And the Winners Are...

A big thank you to everyone who filled out our online survey.  Your input will help Boatman Geller develop products that you want!  Congratulations to Chloe and ProjectHope7...our two winners from our final Giveaway of 2009.  Chloe and ProjectHope7 please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com and let us know which color Notetote and which refill pack you'd like as well as your shipping information.

In the Creative Department, we often talk about the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole that the internet is.  A click here, a blog there and you never know where you will end up! We are amazed at the wonderful websites and blogs we happen upon and we are going to start sharing them here.  Some of these you may be familiar with and maybe we will surprise you with some too!

During the process of designing new moving announcements I stumbled across this blog (google search "house"!) How have I existed without this fabulous blog for so long?! I have just started exploring Julia's blog, hookedonhouses.net and can't wait to have more time to look through the images. Love the the movie houses (like everyone else I am obsessed with the house from Something's Gotta Give) and I think the MLS photos are a great laugh. Enjoy!!

Alice in Wonderland image copyright Disney

And the Winner is...and our Final Giveaway is...

Boatman Geller is excited to announce the winner of our fifth weekly giveaway...all eligible entries were put into a basket (actually a kitchen bowl - posting this one from home!) and the lucky winner of your surprise bundle of products from your favorite style group is Sarah6590! What is fun about Sarah6590 being picked (by our 3 year old Charlotte) is that the group that she voted for, Group 3, was the winner by a single vote!

Sarah6590, please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com to process your order!

Thank you to everyone that commented...

And now for the final Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

FINAL GIVEAWAY

(comments due Monday, December 28th, midnight EST)

A carrie and tuck™ note tote and your pick of a refill pack! A great way to start the New Year organized and on top of your thank you notes and letter writing!

Your Comment -
In order to be eligible for this drawing, please take a minute to fill out this product development survey. After you have completed the survey, please post a comment here that you have taken the survey. For those of you who have already completed the survey please post your name so you will be entered in our drawing.

Because this is a really great way for us to better understand what new products you would like to see us produce we want to entice you to take the survey with a great chance for winning - we will be drawing a winner for every 10 entries!

Thank you and remember to post your name once you have completed the survey!

And the Winner is...and Giveaway # 5 is...

Boatman Geller is excited to announce the winner of our fourth weekly giveaway...all eligible entries were put into a basket and the lucky winner of 4 sets of luggage tags is College Prepster! Her favorite spot, Seaside, Florida has been on my list of must-sees for a while now - I can't wait to check it out! College Prepster, please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com to process your order!

Thank you to everyone that commented...

And now for the next Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays...each week until 2010, Boatman Geller will be giving away a "treat" to one lucky blog reader! Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

GIVEAWAY # 5

(comments due Monday, December 21st, midnight EST)

A surprise bundle of products from one of the

Groups listed below:

GROUP 1

GROUP 2

GROUP 3

GROUP 4

GROUP 5

GROUP 6

Your Comment - In order to be eligible for this drawing, please tell us which of these Groups represents your style the most.  (If you are the lucky winner, your winnings will come from this Group!)

Good Luck!

And the Winner is...and Giveaway # 4 is...

Boatman Geller is excited to announce the winner of our third weekly giveaway...all eligible entries were put into an envelope box and the lucky winner of a set of wine tags is Hillcrest Acres! Your love of a big Pepsi with lots of ice hit home with Becky - while I will take the wine any day! Hillcrest Acres, please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com to process your order!

Thank you to everyone that commented...

And now for the next Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays...each week until 2010, Boatman Geller will be giving away a "treat" to one lucky blog reader! Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

GIVEAWAY # 4

(comments due Monday, December 14th, midnight EST)

4 packages of Luggage Tags - designs of your choice!

Click here to view our Luggage Tag Collection 

Our high quality Luggage Tags make great stocking stuffers
and look adorable tied on top of a package!
Set of 2 tags per package

Your Comment -
In order to be eligible for this drawing, please tell us your favorite vacation desitination(s).
Mine is definitely Nantucket - any time of year!

Good Luck!

And the Winner is...and Giveaway # 3 is...

Boatman Geller is excited to announce the winner of our second weekly giveaway...all eligible entries were put into a hat and the lucky winner of a personalized melamine plate is amanda d'urso! We appreciate Amanda's honesty when she said she prefered every day patterns - thankfully, we have plenty to choose from!  Amanda, please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com to process your order!

Thank you to everyone that commented...

And now for the next Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays...each week until 2010, Boatman Geller will be giving away a "treat" to one lucky blog reader! Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

GIVEAWAY # 3

(comments due Monday, December 7th, midnight EST)

set of 8 personalized wine tags - design of your choice!

Click here to view our Wine Tag Collection

Your Comment - in order to be eligible for this drawing, please tell us what your favorite wine is...not a wine drinker, tell us what your favorite beverage is!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving from The Geller Family and everyone at Boatman Geller!

I am thankful for many things - one is the wonderful artwork of Charles Harper!

Illustration Charles Harper from Betty Crocker's Dinner for Two Cook Book © 1958

And some Thanksgiving Pictures from some aspiring artists!

"Happy Thanksgiving" Isabelle Geller, 10

"Macy's Parade" Anna Geller, 8

"Mermaid" Charlotte Geller, 3 (nothing says Thanksgiving like a mermaid!)

Cheers!

And the Winner is... and Giveaway # 2 is...

A big congratulations to BroncoMom, winner of our first weekly giveaway!  She has won an acrylic notepad holder filled with personalized note sheets.  BroncoMom, please contact Boatman Geller at becky@boatmangeller.com to process your order!

BroncoMom suggested a navy toile with gingham border for a notepad design. Our authentic toile pattern was what launched BG in the marketplace in 2002.

Above is an image of our original navy toile foldover note. I have shied away from using toile on the notepads since the border is so thin not much of the pattern would show... will have to re-think the layout! Big thanks to all of you who commented - such wonderful ideas!

And now for the next Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays...each week until 2010, Boatman Geller will be giving away a "treat" to one lucky blog reader! Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

GIVEAWAY # 2

(comments due Monday, November 30th, midnight EST)

personalized melamine plate! 

Click here to view our Plate Collection

Your Comment  - in order to be eligible for this drawing, please tell us how likely you are to purchase a personalized plate with specific holiday designs (Halloween, Easter, Fourth of July etc).

Good Luck and check back for next week's giveaway!

Inspiration Friday on a Monday

Here is a little Friday Inspiration on Monday! Since Greg and I are hosting Thanksgiving Dinner this year it's time to pull out my grandmother Mimi's silver and teach my kids how to polish! I was so inspired by the delicate pattern on the flatware and in particular love my grandmother's monogram! I think it would make a lovely monogram style for paper goods and as soon as I have a bit of free time, I will be comping it and I will post for you to see! (note to self... see if the monogram style is copyrighted by the silversmith before offering to our customers!)

Will you be using any family heirlooms to set  your table this Thanksgiving? Send us a photo, we would love to share it.

Also - don't forget that it's not too late to enter our first Giveaway (an acrylic holder with personalized note sheets) Comments must be posted by midnight EST time tonight.  All you need to do to enter is post a comment on what design(s) you'd like to see in a notepad.  The random winner will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday) in our blog and we will also announce our next Giveaway! - Please see original Giveaway Blog for "rules"...

Boatman Geller Giveaway!

Countdown to 2010 Giveaway!

Just in time for the holidays...each week until 2010, Boatman Geller will be giving away a "treat" to one lucky blog reader! Comments/Entries must be posted on our blog (not facebook or twitter) by midnight EST each Monday and the winners will be announced each Tuesday in our blog. 

Here's the scoop...

* you may enter only once each week
* you must enter an appropriate comment, posted in the "comments" section to qualify (see below)
* winners will be announced through our blog and it will then be the winners responsibility to contact Boatman Geller

GIVEAWAY # 1

(comments due Monday, November 23rd, midnight EST)

one set of personalized note sheets in acrylic holder

your choice of design and personalization! 

Click here to view our Note Pad Collection

Your Comment  - in order to be eligible for this drawing, please tell us what design(s) you'd like to see in our notepad collection.

Good Luck and check back for next week's giveaway!

As Seen On - Boatman Geller and Carrie & Tuck on TV!

Boatman Geller's Carrie and Tuck ™ Notetote, stationery, luggage tags and melamine plates were featured on ABC's "Good Morning Connecticut".  An enormous thanks to Rachel Florio at the Goody Shop in Westport, CT for including us in her Holiday Shopping feature!

 

Inspiration Friday

I am always inspired on Fridays - I think it goes back to the school week! Now with kids, it's so nice to sleep in on the weekends! Because of school schedules, Friday is also my only full day at the office so it seems like a good time to post a blog. Each week I will be sharing with you the things that inspire me.

Earlier this week I was sorting through and old box filled with mementos of my life in NYC post college. I lived in the city just over 6 years and I was fortunate enough to work in the Creative Department at Elizabeth Arden Corporate the whole time. I will be forever grateful to everyone in that department that gave me so many wonderful opportunities!

I have always been inspired by illustrations and I found this envelope filled with little cut outs that I had saved. These are over 15 years old (yikes!) and I still love them. I hope you find them inspiring!

Jane

Thanksgiving Invites

Even though our family has never used Thanksgiving Invitations I thought it would be fun to pull some together! It can be an amusing challenge to go through our Everyday Personalization Catalogs and see what designs would work for certain holidays. Most of Boatman Geller's designs are created so that they can be used for any number of events or occasions. These are my favorites to bring about a Thanksgiving feel!

Seeing all these rich fall colors has inspired me to print up some Thanksgiving Invitations this year - our kids will get such a kick out of a mailed invite to Thanksgiving dinner at home! Greg's parents will be here from Seattle so we will have a full house - and lots of Greek cooking!

What are  your plans for Thanksgiving this year?

Designs top to bottom
Classic Floral Brown: #19419
Custom Collection: Lattice Mocha and Chocolate: #364+P10+A14
Geo Pattern Pink: #19415
Silo Brown: #18438

Last Minute Halloween Costume!

Looking for a last minute and cute costume? Nancy Drew is the answer! If you can still pull off an above the knee plaid skirt, this costume is for you! It's quick, easy and you probably have everything in your closet. Its great for kids and adults! 

- Solid colored flats (penny loafers if you have them!)
- Bobby socks or tights
- Plaid skirt
- Simple classic shirt, button down or polo
- Solid color cardigan sweater
- Headband
- Magnifying glass, Composition notebook and a Flashlight

Even if you don't have all of the above, you can still make it work.  To test my theory on how simple and easy this is, I dressed our youngest up this morning. Charlotte loved being Nancy Drew!  We opted for tights over bobby socks and as you can see in the photos she refused to wear shoes - we'll have to work on that for trick-or-treating!  She wore a polo style shirt instead of a button down and then all she needed were the "accessories"! While I slightly cringed at pairing the black cardigan with a  pink, green and chocolate brown skirt, I got over it - I had to remind myself it is a costume! She loved the magnifying glass and flashlight... after all, how can you look for clues without them!

If you happen to go as Nancy - or encounter a Nancy over the weekend - please send us a picture!!

Happy Halloween!

Carrie and Tuck Notetote Savings!

It's time to start holiday shopping and Boatman Geller has a great deal for you!  Along with our friends at momAgenda, we are offering you 50% off our Carrie and Tuck Notetotes! The notetotes retail for $39 which makes them $19.50 during this promotion!

This offer is valid through midnight EST on Monday, October 26th. To place an order, visit BoatmanGeller.com and enter Goodies Pass CTMA50 when you check out. Your choice of bright pink, kelly green, classic navy or chocolate brown (see photo below)...each Notetote comes filled with:

5 foldover notes and 5 envelopes
5 correspondence cards and 5 envelopes
25 padded letter sheets and 5 envelopes
6" x 9" clipboard
address sheet
writing pen

An Inside Look...

We thought it might be fun to show you some shots from around the Boatman Geller offices...kind of a "behind the scenes" look!


We love it when our melamine plates arrive! I always see something I want to order for myself...


Our stacks of personalized notepads before they are put through the padding machine. This is a great time of year for our notepads whether you have them personalized or just buy them plain. Not only are they fun to have on hand, they make fabulous hostess and teacher gifts as well as great stocking stuffers!

With our Holiday Designs done we have turned our attention to putting the finishing touches on updating our website so stay tuned... (finally, no more summer camp and graduation promos!)

We are also excited to resume our enewsletters to our fabulous customers. Make sure to sign up for our e-newsletter - we have one going out soon with a special offer for you!

Becky's thoughts on Fall...

* Becky Boatman Volk is Jane's sister and works with Jane in the Creative Department on New Product Development

I love fall...the leaves changing colors and the days getting cooler - Ok...I'm lying! I do love the leaves changing colors and the opportunity to wear jean jackets and sweaters but, fall means just one thing to me...winter is right around the corner! I know I should like fall - other people do. My birthday is in the fall, I always wanted a fall wedding (August was as close as I got) and I love football...I just hate being cold! Right now, sitting in the office writing this, I am cold and I can't warm up - even a Starbucks Vanilla Steamer hasn't helped! It is now officially "sweater weather" so here are some of my favorites for this season...
* This cardigan from Vineyard Vines is one of my favorites - it's perfect for running around during the day and cross country meets in the afternoon!

* This is another one of my "must-haves" from J. Crew - I love the fitted style!


* Finally, how cute is this poncho from J. McLaughlin!? I think I'll wear it to the school bonfire Friday night!

I hope this has given you some ideas for staying fashionably cozy as the days get shorter and cooler. Let me know what sweaters are keeping you warm this fall - Until next time...stay warm!

Becky

Halloween Melamine Plates!

Set your table in style this Halloween with our custom design options in our Plate Catalog. Mix and match seasonal colors and patterns for the perfect design. For our Halloween inspired plates we've used our Awning Stripe our Cameron Pattern both in tangerine and midnight for a fun and festive look!

We are adding viewable catalog flip books to our website soon - you all can be the first to give it a try - view our Plate Catalog. Let us know what you think!


In order to receive your plates by Friday, October 30th, orders must be received from our retailers by Monday, October 19th! The plates are available through our Everyday Personalization Program retailers.

top: 389+P15+A06 - awning stripe in tangerine, accent color midnight
bottom: 439+P15+A06 - cameron in tangerine, accent color midnight

Halloween Invitations

How fun to have a Saturday Night Halloween this year!

Create a one of a kind invitation from our Custom Catalog available through our Everyday Personalization Program retailers. These simple graphic invites are sure to please, and a big thanks to Elaine at BG for some spooktacular wording!


top: skull and cross bones in midnight, border tangerine
middle: chain link in midnight, accent color tangerine
bottom: polka dot in tangerine, accent color midnight

Crests

Did your school have a crest? I always wished I'd gone to a school with a cool crest, darn it! I guess you could say I've been crest-obsessed for a while now. Peter Beaton on Nantucket, peterbeaton.com, has a crest that I adore! Thus inspired, I decided it was time for Boatman Geller to create our own collection of crests.
You can see by my sketches where it all began - the hard part was narrowing it down! In the end, we created 5 crests in our Everyday Collection - golf, lacrosse, tennis, lobster and princess that are available as flat cards or foldovers.We also have 2 more crests that we created for Holiday as digital photocards! Check them out and since the options are limitless, let us know what kind of crest you'd like to see or how to use the current ones - notepads, plates, luggage tags, winetags - we're open to ideas!

Inspired by 101 Dalmations

Backgrounds from animated movies are one of my favorite sources of creative inspiration. I adore the look and feel of Disney's 101 Dalmations released in 1961. The color palette and illustration style are amazing - so satisfying to watch the special features on the newest DVD and to learn about the process.

I stumbled upon this blog dedicated to animation backgrounds, and while I was disappointed to see that the author, Rob Richards, was no longer posting, his blog is a treasure chest of visual inspiration! Check out all of his posted 101 Dalmation backgrounds here!

I am inspired to don a pair of wellies and jet off to London!

Jane