House Portrait Pillow

My parents just celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary this past weekend (Happy Anniversay, Mom & Dad!) and I gave them a custom silkscreened house portrait pillow ($59 including insert) from the Etsy shop Not Without Merit as our gift. I scanned in a photo of their home in New Jersey (which they have lived in since 1985, but will eventually selll) and Not Without Merit turned it into a beautiful keepsake which they will be able to cherish for years to come. They love it. I highly recommend it as an anniversary or housewarming gift! Visit Not Without Merit.

Where They Got Married

Looking for an affordable gift for a summer wedding? Check out this Framed Custom Wedding Map Keepsake I stumbled onto at Etsy shop Define Design 11. The print is 12 x 12" and arrives gift-ready in your choice of white or black shadowbox frame. You pick the background color, heart color, and location. Plus, this gift can also be customized to commemorate a birth or graduation. Such a sweet idea and a gift that will definitely be treasured! See this and other designs at Define Design 11.

MyMomShops Sponsor: Beehive Kitchenware

I have another terrific sponsor to introduce to you this week--Beehive Kitchenware. Some of you may recognize this company's beautiful handmade metal kitchen utensils and accessories. That's how I first learned about them, too. Created by a husband-and-wife artist team, Beehive's products have a distinctly decorative, vintage-y feel but are also supremely practical. I've given Beehive's signature lead-free, pewter heart measuring spoons ($44) as an engagement or bridal shower gift several times.

But Beehive also has a growing category of baby gifts and products that are drool-worthy (pun intended). These are my favorites (and, by the way, all of these products are CPSIA-compliant and lead-free, so you don't have to worry about their safety for baby):

Meadow Drawing Box ($44). This one could be a baby gift, or a gift for mom to store small keepsakes or jewelry. It's lined with red felt, and the designs coordinate with other items in the shop.



Baby Spoon ($24). These hand-cast lead-free pewter spoons have such a sweet detail: the animal silhouette reliefs on front continue onto the back of the spoon so that it is easier for baby's hands to grip them. Arrives in a gift box.



2011 is the Year of the Rabbit, so you might opt for the Rabbit Spoon Set (photographed at this year's National Stationery Show; the price in the photo is wholesale).



I also love this ABC Picture Frame ($60). Save the new parents some time and place a wallet-sized newborn photo inside.



And, finally, one last Beehive baby gift I saw at the trade show recently: darling pewter baby cups (again, the price is wholesale). These also arrive in a gift box.


Follow Beehive Kitchenware on Facebook for the latest products and promotions!

Please note that this is a sponsored post; as always, all opinions are entirely my own.

Double Bravo Designs

Before I write a longer post about all the great kid stuff I saw at the National Stationery Show, I must single out one particular newcomer whose work I adore. Debut exhibitor Double Bravo was one of my favorite finds of the show because it combines 3 of my favorite things: keepsakes, letterpress, and geography. Designer/mom/seasoned traveller Barbara Buenz has created several collections that you will love:

First, "Baby Firsts" cards are little letterpress gems noting baby's first accomplishment on the front of the card...plus a sweet tagline on the reverse. These are so sweet whether you fill them out for out-of-town grandparents, drop them into your baby's keepsake box, or even frame a small collection. They are not at Barbara's Etsy shop at the moment, but I think she will be selling them both individually or in sets (perfect baby shower gift!).

Here's one of my favorites..."You slept through the night. . . and so did we."

And another: "You blew your first kiss. . . Love is in the air."


Next are these fantastic city-themed letterpress cards to commemorate The Year You Were Born. These are not your standard "news of the day" keepsakes, but instead have wry pop culture tidbits. Look closely at this New York one:


And for new brides and grooms, check out these city-themed wedding cards: The Year We Said "I Do". The London version for 2011 is my favorite, of course.



The "Year" cards are petite (they measure 5 x 7") but there is definitely enough room to fill each one in neatly, and at just $6.25 a pop at Barbara's Etsy Shop, you can easily complete and frame one of these as an affordable and thoughtful engagement, bridal shower, or wedding gift.

Go visit Double Bravo Designs to see more!

House Portrait Pillow

I just found a beautiful, unique gift at Heartsy for a wedding, housewarming, anniversary, or grandparent celebration. It's $17 for $39 of store credit at the Etsy shop Not Without Merit. You can buy anything at the shop with this credit, but take a gander at this Custom Silkscreened House Portrait Pillow ($59). I've seen house portraits as wall art before, but never as a pillow. Lovely! The artist, who lives in Salem, MA, will use your digital photo of your new (or old) house to create a custom 14 x 18" pillow cover with a hand-drawn image in your color choice of ink. For an additional $10, she will include an insert and free shipping.

Not a Heartsy member yet? It's like two of my favorite sites combined--Zulily + Etsy. Sign up to get bargain deals on fantastic handmade products.

National Stationery Show 2011: My Favorite Finds

I'm hoping that the majority of my readers are paperphiles like me. Because I have literally dozens and dozens of gorgeous items to show you from this week's National Stationery Show.

I'll write posts about several categories and themes, but first I wanted to show you 20 items/designers that I simply loved best. On a gut level, these were the products that I thought were most beautiful, stylish, or clever. And, as you'll see, not all of them are traditional stationery like notecards or greeting cards (there are also some gift products at the show each year). So there's something for everyone. Wherever possible, I've included retail prices and links to purchase them.

Please tell me what you think!

First up, as a geography/map junkie, I was taken by these Letterpressed State Art Prints ($15) by 1 Canoe 2 (Booth #1055). They almost have all 50 states available. I think they are fun and frame-worthy!


Remember how owls were so "in" a few years ago? Well, it seems robots have taken over (as well as a few other icons I'll tell you about later). Here are some letterpress Robot Thank You Cards by Dempsey Press (Booth #1350).




As an October 31st baby myself, I stopped to admire these fantastic screen-printed Halloween cards ($4.25) by L2Design Collective (Booth #1931).




Another trend I'm noticing (and enjoying) is proudly displaying one's zip code in custom stationery products. Looks like this one is ready to ship to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue! Zip code notepads by Dabney Lee (Booth #1835).



I'm a sucker for pretty packaging like these darling favor boxes by B.T. Elements (Booth #2237).



Pretty letterpress cards by newcomer Printerette Press (Booth #1467), launched by a former Target designer. One of the best debuts I saw, and lovely booth design, too.





Viva Greetings (Booth #2051), a shop I first mentioned here last year, had one of the most appealing booths of the show. Love the graphics, the color, the products (Spanish language stationery and gift wrap)...muy bien!



Ms.Taken card by Crane & Co (Booth #1620). Cute for a bridal shower!



I've watched Smock Paper (Booth #2241) grow into a prominent designer of gorgeous letterpress cards, stationery, and gift wrap. This year I admired these storage or gift boxes (about $18 for a large box). I'd love to save my own keepsakes in one of these.



Look at this "T. Hanks" card carefully. Is this brilliant or what? Would love to send these to my other pop-culture fiend friends. By Blue Barnhouse (Booth #2267)



I adore these luxurious Letterpressed Custom Coasters ($48 and up) by Haute Papier (Booth #2146). These would make a gorgeous bridal shower, engagement, or housewarming gift.



You may recognize the fabric-covered mini albums and other lovelies by Estelle Billot (Booth #1244), who has returned to NSS after an 8-year absence with stellar collections including "Oooh La La" and "Merci". Her work is sold at Kate's Paperie and Barney's. Beautiful.




Sky of Blue Cards (Booth #1746) had a stellar debut of cards last year and now has added fun, punchy gift wrap.




I just loved something about this letterpressed Chevy station wagon card ($4) by Pistachio Press (Booth #1664). Takes me back to carpooling days in the late 1970s, I guess.



More cartographic fun! I was smitten with the letterpressed city map notecards ($3) by Gooseberry Press (Booth #1545). They're a bargain, and frankly I'd even frame them.



Any Maddicts out there? Some clever humor from Greenwich Letterpress (Booth #1746).



Dylan's Candy Bar has partnered with Lifeguard Press on an exclusive line of party goods and gifts (Booth #2544). My favorite: This sweet dreams mask.



These Blackberry pouches by Jonathan Adler (another partnership with Lifeguard Press in Booth #2544) are TDF. How about some for the I-phone?



I look forward to NSS's yearly "Paper Runway" where you can vote on the most exquisite couture "threads" that are actually made of paper. This one was one of my favorites--plus check out my Twitter avatar.



Last but not least, here is R. showing off one of the samples I received...a party banner from Someday Designs (Booth #2150). Pretty much sums up my day at the National Stationery Show (R. was very happy too because I brought Hershey kisses home for her).


Phew! There's my first batch. More to come--including trends, letterpress, giftwrap, personalized stationery, and kids stuff. I hope you enjoy this coverage! If you need a "fix" before the next post, check out all of my behind-the-scenes info. and pics on Twitter.

Ask MyMomShops: Couples Notecards

Dear MyMomShops,

I stumbled onto your site while I was searching for cute sibling thank you card ideas...you had such great suggestions and I ultimately purchased the sarah+abraham silhouette card. I have received such a great response from people about it- thank you! So now I turn to you with this question....I'm looking for a modern classic, inexpensive couples notecard...any suggestions?

Thanks!

Oooh, a stationery question. My favorite!

While it's been a few years since I've ordered couples stationery for myself (ahem), I've kept tabs on the best ones and have given some as engagement or bridal shower gifts. These are my favorites and I hope that they include something that catches your fancy.

Vana Chupp of Le Papier Studio makes these sweet Couple Portraiture Cards (24 for $28) using your choice of pre-designed silhouettes, or for just an additional $10, you can have her create a custom silhouette of you and your sweetie based on a digital photo. Other colors/designs available, too.

Minted--besides making glorious holiday cards--has some eye-catching thank you cards (some are designed as wedding thank-yous including a date, but you can opt for personalization with names only). I like these Mosaic Thank You Cards (20 for $57).

Wedding Paper Divas (a sister company of Tiny Prints) has pretty couple thank-yous including these Pristine Pinstripe Notes (starting at $1.45 each).

I gave these homey Couch Couple notecards (20 for $30) by Pixie Chicago recently as a bridal shower gift and they were a real hit. Other colors available, too.

Fabulous Stationery makes colorful, mod couples notecards like these ULTRA notecards in blue (20 for $55)

Etsy is also a good place to search for inexpensive personalized stationery. Today I found this Personalized Letterpress Stationery Card Set (20 for $45) by Pink Orchid Press...


....and also this Mr. and Mrs. Notecards Set (12 for $15) at Gabrielle Kearney. Also check out the sweet, vintage-y Bicycle-Built-For-2 Notecards


Want something simpler? Try these Slender Notes (25 for $27.95) at American Stationery....


....or Personalized Border Cards (50 for $39.95) at The Stationery Studio.


I hope this helps! Please let us know what you end up choosing.

Love and Happy Shopping,
MyMomShops