paper good

Who knew?

2011-06-17T11:10:00.000-07:00

You know those fabulous gorgeous wedding invites you get in the mail (perhaps not in the past few days if you live in Canada)? The ones adorned with flourishes, and ribbons and jewels and such? I've always been jealous of people who could create such pretties. To have the patience, or to hire someone to have the patience to churn out these works of art.

Well, when a client approached me and displayed such confidence in me that I had just that kind of patience... well, I laughed my ass off. Then, I promptly got to work. Satin ribbon... oh, and real, honest-to-goodness starfish! Yeah, that's how I roll. Turns out, I DO have the patience.

Who knew?

What to wear

2010-10-12T13:28:00.000-07:00

I've been wearing jammies for 2 years. I'm wearing them now. Really.

So when it was brought to my attention that this would not fly at the Shes Connected Conference later this month, I was really struggling with my dusty wardrobe.

So I thought the best solution was to let you, the people, decide.

Click here to dress me.

An ode to the greeting card

2010-10-08T09:52:00.000-07:00

Let me begin by stating that I have kept every greeting card ever given to me. Every. Single. One.

There are so many memories wrapped in each tiny sentiment that I can't bring myself to throw away any of them. My husband thinks I'm crazy, but it's his ancient Valentines that remind me that I do love him and should keep him around. I have them all.

Some are dated.

Others date themselves.

Some are simple.

Others so elaborate they require some form of lamination.

Some are filled with so much love and sentiment that it's practically spilling out.

While others say only what they need to.

I have the manditory everybody-must-sign-it office card.

And the less commonly received I'm-breaking-up-with-you card.
(Classy, I know.)

Some are well kept treasures from loved ones lost.

While others anticipate loved ones yet to arrive.

Many are handmade.

And offer thanks for the strangest things.

The best ones contain hidden treasures inside.

One thing is for certain. No matter where or who they came from, each one is a captured moment in time and each one is treasured.

Special thanks to my mom for saving all my treasures before I had the sense to do it myself.

Paying it Forward

2010-10-07T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, I was so completely overjoyed to have been selected to attend this year's Shes Connected Conference in Toronto. So overjoyed, in fact, that I struggled to fall asleep last night, thinking of all the great people, information, conversations, contacts... oh yeah, and the swag too.

But, I also know what it's like to not go to these events, (Ahem... BlogHer, Blissdom) and have your entire Twitterverse inundated with hashtags created to stab you in the gut and remind you that you are at home. Alone. In your basement. With a quart of chocolate ice cream. Sobbing. Oh, just me? Moving on.

So, with such an opportunity passed my way, I thought it might be nice to pay it forward just a little. This one is for anyone who cannot attend the conference for ANY reason. ie: you are a dude, you live in the Yukon, you have 17 kids and no sitter, you weren't selected among the HUGE pile of entries.

Here's the prize

1 pack of 10 - bird on a tree blank cards

1 pack of 10 - awesome encouragement cards

2 - make a wish birthday cards (keep them handy for emergencies!)

Yeah, I know, it's not an iPad, or fancy shoes. But...

I MAKE CARDS FOR A LIVING!

Here's what you have to do
(each one of these will earn you an entry into the draw)

Send me a tweet, telling me what you love about the Shes Connected networking website. Don't forget to include #shesconnectedconference in your tweet!

Visit cow & the moon's Facebook page and "like" it.
(if you already like it, then you rock, and you earn an entry)

On our Facebook wall, tell me something you had hoped to learn at the Shes Connected Conference. It doesn't have to be super insightful... What colour are Erica Ehm's shoes? What kind of danishes did they serve?

I will try my hardest to be a good ambassador and give an answer to each and every one. Leave your twitter handle at the end, and I may tweet you your answer as I find it!

The contest will close at 11:59EST on October 18th, and a winner will be announced sometime in the afternoon on October 19th.

GOOD LUCK!

Always learning...

2010-10-06T10:35:00.000-07:00

So, I'm new at this. A new entrepreneur. New at marketing myself. New at selling myself. I can market the hell out of other people's stuff, it's what I did for years. But I'll be damned if I can do it for myself. Sort of a "I'm my worst critic" hurdle that I need to jump.

So I'm continually looking for great (inexpensive, cause I'm not made of the stuff) venues to absorb information and surround myself with influential people. People who know what they're doing, or at least can fake it better than myself. People who laugh in the face of adversity. People who take challenges, pop 'em in their mouths and chew them up a bit... but still remain human and nice and civilized. People who I aspire to be.

I found such a venue today via Twitter (aka: my alternate universe). It seems Shes Connected, the social networking site for women, is hosting a conference near the end of the month. It's FREE for those who are selected to attend, and all you have to do is fill out an application. Huh. Awesome. So I did just that. Then I tweeted about it. Then I wrote this blog post. You see, the ladies at Shes Connected are looking for "connected" women to attend their event...duh. I'll admit, I'm not that connected (or at least, not as much as I'd like to be). I'm working on it.

Should I, by some unknown force, be chosen to attend such an event, I will be surrounded not only by 100 of the most connected ladies in the country, but also the likes of Erica Ehm, Maureen Dennis and Donna Marie Antoniadis ... to name a few. All successful women, who I'm certain have oodles of knowledge to pass on to this newbie.

A Girl's Prerogative

2010-10-06T09:46:00.000-07:00

So I've changed my mind. Hey, I'm a girl, it's expected.

Our über-adorable "new boss" cards, which can be found online here, will no longer be accompanied by a white envelope. Instead, these little beauties will be luxuriously hugged by a chocolate envelope. Chocolate by colour, not by content. Though wouldn't that be something. Chocolate envelopes... I'm working on the patent as we speak. Mmmmmm.

cow & the moon is jumping!

2010-09-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

At least that's what they're saying at Greetings Etc., an online source for retailers seeking greetings cards, stationery, and party goods, including memo pads, note pads, giftwarp, packaging bows, stationery paper, party games, party suppliers, and stationery sets.

Check out the mention here!

PHEW!

2010-09-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

You know those times when life just keeps hitting you in the face with curveball after curveball after curveball? Yeah, me too.

So it's been 5 months since I last wrote anything on this blog. I'm still nursing the curveball bruises on my face.

Within those 5 months, many things have happened. Most noteworthy for cow & the moon is the release of some new fabulous product, all printed on 100% recycled paper!

We've also been working extra hard on a new design for our website. And last night, while you all were tucked in your beds, dreaming of pretty paper goodies, we were loading our new site to the world wide web.

Let us know what you think!

Oh Poo! (if I had a million dollars)

2010-03-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

So I slipped on my promise to write a weekly segment displaying the awesomeness of other people's work. Oh POO!

A few days late, but nevertheless awesome... I bring you... paper products made of poo. Elephant poo. Cow poo. Horse poo. Panda poo. In a world becoming more and more conscious of their impact on the earth... these guys are certainly raising the bar. Check out POOPOOPAPER... cause they ROCK MY WORLD!

Photo courtesy of The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company Limited.

If I had a million dollars...

2010-03-02T06:21:00.000-08:00

So here's another installment of "If I had a million dollars". Time for me to stew in scathing jealousy and display other people's awesome work.

Today's awesomeness comes from one of my faves Luscious Verde. Everything that LV puts their stamp on is freaking stunning. But they have one special talent that I've chosen to highlight.

Their custom cutting technology is enough to make you want to host a
I-just-had-to-get-some-Luscious-Verde-invites party!

I envision a team of little paper cutting elves sitting laboriously at their little work stations, crafting each of these beauties by hand. Now, I know this is not how it is done... but let me have my fantasy.

Luscious Verde, you rock my world!

The "i'm sorry" bitty...

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

In yesterday's post I shined a light on one of Vera Wang's gorgeous products. *drool* Today, it's time to shine a light on one of my own. Hey, if I don't pat myself on the back, who will eh?

So I'm focusing on one of my cutest, yet most under-appreciated cards. The "i'm sorry" bitty, is tucked amongst my small collection of itty bittes. Small cards, with big messages, these tiny notes are perfect for slipping into someone's pocket or topping a tiny gift.

Personally, I think the "i'm sorry" bitty should be a staple in any husband or boyfriend's life. Keep them handy, then leave them around the house wherever necessary. Priced at 75¢ each, there's no reason why you should ever remain in the doghouse!

If I had a million dollars...

2010-02-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

So, I'm going to try to begin a recurring weekly post. If I had a million dollars is my way of showcasing some of the FABULOUS paper products that cow & the moon could be producing if budget were not an obstacle. Call it jealousy, call it ambition, call it "damn, I wish I had thought of that".

First on the agenda comes from a little designer named Vera Wang. *Drool*

Alencon lace is a French needlepoint lace in an elegant floral design on a sheer net background. Again, *drool*

Vera, you rock my world.

This and all of Vera Wang's stationery products can be found here.

It's our Birthday!

2010-02-11T04:29:00.000-08:00

Wow, 1 whole year since I began this incredible, terrifying journey. To celebrate, I am giving away a cow & the moon thank you prize pack. This consists of 1 pack of bubbles thank you cards, one pack of birdie thank you cards, one pack each of little dude & little princess thank you notes, and a small handful of itty bitties. AWESOME!

All you have to do is get back onto Twitter and send me a DM that says "MOOOOOOO". Oh wait, you have to be the 32nd person to do so! Why 32? Cause I'll be celebrating another birthday in April #32. Shhhh, I didn't tell you that, ok?

Do e-cards need to e-volve?

2010-02-09T05:41:00.000-08:00

I've been playing with the idea of developing a line of e-cards to my line of products at cow & the moon. It's a great way to drive traffic to my site and build brand recognition. So I posted an online poll to gauge how e-cards are perceived in today's market. Let's just say it didn't quite go viral... as of this post, there are 8 votes. HA!

Not a very accurate measurement from the opinion of the Average Joe.

So I began looking for other polls and surveys on the matter. Fortunately, I didn't have to look very far. One of the folks I follow on Twitter, @CardsDirect, happened to tweet the following that very same morning...

"63% of Americans feel greetings sent via Facebook or Twitter are inappropriate. How do you rate traditional... http://ow.ly/15qVM "

Wow! 63% of Americans think that sending a greeting through Twitter and Facebook is inappropriate. And 19% find it tacky. {Source: Kelton Research} That is a pretty large piece of pie.

So it got me thinking... What happened? Do you remember when e-cards and e-vites first emerged on the scene? Everybody and their grandma was sending these thing for pretty much EVERY occasion. I would open 2 or 3 a week, for birthdays, baby showers, thank you's.... and even as a cute way to say "hey, you're awesome!" I'll admit, I've been guilty of sending a couple of those cheer-up-have-a-great-day-you're-a-good-friend e-cards. Hey, they were quick, easy, cute and novel.

There are still many companies out there who produce great e-cards. Two of my faves are Rubber Chicken Cards & JibJab. Both offer something a little more than your basic e-greeting, and something that you cannot achieve in a printed card. But are they personal? Yes you can write your own message. Yes you can plaster your friends faces on them. But, does the recipient believe that this is a genuine intimate gesture? For all they know, you could have sent this while tweeting about a 50% discount at Walmart or browsing your favourite porn site. It seems that our hypercharged, downloadable society has developed a small conscience when it comes to personal relationships. Maybe this is just the beginning. Maybe people will begin hand-writing letters again. Maybe nobody will ever again feel the sting of getting dumped via text. Maybe life's little distractions can start to diminish and we can start to see the world around us again.

Maybe not.

The Valentine That Never Was

2010-01-28T05:31:00.000-08:00

Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been nearly 4 months since my last blog post. Ugh!

I make cards. This is my business. It is expected that I produce product for the big daddy of all card giving days. So how can it be that a card designer has nothing to show for this coming February 14th? Allow me to tell you a tale.

I began designing a set of classroom Valentines back in November. The über-cuteness was just OOZING from these little things, and they possessed just the appropriate amount of cheese for the occasion.

While endlessly tweaking these beauties to reach the glorious final result, my son came down with the WORST COLD EVER!! Barking, coughing, wheezing. Seven days (and nights) of hell. Have you ever had to administer this to a 1 year old, 4 times a day?

The video fails to tell you that you need a strong and able body to restrain your child while they writhe and squirm and scream bloody murder.

There were also preparations for my little dude's first birthday. With his nickname "bug", it was decided to have an insect themed event.

We were now into December. Crap. Still fiddling with the card designs.

Enter stage left, the big whopping production we like to call Christmas. Hanging Lights. Hanging Decorations. Shopping. Wrapping. Baking. Shopping. Drinking. Lots of drinking. Eating. Finding a tree. Shopping. Visiting Santa. Wrapping. Traveling. Lots of traveling. Writing cards. Mailing cards. Shopping. Drinking.

Where the f#@k did December go? Crap.

Enter stage right, three nights of UNSPEAKABLE pain, one 911 call, and an ambulance escort to the hospital. I thought it was death, but it was only gallstones. Apparently, I had contracted an ailment previously reserved for 53 year old guys named Jim. Painkillers. Surgery. Codeine. Two weeks on my butt.

Where the f#@k did January go? Crap. Crap!

So I was no longer in a position to offer my adorable little cards to my loyal retailers. I had missed that train. What to do, what to do.

The plan: Prepare packs of Valentines and mail them as gifts to my loyal retailers, to be used in any way they saw fit. Genius! Maintain a great relationship with my stationers, while offering new product at the best price... FREE!

With not a moment to spare. I sat down with a cup of tea and all the necessities to package my Valentines. It was then that I noticed. The reverse side. Was. Up. Side. Down.

Crap.

If I wasn't my own boss, I would have fired my ass a long time ago.

Stay tuned for great new products coming from cow & the moon!

A letter to summer...

2009-10-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

Summer, my dearest friend, why have you forsaken me? We used to play, we used to laugh, we used to enjoy each other's company. I brought you a new friend this year. It was his first time meeting you, and his excitement was indescribable.

We waited for what seemed like ages for you to arrive. You popped your head in, for only a couple of minutes, then turned your back and walked away. We mourned your absence. We cried for the cold damp days you left in your wake. Summer, will you be back? We miss you already. Maybe we can come visit you in some far away land like Brazil... but I don't speak portuguese. Maybe Australia...

Waiting is the hardest part...

2009-09-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

So I had to do it. After surviving nearly 7 years with my phenomenal iBook G4, I had to order myself a new computer. YAY! My poor little laptop has been to hell and back, constantly working, chugging, smoking, hacking (not hacking, like into corporate files or anything! EEK! Just making all kinds of funny noises) and I should have put her out of her misery long ago. But we had a relationship, a bond that went way beyond what a computer and user should have. We laughed together, we cried together, we ate pizza together. Ok, maybe it was just me doing all those things, but I did them all in front of my glorious 14" screen. What a machine.

It occurred to me while I was doing some client work (for my other company on the moon creative group), that I only had 600Mb left on my hard drive, and the file I was about to collect and save was 546Mb. Ouch! Also when I was tweeting, I would type, and Twitter would take another 45 seconds to catch up with me. Yep. I was time.

This is my new machine. 24 inches of pure Apple delight. It will arrive, hopefully, today. I say hopefully, because I have 3 projects on the go right now, that I don't want to start. I can't put my little laptop through any more pain. Hence the totally obscure blog post.

Waiting....waiting....waiting....

Please lotto gods, mamma needs a new pair of shoes, a night nurse and a house by the lake!

2009-09-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

I have a prayer board. It lives in my kitchen. I write to various Gods. Rain Gods, "please let it be sunny this weekend". Car Gods, "please let my transmission last through this trip to my parent's". Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Gods, "please give me the will power to not eat this entire tub of oooey gooey caramel fudge".

None of the Gods gets as much face time as the Lotto Gods. There are many. 649 God, Super 7 God, Bingo God, Keno God... the list goes on. It's strange how one tiny piece of paper can inject such passion and hope into one person. I'm not a big sports fan, but if I have a little ProLine ticket in my hand, suddenly I'm praying to both the Lotto Gods and the Hockey Gods like a crazed Catholic on Good Friday.

One tiny piece of paper has the power to change your life instantly. A change so epic that there are some who wish it never happened, that the Lotto Gods never smiled upon them and they could go back to their mundane lives. That would not be me. I would give the Lotto Gods the respect and appreciation they deserve, every day that I am on this earth. You listening Lotto Gods? They're never listening. I'm sure they get a lot of traffic.

This cow's Twitter Rules

2009-09-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

I used to be happily living under my little rock. It was located in an office, in a fancy building with a weekly pay cheque, lunch breaks and medical benefits. Ahhhh that beautiful little rock. So when I decided that I would quit my job, stay at home, raise my son and still bring in a modest income, that little rock could no longer be my shelter. It became necessary for my very survival to explore this world of online social networking. And what a world! I've had to flip my entire marketing background on it's head and explore from the toes down. In just a very short time, I've been able to compile a list of 12 Twitter rules that I try to embody. I'm not asking you to follow these rules. I'm not asking you to like these rules. I'm not even asking you to read them... but you're already here, so why not.

Rule #12: Never tweet anything you'd be embarrassed to show your mom!

Like anything in the digital world, NOTHING is lost. You might think you've deleted a file from your hard-drive, but lurking in the deepest, darkest corners...it still lives. All it takes is some freak-of-nature-techno-nerd to pull it out. So when you're online tweeting about your drive down to Vegas, picking up that hitchiker, and dumping him in the middle of the dessert while carrying a pound and a half of pot, and drinking whiskey the whole way, and somehow losing ALL 5 packed pairs of underpants, oh except for the pair that you turned into a hat, and losing $17,000 in a game of craps with a one-legged, one-eyed man named Wink. Yeah, that stuff is out there. For all the world to see. Including your mom. Your husband. Your minister (yep, they tweet too). Your potential client. Your potential boss. Bottom line, think before you tweet.

Rule #11: Alcohol and tweets don't mix!

Much like the drunken 3am call to your ex, drunken tweeting is NEVER a good idea. You might think everything you type is packed full of charm, wit and charisma. The reality, you are a slurring, blithering slob. Just like the drunken 3am call to your ex, you wake up thinking "dear god, I am such an ass!"... that's assuming you remember what you did. But like I said in rule #12, it's out there. For the world to see. Sure you can retract your tweets, but the way I see it, once you hit "update", it's all over.

Rule #10: Family first, twitter second.

It's so easy to get wrapped up in social networking. All these new people. All these new personalities. And you don't even have to get out of your pajamas! What a great age we are in! But I cannot stress enough, Twitter will never replace HUMAN contact. Sure, Twitter will laugh at your jokes, share a glass of vino with you, offer some moral support here and there. But when it really. really matters, Twitter will not be there to offer a hug. Twitter will not bail you out of prison. Twitter will not give you 10 g's to make that down payment. Twitter will NEVER love you as much as you love Twitter. Family first. Twitter second.

Rule #9: When you wake up to pee at 2am, it is not ok to check your twitter page.

Now, as @chickswithkidz so cleverly pointed out, I actually broke this rule by tweeting this rule at 2am, after a visit to the loo. Hey, I'm not perfect, like I said I "try" to embody these rules. It is so tempting, as you pass by your laptop in the middle of the night, glimmering ever so seductively in the pale moonlight, the slight hummmmm of the fan motor inside. But take it from one who knows, there is NOTHING interesting or enlightening going on at 2am. You know why? Because everyone interesting and enlightening is asleep! Do your business. Go back to bed.

Rule #8: Don't un-follow someone cause they haven't said something blissfully insightful recently... a gem could be near.

I often find that if I'm away from my computer for a day, maybe spending the day with my wonderful hubby and beautiful son, 2 or 3 of my followers drop off. My sincere apologies if I wasn't able to grab your attention every 5 minutes of every day. But I have made my choice as stated in rule 10, family first. Just when you think that somebody you are following is a complete dead fish, KABOOM! I relate this behaviour to hanging up the phone on your grandmother, because she's giving you a play by play of her last bridge game. Do that, and you're going to hell. I think it was the 11th commandment... thou shalt not dis granny.

Rule #7: Tweets and beaches don't mix, you'll get sand in more than just your butt.

This rule really applies to ALL electronics. I've used waterproof cd player cases, rubber skins, ziplock bags, sheer un-distracted caution. There is nothing you can do to avoid it, sand WILL find it's way into your electronic devices. I am still cleaning sand out of my iPod from a trip to Mexico taken 2 years ago.

Rule #6: Tweet for love, not money.

This is a very hot topic in the world of social networking. When it comes to blogging, tweeting, facebooking etc. there are 2 very distinct sides. Those who feel they should be getting paid, and those who don't. If your blog is your primary source of income, certainly splatter it with ads. Hell, I have ads on my blog too...really...scroll up and see, I'll wait.

See? But when it comes to tweeting, I don't agree with paid tweets. @cowandthemoonco is a representation of my business cow & the moon paper co. A business that I run with integrity and honesty. If my cute little cow logo is seen as some cyber equivalent to the (eek) telemarketer, I might as well pack up shop and find a real job. For those who are on the other side of the fence, I appreciate your point of view, but with me as a consumer, you'll get nowhere.

Rule #5: Nobody really cares what you had for dinner last night... but sometimes, it's ok to share.

Nobody cares that you're wiping your son's snotty nose. Nobody cares that you're drinking a double latte, no whip. Nobody cares that you're waiting for your car to have it's oil changed. So why is Twitter filled with this junk? Because it shows that we are all human! We're not just twittering robots designed to spew out useful or non-useful facts. Once in a while it's perfectly ok to toss out something totally obscure.

Rule #4: Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

It is very easy to be caught up in your *ahem* work. Tweeting is exhausting. It is important to keep yourself well fed and hydrated. Personally, I keep a sports bottle beside me every time I sit down at my desk. More often than not, a quick stop over to check my email, turns into a 4 hour love affair with Mr. Dotcom...what a stud! So keep your strength up!

Rule #3: share the wealth... of knowledge.

This one's easy. Retweet. If you see something you like, retweet. Share it. That's what we're all here for right? Gaining knowlege, gaining contacts. But don't fall into retweet robot-dom. Read and appreciate what you're sending out, it is a reflection on your taste after all.

Rule #2: If you’re thinking of setting up a twitter account named xhgrdbsaellts so you can tote your x-rated wares… don’t… you worthless pimples on the butt of the universe.

WTF! Why does ANYONE on this planet think that a mom of 3 living in Anytown, USA wants to see pictures of "Britney Spears" getting her jollies. I'm not a prude by any means, but at 9am, in my slippers, coffee in hand, checking my twitter page. THIS IS NOT THE TIME OR PLACE FOR PORN! Even if I did want to take a little swim over to the dark side, I'm sure there's much better stuff out there than Twitter smut.

Rule #1: Respect Twitter. Love Twitter. Enjoy Twitter.

Phew, we made it to the end. My number one rule really is an all encompassing peanut butter and jelly sandwich of all the other rules. Basically, if respect Twitter for what it is, if you love Twitter and what it can do for you, if you enjoy Twitter as a social tool and not a way of life, you'll be just fine.

Planning a simple wedding? Opt for handmade, not homemade.

2009-09-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

I LOVE big weddings! I love big gorgeous gowns, and tuxedos, and ring bearers, and beautiful chapels adorned with stained glass. I love huge feasts and dancing till dawn. I've been to them all... countless European weddings with midnight seafood buffets, after the 6 course meal... Indian weddings where the groom is carried in by a white horse, and the bride has 5 different outfits... I've even seen a white tiger brought in simply for the photo opp.

I LOVE big weddings!

But, when it came to planning my own big day 3 years ago, I wanted to be as far away from extravagant as possible. By husband and I are casual people, and really don't like being in the spotlight for too long. Our idea of the perfect celebration was a great BBQ in our backyard with 100 of our closest family and friends.

The day began with immediate family gathering at city hall. My hubby all polished up with a manicure and a brand new suit. And me in my vintage 1950's cocktail dress that I found on e-bay and had to eat cucumbers for 2 weeks just to get my waist into it (people were very small in the 50's). Yep, we cleaned up pretty nice!

From there, it was back to our yard, where a catered BBQ was waiting for us, with steak and potato salad, and LOTS of booze. I had programmed my iTunes to play songs by Miles Davis and Stan Getz to bring some element of class to the yard. And with the weather in complete co-operation, it was the perfect day and the perfect wedding.

Although I wanted a simple wedding, I still wanted my invitations to make a huge impact. Just because it was a BBQ wedding, didn't mean it should be any less memorable. After all this was the biggest day of my life.

So I got to work, and boy was it work! I hand cut teeny tiny spatulas and BBQ forks out of silver paper, glued to long brown handles made to look like wood. These were carefully tied together with teeny tiny rope and the rope was split pinned to the front of each card. Did I mention they were teeny tiny! Hours and hours and hours of work, but the end result was worth it!

This brings me, finally, to the topic of this post. First let me clarify the difference between handmade and homemade. Handmade: carefully crafted, designed, assembled. Homemade: printed on a sheet of paper with your Epson inkjet.

Even the simplest of weddings should make a statement with the right invite. Your local craft shop does offer really pretty blank invites, that are easy to do and affordable. But is that something you really want to put in your keepsake box? For just a few extra dollars, you can craft something really special. If you're not the crafty type, hire someone to do it for you. A simple wedding doesn't mean impersonal invites. cow & the moon paper co. specializes in unique wedding invites that are simple, classy and still affordable.

Big wedding... small wedding... 12 people in a chapel in Vegas... whatever your preference, this is the biggest day of your life. Announce it with the same importance as the day itself.

How to say thanks on a budget!

2009-08-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

Say someone did something really nice for you. I'm not talking fed-your-cat-while-you-were-in-Florida nice. I mean give-you-a-kidney or pull-you-from-a-burning-building kind of nice. How does one say thank you to that? In better economic times, you could do something thoughtful, like buy them a Mazda or a 42" Plasma. But times are tough, not too many of us can justify maxing out our credit cards for a life saving deed.

Here are a few ways I've come up with to say thanks in a slow economy...

1. Name your first born after the person. This is a great, inexpensive way to show your indescribable gratitude. Just think of how humbled your personal hero would be when "little Bobby" spits up all over their matching monogrammed t-shirts!

2. Ask your local cheerleading squad to perform on their front lawn. Cheerleaders are great! They're always perky, always loud, and always looking for an audience! GO BLUE, GO WHITE, GO, GO, GO BOBBY! Who doesn't love a cheerleader?

3. A mixed tape! As mentioned in my previous post, EVERYONE LOVES A MIXED TAPE! It is probably one of the least expensive ways to tell someone how you feel. Suggested songs: "You are so beautiful to me" – Joe Cocker, "You were always on my mind" – Willie Nelson, "Mandy" – Barry Manilow, "You've got a friend" – James Taylor. I've got a million of them!

4. Cookies. When baked in mass quantities, cookies are relatively inexpensive to make. Just stay away from anything with chocolate chips or any variety of nut... those things are budget busters! Just a humble sugar cookie, or even oatmeal will do. Be sure to say "I made these just for you", it doesn't seem sincere unless these words are uttered at least 4 times.

5. It may sound insufficient for a truly heroic act, but what people appreciate the most is honest appreciation written down on some sort of paper product. I think it's so they can show it off to all their friends, or read it over and over and over again. It's pretty selfish actually. "Hey, I am the nicest most generous person alive... look, it says so right here!" But whatever, let them have their little badge of honour. What harm can it do? You could make your card, which I reccommend only if you are the creative type. As much as no one will ever admit it, NOBODY wants a crappy ass card you typed up in Microsoft Word and printed on your inkjet. If you haven't a crafty fibre in your being, leave it to the professionals. For a couple of bucks, you have all the space in the world to write your feelings, appreciations or any other expressions you feel worthy of a life altering deed. For example (here comes the shameless plug, put on your glasses folks) http://www.cowandthemoon.ca/shop/thanks/CM09014.html

So however you decide to express your unconditional lifelong gratitude, be sure it comes from the heart. Your heart, not the one donated by your hero... that would be kind of futile.

What ever happened to the mixed tape?!

2009-08-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Remember when your crush would hand you a mixed tape? A collection of songs carefully hand picked and compiled as a reflection of your relationship. Each lyric it contained was a personal sonnet just for you. Remember the butterflies it would send through your entire body, just to slide it into the tape deck? Remember how pissed you were when your sister would tape Corey Heart songs from the radio over it, because she couldn't find a blank! And how you vowed to cut off all her hair when she was asleep! Oh... was that just me?

Ahhhh... the mixed tape. This simple token of pure love can be classed with the likes of rose bouquets and boxed chocolates. Except this was more. You'd just imagine how much time and care it took to scribble the song names and artists on the lines of the provided card insert. How you would smell the folded card in hopes of catching a slight scent of your one true love. You'd stare at each hand-written letter for hours, wondering if they held some secret meaning. Some private message, asking you to run away to a tropical island to live off of coconuts and sell grass skirts to the tourists. Again, just me?

I wonder, with the advent of MP3s and digital downloads, how do the teens of today give the gift of music to that special someone? Do they send the newest Kanye track via their smart phones with a text that reads, "hey shorty, check out this bucc track"? (pardon my obvious post 30 bastardization of the lingo.) Or do they compile something onto a USB drive and hand it over; "hey I need that stick back when you're done, it's got my history essay on it". Hardly romantic! There is clearly something missing from the courting rituals of our youth, and I think it's the lack of something to hold onto. Something to stuff under your pillow while you dream about them. Something to burn in effigy once they break your heart. How can they pull out old love notes
30 years from now to show to their own children, when a love note consists of "i luv u" on a cheaply made Motorola.

If there are any young adults reading this, please, enlighten me! How is it done? And does a song like Akon's "Smack That" do it for you? God, how did I get so out of touch!?

I have my iPod, with more songs loaded than I could listen to in a lifetime. I have an iPod shuffle, just for those times when I feel like being surprised! I have my 2 docking stations, one carefully set up to fill the backyard with sound while I'm picking weeds. I love the direction that the music industry has taken. Songs are now purchased individually, which means an artist won't survive unless EVERY track on the album is worth listening to. But I miss the romance behind the mixed tape. I miss the clickety clack sound it would make when turning sides. Maybe it's just the youth I miss. Maybe it's the excitement of first kisses and house parties. The super awesome body, even though we lived on Cheetos, Mountain Dew and curly fries. Maybe I miss the Friday night acne breakouts, or the constant worry that someone is talking behind your back. The horrible breakups and boyfriends moving on to your best friend. Maybe I miss times when it seemed like everything that happened was RUINING MY LIFE!

Nope. I miss the mixed tape.

Texts, tweets and the kids on the streets!

2009-08-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

To begin, I am not an anti-technology activist.

In fact, my chosen profession requires me to be in front of a screen for most of the day. I have a facebook page (cow & the moon paper co.). I have a Twitter account (cowandthemoonco). I speak HTML. I Google. I Wiki. My keyboard is an extension of my fingertips. I often resort to the "command z" safety net when I make a mistake in real life, only to realize that I cannot "undo" the actions performed in my kitchen. Although I have survived my 31 years without a BlackBerry or iPhone, I know it is an inevitability... one that is currently tapping me on the shoulder.

What I am is a moderately competent woman, trying to maintain a zen-like balance between e-life and real life. I love the little "blip" that my iBook so discreetly voices every time I get an email, and the slight buzz my phone gives off when someone has sent me a text. But nothing gives me greater pleasure than going out to my mailbox in my slippers and jammies, only to discover a tiny white envelope with my name and address carefully hand written on the front. It takes much greater effort to mail a letter, card or invitation than to write an email, text or evite. More importantly, the reaction it evokes in my soul FAR exceeds any feeling I get from digital messaging. It's a little taste of Christmas, birthdays, weddings, and first dates all sealed up in one tiny piece of cleverly folded paper. A small reminder that somebody out there loves me, and has shown it by getting off their butt and walking it all the way to the post box. Now that's love!

I fear that our younger generations (my son included) will never truly experience that feeling. Thankfully, the little "J-Man" has his grandmother to mail him Easter cards, Valentines cards, St. Patty's Day cards... The kid is 8 months old and gets more mail from his Gran than I do! The question is, will I carry on that tradition with the passion and diligence my mother possesses? I hope so.

My nieces and nephews are reaching the age where they are rarely seen without some sort of device in hand. While I do appreciate the extreme importance of knowing what Rachel is doing after her soccer game, I am a firm believer that it can wait until after the wedding celebrations are over. I am reminded of the über-cute Disney movie, Wall-E, where the human race has evolved into a plump (albeit, adorable) self-centralized society. With a total dependency on their freakish techno-scooters, they are constantly pumped with information, adverts and non-human interaction. As I watch my niece with her nose stuck in her PDA at our formal dinner table, I realize we're not too far from the reaches of Disney/Pixar's imagination.

Will our written language be something taught in history classes, like Sanskrit or Egyptian hieroglyphs? I am by no means an English major, but the advent of text abbreviations has given birth to a generation of future leaders who have no idea how to spell "thanks" or "night". I am not against LOLs, emoticons and hashtags; they are all very relevant and convenient additions to our super-charged society. But when I see the following update posted on facebook...

im gana try 2 be their 4 shure! *lol* u shuer hes got every buddys # c u their n thanxs 4 teh pic! :)!

...one cannot help but pray for our future.

So, while I whole-heartedly embrace digital e-volution, I try to visualize how my great-grand children will write thank you notes, or invite their loved ones to momentous events. Are we slowly moving toward a non tangible existence? If so, should we fight it, or encourage it?