky language and hip graphic design: I particularly like the LobotoME Pack ME Notepad (above left, $ and the Knock Knock Don't Kill the Pets list (above right, $6.99). Click on the photos below for even more examples, and tell me what you think.