shop talk – the paper station

I'm not a big fan of air travel (too many people in too small a space with too many bumps and mechanical noises!) but I am a big fan of the Portland airport. It's a nice, manageable size, clean and organized, and best of all, they have some great shops where you can easily kill some time if you're early for a flight or waiting for a loved one to arrive.


I especially love The Paper Station – as the name implies they have a great selection of greeting cards and other paper products (I found the cutest graduation card there not too long ago).


But what I really love is their variety of other gift items that make perfect hostess gifts. Just look at their selection of lotions and bath goodies! And yes, they have travel sizes that will make it through security – so your hands can stay nice and moisturized while you're a mile high in the sky.


And if you packed in a hurry and left home without your jammies, not to worry: you can pick out a new nightie or some stylish boxer shorts right there at the airport.


Need an extra carry-on for all the goodies you just picked up at The Paper Station? They've got you covered there, too, with this summer's latest styles of oilcloth bags, satchels and carry-alls. Love all the bright colors and patterns!


And last but not least, they offer plenty of gifts for the wee ones in your life. Great to keep in mind, should you (heaven forbid) have forgotten to pick them up a little something during your trip (don't worry, I won't tell!)


THE PAPER STATION
7000 NE Airport Way • Portland Airport • 503.335.3339

august wallpaper calendar

Yes, indeed – July is almost over so it's time to update your computer's desktop wallpaper with the August design, now available on my website. Happy summer!

graphic simplicity

I came across Bailey Doesn't Bark while browsing one of my favorite marketplaces, Poppytalk Handmade. I adore RJ's hand-drawn graphic style and how she has applied to it modern tableware. The result is stunningly simple yet powerful.


I especially love her use of a single line that winds its way through so many of her pieces.


This red set of her "Shh" series shows birds sleeping on a wire – they're the most comfy birds I've ever seen! And I love the graphic touch on the saucer that's revealed when you lift your cup!


My absolute favorite, though, has to be this series of plates showing the changing seasons. The simplicity and graphic impact are just perfect!


Even though RJ lives and works in New York, you can get your fill of Bailey Doesn't Bark's etsy shop here .

shop talk – marché provisions

While I was in Eugene on business last week, I stopped by one of my favorite markets: Marché Provisions at the 5th Street Public Market.


As their name implies, Provisions is filled to the brim with everything you could wish for to create an elegant picnic by the river or a five-star meal right at home. Or, you can enjoy your cup of coffee, gelato or slice of wood oven-baked pizza right on the spot in their little seating area.


Besides agonizing over which of the mouth-watering treats will find its way home with me, I also spent plenty of time browsing their nicely edited collection of table top wares, books, and gourmet foods.



Last but not least, Provisions also offers a nice selection of paper goods such as birthday cards, gift wrap and gift tags, including Portland favorites Goosey Press and Cecily Ink (yes, I'm blatantly tootin' my own horn!).


MARCHÉ PROVISIONS
296 East Fifth Avenue • Eugene, OR • 541.342.3612 • www.marcheprovisions.com

cheery monday

I thought I'd share some cheerful Etsy finds to brighten up your Monday.


I absolutely adore these little bird plates from Mordenti Pottery. And so affordable, you can easily buy a series and display them in a grouping!


I met Tiffany at the Portland Antique Expo a couple of weeks ago. Her family had a huge booth right behind us and boy, did they know how to have fun! The hootin' and hollerin' happened all weekend long – and you can see all the fun she's having in Tiffany's whimsical fused glass pendants. Just look at her many different owls (speaking of hootin').


And finally, one of my favorite Etsy purchases ever is a fabulous pendant from LeeLoo Studio. When I stopped by her online shop a few days ago, I fell in love with these bright and modern rings.

celeb customer - gavin rossdale

I just found out that last week Gavin Rossdale stopped by Broadway Paper and picked up a bunch of greeting cards (a hottie who still writes notes!) And... among them was this Cecily Ink birthday card! The folks at Broadway Paper had quite a bit of excitement in the store - you can read all about it (and what other cards he bought!) on Tracie's blog.

candywinkel can do!

A big thank-you to all the shoppers who braved the near-boiling temperatures today to shop the Portland Antique Expo, where my friend Amy (from Goosey Press) and I were busily selling our Candywinkel wares.


It's just thrilling to see an idea that was first born on a five-hour plane ride to NYC turn into reality. Everything came together just beautifully – as you can see in the photos below!


We got a ton of compliments on our packaging, candy/color choices, vintage containers – and yes, the infamous Martha Stewart "poofs" in the booth drew quite a bit of attention as well!


One more day left of the show (Sunday from 10:00 till 5:00) so stop by if you're out and about!

CANDYWINKEL
Booth #286 • PORTLAND ANTIQUE EXPO • Sunday 10-5

magnet mania

Last week I received a super-nice email from Kate Grenier, a fellow Portland artist. Of course, I zoomed right over to her website and discovered her awesome series of hand-crafted magnets.

Today, I came home to find a lovely package waiting for me: Kate sent me a little sampling of her magnets! (thank you, Kate :)

Aren't these awesome? I love the way they're packaged in a little tin (I'm such a sucker for good packaging!), and the office theme was quite appropriate as well, considering the number of hours I've been putting in the last few weeks!


And she's got many other themes as well – I especially love the "chocolate" and "beer" ones. Kate can even do custom ones – how cute to announce your baby's birth to the world with a custom baby announcement set of magnets!

All her creations have a strong graphic thread throughout the imagery, typography and color. Locally you can find Kate's magnets at Oblations in the Pearl or check her site for a store near you (she's in over 200 stores world-wide so there's bound to be one near you!)

KATE GRENIER • www.kategrenier.com

introducing candywinkel

This weekend is Portland Antique Expo, which runs Friday through Sunday over at the Expo Center. I'm a huge fan of this show, especially the July one – in addition to 1500 indoor booths, there are an additional 300 or so booths out in the parking lot and that's where the best finds are.

This year, you'll find me and my friend Amy there as well! It all started with a five-hour plane ride to NYC in May (we both were exhibiting at the National Stationery Show). By the time we hit the ground in Portland a week later, we had it all figured out: introducing candywinkel – your place for all things sweet and pretty!


Here are a few sneak peek photos – more to follow later this weekend or next week for sure.


Aren't these just darling? We'll have lots more to choose from, all prettily packaged in vintage containers with nostalgic and color-coordinated candies. So come see us at the Portland Antique Expo - we're at booth #286, over on the right side. Just look for all the yellow and pink and white!

CANDYWINKEL – BOOTH #286 • PORTLAND ANTIQUE EXPO
Saturday 9-6, Sunday 10-5 (early bird admission on Friday at 10 at higher fee)
Admission is $7 - Good for both days
(early bird admission on Friday at 10 at higher fee)

Eames postage stamps

I've had a love for postage stamps since I was a little kid. Living in the Netherlands helped, of course – they sure know how to pack a punch on a stamp-sized canvas!

Since moving to the States (OMG, it's been 20 years already!), I've often been sadly disappointed in the offerings from the U.S. Postal Service with a few notable exceptions – such as these fantastic new Eames stamps! I already ordered some online.

And here's another great new stamp find – love the retro graphic treatment!