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...

On authenticity & paper

I happened upon a notebook in a shop some weeks ago. It was what I suppose you might call francofaux:  the design and lettering were French, but with a glossy-digital cover and cheaply staple-bound. The notebook was not an homage to a style, and as such an elevation of both the original and the new. It was just a cheap copy (and yes, it was made in China). It made me sad.

I've come to believe that there is no reason to own and use sad stationary. Dozens of small--often
American--companies are making charming notebooks and handcrafted greeting cards, some whimsical or funny, others simply lovely. Though I have long been a lover of everything paper, I never imagined Frank & Margaret would carry paper products. Still, they have become a vital part of the store, and part of the reason for that is each card and notebook is inherently authentic. We have everything from cheeky  hand-letterpressed cards from Blue Barnhouse (Asheville, North Carolina) to Japanese pop-up cards from Greeting Life, bold notebooks from Bob's Your Uncle (Boston) to elegant calling cards from Lunalux (Minneapolis).

Great stationary is an affordable luxury. Unlike, say, a gorgeous, laboriously handcrafted throw pillow, which (especially if made in the United States) might set you back upwards of $200, a five-dollar bill is all you need for an amazing bit of paper.