week eighteen - 2025

Let’s start the week in review with some super cute products now available in store. I found these adorable Richard Scarry stickers, I squealed with delight the moment I saw them. They arrived last week and you all have been loving them too! So much that I already placed a reorder. If you’re a Scarry fan, stop by! Soon, we’ll even have a couple more designs that were originally sold out when I first ordered. 

The wait for our mini sunprint kits is over! We’ve had refills on hand but the mini kits have been sold out for months. These are my fav. Perfect for nature walks, play dates or when you're feeling creative. I love the idea of traveling with this mini set, imagine making a sunprint of seashells at the beach or of a favorite leaf and fern while out hiking. You can create a little keepsake with each print!

You all have kept us busy with Mother’s Day orders, both retail and even wholesale. It’s strange to still be shipping wholesale Mother’s Day cards the week before, not sure if it’s the instant gratification consumers have become accustomed to with businesses like Schmamazon delivering within a day or even hours or just procrastination of buyers. Most buyers order cards 8 to 5 weeks before the occasion. Two weeks isn’t really enough time for us to prepare, ship, the shop to receive, display and sell through. In the small business community there’s a lot of “what do we do now” happening. And I get it. Nothing feels normal anymore. I’m in a few virtual biz groups and no one knows if they should be buying now before the tariffs fully take effect or hold off, in case they’re cancelled or delayed again. We biz owners are also concerned about supply chain issues again. Sigh. There’s a whole lot of discussions about fourth quarter and how each store is handling buying this year. For our customers, please know we’ll keep printing our cards and have stock available. As far as gift items, if you see something that would be perfect as a gift, buy it. We may not be able to restock in time for the holidays. I know, it's weird for consumers to consider Christmas in May, but if you really want something, I urge you to get it. What a time to be a business owner! 

I finalized my logo design project this week. I had so much fun working with Emma from Rare Form and Vintage Store Day. I purchased a new font, you’ll be seeing it popping up in card designs soon enough. I know I mentioned before how much I love designing and I’ll say it again, I’m so thankful to have these projects coming my way this year. After 20 years of designing for myself, I get in a rut every once in a while. Having clients with specific needs and art direction helps me shift out of my typical design style and really motivates me. 

Our monthly Letter Writing Meet Up last Thursday was great. Our guests were mostly newbies. As always, we gathered we wrote cards and letters together. It was a beautiful evening. Save the date for our next Letter Writing Meet Up, Thursday, June 5th.

This weekend we’ll be showing at Sauced Spring Night Market. If you’ve been waiting to get mom a card or gift, this is a the perfect event to find something unique. Shop local makers, artists and creatives while sipping on Half Acre Beer. It's free but you gotta RSVP, so get on it. Check out the lineup on Instagram.

Sauced
May 9 +10
5pm - 10pm
RSVP required
Half Acre Beer Co. • 2050 West Balmoral Ave • Chicago

Random, randomness...
• I listened to Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. It was fascinating and honestly, frightening how her Science Fiction from the 1990's is so close to our modern day reality. This is the third Butler book I've listened to this year and this one is my favorite. I found it easy to empathize with the characters and love the heroine most. I'm sure it's a really great read but I enjoyed the narration of Patricia R. Floyd, her voice was melodic and delightful to listen to. I think everyone should read Earthseed Series. Go read it, listen to it, whichever you prefer, but do it. 
• Late afternoon on Saturday the Mr. and I headed to Dovetail Brewery's Mother's Day Market. We shopped from our pals Ben and Jesse from The Floriography Fellows and pals Erica and Lauren from Tiger Moth Goods (and The SkeeLeague). We ran into Kaitlin and Brandon from Midwest Nice, it was a welcome surprise. We ended up visiting with them and sipping delicious beer instead of focusing on shopping. After we met up with our friends, Manny and Myriam from Him + Her Vintage. It was a great evening filled with small business friends!
• Sunday, Tom and I drove out to Kane Co. Flea Market. I love shopping Flea Markets. From the road trip there to being outside in the sun, walking for miles, looking at vintage and antique goods and occasionally finding a treasure, it's magical! I was in search of flowers for our yard, any affordable letterpress goods and maybe some vinyl. We found reasonably priced Elvis Costello, My Aim is True and Janis Joplin, Greatest Hits albums. I also got several sheets of vintage postage stamps, a beautiful spider plant and an amazing in the box vintage Lite Brite. It has all the unused black sheets with patterns and the pegs are all still in the package. I haven't played with it yet but am looking forward to it, I loved mine as a kid. I'm considering using it in the shop. Stay tuned!

Welp. Week 18 is behind us. Don't forget your mom! Mother's Day is Sunday.