Fun New Year's Traditions!

Ever since our friend Yabelin shared with us some of the New Year’s Traditions from Panama, I have been intrigued with fun ways to ring in the New Year! I collected these ideas for our family and thought you might enjoy them and try out a few yourself tonight. Note! I found most of this on the internet so I cannot guarantee their accuracy! If you have more information on these traditions or have some of your own we would love to hear them!

I'm off to try to find some yellow underwear!

New Years Kiss

Kissing at midnight - Kiss a loved one at the stroke of midnight to ensure continued affections throughout the year!

Pots and Pans

Banging pots and pans - The belief was that loud noisemaking as the New Year arrived would scare away evil spirits!

Doors 

Fling open all the doors in your home at midnight to release last year's misfortunes and let good fortune inside for the New Year!

Around the World
Babylonians celebrated the New Year as early as 4,000 BC and a common tradition was to return borrowed farm equipment. (Check your garage everyone!) 

Central and South America

Underwear - Wear red underwear for more love in the New Year, yellow for more money!

Central America and Mexico

Travel - Walk around the block (or outside your home) with a suitcase to bring travel into your New Year!

Philippines

Polka Dots - Wear polka dots and eat round fruit at midnight to ensure a prosperous New Year (the dots signify coins and wealth)!

Spain

Grapes - There are lots of variations on the grape tradition from Spain. What I found was -

1. Wolfing down handfuls of grapes as the clock strikes midnight for a prosperous New Year

2. Eat 12 grapes, one for each chime of midnight, and make a wish with each grape!

3. Eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight which signify the upcoming 12 months. If you get sweet grapes - those months will be sweet, sour grapes... well you can guess the rest!

Greece

Cake - Traditional New Year’s Cake Vassilopita, a sponge cake that has a coin baked in it. My Greek mother-in-law, Carolyne, has passed the torch to our daughter Isabelle this year. Our cakes are cooling right now. On New Years Eve the cake is divided up with one piece per family member. The first piece of the cake goes to God, the second piece to the home and then the rest to each family member, oldest to youngest. The person to get the coin is to have good luck in the coming year!

Ireland

Find a husband - If you are a single woman looking for love, place mistletoe leaves under your pillow to dream of (or catch) your future husband! It can also help you get rid of bad luck! 

Japan

Clean up your act - Thoroughly clean your home, pay all your debts and resolve and forgive all disagreements (not a bad idea!). This frees you up to welcome in the New Year with peace and prosperity!

So, I hope this has given you all some ideas on how to ring in 2012! However you decide to celebrate, be safe and enjoy… here’s to a great year ahead!

Jane

ps. I don't think I have ever used so many exclamation points in any post! Ever!

Cheers!

Throwing a holiday party can be hectic. That's why we've got some simple tips to make your life easier and guests feel right at home! The hints below will help you throw a party that is as unique as you are! So relax, enjoy the season, and Happy holidays from Boatman Geller!

1. Candy Cane Invitation  2. Bright Vine Blue & Gray Invitation  3. Banner Happy Holidays Invitation
4. Beverage Napkin with Icon  5. Dinner Napkin with Icon  6. Guest Towel with Icon  7. Bright Vine Green & Red Placemat  8. Plaid Red Placemat  9. Kate Red & Teal Sticker  10. Festive Floral Sticker
11. Cameron Navy Sticker

There's Still Time to Shine!

Even though the holidays are upon us, there's still time to order holiday photocards and gifts like lucite trays and ice buckets from Boatman Geller! Take a look at the calendar below to get a better idea of our deadlines. You can find a retailer here, and be sure to check with your local or online retailer for their respective production times. Cheers!

Photocards: Your Style!

The holidays are a wonderful time to express yourself. The dress you wear to the annual holiday party, the jewelry you choose for New Year's Eve, and the photocard you send to your family and friends all add up to be as unique as you are! Whether you're looking for bold colors or a reserved pattern, you're sure to find a photocard from Boatman Geller that suits your taste! Coco Chanel said, "Fashion passes, style remains." We couldn't agree more--live your style!

Mod: 1. Kate Red & Teal  2. Alex Cranberry  Preppy: 3. Alex Houndstooth Navy  4. Polka Dot Ribbon - Raspberry & Navy  Classic: 5. Chinoiserie Red  6. Black Watch Plaid  Bohemian: 7. Label Chic Cranberry  8. Beti Teal

Holiday Hostess!

Now that November is here it's time to start thinking about your holiday entertaining! We're so excited to offer some help in making you shine as a holiday hostess! Your parties will be extra festive with a custom lucite tray or ice bucket from this season's Boatman Geller collection. Looking for a perfect hostess gift for parties you attend? A recipe box and cards are a wonderful idea for the gal who loves to entertain!

1. Black Watch Plaid Large Lucite Tray   2. Wreath Recipe Box   3. Chinoiserie Red Recipe Card  
4. Madison Damask White with Black Ice Bucket   5. Plaid Red Square Lucite Tray   6. Gingerbread Recipe Box   7. Greek Key Band Olive Small Lucite Tray   8. Kate Red & Teal Recipe Cards   9. Stella Jungle Ice Bucket

Jane's first video! How to create a paisley pattern

Hi all! I have been thinking for a while about doing some videos about how I come up with design ideas and the process from idea to product. I personally love all kinds of video tutorials and how-to's. I used to love to watch Bob Ross on PBS! You can imagine how much I love the never ending flow of videos on youtube - so much creativity! I decided to screen capture my process of creating a paisley design. I used screenflow (screencasting and editing software) and had fun learning a whole new program! I am already planning more videos on illustration and design in general. I hope you enjoy this video - stay tuned for more to come!

Cheers!
Jane

'Tis the Season for Custom Photocards!

Designing a Boatman Geller Custom Holiday Card is fun and easy! In addition to our successful holiday designs, we've tailored a Custom Program that makes it easy to create your perfect card! Your Custom Card will be unique to you, and you can choose patterns to reflect your personal taste or pick color combinations that enhance the photo you're using!

Just find a Boatman Geller Holiday Dealer and follow our simple instructions below. Don't forget to stock up on postage stamps!

Fall into Color

We completely adore autumn. With all of the leaves changing, we're inclined to change our wardrobe as well! Not only is the season beautiful, but the fashions are too! So this month we've paired up some of our favorite looks from fall with some of our favorite products. How fun to wear bright pumps or liven up an outfit with a rugby stripe scarf! How do you incorporate the changing of the seasons into your closet?

Top: J. Crew Cashmere Cable Sweater, Pencil Skirt, Ribbed Tights and Suede Pumps paired with Boatman Geller's Seahorse Acrylic, Riley Patch Foldover Notes, and Alex Houndstooth Black Recipe Cards and Box

Middle: L.L. Bean Signature British Flannel Blazer, Modal Pullover, Skinny Jean, Ducktrap Boot and Downeaster Plaid Bag paired with Boatman Geller's Greek Key Band Navy Ice Bucket, Chevron Gray Placemat, and Kelso Plaid Mocha Stickers

Bottom: Brooks Brothers New Fall Arrivals paired with Boatman Geller's Awning Stripe Plate, Crest Lacrosse Foldover Note, and Border Hunter and Navy Flat Card

Make Your Mark!

If you're familiar with our collection, you'll know that we absolutely adore monograms! We love making our mark on something for the house, or on recipe cards that we share with friends. Monogrammed items make great hostess gifts, but we think you'll love them for entertaining too—especially our new beverage napkins! With so many personalized items, how can you go wrong?

1. Recipe Card in Mod Cherry Diamond   2. Elephant Large Lucite Tray   3. Charming Pram Navy Birth Announcement   4. Ann Tile Gray Foldover Note   5. Acrylic Note Sheets in Silo Leaves Raspberry   6. Wine Tag in Criss Cross Blue   7. Beverage Napkin without Icon   8. Bag Tag in Coral   9. Classic Square Stickers in Raspberry and Slate

In love with Illustration!

Hi everyone, it's Jane with my September post (barely made my deadline!) One of my very favorite things in life is illustration. I fell in love with picture books when I was little and to this day have my own library of my special childrens books. It's not just books that tug at my heart... I love illustrated paper goods (of course!), fabric, editorials, books, advertising, clothing etc.

Below are some of my favorite illustrators, their websites and links to some fabulous illustration blogs. Enjoy!

Illustrators
Nila Aye   www.nilaaye.com


Ed Fotheringham   www.edfotheringham.com

Loraley Bove   www.lorelaybove.blogspot.com

Illustration Blogs
Ten Paces and Draw   www.ten-paces.blogspot.com

"Ten Paces and Draw is a blog about collaboration and illustration. As artists we thought it would be fun not only to catalog inspiring work by others, but to start an ongoing illustration project to which we can all actively contribute."

Super fun stuff - my favorite series is on Harry Potter (see one of the illustrations below. Sketch by Francesca Buchko, final by Katie Turner)

Pikaland    www.pikaland.com

Pikaland creator Amy Ng says this about her site, "Pikaland is a blog about living the illustrated life — an art and illustration blog that’s a collection of beautiful things and inspirations that I stumble upon on the internet that’s made/designed by illustrators and artists, and is updated almost daily". Amy has also created an amazing place to take online illustration classes - Camp Pikaland, "A virtual school for artists, by artists". I am currently taking a few classes (but behind in my homework - yikes!)"

May your Holidays be beachy and bright!

We simply love the idea of sharing vacation snapshots as holiday photocards! This year we've added fun new designs to our lineup that we think are perfect for showing off your vacation pics! This is just a sampling of what we have to offer - view our entire collection here.

1. Azra Tile Turquoise   2. Coral Repeat   3. Cheer Dot   4. Polka Dot Ribbon - Raspberry and Navy  
5. Madras Patch   6. Bold Stripe   7. Happy Everything   8. Jetties Navy   9. Kate Raspberry & Green

Labor Day Giveaway!

It’s "New Design Time" here at BG and we are gathering new design ideas! We thought it would be fun to do a Labor Day Giveaway (because it rhymes!) and find out what design suggestions you have for our design boards. Below, we have posted some of our best selling foldover notes to help get your creative juices flowing! To enter, simply leave a comment below with your pattern suggestions. We will randomly draw a winner on September 6th (Tuesday). What do you win, you ask?! The lucky winner will receive 25 personalized foldover notes their choice with envelopes printed with your return address! Comments must be received by Monday, September 5th at 11:59 pm EST. We'll announce the winner on the 6th here, our Facebook page and on Twitter so make sure you keep your eyes peeled!

1. Madras Patch Blue   2. Floral Pink Toile   3. Greek Key Band Pink   4. Chinoiserie Navy   5. Bright Floral   6. Coral Repeat Teal   7. Espadrille Preppy   8. Madison White with Black   9. Chain Link Navy   10. Toile Pink with Lime Check

Prep School!

We're anxious to see the little ones off this fall as they go back to school. While we hate to see them go, fortunately we'll be sending them in style. And we're ecstatic to see fountain pens for children so we can pass along our tradition of mailing hand written notes! What are your back-to-school must-haves?

1. Boatman Geller Sticker in Madras Patch Blue   2. iPlay Print Umbrella in Pink   3. Hunter Kids' Young Hunter Original Boot   4. Boatman Geller Note Pads in Alligator and Whale   5. J.Crew Girls' Cupcake Ruffle Dress   6. Boatman Geller Bag Tag in Polka Dot and Crest Lacrosse   7. J.Crew Boys' Long-sleeve Sailboat-stripe Popover   8. L.L. Bean Deluxe Book Pack in Sky Blue   9. Lamy ABC Fountain Pen

Back to Campus!

It's time to get ready to head back to campus. Whether you're off to college for the first time or a seasoned pro, we think these are some great products to get you on your way! What will you be taking back to campus?

1. Boatman Geller Chocolate Brown Notetote   2. Read Your Bookcase by Saporiti   3. IKEA Oleby Work Lamp   4. Case Logic Cable Knit Netbook Sleeve   5. Shower Caddy from Vera Bradley   6. Boatman Geller Floral Brown Acrylic Notepad   7. Boatman Geller Bright Floral Bag Tag   8. Lamy Safari Ball Point Pens in Aqua and Pink   9. Boatman Geller Modern 12 Month Calendar

August Note from Jane - Nantucket

My deadline for this blog post has been looming over me for (literally) months. At BG we have been working through our social media plan and that, of course, includes our live your style blog. I am thrilled to have Brooke on board putting together fun product posts for you all – I hope you are enjoying them! Having Brooke keep our blog fresh (we collaborate behind the scenes on what to blog about) allows me lots more time for the delicious designing! So, our plan is for me to post on the first of each month about… well… anything! "Anything" can be a big scope (hence the above mentioned looming) and at the same time, I feel a pull to connect more with all of you - to just throw myself out there and see what happens!

That said, I am so thankful for our thriving business and to all of you that have been our fans and customers. I thought for this post I would share with you some snapshots from our month on Nantucket this summer. I have had an on-going love affair with Nantucket since my first trip as a little girl in 1973 (I know, many reading this post were not even born yet!). I am so blessed to be able to spend time there with family and friends. I hope you enjoy these photos…

Wishing you a delightful end of summer – “see you” in September!

Cheers!

Jane Boatman Geller

nantucket.net  |  Dave Provost / The Shingles  |  Cisco Brewery  |  The Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum  |  The Whaling Museum  |  

Land Ho!

Lately we've been seeing nautical themed items pop up all over! Check out some of the ones we have that incorporate the nautical elements we love—anchors, knots and stripes! Here are a few of our favorites. Tell us your favorites!

1. Stripe Anchor Acrylic   2. Light Blue & Green Stripes Address Label   3. Anchor Luggage Tag  
4. Banner Ahoy Flat Cards   5. Nautical Knot Kelly Ice Bucket   6. Espadrille Nautical Wine Tag  
7. Stripe Anchor Platter   8. Bamboo Rings Navy Flat Cards   9. Anchor Repeat Foldover Note

Poolside Fun!

Summer is well upon us now and we appreciate all the time that we get to spend poolside! We've got you covered if you're entertaining or just heading out for some relaxation. We'll be carrying iPads in style with our Notetotes, but don't worry, we won't forget a bath book for the kids!

1. Boatman Geller Bright Pink Notetote   2. iPad2 with iBooks App   3. Boatman Geller Bag Tag in Cameron Teal   4. Video Swim Mask   5. Flexibeam Pool Noodle Connectors   6. Speedo NeonWonders Pink Flower Goggles   7. The Octopus Seaside Bath Book   8. Boatman Geller Greek Key Band Ice Bucket   9. Party People Snack Marker Set   10. Boatman Geller Cameron Raspberry Square Lucite Tray

Summer Fun

At long last summer is officially here and we can't wait to hit the beach. Whether you're throwing a beach party or just need a bit of beach at the office, we think you'll love the use of punchy colors this summer. Classic white tank tops and a new twist on the traditional boat shoe are enough to have us dreaming of summers spent with sand and surf.

1. Boatman Geller Sand Dollar Boxed Flat Card   2. Sea Bags Large Whale Tail Tote in Pink   3. Aviator Small Metal Sunglasses by Ray-Ban   4. Sperry Top-Sider Women's Authentic Original 2-Eye Boat Shoe in Silver Leather   5. Boatman Geller Coral Repeat 10" Plate   6. Boatman Geller Starfish Loose Leaf Sheets in Acrylic Holder   7. Modal Blend Tank from L.L. Bean Signature   8. Drops of Jupiter Earrings in Aqua from The Monogram Merchant

Let Freedom Ring!

First off, we at Boatman Geller are excited to introduce Brooke Hamilton as a contributing blogger. Brooke has a degree from Indiana University's Herron School of Art & Design in visual communication. She's well versed in the printing industry and loves stationery as much as we do. Welcome to the team, Brooke!

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Secondly, we are excited that the Fourth of July is just around the corner! What better way to celebrate than with a few items from our collection including invites, placemats for your cookout or an ice bucket?

1. Flat Card in Border Red & Navy   2. Tray in Nautical Knot Navy   3. Luggage Tag in Stripe Red & Navy   4. Platter in Mod Diamond Cherry   5. Address Labels in Awning Stripe Navy   6. Placemat in Grosgrain Ribbon Red & Navy   7. Wine Tag in Cameron Red   8. Ice Bucket in Crest Lobster

The Royal Wedding

Portrait by Mario Testino

So, the big question is...

Will you be watching?  I so vividly remember watching Princess Diana....we had a sleepover at our house and stayed up all night!  It makes it a bit tricky that it is on a Friday - but I'll be getting the girls up early to see Kate walk down the aisle!

We thought we would share with you some of our favorite sites for all things "royal":

for fashion, we always love Tom & Lorenzo "Royal Watch"

for the royal "scoop" we've been heading to eonline (love the new portrait!) and Hello Magazine

for a comprehensive schedule of events (in BST & EDT) we're inclined to recommend the folks at newsvine.com. It gives me pre-wedding jitters just looking at that schedule!

Want to add a little "royalty" to your life? Pick up one of our Princess Crown notepads or loose note sheets in acrylic!

 

Use Promo Code Royal at checkout to take 15% off all orders placed on boatmangeller.com through this Sunday, May 1st at midnight EST!  This does not apply to wholesale and/or personalized orders. 

Fairy Tales {Part One}

I am a sucker for a good fairy tale, and with a trip to Disney World in our near future I was inspired to share this breathtaking 2005 Vogue editorial - Annie Leibovitz's take on Beauty and the Beast with Drew Barrymore.

 

 

editorial - Vogue US April 2005

photographer - Annie Leibovitz

model - Drew Barrymore

Spring is here!

And the Giveaway goes to...

Congratulations to Colin Firth and The King's Speech! We have three Giveaway winners (Best Actor, Best Director, Best Picture). Thank you to all of you that posted - your comments were fabulous!

And the Giveaway(s) go to...

NicoleB
"I'm a fan! But I'm going to go old school........Bridget Jones's Diary!"

Holly
"Too funny but I just had a conversation in the car with my husband about how he resembles Colin Firth and how much I like the actor... was a roundabout way to tell my husband he's handsome!"

MimiDial
"Firth Fan Forever!"

Thanks again to all of you - your posts made Colin's win that much more fun!

Nicole, Holly and Mimi please email info@boatmangeller.com with your shipping address as well as your choices regarding the following:

Grand Border or Princess Crown Icon Notepad
Color choice for the border or crown (see our new Custom Catalog online)
Personalization information

ps. I used the random number generator at www.random.org for the Giveaway winners - so fun and easy!

Boatman Geller Giveaway!

Ok - this isn't so much a giveaway as it is a bribe. In my last blog post I asked if there were other Colin Firth fans out there... and do you know how many people posted back? Zero. I don't believe you! I know approximately how many blog readers we have and I am certain there are Firth Fans among you! I even spoke to a BG blog reader/Firth Fan at a party Thursday night and she said she felt silly being the first to post a comment!

Giveaway (bribe) Details
Tomorrow night is the 83rd Oscars Ceremony where Colin Firth is nominated for Best Actor. (Yay!) His movie, The King's Speech, has 12 nominations. My husband, and business partner, would not be too happy if I did a giveaway for every nomination, soooo....

I will giveaway a personalized notepad (see below) for the following WINS.

1. Colin Firth; Best Actor
2. Helena Bonham Carter; Best Supporting Actress
3. Geoffrey Rush; Best Supporting Actor
4. Tom Hooper; Best Director
5. The King's Speech; Best Picture

Five (!) potential Giveaway winners!

What do you need to do to be entered in this Giveaway (bribe)? Post a comment to this post or the post entitled "And the Oscar goes to..." and announce to the world you are a Firth Fan and proud of it!! (No need to be shy, not THAT many people read my blog!)

For every win in the above 5 nominations I will choose at random a winner from everyone that posts!

The winners will choose between our Grand Border or Crown personalized notepad (I was thinking regal). The super exciting thing for all of us at BG is that we have just switched to digital notepads which means you get oodles of choices. Winners will choose either design and customize it with 24 colors choices! (From our 2011 Custom Collection - in stores soon!)

Deadline? The start of the 83rd Oscars of course! (Sunday, February 27th 8:00 pm EST)

Good luck!

And the Oscar goes to...

Colin Firth... I hope! So this post is not so much about the Oscars as it is about the talented Colin Firth. I have been smitten with this actor for years. It started with the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice (isn't that how it is for so many of his fans?) And boy was I smitten. I was new to Seattle (from NYC) and a new to marriage. My new husband had left town for the weekend and I found myself at the corner video store (think VHS) and went home with the first tape of Pride and Prejudice. I returned early the next day for the rest. Upon Greg's return he purchased me the set for my birthday and watched the entire production with me numerous times - how sweet is that? All my kids have seen it (I now have the DVD set) and I never tire of it.

I was thrilled to have at a chance to see him again on the big screen and was touched and moved by The King's Speech. While I am no movie critic, I was in awe of his performance. Even though it looks like he is a shoo-in for the Oscar, I'll still have my fingers crossed until they call his name!

Also of interest is the work of his wife, Livia Firth, a dedicated "eco-ist". She writes a wonderful blog for Vogue: The Green Carpet Challenge. The post about her Oscar dress is  fascinating - sounds like it will be lovely, and certainly one of a kind!

Anyone else a Firth fan?

Notetotes & iPads & Kindles, oh my!

For those of you that follow us, I am sure you are familiar with our notetotes....Well, guess what?  Our notetotes fit an iPad or Kindle perfectly!  This wasn't something that was created intentionally (we launched notetotes two years before the iPad) but we think of it is a bit of "fun luck"!

(Please note: while our notetotes are heavy and well constructed of cotton canvas, they were not specifically designed to protect either of these products).

It was just so fun to get feedback from people letting us know how well the notetotes worked for their paper and electronic needs, we thought we would pass it along! We are also excited to have our notetotes in the Horchow catalog!  See what they have to say about this great product...

Convenient notetotes in an array of bright colors can be monogrammed as shown. Each notetote contains a stationery set in coordinating color. Set includes a pen, address sheets, 6" x 9" clipboard, five awning stripe foldovers, five diagonal-striped flat cards, 25 matching padded letter sheets, and 15 envelopes. Once emptied, notetote can also be used to hold an iPad® or Kindle. 

Our First Valentine Collection!

What's not to love about Valentine's Day? Even if you don't have a sweetheart you can celebrate friendship and family on this day. We had a lot of fun putting together our first collection - I even think some of these prints would be fun to use year round! To guarantee delivery in time please place your orders by February 4th through one of our Boatman Geller dealers!

Glamour in the New Year

Thanks to our friends over at The Stationery Studio for this press. What a fun way to start the New Year!

Visit The Stationery Studio and add a little je ne sais quoi to your New Year!