Things we love ... in February

Here are 5 Things on My Radar this Month.

I'm often asked where I get my inspiration, and honestly it's an easy answer. There is so much out there in the world being created right now which is beautiful, whimsical, arresting, intriguing — and truly inspirational. We only have to look! Here are some things that have caught my attention.

(Clockwise from top left.)

#1. Barbara Kruger, at the Serpentine Gallery, London.

She cut her teeth as an art director in magazines (like me!), before her trailblazing work as an artist (less like me). Her art packs a graphic punch, widely imitated, though rarely matched. I've always been a fan, and can't wait to see this.

 

#2. Veere Grenney's glossy yellow kitchen in Frederic magazine.

Yellow isn't an easy color to get right, but this shade with a touch of ochre works so well, and by coating most surfaces with it, the small kitchen really sings.

(And if you don't know Frederic, it's one of my fave interior mags — beautifully photographed, and printed in a gorgeous oversized format.)

 

#3. All of Us Strangers.

Seems everyone is buzzing about this affecting film. With good reason. A beautiful meditation on love and loss, with stand out performances from a tiny cast of four (but what a four! Adam Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell).

I was also struck by the beauty of the camera work, with shimmery night time scenes, and a rich palette of orange, purple and red.

 

#4. Tessa Hadley, After the Funeral.

People often tell me she's one of their favorite writers, but I'd never read her. So this new collection of stories, with that gorgeous Gerhard Richter cover art, seemed a good place to start. And now I see why she's regularly compared to Alice Munro — her short stories contain whole lives.

 

#5. Hand-drawn tablecloths.

We loved doing this as kids, but why not as adults? How charming it would be to sit down at this table, created by Matilda Bea and Elsa Gladstone.

 

Stay tuned for more things on our radar next month!

 

Jason Arbuckle
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Our Summer Card Inspo!

Our Summer Card Inspo!

It's a question we're often asked: how do you get all your ideas?  There is no secret technique.  It's actually simple and complicated at the same time: we keep our eyes open and look, really look, at as many things as we can.

Those things might be exhibitions, or wonderful shops — street style fashion in cities (when people used to walk around!) — magazines, especially those in print — but when it gets to our summer collection, we're lucky.  In Palm Beach, we just have to look around our neighborhood.

The colors of summer are right here in this little town all year round. Bright blue skies, emerald palms, hot pink bougainvillea.

Palm Beach is renowned for its rich green gardens, and the hedges are often sculpted into marvelous decoration.  The hedge pictured (top right) is a favorite of ours from a little street in town; just look at the detail where the hedge is cut out for the post box.  We're channeling that gorgeous green into our new Trellis pattern thank you card.

Naturally, Palm Beach has no shortages of palm trees — and they are a regular motif for our cards.  But we like to keep it fresh as we can.  So this season, we have a new color wave, inspired by the gorgeous pinks of a Florida sunset (see above).

You can shop all our new thank you cards here.  And we hope you find sunny inspiration in our designs, too!

Jason Arbuckle
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Christmas Card Envelope Ideas

Christmas Card Envelope Ideas

It's one of my favorite holiday traditions: sitting down with a nice big coffee, my favorite pens, and trusty ole Christmas card list.  For me, this is a chance to pause, and remember the people who I may not have had the chance to see (especially in this year of tiny friendship bubbles!), but whose company I always treasure.  Here's hoping for many friendly reunions in 2021!

This year, I thought I'd have fun and take a bit more time addressing the envelopes.  After all, aren't envelopes like a card's giftwrap?

My calligraphy skills are, ahem ... always on my list of resolutions to develop ... but no matter, there are some very easy ways to up your envelope game.

First, play with your pens.  Put the ballpoint aside, and pick up a big green sharpie (but remember to address the envelope first, and then put in the card, as the sharpie can bleed through), or — my favorite — a gel ink pen.  I love the Uni-Ball Signo pens, which you can find at most stationery stores.  White ink is great against a colored envelope; what's more Christmassy than white and red?

Then, add a few flourishes.  This season, I did little scrolls around the sides to frame the address, or sometimes a few stars stars in each corner.  Nothing needs to be perfect, just have fun. (Tip: add your stamp first, so your art can flow around it.)

Lastly, I love to seal my envelopes with a foil sticker.  These are now easily available online, in so many sizes and colors.  Red foil is great for Christmas, and gold seals feel luxe all year long.

Happy writing!  See you in 2021!

(And p.s. In case you're wondering about Daisy Fay (top left).  Daisy (who became Daisy Buchanan) was Jay Gatsby's great love in F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby", and some say he would have first fallen for her when, as a young woman, she lived at this address in Louisville, KY .... but as with so much about Daisy, the truth is difficult to pin down.)

 

 

Jason Arbuckle
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"Mys", the new winter interiors trend

"Mys", the new winter interiors trend

Yes, that's right - this winter it's all about mys.  Pronounced "mees", the home trend hails from Sweden, and if there's one thing the Swedes know how to deal with, it's a long dark winter season. 

Wait, you ask, what about hygge (pronounced "HOO-gah"), that Danish trend of crackling fireplaces and the warming comforts of friends and good food?  Apparently, that's so last year.  Now it's all about mys.

To a non-Scandinavian (like me!), the differences may seem slight ... but the essence of mys is warmth and coziness, and especially candle light as the days darken.  The more twinkling, the better your spirits.  And that's one philosophy we can happily subscribe to for the holiday season.

Since we started designing matchboxes, in conjunction with our UK partner Archivist, we discovered the joy of a long match that strikes nicely, and looks just as festive on your mantelpiece (see some of our designs above).

We feature a selection of matchboxes at our online store here, and if you're overseas in the UK, shop Archivist for an even wider range of designs.

May your holidays ahead be full of warmth — and mys!

 

Jason Arbuckle
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What are the deadlines for mailing holiday cards?

What are the deadlines for mailing holiday cards?

Yes, it's that ho ho ho time of year again.  Procrastinators among us (ok, me!) might be wondering when is the last day they can mail their holiday cards, and still have them arrive by that magic day of 25th December.

The US Postal Office tells us we should circle Tuesday, December 15th this year as our deadline for mailing Christmas cards, and gifts.  You can still squeeze out another few days for priority mail, for which the deadline is December 19th.

For your fabulous friends across the Atlantic in Europe, or just up North in Canada ... here you'll want to get over the post office by December 7th.

But here's the silver lining of this crazy year — you can be sure whenever your loved ones ultimately receive their cards, any dose of holiday cheer will be extra welcome this season!

And, stationery addicts, if you're ordering from our website, remember we include a stamp and a lovely gold seal with every purchase so you can get mailing right away (above, left).

(Need more stamps?  Order stamps online from the USPS, click here.  They have all sorts of wonderful limited edition stamps, too, just for the holidays!)

 

 

 

 

Jason Arbuckle
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