Local Love: Tender Loving Empire

greetings

In May, we partnered with our friends at Egg Press and moved our printing operations to their studio in Portland, Oregon. Since we now have a Hello!Lucky team up north in addition to our design studio in San Francisco, we thought it was only logical to extend our Local Love series and showcase some of the fantastic shops in Portland! We're starting with Tender Loving Empire, which was founded in 2006 by Portland-based artists and musicians Jared and Brianne Mees. It began as a record label and print shop and a year later expanded to include a consignment retail shop focused on locally produced items. The walls of the shop are covered in illustrations, and a mural above the front door reads "You are part of this place", which captures the spirit of the store and its dedication to community.

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Its current location on Southwest 10th and Stark houses a full screen print shop and the Tender Loving Empire offices as well as the retail store front. The store sells exclusively handmade items and strives to represent Pacific Northwest artists. We're proud to see a few of our own on the shelf alongside cards made by so many talented local artists!

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The screen printing studio produces T-shirts and prints, album packaging for the TLE label's artists as well as commissions for local businesses.

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Tender Loving Empire

412 SW 10th Ave, Portland Oregon (503) 243-5859

Local Love: Little Paper Planes & Owl Cave

entrance LPP

For this installment of our Local Love series we headed to Valencia street and visited one of our favorite new stores, Little Paper Planes + Owl Cave books. Little Paper Planes opened earlier this year in May and it's such a great addition to the bustling Mission neighborhood.

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Little Paper Planes is owned and operated by Kelly Lynn Jones, who ran LPP as an online shop for years before launching this brick and mortar version of her store. Kelly is joined by Viniita Moran who brought her online bookstore Owl Cave Books into the shop. Owl Cave Books has a wonderfully curated selection of hard to find art books and magazines.

Owl Cave Books

One of our favorite things about the shop is the space, which was transformed with fixtures and hand built pieces created by Kate Pruitt.

Jewelry & wall art

The shop also has a  print gallery which features a new artist every month and a residency program which can be found in the back of the store. The residency program offers space to artists, makers and curators.

Little Paper Planes

If you're visiting the bay area or if you're a local who hasn't been to LPP + Owl Cave Books yet definitely make a trip there. They have such a great selection of goods and they're so well curated and displayed, you'll definitely leave feeling inspired and hopefully with something fun you didn't have before.

Little Paper Planes + Owl Cave 855 Valencia Street in San Francisco,  (415) 643-4616

Local Love: General Store

This weekend we made a trek out to the Outer Sunset in San Francisco and visited one of our favorite shops, General Store.

General Store has a wonderful collection of locally sourced and well designed goods for sale. We love the feel of the shop and the carefully selected items.

How amazing is this wall of cards? We love the simplicity of the wood and rope. Such a great design, there's something about the General Store that makes us feel like we're on a ship, which is pretty fitting given how close it is to the ocean.

Fat bags of local beans.

Terrariums and tea towels.

If you visit the bay area definitely make a trek out to General Store, it's worth the trip! And while you're out there stop next door and grab some cinnamon toast and something hot to drink at Trouble Coffee.

General Store
4035 Judah St, San Francisco, CA 94122
415-682-0600
11-7 Monday - Friday
10 - 7 Saturday - Sunday

 

Jude's Picks: Favorite Apps

Last week I shared some of Jude's favorite books and movies and this week I thought it would be fun to share some of the apps he's been enjoying. Crazy that a toddler would have favorite apps, I know! But it's a brave new world! I appreciate these apps for their educational qualities, he's pretty eager to learn when he has that ipad in his hands.

The peeps at Toca Boca make some of our favorite apps, but Toca Doctor is probably the top choice these days (bug squishing! Burping! Farting! and all kinds of other hilarity). This app actually helped me convince Jude that brushing his teeth is cool and fun and not simply a horrific exercise in torture - I stand behind anything that can help me explain oral hygiene to a toddler!

Not that Jude would ever get the iPad right before bed (hello, cracked out temper tantrum), but this Nighty Night is darling (and in several different languages - it's always tricky to find great apps in French, so this is a big plus in my book). You turn out the light and say good night to each animal on the farm and watch them settle down for the night - the illustrations are adorable and it's full of amusing details.

Another beautifully designed app with great illustrations, Tam & Tao in Numberland is a very popular choice with Mr. Jude. Full of fun puzzles, coloring and counting games, and cool, dimensional animations.

As always let me know if you have any fun app suggestions for kids! I love hearing about new ones.

 

Shop Feature: Postmark

We are so thrilled to pick up our store features again. This time we're kicking off with a great shop we love in the UK called Postmark. Postmark has two shops, one of which is located in Balham, just a little south of our offices in London Bridge. When Postmark in Balham opened their doors they added greatly to to the the area's increasing reputation for being a shopping destination for those seeking out a more individual retail experience. We chatted a bit with the owners to give you a little more insight into this great independent boutique.

We are a small family run company based in South London. Run by a team of passionate card lovers with over 25 years experience, we pride ourselves on our hand picked selection of cards. We mainly deal with small independent publishers with over 95% of them based, designing and producing in the UK.

Our Balham store first opened it's door in 2004 and soon became a neighbourhood favourite. We won the title of 'Best Independent Card Retailer - London' in 2008 and the buzz and excitement this created was the catalyst for us opening our East Dulwich store in December 2008. In 2009 we then became the first company to retain and win this award twice. This award is the industry 'Oscars' and rewards and recognises excellence in the greeting card industry.

We pride ourselves on customer service and are always looking for new and exciting ways to stand out from the rest. In both our stores, you can use the first of it's kind, in house postal service. Each store has an in store postal service, enabling customers to send their cards and parcels to anywhere in the world without even leaving the shops. Just pop in, pick a card, write it and we will do the rest! We have been finalists in 2007,2010 and 2011 for 'Best Retail Initiative' for our fresh and intuitive retail ideas. From our 'Golden ticket' campaign to our most recent 'Beat the postal price increase' campaign starting in November 2012.

While Hello!Lucky is one of our favourites we also stock cards from Caroline Gardner, Urban Graphic, Simon Drew, Noi Publishing, Almanac Gallery, Rachel Ellen, Pigment Productions, The Art File, ArtPress, Stop The Clock to name just a few as well as numerous small up and coming publishers who we feel could be the next big thing!

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Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Postmark and thanks for being such a supporter of our cards over the years. You can shop Postmark's great inventory of cards online or visit one of their two locations if you are in the UK.

The Fabulous Mr. Finch

We just stumbled across the work of Mr. Finch, a textile artist from Leeds in Yorkshire, and were immediately enamored by his ethereal and whimsical creations.

Finch says he is inspired by British folklore, shape shifting witches, and moon gazing hares. We love that he believes the animals he creates come to life at night when everyone is sleeping.  It's no surprise that his creatures feel so magical.

He has had no formal training which is completely inspiring.

 

Love this sea horse...

This charming hare reminds us of the Velveteen Rabbit.

Check out more of his work here and here. You can pick up some of his pieces at his Etsy shop.

 

Filex & Milou

I have two dogs and thus can tell you, with some authority, that a truly fabulous dog bed (and by that I mean one that isn't varying shades of neutral or plain ol' preppy striped) is tough to find.  Needless to say, I was super excited to discover Felix & Milou, a brand new dog bed line by Tove Jakobsson -huzzah!  Finally, something with a little style!

Her cushions are all made by hand from lovely graphic Swedish fabrics. They're sized for a cat or small dog, hopefully soon, a bigger size to come! I fear poor Indy is getting the shaft, being more in the medium to large range. But wouldn't they make great floor cushions around a low table as well?

This is the one I purchased - a fabric by Cecilia Hall Åhlens that has a lovely Josef Frank vibe - beautifully made and adorable in person!

All the cushion covers are removable and washable.  Check out the rest of her products here.

 

 

Vera Wang Wedding Gowns

Last night a few of us from Hello!Lucky put on our party dresses and attended the grand opening of the new Vera Wang Bridal Boutique in San Francisco. We sipped champagne and oogled over the pretty dresses on display.

The boutique is in a beautiful location overlooking Union Square and we can only imagine how special it would be for a bride to have her fittings in such a stunning setting.

These photos don't do the gorgeous gowns justice, but we wanted to share our snapshots from the evening. If you're a bride in San Francisco looking for that perfect gown this boutique should be the first place you visit!

180 Geary St, 4th Fl (between Stockton St & Grant Ave) San Francisco, CA 94108

Marimekko Kids

Watch out crewcuts, these images from Marimekko's kids collection are reaching the top of the cute chart. It's not unusual that we are caught wishing kids clothing came in adult sizes, but once we see those little bodies show off those fashionable threads, they're definitely making a spot on our wish list. Marimekko has always inspired us with their colorful patterns and bold decor, but now that we're seeing more of them in our every day lives, we're even more in love.

And with all the little boys in our H!L family, we're obsessing over their toy car illustrations. Who wouldn't want to trek that backpack to the first day of school next year!?

Visit their beautiful US website right here, and be sure to check out the kids collection here!

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!

Cloud Parade Launch

We hope everyone had a nice holiday! Though there's still plenty of celebrating to be done with 2013 fast approaching, we're taking a moment to welcome a brilliant new resource for brides! Cloud Parade is an online site dedicated to all things wedding. Fabulous vendors from all around are setting up shop to help make planning your wedding a cinch. You can create Clouds with certain themes or products you love, share with friends and family, and purchase every item all from one place! It's any bride or grooms dream.

As you can see above their site is quite charming, and extremely easy to navigate. You can browse by color, category, style, and even search your favorite vendors by name. Having a destination wedding with a teal color theme? You're in the right place. We're delighted to have our own shop at Cloud Parade, packed with our printable invitations and wedding thank you cards.

Cloud Parade from Cloud Parade on Vimeo.

They released an adorable promo video with all the information one could need to get started. We love anyone that can make wedding planning this easy! Visit Cloud Parade here and start your own free account now!

Hello!Lucky Employee Wish Lists

The next group of Hello!Lucky Employees all have their own personal sense of style. Whether they are spending time shopping around the city or cozying up at home, their wish list items are all unique. The lovely ladies on deck are Christina, Heather, and Lillian!

Christina, our marketing director, has a bold color palette, and we love her massive collection of stylish dresses. She was sure to add one more to her list along with some fun accessories to match!

1. Viuhka Earrings from Curator SF 2. Candystore Collective Dress 3. Clare Vivier Striped Tote

Heather is known for her love of eclectic and vintage style. As our wholesale manager, she's always keeping track of our greeting cards so organization is key. Plus, she's always got some great tunes playin' for our team! Her wish list items are definitely her style.

1. Yellow Owl Workshop Stamp Activity Kit 2. Crosley Mini Turntable 3. Yellow Owl Workshop Color Wheel Necklace

Lillian is the wearer of all hats. She's working in product management, customer service, design consulting, and much more. Her style is easy-breezy, with comfort and classic taste in mind. And she's a master chef at home. We love that her wish list items all match!

1. KitchenAid Pasta Attachment 2. Smartwool Adventure Socks 3. Heather Flax Cashmere Sweater from J.Crew

Stay tuned for more employee wish lists!

H!L Employee Wish Lists

With so many stylish and creative employees, we're dying to know what they are wishing for this holiday. All of our friends at Hello!Lucky are multi-talented, many with crafty hobbies and passions that we rarely get to see in our studio. So this year we're all dishing out our top three wish list items - and the sky's the limit! First on deck are our three talented designers, Kelly, Eunice, and Shayna.

Meet Kelly! She's one of our newest employees, and we love her laid back sense of style. Her top three wish list items will definitely get the inspiration flowing.

1. Brother Sewing Machine 2. Prussia Satchel 3. Subscription to Kinfolk Magazine

We knew Eunice would come up with some fabulous wish list items this year. With her colorful personality and sophisticated style she's got some real winners on her list!

1. Polaroid Z2300 2. Alder & Co. Enamel Locket 3. Clare Vivier Foldover Clutch

Shayna's always on the go, so her wish list items are practical and stylish! We can just picture her now cruising on her bike with that leather strap backpack and grooving to some tunes on those new headphones.

1. Fjall Raven Rucksack 2. Eskuche Headphones 3. Kiehls Eye Alert

Stay tuned for more Hello!Lucky employee wish lists!

 

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.

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!

Small Business Saturday - November 24th

We support! Get your friends and family together and stroll the streets in your community. Hit up the local businesses that make your hometown unique. We're definitely fans of Small Business Saturday and for its third anniversary, we're thinking third time's a charm.

Our studio will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday but you can shop on our site online anytime! Thanks as always for your support!

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!