Post-Holiday {ONLINE} Sale

Enjoy post-holiday savings in our online store.

Double your order for free on New Year's and 2012 Holiday Cards.

Order 25 and receive 50!

And now is the perfect time to order stationery 

to give thanks for all your holiday goodies.

Use code: FANDF in the online store for a savings of 20%

{send on}

Holiday Hangover {SALE}!

A Second Chance for Cards

After the holidays, we like to keep our holiday cards out and on display for several weeks. The kids love to look at the pictures and we enjoy seeing familiar faces of friends and family - without having to log on to Facebook. 

When it is finally time to take down our cards, we like to recycle our cards to give them a second chance. This year, we will be donating our holiday cards to  St. Jude's Ranch for Children - an organization that cares for abused, neglected and abandoned children. The Recycled Card Program offers the children an opportunity to reconstruct the cards and sell them to learn about entrepreneurship skills. They even accept birthday cards and thank you cards! We look forward to sending them packages all year long.

A Desire to Inspire

Our fireplace mantel had began to clear out as our book advent calendar counted down the days to Christmas. Naturally, it only took drawing upon previous inspiration to improve the festivity factor. It was easy. It was quick. Inexpensive and fun. Here are a couple quick images to continue the inspiration.

Deer Silhouette available here

Joy to the World printable available here

* * * *

A desire to inspire is exactly what this blog is all about.

Our goals include...

* to be authentic *

* cultivate curiosity *

* create community *

* endlessly explore *

* connect *

These conversations online are the same conversations we (Amy & Erin) have. With ourselves. Each other. Customers. Clients. Friends. Family. Whether you are an old friend or new follower, this space - this place - will be our little corner of the world where we will share our inspirations and where we also hope to be inspiring to you. We look forward to a new year, with new ideas, fresh energy and the opportunity to continue doing what we love.

P.S. And if you are on Pinterest, we hope to be Pin-spiring and Pin-spire you! Follow Amy here and Follow Erin here.

The Reason of the Season

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A good deed does indeed brighten a dark world. Inspired by stories like this one here this holiday season, we set out to plant our own seeds to inspire good deeds. If you are looking for ways to give back this season, consider Charity Navigator, a great resource for researching your favorite, and perhaps some new, non-profit organizations.

{be good}

We Wish You A Maily Christmas and a Wrappy New Year!

Yes.

There is still time to get

your mail on its way

and your presents delivered

in time for the holidays.

Check out the links below to see what

Brown, USPS and FedEx can do for you.

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USPS Shipping Deadlines HERE

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UPS Shipping Deadlines HERE

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FedEx Shipping Deadline HERE

{carry on}

Holiday Printables and Decor Ideas

Need some last minute decoration help as the days quickly countdown to the arrival of in-laws, siblings, nieces and nephews? All of these projects simply require paper, ink, a printer, scissors, tape and/or some old picture frames. Maybe a few dollars. Here are the quick links to get you from bare spaces to festive places in no time.

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yes...this one requires glue and glitter!

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And for the more ambitious...

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Now you know what we're working on tonight!

This Is Serious Business

game on = we are gone!

Kid Friendly Holiday Treats

Here are a few, simple kid-friendly cookie-type treats that you can easily make in under an hour. The best part? Only one of them requires the oven! So if you don't want to bring a pre-made grocery store tray to the next holiday party and you aren't exactly looking forward to cracking eggs, measuring flour and lots of dirty dishes then look no further. This is the perfect compromise.

Grab a bag of marshmallows for this first treat. Melt dipping chocolate in a bowl on 50% power in 30 second increments. Once it is melted, insert a pretzel stick in a large marshmallow, dip in the melted chocolate then dip in sprinkled of your choice. Allow to harden on wax paper. Instant marshmallow pop!

Melt some more chocolate, white this time, and drizzle it across Oreo cookies spread out on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with your choice of sprinkle(s) and allow the chocolate to harden. Bedazzled Oreo's!

While the Oreo's are out, pull out some pre-made cookie dough and squash a ball of dough around a cookie. Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for up to 20 minutes (the more cookie dough, the longer it will take and the bigger the final cookie!). When the tops are golden brown, pull them out of the oven for this sinful treat.

Yes. These are Oreo stuffed chocolate chip cookies. And they are sinful! So sinful we had to cut the giant cookies into quarters. But these are worth having to turn the oven on for!

But they are so, so good.

Last, but not least, open a container of mini chocolate glazed cookies, break apart some pretzel twists and add on a red M&M and two white chocolate chips for this cute little reindeer treat.

{how sweet it is}

Present Perfect Perfectly Presented: Boys!

OK. We'll be the first to admit that when a customer walks into our store and asks us what to buy for a boy between the ages of 10 and 12, we are usually stumped. Actually, almost always stumped. It is one of those age groups that is SO hard to buy for {and let's not even get started on how hard it is to shop for males in general}! All they want is tech gadgets (too expensive) and more tech gadgets to improve on their current tech gadgets. We found ourselves stumped this week when it came time to send our cousin a birthday present for his 12th birthday. But one of our favorite card companies inspired us - Selfish Kitty by Calypso Cards. We love what we put together. And we think he'll love it too! Here we go:

It all starts with the card.

outside...

and inside...

the gift

with the real gift, of course

wrap it up in an old shopping bag

and it all fit perfectly in a 

USPS Priority Rate Small Box.

{Present Perfect}

{Perfectly Presented}

Business Notes: Main Street Love

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As a small business, operating on the main street in the heart of our own town, we couldn't resist sharing this letter with you from the CEO of the American Booksellers Association. As business owners, we thrive on the knowledge that we are working in the heart of our community, we support local organizations, we interact with members of our community and we like to believe that we are something unique. Note-ably Unique. We are not a bookstore, but we are a small indie retailer. With heart. Lots of heart. If there is anything to take from this letter, it is these final thoughts from Oren Teicher:

"...indie retailers remain the heart of countless communities -- 

offering discovery, energy, support, and unique experiences. 

See you on Main Street."

{Think Big. Support Local Businesses.}

Party Inspiration: Star Wars

While browsing a certain kitchen catalog for gift ideas, we stumbled across this:

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Which naturally led to the question, "What would a Star Wars party look like?" Sure enough, every question has an answer when cyberspace lurks all around. Here are some of our favorite invitations:

lightsaber invites {via}

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And here is the single best party inspiration picture, from hello my sweet, to show you what the food {isn't the best part the food!} table might include:

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{May the force be with you!}

Advent Calendar: Plan B

Plan A. 

A for Advent.

I had a lovely advent calendar swag adorning our home. 

Full of candy canes. 

Just like our childhood. 

Amy and I would faithfully count down 

to Christmas with peppermint candy. 

Every. Single. Year. 

It was a holiday ritual that did not waver. 

My kids decided, rather suddenly, they no longer liked 

their advent calendar and candy canes. 

The whims of toddlers, I say. 

So they deconstructed it for me, 

put the candy in a drawer and said they were not interested.

Time for Plan B. B for Books.

I saw this photo online for a book advent calendar

and thought, 

"I'll do that next year."

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But why wait for December 2012 when 

I have more than a dozen days left in December 2011?

And I had a surplus of books stashed away for Christmas.

So I wrapped, bundled and tagged.

And on the mantle they went. 

A new book to open and read together every day.

They were {beyond} thrilled.

And so am I. 

A new family holiday tradition has been born.

Inspired Wedding Color: Tangerine

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Inspired by this color board from Design Seeds 

(the BEST site for color inspiration!)

we put together a few favrite ideas on how to incorporate

the color tangerine into a wedding. Enjoy!

Vera Wang Save the Date

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Vera Wang Invite

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Vera Wang Bridal Stationery

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Letterpress Invitations

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Bridal Bouquet

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The Cake

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Table Decor

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Boutonnieres

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Bridesmaids

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The Shoes

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