Stationery Binder Organizer

Last week, I made an amazing purchase at Target: a small, 3-ring binder and clear cover pages that fit inside. With these, I created my own organizer for all of the beautiful cards I've accumulated over the years but have yet to send.  When I was in London last summer, I visited some really cool old bookshops and several stationery stores and picked up some unique cards that I have never seen in the U.S.  I tend to stock up on cards when I am in a museum store. I literally have a stack of a hundred cards that I have purchased but never sent. Having them all in one place that is handy and organized will be a huge asset to actually getting these puppies in the mail.




I also thought that while I get organized on all my beautiful cards, I would get organized on all of my awesome stamps.  I organized my sentiment PSA Essentials stamps -- the ones that I use to switch out my monogram and add in a saying like "Way 2 Go" for a graduation card that I was sending -- into the binder too.   Now I will easily be able to pull out the "Happy Birthday" stamp or "Thank you" stamp when I am sending that type of card.

The cards and the clear acrylic stamps by PSA Essentials all fit nicely in the binder and they make me want to write just about everyone I know.  I also added tabs with "birthday", "anniversary",  "sympathy", and more greeting categories to know what I need (more like would like to...) shop for and where I have holes. (Strangely, I have an over abundance of baby girl cards...)

I've been searching for a stylish perpetual calendar so that each month or week I can look at see who I should sent birthday or anniversary cards to.  I would just love to be able to sit down with a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning and look through my perpetual calendar and send out cards from my stationery binder organizer.  The next part of this mini-project is finding that perpetual calendar.  I have yet to find a pretty and stylish one.  If you know of one, please leave a comment here! I even hinted to my friends at Lifeguard Press at the National Stationery Show that I was searching for one. Kate Spade should certainly add that to their new product line...

Of course, then I will stamp these beautiful cards with one of many of my PSA Essentials Personalized and Switchable Peel & Stick Stamps.  Eek! This is super fun for a stationery and stamp geek like me.

More on this project when I find my perpetual calendar!

Baby Stationery

There have been a few events in my life where I have been completely blown away by my family and friends generosity.  When Mike & I were married for example, we received an abundance of gifts.  When Molly and Connor were born, we were showered with the things we needed (and a lot of luxuries we didn't need but loved!) We are extremely fortunate.  

Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with people's generosity. Almost embarrassed by it.  How can I repay someone for being so thoughtful?  For me, it's a heartfelt thank you card.  As a true stationery lover, part of the fun of my thank you note is the stationery itself.  And I love baby and kids stationery!  I could spend hundreds.  I found this great photo thank you at Tiny Prints. 

Of course, I dressed up my envelopes with my personalized Wallace stamp.  I changed up my ink color to match the stationery (like anyone is going to notice but me! but it does add an extra touch and changing it up is so easy!) 

I'm no Peggy Post, but I have been told I write a good thank you note! Here are a few of my tips: 

1. Thank the gift-giver for their specific gift.  (Don't say: "Thanks for the gift." Say: "Thanks for Sofie the Giraffe!" 
2. Include why you like the gift, or how you will use it.  ("Sofie the giraffe is the #1 teething and baby toy! We know Connor is really going to love it when his teeth come in!  Right now he looks cute cuddled next to it!) 
3. Take the time to write a letter.  Give tidbits about your life or happenings in your day.  ("We are loving being new parents but are totally exhausted. Connor is awake every 2 hours.  I hope it ends soon!) People like to hear more about you! 
4. Write something personal about the gift-giver.  ("I hope Mandy & Mia are doing well in school and enjoying soccer season.  We hope to see you guys in Bluffton this summer!") 
5. Write 2 or 3 a day if you have a lot to do.  Because I believe that the reader knows when you have written 10 or 20 before that one.  You just sound bored by that point! 

Isn't this card adorable? I just loved it! 

Bridal Shower Tea

I was lucky enough to have two bridal showers. One in Winchester, MA where friends and family who lived up north could attend and one down here in Hilton Head so my southern friends could attend.   My "southern shower" was hosted by my mom's two closest friends here: Dayle & Dani.   They threw an incredible event! Dayle was very tuned into my color scheme of the wedding and every detail was reflected.   The two of them were incredibly generous to host such a great event.

4 of my 7 bridesmaids were there including my sister-in-laws Meghan and Betsy, and 20 other very good friends. 

I recently dug up my invitation to share and recreated some envelopes to show how you can do a bridal shower invitation using our personalized stamps and switchable middles. 

I started with my PSA Essentials Wallace personalized stamp and switched out my middle for the umbrella in Bouquet Toss (for a bridal shower!)

I also changed up the black ink which comes already assembled inside your stamp for the orange and poppy ink cartridge.  This takes just 10 seconds and is easy as can be.  Watch here if you want to see how its done. 

What a great event!  I hope you are enjoying the series on switchable middles and seeing how there really is a switchable middle for every occasion.  It makes sending your invitations and events even more special! 

Beach Wedding

I wanted an elegant beach wedding.  When working with my wedding planner and my mom (because, let's be real: Mike had virtually no say in the event!) those were my buzz words.  It was held at the Westin in Hilton Head in the oceanside pavilion which was transformed beautifully with gold chavari chairs, tea lights, white twinkly lights, beautiful greens and flowers.  The colors I chose for my wedding were navy, gold and peach.

I wore a Vera Wang gown and my bridesmaids wore J. Crew bridesmaids dresses in navy.





The guys wore khaki pants from The Gap and peach ties from Brooks Brothers.



Every detail turned out exactly how I envisioned it.  This gorgeous photography is by Mark Staff.  He's a world class photographer and I am completely obsessed with his work!



Jackie Lacey was our event planner.  Killer wedding planner!  This guy has more credentials after his name than a doctor does.  (I just looked up his profile on Linkedin)











The invitation was from Fine Stationery.com and by William Arthur.  I chose to have this engraved as opposed to letter pressed or thermo printed.   My mom and I laugh about this as an expense we could have cut but being a printmaking major in college, I treasure the plates I have of the invitation.   The invitation  coordinated perfectly with my save the date.

I recently recreated some envelopes for my wedding invitation to show how great our PSA Essentials personalized stamps and Peel & Stick designs are for weddings.  Switch out your middle for a wedding cake, or two champagne glasses toasting, or wedding bells.  I used the switchable middle pack "Mr & Mrs." here.

We have several bridal themed Peel & Stick packs to choose from.   Switching out your middles on your personalized stamp is easy (video here again if you don't know!) and makes return addressing super easy and efficient.   You can really add a bit of flair to your envelopes too - making them even more special.

Our wedding was exactly the elegant beach wedding I was looking for and a day to be remembered forever!





Hope you are enjoying the blog series on switchable middles!  There really is one for every occasion, isn't there?

Save the date card

The story of Mike proposing to me is actually quite funny.  It was a very "us" proposal.  There wasn't some long walk on the beach, a candle lit dinner or flowers waiting for me at home.  Nope.  Mike proposed to me in our guest bathroom on March 27, 2007.

I was hanging a shower curtain and barking orders at him to hand me another shower curtain ring.  "Hand me a ring, hand me a ring," I kept saying.  When the curtain was done, I went into another room.  I heard him call to me that the shower curtain fell down.  I ran back screaming expletives, frustrated and annoyed only to find a gorgeous diamond ring sitting on the bath tub and my husband smiling.    This is our story book romance and I love it.   "Hand me a ring" took on a whole new meaning.  

Here we are in March 2007.

When it came time to plan the wedding (I started about 30 seconds after the ring was on my finger) I was really excited about choosing my stationery suite.  As a printmaking major and a lover of stationery, this was one task of wedding planning I really looked forward to.   I went with a William Arthur Save the Date from Fine Stationery.com.

I recreated my envelopes recently to show how you can use PSA Essentials personalized stamps and our  Peel & Stick stamp designs for save the dates.   I used my Wallace personalized stamp and switched up my middle for the "save the date" from PSA Mr. & Mrs. Peel & Stick stamps.    Switching up my middle was easy - just peek at our video again if you aren't sure how to do it.

If sending out a lot of invitations and save the dates like I did, the stamper is an easy was to dress up your envelopes and save time and money.  Return address printing can get expensive plus, this adds a little extra flair.

Looking forward to sharing my wedding invitation tomorrow, and other great life events as part of my blog series of switchable middles.  There really is one for every occasion!