CasaSugar

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: Turtle Papers Happy Birthday Deer Card Set

CasaSugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:00:10 -0800

No gimmicks, sappy quotes, or photos of beefy men, the Turtle Papers Happy Birthday Deer Card Set ($10 for 4) is simply sweet and elegant. Yes, it does have that reimagined hunting trophy trendiness going on, but not in the sense that it's soon heading for the discount bins. Pick a set up and you'll always be prepared for the impromptu friend-of-a-friend birthday party you have to go to. There are at least five birthdays on my March calendar, and I know of a baby girl on the way, so I might just have to pick up two packs.

Link Time!

CasaSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 13:00:00 -0700

Get yourself into gear with 7 sharp labels for organizing.- AT:LA
Take a peek at ReadyMade mag's new digs in Iowa.- ReadyMade
Check out a cute faux bois birthday card.- Shelterrific
Hanging laundry can be an art.- Swiss Miss
The savvywrap is 100 percent sustainable gift wrap and supremely cute.- Poppytalk
Watch this video of Frank Lloyd Wright on What's My Line?- UnBeige
This birdhouse isn't fooling anyone.- Gizmodo
Put these three great flower arranging how-tos in your pocket.- AT:SF

Midday Muse: Halloween Cards

CasaSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:26 -0700

I just came across this free downloadable Halloween card from Inside a Black Apple, and it got me thinking. Many of us send Christmas cards sharing family photos, and in grade school we all exchanged Valentine's cards. And, of course, birthday cards are a given. But sending cards for other holidays is really uncommon. This particular card is so adorable though, I wonder, why not send cards to your family and friends on every holiday? A greeting card certainly won't break the bank, although I'm unhappy with the rise in stamp costs these days. And, your message needn't be long; it's the thought that counts. Tell me: do you send holiday cards outside of Christmas and Valentine's Day? Do you receive them? I bet one of you has a thoughtful old auntie who sends them.
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Home Library: Handmade Hellos

CasaSugar — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:00:30 -0800

Signed, sealed, and delivered from the ladies of Hello!Lucky letterpress, the new how-to book Handmade Hellos ($19.95) gives rebirth to a long-lost craft: card making. It's one thing to hand write a note in today's world of email, SMS, MMS, IM, BBM, etc. - a good thing. But to forgo Papyrus and make a card by hand shows nonpareil thoughtfulness. Thanks to this delightful book, which is a compilation of over 25 projects from today's most talented card makers, you can choose your own level of thoughtfulness: basic (30 minutes or less), moderate (two hours or less), or advanced (an afternoon). For a handsome catch you're trying to impress, this volume will show you how to silk-screen a wooden card reading, "Wood You Be My Valentine?" For a quick but humorous birthday card, you can make a cocktail hour card using vintage photographs and a wry one-liner. Straightforward instructions make even the advanced projects unintimidating, and ready-to-use patterns cut out the creativity requirement for those of you who aren't artistes. But perhaps most notably, after page after page of adorable illustrations and cheerful designs, you won't want to say goodbye to Handmade Hellos.

Do You Take Family Portraits?

CasaSugar — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 08:30:33 -0800

I just came across these adorable and wacky family portraits by photographer Akihiro Furuta, and couldn't help but share one. Since it's the holidays, I'm sure family portraits are on a lot of your minds, and you may have already sent out a holiday card with one.My family only successfully mailed three holiday portrait cards, and they were the cliché kind: matching smock dresses and little red mary janes one year, in full ski gear the next, and turtlenecks and "seasonal" sweaters on an ice skating rink another year. I wish we'd gotten a bit more inventive with our portraits like Furuta has done. This photo celebrates his dog's birthday, and I think that the cheekiness of this family's costume attire is much more festive.
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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.

Cool Idea: Eco Chic Gifts

CasaSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:13:27 -0700

Growing up I had a friend who was the queen of re-gifting. She usually passed on my gifts to her to our mutual friends when their b-days came around, but one year she re-gifted a board game I'd bought her to me on my birthday! It got to the point where she might as well have left all of her presents in their wrapping paper and change the gift card. While I certainly don't recommend this shopping technique, it does do a good job of curbing consumerism and waste. TeamSugar member Mazdagirluk thinks along the same lines; she recently wrote, "For my bday this year, I have asked for no "new" items. Only items friends have but don't use anymore, or just a smile. I am interested to see what people share!" There are other ways to give (and request) eco chic gifts though, without emptying out your own closet. To hear them, read more.

Consider giving a friend tickets to a concert or a baseball game, donating to charity in their name, hiring a cleaning lady or babysitter for them (or babysit yourself!), giving them a cooking lesson or a mani/pedi, or picking something at an antique store or a flea market. Or, plant a tree or flowers in their yard, which releases oxygen rather than CO2! The same goes for friends: if you're getting married soon, you can register for all of these things for your wedding, as well!

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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?