We got into Harvard!

It's true! We've been accepted to Harvard. Well, the Harvard Book Store, to be exact--but still, it's pretty cool, right? They'll be carrying our Footnotes and Headlines cards this holiday season.

I just hope the dude below *thinks* he finds a grammatical error on one of our cards while browsing in the book store and then attempts to humiliate us in a Harvard bar--only to be humiliated himself by our wicked smart buddy, Matt Damon.

Retailer Spotlight: mac & murphy

If you're craving some good ol' southern hospitality, head on down to mac & murphy in Charleston, South Carolina. This southern belle of a shop is run by the lovely Liz and Ami, who we first met at the National Stationery Show in 2008. Not only does their shop have a bright, modern feel, but they also have a garden in the back where you can sip some tea and take some time to write thoughtful messages in your cards. They'll even stamp and mail them for you! If you can't make it to Charleston, they also feature lots of their fun products on their blog.

 

Retailer Spotlight: wordshop.

A fantastic shop in Denver called wordshop. has been one of our favorite customers from the get-go. Self-proclaimed "Inkstress," Jill Alyn, picked up our line on our very first day in business at the National Stationery Show in May of 2008. In her own words, "wordshop. is Denver's premier indy stationery shop, offering over 100 lines of eco-friendly paper goods - wedding invitations, letterpress, baby announcements, greeting cards, personal stationery, gifts and more." Jill's enthusiasm for her shop (and everything else) is quite contagious and we highly recommend heading on over to Denver, if only to visit her shop.

Sad news

This past week, two of our favorite Minneapolis retailers--Patina and Shoppe Local--were burned down in a fire that destroyed a total of five small businesses. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but the damage appears to be extensive. Shoppe Local had only just recently opened, and was an offshoot of the popular Patina chain of boutiques. We were lucky enough to visit both stores while we were home in Minneapolis for the holidays and were so impressed by the amazing collection of unique cards and gifts--not to mention the friendly staff--that we wrote a gushing post about them on this very blog. Our hearts go out to all the people who were affected, and we wish them the very best in their rebuilding efforts.

 

 Photo by Jeff Wheeler, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Retailer Spotlight: Shoppe Local

While back in Minneapolis for the holidays, we had the pleasure of checking out an awesome new boutique called Shoppe Local. A spin-off of the equally awesome Twin Cities-based Patina chain, Shoppe Local features an eclectic mix of products with local roots. (Joel grew up in Minnesota, and will always be a Minnesotan at heart.)

During our visit, we picked up this inspiring book showcasing hand-lettered typography called Hand Job: A Catalog of Type by Michael Perry:

And this great wood sign by St. Paul designer William Dohman to hang in our office:

It was fun to see our cards displayed among such cool stuff from other homegrown artists. If you live in Minneapolis, Shoppe Local is definitely a great place for one-of-a-kind finds.

Retailer Spotlight: Greenwich Letterpress

We’ve found that cool stores tend to be run by cool people. And that definitely holds true for sisters Beth and Amy Salvini, and their NYC shop, Greenwich Letterpress. This beautifully designed store is solidly stocked with fantastic letterpress cards, notebooks and gifts. They also print their own line of cards and luxurious invitations. Tucked away on picturesque Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, this store is a must see for anyone visiting or living in New York.

Retailer Spotlight: Perch

One of our favorite shops in San Francisco is tucked away in the cozy neighborhood of Glen Park, and it’s called Perch. The shop is owned by Zoel Fages, who has been a huge supporter of Old Tom Foolery, and we’re thrilled to have our cards in his store. Not only does Perch have a fantastic selection of high-quality of cards, but it’s also a great place to pick up candles, home goods, baby gifts and affordable original art.

And Perch isn’t the only reason to make the trip to Glen Park. The quaint little neighborhood has some fantastic restaurants and other cute shops, like the vintage furniture store across from Perch, Modern Past.