Personlized Gifts

I always find myself looking for cute little gifts this time of year.  There is always a birthday, shower or graduation during the Spring and with my schedule...if I don't buy something in advance and have it ready to go...the person we are celebrating may just end up with a pat on the back and whatever gum I have in my purse.  As luck would have it, while I was plotting out my events and their corresponding gifts the new Boatman Geller album came to the shop.  I don't know about you, but I always get a secret thrill whenever I have anything personalized...it just seems so fancy.  Even more, I think it is a great gift option because most people (yours truly excluded) don't order personalized things for themselves.  More often than not, when a customer orders a stamp or stationery for someone they always say how much the person they got it for loves it.

When I turned to the first page of the new album this new elephant design caught my eye and demanded that I place an order immediately for personalized notepads.  Then I remembered that I was trying to find gifts for other people...and that is the best part about Boatman Geller.  They have a wide variety of border options, color options, icon options and font options to suit any taste.  They also have a lot of gift options to offer so that I can get something for everyone on my list.  Some of the options are stationery {maybe for the new grad}, invitations/announcements {maybe our housewarming party}, notepads {hostess gift}, melamine plates/platters {for the bride & groom} and recipe cards {mother's day}.  Alright...off I go to imagine my name on those great melamine platters....and luggage tags....and.....place mats...and.....

Be Our Guest

If you haven't gathered already, I really love parties. My favorite memories from childhood are when our house was abuzz with adults talking and laughing... glasses clinking and food plates clanking. We had a dinner party at least once a month and I loved falling asleep to the sound of my parents talking to their friends, laughing about the old days and wondering aloud at what would come in the days ahead.

While my path to owning a stationery store was certainly not a straight one, it really isn't a surprise that I ended up in a business that centers on people gathering together to celebrate their lives. When I came upon the Rag & Bone Bindery booth at the New York Stationery Show this year, I knew that I was meeting a group of people that shared my love of events. Their new Guest Books for both Bridal and Baby Showers are so thoughtful and sweet and their new cover options are so delicious that I couldn't wait to place my order.

The books open to a title page where you can fill-in the details of the who, what, when and where of the shower. They even have a space for the host to write a message to the guest of honor and a place to write in the menu for the event. However, what sold me on these books are the way they designed the spaces for the guest to sign their name. They are not simply lines to indicate the attendance of a guest. These pages are titled with prompts such as, "when I found out you were engaged, my first thoughts were..." , "why I think you are going to be a great mom...", and more.

In my mind, there couldn't be a lovelier way to begin a life with your partner or begin a new life with your baby then with the words of your family and friends cheering you on, wishing you well and offering their gentle advice. I can imagine what it would feel like to reread your guest book in the years ahead. It must be reliving the party...glasses clinking, voices laughing and feeling the warmth one feels when you look around the room and see nothing but happiness and love just for you.