Offbeat Chic

New cards from Mr. Boddington's Studio

Any Frank & Margaret workday is brightened by the arrival of new stationery, but few companies manage packaging as delightfully as Mr. Boddington's Studio, a "couture correspondence" company located on Wall Street. See for yourself:

Yes, the invoice is tucked into an envelope sealed with wax (with Mr. Boddington's logo, an aristocratic-looking silhouette). The wax seal almost makes me excited about paying it.

This is our second shipment from Mr. Boddington's. Each has been accompanied by a handwritten note on a letterpress note card. How could you not love doing business with a company like this? Our order was accompanied by this darling extra:

On the one hand, babies are messy and a lot of work. On the other hand, their arrival occasions so many amazing opportunities for stationery usage. It's a pickle.

Here's the bounty:

Some of them are reorders of cards we bought the first time around. Among the new selections are "Will you be my bridesmaid?," "Congratulations on becoming a grandparent," the chandelier birthday card, and the bottom-left card, which reads "Dearest friend, I just ate a pan of brownies. Love, ______." All are letterpress printed and cost $5.50 each. We have several other Mr. Boddington's cards already in stock, too.

I ordered a bunch of these two, which are two of our bestselling new-baby cards. One of my favorite customers bought two of the cards on the right as I was putting them out. That one is my personal favorite--I love the detailed image and background design as well as the message, "Congratulations on joining the stroller set." The lack of stork/pregnancy imagery and the non-specific wording also means it works for both single parents and adoptions. I even sent one to my best friend who just became a foster parent for the first time.

You can read more about Mr. Boddington's Studio here. Be sure to click on "Who is Mr. Boddington?," too. Mr. B's had an interesting life.

Ooh, the UPS truck just pulled up. Wonder if it's our stationery order from La Familia Green...

Holiday Gift Guide Part IV: Kid Picks

Did you know we have a rapidly expanding children's section? We pride ourselves on sourcing kid stuff that encourages creativity and playfulness. We're also making an effort to bring you toys and other play things that are made in the US, through fair trade, or otherwise created responsibly.

1. Bath Buddy Light Up & Play, $8 each
These little guys are water activated to light up and sing. Plus, they're pretty darned cute.

2. notNeutral Wooden Blocks, $38/set
At first we weren't sure if kids still played with toys as simple as this wooden blocks/puzzle set. But it turns out this classic toy still has it--over the past few months, kids from three to eight or so have entertained themselves with it while their parents shopped. Our favorite part? It's made right here in the USA.

3. Beanbag Book Ends, $16 each
What better way to corral your favorite kiddo's Dr. Seusses? We also like these as door stops, especially when an ajar door is crucial at bedtime. Also available in cat and dog models.

4. City Food, $27
This hand-knit assortment works for everything from teething to pretend-play. They're handmade by artisans who are paid a living wage in accordance with fair trade practices. We also have love the hand-knit donuts ($35) and cupcakes ($32), as well as the rattles detailed in the $10-and-under post.

5. Great American Homes and Gardens ($39.95)
Perfect for your favorite budding architect or designer, these remarkable pop-up book details the architectural flourishes of homes such as the Biltmore and Monticello.

6. i golfini della nonna stuffed animals, $48 - $70 each
These were one of the first children's items we ever ordered, because how could they not? They're insanely adorable. These hand-knit alpaca wool animals are also made by artisans making a fair wage. i golfini della nonna makes some pretty darling classic animals, but our favorites are the funky not-usually-found-in-stuffed-animal form variety, like the ostrich and T. Rex ($58 each).

7. Mr. Bump, (et. al.) products, $3 - $5
The drugstore meets super cuteness in these British band-aids (plasters), tissue packs, and wet wipes. We like 'em as stocking stuffers for your own Mr. (or Ms.) Messy.

8. Potting Shed Creations' Classic Children's Stories seed kits ($12 and $25 each)
I love how these organic seed kits connect your childrens' favorite stories with the physical act of planting and tending a garden. The smaller kits (for The Princess and the Pea, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Cinderella) are $12; Stone Soup costs $25.

9. Links Melamine Snack Set, $25
One of my favorite little girls just turned five, and to celebrate she got to pick out something from the Frank & Margaret kids' section. After some deliberation she chose this snack set. I was a little worried she would have buyer's remorse about not having selected a stuffed animal, but her mom tells me she's always asking for something to drink in her "little green cup." We should all have a little green cup of our own, don't you think?

10. Who Needs Donuts? ($16.95) & Donut Asortment ($35)
Mark Alan Stamaty's book answers the question, "Who needs donuts when you have love?" with pages and pages of detailed line drawings. A perfect accompaniment are these hand-knit donuts from Yellow Label Kids.

11. Animal Nesting Dolls, $25
We may or may not have been endlessly playing with these wooden nesting dolls. Maybe...maybe not.

12. A Monster Called Wayne ($34.95) & A Monster Called Colin ($39.95)
Two of our favorite monsters. My personal favorite is Wayne ("Wayne regards himself as a good listener, but his attention is known to wander"). But I'm a sucker for Colin's hoodie (with removable hands & hood). Just so you know, "Colin divides his time between playing video games and fretting about his future." Sounds like someone you know, right? We thought so.

13. Art-To-Go Kit ($12) & Big Pencils for Small Hands ($8)
This little art kit is both precious and complete, with oil pastels, water colors, markers, and colored pencils. And then there's these colored pencil sets, perfectly sized for little hands.

Mmm...Mimosas

You may have heard that we're serving up mimosas on the weekends between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's part of our mission to make Frank & Margaret a relaxing, fun place to shop this holiday season. We know  the season of peace, hope & love is often less than peaceful, hopeful, and loving. So stop by, have a mimosa (or a cup of coffee, if you prefer) and look around. We won't pressure you into buying something you don't want, but we will be standing by to tell you details about our favorite products or wrap a gift or two for you.

Top reasons to stop by for a Frank & Margaret mimosa:

• Mimosas are the epitome of the relaxing weekend beverage.
• You can feel good about drinking at 10 a.m.
• Orange juice -> Vitamin C -> Practically a health infusion
• If you're lucky you'll get to hear a bottle being uncorked--one of our very favorite sounds.

Seriously, though, if there's anything we can do for you, don't hesitate to email or call the store and we'll do our very best. For example, we're more than happy to advance wrap any of the items on our gift guides so they're waiting for you to pick up when you arrive--no muss, no fuss.

We sincerely hope your holiday season is filled with an abundance of peace, hope & hope. Failing that, you can always drop by for a drink on the weekends.

Doodah Dwelling: Stephen & Ben

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Doodah Dwelling, a peek inside Wichita-area homes. Our first feature highlights the downtown apartment belonging to Stephen and Ben, who moved in two and a half years ago after the place had been semi-destroyed by the tenant prior. A few coats of paint, lots of elbow grease, and a few invention design solutions later, and it's a gem.

Built in the 1920s as a lodging house for businessmen, the flat is chock full of sweet architectural details, chief among them the beds that roll out from the cabinetry. We were also impressed with the built-in cabinetry, the little nooks & crannies, funky drawers, antique grates, and--super impressive for a place of this vintage--loads of closet and storage space.

The two made the most of their design budget by capitalizing on Stephen's craftiness combined with all sorts of found objects, large and small. The resulting touches make the place both personal & cozy.

We also really, really loved their dog.

Click here to view the full tour.

Wrap up the holidays at Frank & Margaret

This Sunday marks our first wrap-a-thon of the season. What, you might be wondering, is a wrap-a-thon? It's pretty simple: You bring any and all gifts you have to wrap (yes, they can be gifts purchased at other stores! We won't be mad!). We provide wrapping paper, ribbon, tape, scissors, ribbon splitters, and a nice big, flat surface upon which to execute your amazing wrapping creations. You'll also receive  a little kit of embellishments so your gifts have that extra special something. We'll ply you with coffee (spike it if you like*) and some light snacks and assist you in the event of a wrapping emergency. If you like, we'll demonstrate our favorite wrapping tricks.

We are holding THREE of these events at the following dates and times:

• Sunday December 7 from 1 - 8 p.m.
• Monday, December 15 from 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
• Sunday, December 21 from 1 - 8 p.m.

The cost to you is a flat fee of $25. As long as you're wrapping gifts for your own personal and familial gift-giving (i.e. not for corporate gifts or otherwise for your own profit), there's no limit to the number of gifts you can wrap. You can also attend all three of the wrap-a-thons at no additional charge, but you'll only get one wrapping kit.

Space is limited, so you may want to reserve your spot in advance by calling us at 316/201-6049.

_________________________
*Please note that any alcoholic beverages will be served to anyone shopping at the store--you don't need to be a part of the wrap-a-thon to indulge.

Wichita New & Notable: Highlands Gastropub & Cardroom

Poker happens to be one of my many little obsessions. I learned the game three years ago from my friends Richard and Tom at Kirby's Beer Store and have been playing at Kirby's and at various friends' home games ever since. I've long since accepted I don't have the mettle to play at a high level, but I still really enjoy Hold 'Em and various other poker permutations. 

Add the reuben and yam fries I remember from the early days of the Anchor, and you have an unbeatable combination. So when we heard that former Anchor chef JD Harvey had moved to this new place on north Rock (after a stint at Cibola), I was eager to check it out. 

Last Tuesday I met my friend Sarah Jane for lunch at Highlands Gastropub & Cardroom. We split an appetizer of loaded smashed potatoes, Sarah ordered shepherd's pie and I settled on the meatloaf with a side of yam fries (yay). The appetizer was enormous (and a bargain at $6). Sadly, we were only able to consume half of it between the two of us. The potatoes were topped with cheese, delicious bacon, fried shallots (never met a shallot I didn't like) and crème fraiche. Verdict: Yum. 

My "McPhail Meatloaf" cost $10.50 and clocked in at what seemed like a full two lbs. of ground beef. Traditional goodness with a more delicate flavor than usual, my entree was crowned with sweet potato hay, which it turns out I enjoy saying. The yam fries were as delicious as I remembered. 

Sarah Jane's shepherd's pie was also good (she shared a good-sized bite). It cost $9.00 and came sans sides.

We ate right before I was scheduled for what turned out to be a moderately painful medical procedure, so I was happy to have ordered a glass of Cabernet with my meal--the name escapes me now but it was decent (if a little pricey for me at $9). Highlands offers both a decent wine list and beer selection, the latter with all the usual brewery, microbrew & import suspects.

The only downside to our meal was that our entrees arrived very shortly after the appetizer, and I didn't receive the salad that was supposed to have come with my meal. Neither were a big deal, though--timing plates is often off at a new place, and frankly I'd forgotten about the salad, too. 

Brian and I returned to Highlands last night and ordered the loaded smashed potatoes again. We decided to split two entrees: The Highland Slides ($6.50) and a half rack of brazed pork ribs ($12). The slides consisted of two mini sliders with sweet onion marmalade. Now, I'm pretty sure sliders aren't supposed to come with cheese and these did, but I really can't ever object to the addition of cheese. Slider purists beware, though. I'd rate this dish as good--the patty was excellent--but I'm not aching to order it again ASAP. It came with a side and I elected for regular potato fries this time. 

The sliders probably suffered in comparison to the ribs, which were really spectacular--juicy and tender and all-around mmm. We actually were confused about whether we'd received a full order--the half rack is very generously portioned. Neither Brian nor I are delicate eaters, but we couldn't finish all the food and I think next time we might end up splitting an entree and an appetizer and calling it good. 

As it happened, our friend and fellow poker aficionado Jason crashed our romantic dinner and ordered the aforementioned reuben ($8.50 with fries). I think he gave it two thumbs up, but it was hard to understand the guy between bites. 

We had exceptional service last night--our server was friendly and good-humored, and didn't miss a beat when another diner showed up twenty minutes into the meal (a serious headache for wait staff, I know). 

Dinner was over at about 8 p.m. and Jason convinced us to stick around for the Blue Collar Poker Tournament beginning at 9. We also managed to rope our friend Kali into the enterprise. By the time we'd visited the bar and returned to our seats at our assigned tables, the tournament had ballooned to about fifty people. Entry is free for BCPT events, but you have to pay $10 to rent a chair. (All but one entrant did so, and he actually ended up in third place and in the money, winning $60 of a $500 prize pool.) Many of the tournament players clearly had experience with these events and many of them knew one another. I was interested to see that there were a lot of women playing as well as a wide range of ages. As usual at any poker event, a sizable minority were only too happy to give little poker "lessons" as play went on (to which I always mentally roll my eyes). Let's just say a handful of the people there would probably never make my Christmas card list, but plenty of others were friendly and engaging, or at least polite. 

Our little party made a pretty good showing. Brian went out right before the third-to-last table broke, Jason and I went out while two tables were still playing, and Kali made it to the final table and placed fourth (and in the money). 

Highlands also hosts a home-grown card game called Kandu, which can be legally played for money. It's very similar to Hold 'Em, except the cards are shown prior to the deal, as explained in this Eagle article. 

The great service continued throughout the evening. The tournament director (possibly one of the owners--I didn't catch his name) was friendly, calm, and evenhanded; despite the general lack of drink orders a server came around frequently to check on the players; and the bartenders were all personable. My work schedule and preference for smaller games means I likely won't play in these free tournaments often, but I thought it was certainly $10 well spent. And we will definitely be back for the food. 

Highlands Gastropub & Cardroom 

3731 N. Rock Road (just north of Braum's)

Wichita, Kansas 67226

316/260-6155

Links:

• Review of Highlands Gastropub & Cardroom from Foodies (with pictures)  
• Betting OK in 'Barely Legal' Card Game, from the Wichita Eagle    
• Highlands Gastropub & Cardroom website, which includes their menu, a schedule of tournaments, and their cardroom policies

Holiday Gift Guide Part III: Our Favorites

Before we get into the third edition of our holiday gift guide, we'd like to direct you toward our first two installments:

1. Holiday Gift Guide Part I: $10 and Under

2. Holiday Gift Guide Part II: $25 and Under

And now back to our regularly scheduled program:

Sometimes we go into a season with an overarching theme in mind, but this fall we found ourselves buying items that fit into a few general categories. Some we borrowed from the obsessions of friends, a few we've had a lifelong attraction to. Others seemed to arise out of a happy accident (when looking back at our purchasing for the fall it turns out we're not done with faux bois after all), and in at least one case we've discovered a whole 'nother fixation.

Places We've Never Been
I've always been intrigued by geography, real, defunct, and imaginary. So I was immediately attracted to Jennifer Hill's series Places I Have Never Been. Jennifer creates designs based on her fantasies of vacation destinations she's yet to visit. The delightful, limited-edition prints are available in two sizes, 8x10 ($45) and 11x17 ($60). Some of our favorites include the above-pictured Portland ($45); Austin; Burgundy, France; Champagne, France; Tequila, Mexico; and Andalucia, Spain.

Also pictured:

• We love M. Sasek's children's travel series, including This Is London, This Is Hong Kong, This Is New York, This Is Paris, and This Is San Francisco. First published in the 1950s and '60s, the illustrations haven't lost their charm--even if some of the details are a little iffy in the 21st century.
• Listen to public radio wherever the road takes you with the NPR Map from Bob's Your Uncle, $8.
• Little Otsu's frame-worthy train-route-slash-calendar will get you going through 2009 ($12).
• Inaccurate vintage globe with zodiac base, $22.
  
  

Chalkboards
What is it about chalkboards? Perhaps the opportunity for endless fresh starts.

• LBK Studio Chalkboard Budz Vase, $30
• Mine Design Chalkboard Candle (Persian fig, Belgian berry, gardenia, pomegranate), $22 each
  
  

 

Stuff That Looks Like Other Stuff
From plastic-look-alike glass water bottles and cups to porcelain coffee mugs that look as though they came straight from behind the coffee shop's counter, we're fascinated by--well, stuff that looks like other stuff.

• Glasstique Water Bottles ($25 each) and Cups ($6)
• Pop Top Ceramic Vases ($8 large, $6 small)
• I Am Not a Paper Cup double-walled porcelain mug, $19
  

Faux Bois
Oh, faux bois, we just can't quit you! A major Frank & Margaret obsession last year, we thought we were over it for now. But no...fake wood and wood grain are just too alluring.

• Branch Tea Pot, $60. If you really want to go whole hog, feel free to group this little guy with the Branch Creamer & Sugar ($46), Branch Pitcher ($79), and Tree Bark Platter ($58). 
• Letterpress Log "Thank You" cards and Wood Grain Note Cards, $12 for a set of 6. These delightful cards from Night Owl Paper Goods just arrived yesterday, so we're extra excited about them. The same company brings us adorable faux wood holiday cards (one set of which says "Happy Owlidays"), and real wood note cards and jotters.
• Twig Finials, $21.50 for a set of 2. These can be paired with our Cappa curtain rods from Umbra.
• Magno Wooden Radio (acutally just bois, not faux), $250. This Japanese design is really trippy--all but the metal essentials is constructed of wood, down to the back for the battery pack. Includes AM/FM plus HD channels--and the sound is fantastic (but honestly it looks so great we don't even care).
  

 

Interesting Florals
Back in the mid-nineties I used to come home from high school, fix a plate of chips and salsa, and watch The Oprah Winfrey Show. One afternoon the topic was interior design, and both Oprah and the guest designer weighed in against fake flowers. Who knows why that stuck--we didn't have a lot of faux floral going on at home and I didn't have much interest in flowers in general--but I took O's word as gospel. So stocking fake flowers of any kind was a big step for me. But when it comes down to it, it's hard to keep one's house in fresh blooms 24/7/365 even if you do work across the street from a lovely florist (shout out to Susan's!). And not all fake arrangements are dust-catching horrors, as it turns out. Above we've pictured just three examples from our little floral section:

• Deconstructed Metal Daisy, $24. (Love the 70's vibe from this swinging stem)
• Zinnia Beaded Stem, $12. Also available in red
• Porcelain Magnolia Blossom, $8. These have wires on the back so they can be attached to branches, garlands, even Christmas trees. Also available in dogwood and cherry blossoms
  
  

Fake Food! 
I went back and forth for a while on the question of fake food. As with fake flowers, it tends to be a dust-collector, and I was a little worried about making Frank & Margaret look like someone's crazy great-aunt's front room. But it turns out that once I ordered a little fake sushi (something Great-Aunt Hortense never dreamed of, I'm sure), I fell in love a little. Then customers started asking about buying it, so I ordered some more...and more. Really, fake food is right up there with shoes and chocolate in the category of things to cheer you up when you're having a bad day. Though we have quite the assortment from all four food groups, our verrry favorites (in addition to the aforementioned sushi, pictured in this post), are the desserts:

• Tiramisu cake, $65
• Vanilla Bundt Fakey Cake, $14
• Cupcake with a Cherry on Top, $9
• Kiwi Tart, $12
• White Fakey Flower Cupcake, $7
• Gingerbread Men, $3 each

Also pictured: Whiteware cake stand, $28

We'll be back next week with a few more of our favorites. Until then, cheerio and have a fab Thanksgiving!

What We Learned from Watching Twilight

Kyle and I spent our Sunday afternoon at the Warren Old Town eating appetizers and watching tween screen sensation Twilight. Just in case you miss it (and really OMG how could you?) here's what we learned:

1. How to identify a vampire:

• Inhuman speed and strength
• Pale skin that is cold to the touch
• Oodles of hair gel
• Penetrating gazes
• In the sunlight they look like they're wearing an excessive amount of body glitter.

2. Some teenagers, like, totally know what they want for the rest of their lives (or deaths, as the case may be). Others just want their boobs to look good at prom.

3. Vampire movies = arty Chinese-language flicks. To whit:

• Crazy flying though trees!
• Intense whirlwind romances elicited by...something, we're not sure
• That's it, really. It's mostly the tree-flying.

4. The more camera angles the better! Why waste 'em?

5. Even fangirls (and guys) will laugh at unintentionally campy moments. Which gives us hope for the next generation.

Meet the FaM

Elves are to Santa as we stylistas are to F&M. Below we've cataloged a few friendly faces & some of their favorite items. Say hi the next time you're in the store--it'll really creep them out that you already know their names.

Emily

When Emily opened Frank & Margaret last November, she wanted to provide Wichita a retail space where contemporary and vintage sensibilities could collide. Now approaching their one-year anniversary, she and the store plan to celebrate this paper landmark by vending the cutest stationery in town. Emily loves bright colors and bold shapes (she's pictured above with Marimekko's "Unikko" shower curtain [49$]), but the word "retro" makes her face ache. She'll overlook its use only if you buy her a bird (not a real bird though; she works too much).

Natalie

Even when her head's not in the clouds, Natalie's probably still brushing the ceiling. You can find our resident visual artist hanging, banging, and arranging F&M displays on the daily. She's infamous for reciting Fomato card quotes to anyone who will listen (e.g. "For your birthday this year, I am drinking in this dive bar . . . I enjoy celebrating your birthday."; "Forget orgies, let's do conversions!" [3.25$]), but we forgive her as she usually recites them from the top of a ladder. Natalie's a staunch supporter of the metric system.

Kyle

 

The newest member of our FaM is a bouncing baby boy: Kyle relocated to Wichita last year to pursue an MFA in creative writing. His interests include thrifting, wearing bowties, and finding bargains (compliment his cardigan, and he'll assure you it cost less than 10$). He's pictured here with his namesake--a monsternaut robot from Monster Factory also named Kyle (34.99$). Both Kyles love our line of Eclectonotes from Uppercase, notebooks tricked out with vintage magazines and repurposed book materials (22$). We saw Kyle writing odes to the man scarf ("marf") in the one he bought last week.

Ella

When Ella's not retailing the cuteness at F&M, she works as a freelance designer focusing on "services of embellishment." She prides herself on sustainable design and can't get enough of the vintage furniture pieces Emily mixes into the store. She's pictured above with her favorite velvet mid-century modern chairs; she'd take them home, but she's afraid her husband would put either them or her out on the curb. We plan on naming her new baby Frank or Margaret.

Holiday Gift Guide Part II: $25 and Under

Welcome to our second holiday gift guide. (f you missed the first one, be sure to look at Part I: $10 and Under.) This week we're highlighting our favorite $25-and-under gift selections. As always, we'll be happy to beautifully gift wrap your purchases.

1. Eclectonotes (left), $22.00 each
2. Test Print Journals (right), $18.00 each

2. Large Whiteware Pitcher, $ 16.00
3. Russel Wright Chartruese Cup & Saucer, $12

5. Vinotagz Cirque, $14

 

6. Miniature Chairs, $12.00 each

 

7. Ornament Tree, $25.00
8. Acacia Wood Bowl, $15.00
9. Vintage Ornaments, $3.00 each

10. Jonathan Adler Utopia Mugs, $24 each

11. A Monster Called El Nino, $24.99

12. Wood Stapler, $25.00
13. Wood Push Pins, $3.00

14. Alabaster Freeform Glass Bowl, $25

 
15. Set of 3 Condiment Bowls, $16