the haystack needle

valentine bag

Need a last-minute valentine? I heart this valentine bag of goodies that Liz of Linda & Harriett whipped together — what a perfect gift for a friend or any paper lover. (Dan, that would be me, in case you didn't get the hint!) I'd choose the set of Paper Doll notecards to go inside. That super cute silkscreened pouch would be just right for stashing little projects when I travel. (Like yesterday, when I brought a bunch of cards with me to catch up on writing thank yous while I was waiting at the doctor's office.)

japanese tape tags

Sometimes the booth displays at the N.Y. Gift Show are inspiration alone. I loved the way Sweet Bella showed off their new (huge!) collection of Japanese masking tapes: a strip of each tape was stuck on a manila tag to highlight the range of tape patterns. I saw this display and thought: handmade escort cards for a wedding! Pick a pattern or two in your color palette — wouldn't that be a pretty display with all the guests names written under a snip of pattern? And it'd be so easy to make. I like the idea for everyday gift tags, too. Ellie of Mint made last-minute business cards using Japanese tape in a similar way — and I think they turned out to be super, stand-out business cards. (And Ellie's added her concept to the shop: custom calling cards embellished with tape. I love them!) So many reasons to keep a stash of Japanese tape around.

calligraphy love stamps

You know me by now. I cannot resist rubber stamps anymore than I can ignore warm berry cobbler when I spot it on a menu. I just discovered these simply amazing love stamps in Bryn's Paperfinger Etsy shop. You must take a look. What could be more romantic than saying 'I love you' with a stamp in gorgeous modern calligraphy? I can't think of a better homemade Valentine. I'm also thinking this is an excuse to leave love notes around the apartment all year long.  

scrapbook inspiration

More than a year out from our wedding, I still haven't finished my scrapbook and I have a box piled high with little bits of precious somethings that need to find a place on its pages. But I'm getting there. Today on Oh So Beautiful Paper, I'm sharing a peek at my wedding scrapbook-in-progress along with a Polaroid photo album that I recently pulled together for my friends Ali and Kevin (remember their Cayman Islands wedding?). 

 

In case if you missed yesterday, I shared my lobster bake invitations over on Oh So Beautiful Paper.

And I thought I'd share this photo that was a big inspiration for the look I'm going for in my scrapbook. I spied a snip of this amazing scrapbook by Kelly on SeeSaw Designs.

 

Have a fun weekend! I'll be checking out the New York Gift Show — can't wait to see all the new finds coming out for spring!

(top three photographs by Charlotte Jenks Lewis, last photograph by Kelly)

friday fix

Thanks for all your kind words on the one year anniversary! I thought I'd leave you this week with a list of finds that I keep looking back on. Have a lovely weekend!

+ I want to swoop in and adopt every eco embroidered pillow from Enhabiten, which are filled with lavender and buckwheat hulls. They're simply gorgeous, it'd be hard to pick just one.  

+ Did you hear that Molly is doing a weekly food podcast? Spilled Milk is a mix of zest, wit and (of course) good food. I can't wait to try out kimchi fried rice. 

+ I can't believe I missed this before. You know the books, Recycled Home and Simple Home (by Mark and Sally Bailey, that I've been obsessing over? The inspiration for my treasured shoe trolley? The Baileys have an online shop — you can buy trolleys from them, along with so many of the cool reclaimed finds featured in the books! Too bad they're based in the UK and everything, including the trolleys, is priced like an antique shop — not a flea market. But at least I know where to go when I win the lottery. On a side note, it's called Baileys by Mail, which reminds me of an old favorite, Martha by Mail.

+ I'm stuck on this perpetual wood block calendar. And I suppose it's the last week to settle on a 2010 calendar: check out this gorgeous letterpress calendar by Sesame Letterpress.

 

+ I love how this sweet ceramic bowl has kiss translated in Spanish and French — so many finds from Palomas Nest would make a perfect Valentine's gift.

besos, Jen

moose tags

This year will be my first Maine Christmas. Dan and I booked our flights to celebrate Christmas this year with his family in Maine. I'm so excited! I saw these moose tags by Linda & Harriett and think they might be the perfect gift tags for the presents we bring up to Maine. Oh I hope it snows, as I'd love to go sledding.

rifle paper co.

Congrats to Anna Bond for the launch of her AMAZING new online shop, Rifle Paper Co. I'm floored by all the goodies!! And I was tickled to see a print that I'd picked up from Anna at the Brooklyn Renegade (now hung on our bedroom wall in a ReFrame) as part of the collection. Her Anatomy of Love print is one of my favorite pieces in our apartment. Here's what else is on my wishlist:

 

folk-art inspired notecards

the perfect thank you

 

love this balloon birthday card!

 

this Monsters in the Bushes print makes me want to be a kid again

 

and holiday gift wrap that is so pretty — I want to pin up a sheet on the wall and enjoy it all season.

Head over to Rifle Paper Co. to check out all of Anna's illustrated wonders!

ps. Today's the last day for the Hello!Lucky card giveaway! Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win.