Valentine's Cards for Meals on Wheels

Our employees love to get together after hours for holiday craft nights, especially if they benefit a good cause. Meals on Wheels has been providing meals to seniors since 1940 and has evolved into an extraordinary foundation for fighting hunger. For holidays the good people like to deliver cards to the seniors as a gift of love, and this year we decided to join in. All of our cards were handmade with love for the people supported by Meals on Wheels, and to know they were going to a good home was a beautiful thought.

As stationers, paper is our primary medium, so coming up with materials was a cinch. We try to save as many scraps as we can, knowing that they could come in handy for a card-making craft night.

Our team is the best at coming up with witty one-liners. We loved this "I a door you" card.

To support the Meals on Wheels Association of America, visit their website!

Top of the Mark

This fall we had the pleasure of working with a team at the Top of the Mark at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel for a special photo shoot. As such an iconic hotel with deep San Francisco history, we were thrilled to create a custom skyline invitation for the event. Our San Francisco Skyline is packed with significant imagery, but one thing was missing for this Nob Hill destination. We created a new icon for the mix and included the Top of the Mark peaking above our lovely city by the bay.

If you haven't been to the Top of the Mark, it's a must for visitors and city dwellers. Their views are some of the best in the city, and the bar makes a delicious cocktail.

Can you see the difference? We love having the Mark Hopkins in our Skyline!

These photos by Rien van Rijthoven of Architecture Photography capture the magic of the Mark Hopkins so well. With elegant tablescapes and jaw-dropping views, this venue makes any event a dream.

Thanks to the Top of the Mark for such a fun project and to Rien van Rijthoven for the beautiful images!

Local Love: Flora Grubb

We could spend days and days wandering around Flora Grubb Gardens, a local nursery and garden supply store located in San Francisco's Bay View neighborhood.

Flora Grubb is so much more than a nursery. It feels like a little haven in the city, full of inspiration at every turn. There's even a Ritual coffee inside so you can grab a delicious beverage and wander around the gardens.

We love the pops of color, huge range of plants, and endless garden ideas we discover when we are there. Flora Grubb is perfect on a sunny day but it's just as nice on a slightly overcast and foggy day as we discovered last time we were there a couple of weekends ago.

If you live in the bay area and haven't been to Flora Grubb definitely go! And if you're visiting you should add it to your list of spots to explore while you're here, we promise you won't regret it.

Flora Grubb 1634 Jerrold Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124 - (415) 626-7256

Printing Workshops at SFCB

Interested in learning about letterpress? Want to try your hand at printing on a vintage Vandercook press? The San Francisco Center for the Book is the best place to start. Their talented team has come up with a great lineup of 2013 workshops and they are available for registry now! As owners of a Vandercook and letterpress lovers, we know how fun it is to crank your own prints.

Visit the SFCB online for a list of workshops, or stop by their NEW location at 375 Rhode Island Street (between 16th and 17th Streets) in San Francisco.

Local Love: Photobooth SF

 Photobooth SF is a Tintype Polaroid-style studio located on Valencia Street here in San Francisco, offering beautiful vintage-looking photography. It's obvious we're big fans of anything vintage, so we fell in love with the idea immediately. It's nice to see something new and different pop up on the photography scene!

Aren't these moody photobooth images of our staff fabulous? They were taken by Photobooth SF at the Contemporary Jewish Museum last month for the Rit Lab event. For the event we brought stacks of letterpress prints and accessories to make one-of-a-kind photo frames and these images were the perfect addition.

You can book your sessions with Photobooth SF here or pop in their studio located in San Francisco's Mission district.

Photobooth SF 1193 Valencia Street @ 23rd. San Francisco, CA 94110 Open: Wed- Th 1-8, Fri – Sun 1-9 www.photoboothsf.com

Local Love: Tantrum

This year we're starting a new feature on the blog showcasing some of our favorite local shops, eateries, and spots in both San Francisco and London. We're kicking off with a unique vintage shop in Cole Valley called Tantrum. From the moment we first saw the circus themed window display and sign, to the precious stop-motion video of their shop, it's definitely a new favorite. Tantrum, located on 858 Cole Street, has a sweet collection of mid-century and vintage items for kids of all ages.

They not only carry awesome kids stuff, but one-of-a-kind housewares for moms and dads too! We're really digging all the rich colors in this photo.

We fell in love with them once we saw the sneak peek on Modern Kiddo, then when we saw co-owners Amanda and Michelle in these vintage get-ups and it kept getting better. They gave a fabulous Q & A and we can't wait to get our hands on some of their goodies.

Check out this stop-motion video of the space!

Tantrum from Paul Trillo on Vimeo.

They must have such a good time working together. Check out Tantrum at 858 Cole Street in San Francisco!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

Last week Sabrina took her three boys to go visit Santa in Union Square. The city is so festive and cheery this time of year, so it's always a must to go see all the new decorations. Of course with Santa in the agenda, the twins were definitely on board. They stopped inside the Westin Saint Francis to get a view of the square. That tree was enormous! And with a birds eye view of the festivities below,  Alex and James were starry eyed with excitement.

Inside the Westin was a beautiful tree so they stopped to scope out the ornaments and pick a favorite. But the real favorite was their visit with Santa. We think William will definitely grow to be a calm, cool, and collected little dude, since he's the only one posing for the photo! No matter the photo, it's always the memories we keep forever. Thanks to Macy's Santaland!

Modern Kids Photography and Baby William

We're all still giddy about the birth of Sabrina's third baby, William. She had favorite photographer Sarah Wert of Modern Kids Photography capture the exciting first moments as a family of five and they turned out just beautifully. James and Alex waited so patiently for the arrival of their baby brother, so this photo of them is just perfect. We love how Sabrina decorated the nursery with colorful wall decals from Gosh and Golly, too.

Sabrina was sure to spend some quality time with the twins before the baby was born. Reading some of their favorite books is a great way to relax together, and offered some photo-worthy moments for Sarah. They also got a little playful by blowing up balloons for the big arrival.

William is too precious! We can definitely see the resemblance to his brothers.

We are so happy for Sabrina and her family. Thanks to Modern Kids for the beautiful photographs!

Hello!Lucky Holiday Party

Our annual Hello!Lucky employee holiday party was a big success! We try to get creative with our gift-giving and this year we did just that - got creative! Everyone handmade each of their gifts and we exchanged them at Lyndsey's Twin Peaks apartment above the glowing city lights. We knew everyone had hidden talents but we were blown away with the final product! All our employees went above and beyond and the night was one to remember.

Jon, our house brewer, brewed a winter beer and even created his own labels! Heather also made up a special batch of pumpkin liqueur - and it was delicious with all the treats from the night! Kelly C. made adorable s'more kits, and Lyndsey made homemade cookie butter! Stewey made his famous Stewey's Cheweys and also his famous knit coasters! (Did you see them on the Huffington Post?) Holly made amazing snow globes, James tied some awesome rope door stops, and Shayna handmade her winter scented candles!

Laura made gorgeous pine wreathes and Lillian sewed individual cocktail napkins. Below you can see Lia's adorable felt houses, all lit up with mini lights. It's the perfect decor!

Christina got crafty with her mini terrariums, and spruced them up with some festive holiday deer! The room was overflowing with holiday spirit, and everyone couldn't wait to exchange.

Even more delicious snacks from Eunice and Sabrina's holiday cookies, and Leslie made homemade granola in these sweet little jars.

Each person brought five gifts and each person left with five. As the night went on, surprise Karaoke evolved and we all had a grand ol' time.

Thanks Lyndsey for hosting and the entire HL crew for celebrating such a wonderful year! Here's to 2013!

RitLab at the CJM!

Mark your calendars! This Thursday, December 13th Eunice and Sabrina are hosting a festive and crafty workshop at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. The CJM is known for their fabulous events and spectacular space, so we can't wait to get involved. We'll be offering one-of-a-kind letterpress goodies to design and decorate your very own paper frames. Along with our craft activity, you can tour their new exhibition The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League and get tickets to hear the soothing sounds of the Conspiracy of Beards. Tickets for the event are free for members, or $5 for visitors. The event is from 6-8pm at the Contemporary Jewish Museum,  736 Mission Street in San Francisco. For more information, follow this link. Hope to see you there!

(Photo by Leslie Beteta)

Real San Francisco Engagement

We've been dying to share photos from this sweet engagement for what seems like, forever! Remember this Sweet Paper Proposal on the blog last year? Well the photos are finally out and they're exactly what we imagined. Cameron and his lovely fiance were definitely a match made in - Muni? Check out the entire gallery over at Style Me Pretty with tell-all photos by Chris and Adrienne Scott.

Congratulations to the happy couple!

Photos by Chris and Adrienne Scott

Wunderfaire Photos

We had a lovely time last night at the IDEO Wunderfaire craft show. It was a great warm up for this weekend's Bazaar Bizarre where we will have a booth Saturday and Sunday!

It was great to see our friend Stacy of Pancake & Franks at the show last night.

Some cute kids clothes from Vivi Kids.

We forgot who made these wood necklaces but we loved them!

Some really neat lego jewelry from emiko-o.

Stewey & Heather looking adorable in our booth last night. Visit us this weekend for great deals on wrapping paper, holiday cards, and more! We have a sale bin and we want to empty it! Details for Bazaar Bizarre here.

Real Wedding: Darcy and Kevin

As a boutique and very hands-on wedding vendor, we're always happy to reach out to our brides and grooms around the globe. But when an event takes place right here in the heart of San Francisco, we feel proud to be a part. Darcy and Kevin's glamorous San Francisco wedding covered a lot of ground, from the beautiful Presidio Chapel to the funky Bimbo's 365 Club. The lively couple had a lot of fun with their decor, and they seem to have had a blast on their big day. It was all captured by the talented Andrew Weeks Photography with lovely details by Dream a Little Dream Events.

Of course with a reception venue like Bimbo's, vintage glamour is a must. We created custom stationery of the San Francisco skyline for their paper programs and table numbers.

Michele Papineau's beautiful calligraphy led guests to their tables in style.

The sensational ombre pink wedding cake by Sage Catering was a focal point of the event. We love how it basically glows among the dark and romantic decor.

Congratulations Kevin and Darcy!

All photos by Andrew Weeks Photography

Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco

Join us this weekend December 1st and 2nd for the annual Bazaar Bizarre Holiday Show! We'll be hanging out at our booth selling cards, gifts, and our new prints! If you haven't been to the Bazaar Bizarre before, prepare for total craftness. Vendors and retailers all gather to showcase their original gifts, just in time for your holiday shopping. There's also a huge list of delicious food vendors for your mid-day snacking pleasure. You can get your hands on awesome products like these printed totes by Shapes & Colors, and munch on some tasty cake pops by Sweet Lauren Cakes.

The event takes place at the Concourse Exhibition Center EAST HALL 620 Seventh St. (at Brannan) from 11am - 6pm and is completely free. And the first 200 visitors each day will receive a free limited edition tote bag with loads of goodies including letterpress cards from yours truly! Hope to see you there!

Employee Spotlight: Lillian

Lillian joined the Hello!Lucky team in 2010 and since then has proven her graciousness, patience, and positivity throughout every role she takes on. She's helped brides discover their wedding style, helped web developers update new products, and helped customers on a daily basis. A native of Vermont, her calm personality always brings joy to our studio, and so do the mouthwatering treats she shares with our staff. We always go to her for recipe ideas, and where to find all things stripes. Here's a little more about Lillian...

My role at Hello!Lucky is... Website improvement! Overseeing new website updates, providing tech support, and product managing--we wear a lot of hats here!

I can't get through the day without... coffee and leftovers from last nights dinner (and of course cooking when I get home)

My ideal weekend activities include... taking a day trip up to Sonoma or down the coast for some fresh air; usually accompanied by a stop at a winery or microbrewery

Favorite Hello!Lucky design... I love the Tuscany suite, and Heirloom Harvest reminds me of my home state of Vermont

Secret insider info you might not know about Hello!Lucky... call us, live chat us, email us... and you'll probably get the same four people every time (myself included)!

Open Studio Event & Holiday Sale

This past weekend we opened our doors on a sunny Sunday for our Open Studio Event and Holiday Sale! We had a terrific turnout and want to say thank you to everyone who came by. Our guests experienced hands-on letterpress tutorials by our temporary printer, Lillian! She graciously showed visitors simple letterpress techniques and those who gave it a go went home with their own hand-cranked holiday cards (pictured below). The spectacular Lisa Congdon paid us a visit, and also got to experience the letterpress magic. She just designed a brand new collection of cards exclusive for Hello!Lucky - soon to be released in early 2013!

These are the limited edition prints we created just for the occasion. We'll be putting them on our site and on Etsy soon! Below Eunice and Sabrina are busy mingling with all the visitors. You can see pressman Jon back there running the windmill press. It was quite the production but with all the helping hands it was a great success!

Just a snapshot of some of the holiday cards we had on sale. What a deal! We still have some left over so be sure to visit our studio from Monday-Friday, 9:00 - 5:00 for excellent deals on holiday cards.

Thanks again for everyone who visited the studio! We are definitely planning more events in the future so stay tuned, and be sure to order your holiday cards today!

SFMade Nationwide!

Have you heard the news? SFMade is expanding their pop-up shops in Banana Republic stores across the country! Last year's Banana Republic pop-up shop in San Francisco was an enormous success, so debuting our products in stores in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York is icing on the cake. If you live in Los Angeles, the Banana Republic located on the 3rd Street Promenade (Santa Monica) and will feature our Happy Holidays from Los Angeles letterpress cards, among others. In New York, we're showcasing our Happy Holidays from New York cards at the Rockefeller Center location. And in Chicago visit the store on Michigan Avenue to get your hands on our Happy Holidays from Chicago letterpress cards. Of course, you can find our Happy Holidays from San Francisco cards at the Banana Republic location in San Francisco on Grant.

Here is a sneak peek into the shop at the Los Angeles Banana Republic!

And here's a look into the New York City location!

To our readers nearby and our readers far away, we encourage you to shop local this holiday season, and if you can, shop SFMade!

Holiday Cards with Edyta Szyszlo Photography

One of our favorite photographers Edyta Szyszlo has lent us a couple of her best bridal portraits to show off in our holiday photo card collection (check out these pretty new cards with Rikki Ward Photography). As newlyweds choosing a holiday card that is festive but matches your wedding portrait is key. It was so much fun pairing these couple photos with the best of our holiday cards. A favorite from last year (above) was Good Cheer in the bold fuchsia color palette. It works perfectly with the bright San Francisco backdrop!

This year we wanted to include more large scale photo designs, so this pretty Holiday Calligraphy card is perfect for showing off your pearly whites. Plus, the colors are customizable! Thanks Edyta for sharing your beautiful photography, and for newlyweds - order early and save 20%! Just use the code EARLYHOLIDAY at checkout!

Sabrina & Eunice's Favorite SF Activities

Eunice and Sabrina's recent feature on Sosh's series Tastemakers is definitely one of our favorites. Sosh, the new online activity guide, is the ultimate resource for travelers and city dwellers in San Francisco. Whether you're looking for the best coffee in town or want to get your heart pumping with a new exercise, Sosh has the best of the best all lined up. When the team asked Eunice and Sabrina to share their favorite things about San Francisco the answer was undoubtedly yes. Their fellow Tastemakers are some of the most inventive people in the city, including Thomas McNaughton of Flour + Water (one of their favorites) and Mike Krieger of Instagram. The sisters gave a few tips on great places to find inspiration, where they go to unwind, and their favorite places in the city to take visitors. Check out the entire feature here.

Thanks again to the team at Sosh for coming by the H!L studio. We can't wait to see more Tastemaker stories to come! To join (for free!) head over to their website today.

Dream Bridal Tour

Calling all brides! This year's Dream a Little Dream Bridal Tour is taking place next Sunday, November 4th, and the talented team at DALD has come up with incredible itinerary. One ticket gets you not only a champagne brunch, but also a guided tour of the cities finest wedding vendors. You get to experience the wonders of planning a wedding - plus exceptional gift bags provided by The Knot with specialty products and discounts.

Among the many fabulous destinations on the full-day tour is our Studio Open House! We'll be giving hands on letterpress lessons along with discounts on our holiday card collection. If you are planning a wedding or know someone who is, it's a great way to spend the day out with your girls and gather some inspiration for your big day. Book now and you'll receive $15 off your tickets! Use the code 7x7 at checkout here. Hope to see you there!

Images by Weeks Photography