Computer Desktop Calendar: March

Available for download in these sizes:  1920 x 1200 :: 1680 x 1050 :: 1600 x 1200 :: 1280 x 1040 :: 1042 x 768

Also, something new we’re trying this month is a coordinating iPhone wallpaper for March.  Now you can glance at your iPhone, even while it’s locked, and see a quick view of March.

To download the wallpaper on your iPhone, in Safari, go this URL: http://tinyurl.com/march-iphone (More instructions on how to set your iPhone wallpaper)

Snowmageddon ‘09! Free Shipping today only!

Surprise, surprise, we’re in the middle of another Minnesota snowstorm!

Rather than stressing out about the shoveling that lies ahead, we’re celebrating with Free Shipping on every order over $25 today.  Just use promo code SNOWMA when checking out.  Shop away!

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Rules for a Chic + Gracious Life

This month’s Harper’s Bazaar cover story is about the ever-fabulous Sarah Jessica Parker.  We’ve always loved her style + grace so we were thrilled to discover her “tips for a chic and gracious life” spelled out for us on page 380.  A few of our very favorites ::

• Try, for every 20 emails you send, to write a letter, and old-fashioned letter, and post it.  Remember how it felt to receive an actual letter or postcard in the mail?
• Use your local library.  So few people do anymore.  And if you are a parent, introduce your children to their neighborhood library.  It will give them a real sense of independence to have their own library card and enjoy borrowing books.
• Walk more.  It simply feels great. And for those who have an “allergy” to working out, it’s a great way to get the blood moving.  If you are feeling extra adventurous, try putting some speed into that walk.

This Just In…Orla Kiely Paper @ RedStamp.com!

I fell in love with Orla Kiely the moment I saw her handbags in Paris back in the {gasp} 1990’s. Orla Kiely’s playful color + sophistication was just a sight for sore eyes among 6 months of Parisian black. So, when we were given the opportunity to bring her paper goods to RedStamp.com I said “mais oui!” And here they are…My favorites from the collection…

Left to Right :: Notecards |  Cross-Hatch Stem Composition Notebook | Green Linear Pocket Sized Notebook | Multi-Stem Address Book | Red Car Travel Journal | Scribble Spot Flower Notebook

How To Congratulate Newly Adoptive Parents

A close friend just found out friends of his {who have been trying to adopt for 2 years} were matched with a little girl in Columbia. They leave in a week to meet their little one for the first time.

As soon as he stopped well wishing the happy couple by phone, he placed an emergency phone call to me. What to say? How to say it? What’s makes for a good gift?

While there is no one way to celebrate someone else’s happy news other than being happy for them, there are several gestures that are appropriate when celebrating an adoption ::

1. Send a note. It can be short + sweet. Congratulate them, tell them a story that leads into why you know they are going to be amazing parents, and offer to help in any way you can. Babysitting…dropping off a homemade dinner…there are lots of ways to help new parents. And in the beginning, they are going to be long on love but short of sleep.

2. Give a gift. It can be homemade or store bought. If you go the store bought route, there are lots of little things that the parents-to-be will need during their trip to welcome their little one home. Depending on how much you want to spend, you can spring for anything from a set of simple white Gerber onesies to a gift card so the parents-to-be can have free reign to pick out what they need. Our pick for the one stop shop? Target. Because they make it easy for you to shop + easy for the recipient to return the gift as needed.

3.  Host a small party {or playgroup}.  What a great opportunity to celebrate together with close friends and introduce the newest member of the family.  

4. Share your knowledge.  If you are a parent already, you probably know your way around the local children’s classes.  A list of activites in the community for your friends to get involved in with their new son or daughter would be invaluable to them as they will most likely be overwhelmed at the thought of more research, but would love nothing more than to dive in with fun things to do.

5.  Give peace of mind.  As adoptions require new parents to spend extended lengths of time in the child’s country before they bring the child back with them, offer to check in on their house while they’re gone.

Coldplay’s 10 Rules

Last night, before Coldplay won three Grammys, 60 Minutes had a fascinating feature that took a look inside the band’s creative process.  During one segment, Chris Martin gave Steve Kroft a tour of their Camden recording studio. Martin explained that it’s their enthusiasm, more than anything else, that drives their success.  He also briefly went over a list of 10 rules they follow during the process of making an album.

Upon taking a closer look at the segment on our DVR, we were able to fully transcribe the list.  Needless to say, we’re inspired ::  inspired by their passion for what they do, their dedication to hard work, and their commitment to quality in producing the best experience possible for their fans.

Here they are – Coldplay’s 10 Rules, just as they hang in their recording studio ::

OKKEY RULES

1. ALBUMS MUST BE NO LONGER THAN 42 MINUTES, OR 9 TRACKS.

2. PRODUCTION MUST BE AMAZING, RICH, BUT WITH SPACE, NOT OVERLAYERED. LESS TRACKS, MORE QUALITY.  GROOVE AND SWING Drum/rhythm are the most crucial thing to concentrate on; diff. between bittersweet and science of silence

3. COMPUTERS ARE INSTRUMENTS, NOT RECORDING AIDS.

4. IMAGERY MUST BE CLASSIC. COLOURFUL AND DIFFERENT.  COME BACK IN GLORIOUS TECHNICOLOUR

5.  MAKE SURE VIDEOS AND PICTURE ARE GREAT BEFORE SETTING RELEASE DATE.  And highly original

6.  ALWAYS KEEP MYSTERY.  Not many interviews

7.  GROOVE AND SWING.  RHYTHMS AND SOUNDS MUST ALWAYS BE AS ORIGINAL AS POSSIBLE.  Once jon has melody, twist it and weird it sonically

8.  Promo/review copies to be on VINYL.  Stops copying problem, sounds and looks better.

9.  Jaqueline Sabrido, ns p c c, face forward

10.  Think about what to do with charity account.  Set up something small but really enabling and constructive.  Ref; j oliver fifteen

More information on a couple of references in the list:

• Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation
• The ever-inspiring Jacqueline Saburdio.  (You may know her from her moving appearance on Oprah.)

25 Ideas on How to Write Facebook’s 25 Random Things About Me {+ Valentine’s Day extra credit}

Okay, we admit it.  We’ve been staying up a bit too late reading everybody’s latest Facebook obsession ::  25 Random Things About Me {and we aren’t the only ones – check out today’s New York Times article}. Granted, we might not have spoken with our said FB Friend since high school, so why are we so intrigued by insanely random incidentals about them?  Who knows.  But we do know that if they’re well written, we’re even more enthralled.

Here are a few things we would love to know about you {and if you combine these questions with an extra dry martini, you’ll have THE list that everyone is talking about} ::

1.  What would you eat for your last supper?

2.  Your favorite purchase in the last 6 months?

3.  Your biggest pet peeve?

4.  Your best celebrity run-in?

5.  Your most embarrasing moment in the last two years?

6.   Your very first job?

7.  Your dream job?

8.  Your biggest regret {everybody has at least one! don’t believe those who don’t…}

9.  Your biggest success

10.  The very first cassette tape you purchased

11.  The last iTunes song you downloaded

12.  What did you do on your very first date? With who?

13.  The best vacation spot?

14.  One book that should be required reading in every school?

15.  The last time you were caught in a lie?

16.  Who would play you in a movie?

17.  Name the top three people {alive or dead} who you’d have over for dinner

18.  Who’s the funniest person you know? Why?

19.  Where was your first kiss?

20.  Your favorite game show

21.  Your top celebrity crush

22.  When is the last time you rode a rollercoaster?

23.  Who’s the most random person you’ve connected with on Facebook?

24.  Your last run-in with the police?

25.  The song you’d have played at your funeral…

Extra Credit :: 25 Random Reasons I’m Totally Into You

If you’re feeling the urge to get a little sappy, save it for the perfect Valentine ::  25 Random Reasons I’m Totally Into You. C’mon, write it about someone you’re crushing on – and you could even sign it from a secret admirer.  I mean, really, if you have the time to write about yourself, can’t you spare a few more minutes to honor your love?!

Here are a few perfect cards with plenty of blank space to fill with your list of 25 ::

I Love You More Than Me Greeting Card by Oplus D

Snowflake Love Die-Cut Card by Egg Press

Little Princess Card by Wiley Valentine

FREE Night Owl Paper Goods Calendars {Reg Price $34}

It must be close to Valentine’s Day because we are feeling a lot of love in the office. So much love, we are taking one of our very favorite + most popular products + giving it out FOR FREE.

TODAY ONLY, make a purchase $50 or more + receive a super fun bonus of the highly touted, eco-chic, wooden desk calendar from Night Owl Paper Goods. My suggestion? Cross all your 2009 correspondence needs off your list {birthday/anniversary cards, Mother’s Day cards + gifts, hostess gifts, etc. etc. etc.} + get yourself a nice little gift in the process.

Happy Valentine’s Day!
xoxo,
Erin

How to Write an Effective Letter of Complaint

Maybe you have already read it as it’s making its way across the web in rapid speed, but this is {hands-down} the most brilliant complaint letter we’ve ever read.  Read it in its entirety {trust us, it’s worth your time}…

The basic gist is a passenger on a Virgin Atlantic flight had “a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years” and a horrific meal finally pushed him over the edge. 

Overall, we think what made this so smart is the author wrote with humor + general kindness {vs. anger or resentment}. You attract more bees with honey than vinegar, right? What could have been an angry tantrum turned into a delightful + constructive read.  AND it got a fabulous end result – Richard Branson himself called the author to apologize for the dreadful experience.  

We’ve spent some time at the office talking about what made this letter so engaging.  Here are a few reasons we love it ::

• The intricate level of description paints a very vivid picture of the entire situation, both physical and emotional, and conveys that the writer really does care about what he/she is writing ::

“Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.”

•  A picture is worth a thousand words :: the use of visuals really compliment the written word.  It doesn’t have to be a picture, it could be another visual aid such as a memento from the trip {like the crime scene bag, for example} ::

• Using the name of the recipient throughout the letter gives it a much more personal touch, as if you are really involving them in your thought process ::  

“You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left.”

• Starting on a positive note opens the reader’s mind and makes him/her more receptive to what’s to come {everybody loves a compliment} ::

“I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years.”

Ultimately, taking the time to sit down and write a thoughtful, eloquent letter displays a level of care and concern that is not often expressed in a ranting phone call or a quick email.  The power of the written word is strong ::  it inspires, motivates and can often times get you the end result you desire.