week thirty-four 2025

We got quite a few restocks in the shop last week. Check them out!
First up, we got more MT Washi Tape back in. Graph patterns are always a big seller in our shop. We usually carry both pastel pink and bright blue grid washi, I just added silver and green grid too. And of course, two cat designs because we know you all love cats and we sold out of the original style. I also added fruit sticker labels (so cute!) and fruit pattern perfect for the last days of summer. Although this week definitely feels like fall. 

Creeping moon has been a shop favorite since we started carrying them. We restocked book review notepads, character sticky notes and washi tape. 

Marigold Press arrived too. We restocked the Library Sticky Notes, Library Notepads in three colors, Grocery List Notepads, Meal planner with Grocery List and Malört Stickers.

We also got in more Love Letters to the World and Fairy Journals, now in colorful recycled leather. We also got in a large order from Japan. We got in lots of goodies! Notebooks, stickers, cigarette pencils, super cute erasers, Kaküno fountain pens, index clips and pen clips. This week I'm expecting another three orders from Japan to arrive, hopefully before August 29th (fingers crossed) when the U.S. De Minimis exemption expires. 
I spent some time printing last week too. I've been busy printing Hanukkah, Holiday and New Year's cards, we're already shipping these to our retailers. If you're a retailer and haven't ordered yet, now is the time! If you want a later ship date, no problem, you can always request a ship date.

I applied to a couple new shows this year and took a bit of time this week to plot and plan. Apple Fest is coming up first and it's an outdoor market. I swore off outdoor markets years ago. However, friends kept suggesting Apple Fest as a really great fall market, so I applied and was accepted (yay!). It's been years since I did an outdoor market and I'm basically starting from scratch with my booth. I researched tents, tent weights, solar lights and wagons. I'm one of those people who reads reviews, compares products, puts items in my cart and revisits it several times before buying. When it comes to shopping, I am not spontaneous but that also means I know exactly what I'm getting, which is great. 

A week from Thursday (September 4th) is our next Letter Writing Meet Up. Join us from 5pm to 7pm and share the magic of snail mail with other stationery enthusiast. As always, we'll have our vintage typewriters for you to use and a selection of our pens to try out. You can shop our stationery, or bring your own. No RSVP required, first come, first served. Stay two minutes or the full two hours. BYOB. 

Random randomness...

I went to an Estate Sale and while looking around I spotted a vintage a. favorite design Yes We Can Wish You a Happy Birthday Card. I designed the card moments after Barrack Obama's Yes We Can acceptance speech. That was a really hopeful time. For those wondering, I left it for another customer, I still have a few.

• Tom and I made the most of the week! A June Cubs game was rained out and postponed until August. We went Monday afternoon and it was HOT. Like all caps, HOT. We were in the sun for about an hour and half so the first half of the game was intense heat. Sadly, the game was pretty uneventful for the Cubs, a 7-0 loss. Regardless, it was nice to have a half day and spend time with Mr. Favorite.

• Thursday was my birthday and Tom treated me to a little getaway. We headed to Saugatuck, MI, such a cute coastal town. We walked around for a bit, exploring all the shops and waterfront then headed to Virtue Cider. We love their cider and the farm is beautiful, complete with pigs and free range chickens. We're part of their Cider Society. Once a quarter we get 4 varieties of cider delivered to our front door! An added bonus, we get 10% off in person. We sat and enjoyed a several ciders and some snacks while admiring the dramatic clouds and beautiful sky. It was perfect. Afterward we headed to downtown Fennville, another cute town, for dinner at Salt of the Earth. It was delicious. Tom is still talking about the aged cheese perogis, which makes sense, my mouth is watering just typing those words. They were that good. While in Saugatuck, we spent some time at Oval Beach. It was a gorgeous beach day. Upper 70's, sun shining bright and a mild breeze. It felt so much more relaxing than Chicago beaches. I'm sorry Chicago I love you BUT your beaches are overcrowded and there's always one clueless human who thinks we should all listen to their music and loudly. Oval Beach had lots of guests but everyone was in their own world and not bothering anyone else. We really enjoyed it. We also went to a great farmers market where I got to feed 4 month old goats! I can't believe I didn't take a pic. I was really in the moment and got to pet the sweet babies and feed them maple tree leaves. They were adorable. Tom and I had an amazing getaway and birthday celebration. 

• When we got back, our friends Manny and Myriam, of Him + Her Vintage, hosted us for a birthday toast and evening filled with small bites and great company. Myriam ordered an array of baked goods from Pan Y Flor. There was a sourdough loaf with my name literally on it! We also had the most delicious brown butter chocolate chip cookies, savory and sweet focaccia flight (one of each: peach, gouda, chocolate chip and seas salt) and some bagels to take home. Another highlight, Manny created a build your own elotes area that was amazing. It was a great celebration! 

That covers week 34! I hope you all have a great Labor Day weekend and make the most of the extra day off.