Stationery-Now and Then

What ever happened to stationery that looked like this?

Has anyone else noticed that just about all of the stationery found these days is note card size? Although it makes me sad to think that the days of thoughtful letter writing has been replaced by short texts, wall posts, or twitters--I must say that the take over of note card correspondence has led to an enormous amount of adorable stationery. There are 3 main kinds that I really enjoy.

Thank you's-

I have an entire desk drawer filled with stationery, and I'd say 75% of it is Thank You cards. Which I'm totally okay with because I know it will get used. Sending "thank you" notes is something that I believe people don't do enough. Actually, just SAYING "thank you" is becoming less common. It makes me sad. I love to send little notes to people saying thank you, even for the small things, and here's why. 1. People don't expect it so it will be a nice, warm surprise. 2. Everyone loves snail mail. 3. It gives you a good excuse to buy that "thank you" note set you saw and felt you just had to have.

This vintage inspired beaut from Heatherly Designs is so friendly and simple. I love the bird and the colors. It's the perfect little way to say "thank you."

Embossed Stationery-

Ever since I was little I've been writing "thank you" notes to my relatives for the gifts I received from them.

"Dear Uncle so and so,

Thank you so much for the new purse. It is so cute! Thanks again!

Love,

Mallory"

It was nothing poetic; I was seven. But that was okay because it was beautiful. My grandfather always gave me and my sister embossed stationery- complete with our full names (my favorite part) and address. I always loved it, felt so proud sending out stationery of my very own. Perhaps this is why almost 20 years later, I still am in love with embossed stationery. It's complete understated elegance. No fancy inks or paper, just raised a script whose beauty you can see and feel. And who doesn't love something that is especially made for them?

Even designers are getting into the biz. These lovely ones are designed by Vera Wang.

Or you can buy your own embosser for $29 from American Stationery and emboss any thing and everything! Just make sure you plan on being at the same address for awhile to get the optimum use out of it.

Custom-

We all know I have a thing for patterns and Lemon Tree Paperie has just about any one you could dream of putting your name on. I'm talking pages and pages. These are stunning, no?

DIY-

If you're someone who is trying to save money due to the economy or just because it makes you feel good (like me), then this is the perfect option. DIY stationery can still be custom and charming. And all you really need is a stamp, ink pad and plain paper. I found my R stamp at Michael's in the $1.00 bin and have used it on stationery, gift bags, gift tags and place cards. There's no end to what you can do with a little imagination.

Canopy Stripes

As I mentioned in a previous post, black and white canopy striped fabric is one of my current obsessions. It's classic, clean and oh so elegant. Not to mention that it can make a bold statement in a room without being too flashy. I normally favor a very neutral color palette with accents of greens and robin's egg blues, and this pattern could be put in any such setting and be beautiful. Here a few of my favorite examples: Is this room spectacular or what? It's modern, classic and sophisticated! There is a large amount of stripes in this room, yet it's not overbearing. And the symmetry and clean lines displayed throughout give the room great balance. I could just plop this room right into my house! This is another example (as shown in a previous entry). If you don't have the money to invest in a rug, buy a few pillows and get the same look in your room for a fraction of the price. Whoever said black and brown don't go together was seriously mistaken. Lo

Table Decorating Contest

Jon and I are leaving to spend a long weekend in San Antonio with his parents and his brother (who will be town from Arizona). But before we go, I wanted to leave you with some pictures from the Officer Spouses Club Table Decorating Contest that was held last night. I called Jon on my way home from base, and he immediately asked "How was the contest?" to which I responded "Victorious." The 32nd FTS, our squadron, took first place! The theme was Silver Screen so we decided to focus on famous quotes from each movie genre. Each place setting featured a different movie. We had a "drive-in" for our center piece where clips of the famous quotes were shown. Welcome to the Jayhawk Drive-In! Wizard of Oz place setting. The glass had a button you could turn on to make the water swirl and look like a tornado inside. Also notice the witch's feet sticking out from under the plate :) A close-up of the yellow brick road I painted. Silence of the Lambs pl

Guest Room Before and After-Healing Aloe

Here is a shot of the room in all of its coral glory. Great for a teenager, not for a soothing guest room. And here is the Healing Aloe after. Healing Aloe is a color by Benjamin Moore. It was hard to get a good shot of the true color, but it is more of a seafoam than gray. Aside from painting the walls and buying a new white quilt for the bed, everything else in the space we already had--most of which are hand-me-downs (bed and dresser) or thrift store finds (lamp and side table). It will all be sufficient for now, and hopefully a space that our guests will love. I'm very happy with the outcome and the progress of one more room in the house coming closer to completion. One down, three to go (at least in the painting department!)

House of Hydrangeas

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