Pink Argyle Gets a Facelift

This month, I reached 500 posts. Can you believe it? For someone that gets tired of shoes after a few wears, three years and 500 posts--that's real love.

As a treat to myself and the blog, I contacted Joy of HoyJoyful Design Studio, to spruce up what I originally designed in 2007, and she designed this beautiful layout for me. The space is much wider to accommodate bigger photos, and I now have links up at the top so that popular posts (like our wedding) can be retrieved with more ease.

There is going to be some construction around here (ie, actually tagging posts...you'd think a someone studying to become a librarian would be more organized, heh...) as I move things around and add content, but I am very excited about all the changes around here in my cyber space.

Stay tuned for more changes! Thanks Joy!

Cardstore.com Review, Sweet Street Gals Gift Tag

Well girls and a few boys, it's officially the holiday season. *cue the bells chiming* Despite my holiday blues and inordinate amount of time spent lying in bed, I take refuge in the visual feast of gift wrap, ornaments, pretty baked goods, glittering lights, and trees that have proliferated all of the retail spaces I like to call my third place. I swear, any holiday that promotes hot chocolate, velvet wrapping paper, and loads of glitter gets two thumbs up from me.

My first piece of business on my holiday to-do list? Gift tags!

[Tag from Cardstore.com, design by Sweet Street Gals]

Cardstore.com had me choose a gift tag to review, and I chose this adorable design from Sweet Street Gals, a creative duo that has the cutest of designs. Check out their blog for more!

For $15, you receive

1. 25 gift tags, 2 x 3 (about the size of a business card), with color on both sides

2. Options for personalization (in some cases a photo, and your signature)

3. a case to carry your cards

I used it to decorate my first wrapped present (I LOVE wrapping presents!) to my niece:

[This case keeps them safe.]

[And here is the back of the card, which I think is just as cute as the front]

For those of you still hemming and hawing about where to get your paper goods, here's my two cents about cardstore.com:

PROS:

+Love love love the design choices from a lot of different designers

+I also appreciate the good amount of "holiday" vs. "Christmas" designs

+I really liked the design I chose, especially that there are two sides of color

+The packaging was really cute, with a sturdy box and the carrying case shown above

+All of the printing is eco-conscious. For more details, see here.

+Changing the photo and text was easy on their website.

+Hooray for Berkeley, California companies!

CONS:

+I would have liked a heavier weight, and I realize that it probably isn't printed on a heavier weight because 1. then you can't punch a hole through it and string ribbon through if you want to, and 2. the price point would go up, and 3. it makes it harder to put the tag on a fridge, if the recipient wants your pretty faces on the fridge with other cards. Maybe another option for designs on, say, a kraft board or thicker spongier paper, would be a nice addition to the collection?

+I think the tag is a little small, but maybe that's just because I think we're really cute and it's hard to tell on the tag. :)

Overall, cute product that will bring more holiday cheer to all your wrapped goodies this season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to my coworkers, who did not finish the pumpkin tart (above) I brought for yesterday's party. Mmmmmm....

(For your own pumpkin tart, visit Opera Patisserie in Sorrento Valley.)

I'm going to be spending time with the boy tomorrow at Disneyland, where we're spending Thanksgiving dinner at Blue Bayou and eating Mickey beignets. I can't wait to spend some quality time together before the work rush hits us both before the holiday season. Oy.

Happy Thanksgiving my lovely readers! Hope it's full of lots of good food and loved ones.

On Not Doing Chores

Chores are an issue in our home. I wish I could write that the boy does just as many chores as I do. I wish I could say that he actually knows how to clean the shower and that he cleans the litter box on a whim just to surprise me. I'll admit, I think he's better than some--he'll take out the trash, vacuum, do his own laundry. But it's minimal work, and as a result, I've just stopped caring as much too. What has happened is that neither one of us puts much effort into making our apartment more...homey. It makes me explode periodically.

This week, in an effort for more chore equity, the boy made a Google spreadsheet with all the chores that needed to be done. [This is how much we're tied to our computers. While I was doing work at home, and he was doing work at work, we were chatting in Google docs and filling this spreadsheet out online. I'm sure normal people would sit down with a pad and pen. In the same room. Face to face.]

So far, the cat has finished her chores (cuddling and cleaning herself) but I'm slowly working through mine. I think I managed to take out the trash and do some laundry. *pats self on back*

How do you divide up chores? Anyone track your chores on Google docs like us nerds? How do people keep their homes clean??

20% Off Personalized Holiday Tags and Cards

[Customizable card from Hammerpress for Cardstore.com]

I started my holiday shopping today, and like any paper lover, I need a cute piece of parchment to let that lucky someone know that she has been gifted. Earlier I blogged about Tiny Prints, but was unaware of Cardstore.com, which carries customizable products from a few of my favorite letterpress printers: Hammerpress, dutch door design, and (San Diego-based) Delphine. I've been given the opportunity to review their personalized holiday tags and can't wait to get mine in the mail and check out the print quality and design.

[Both tags from Simple Te (a new fave designer of mine, check out her blog here) for Cardstore.com]

If you are looking for cute holiday tags or cards, for Pink Argyle readers, receive 20% off at Cardstore.com with the code CSHOLIDAY20.

Bahhumbug!

Thanksgiving Plans

[See how to make a turkey-shaped cake, and other Thanksgiving recipes, on the CRAFT blog]

CRAFTzine has a whole slew of recipes on its blog in time for Thanksgiving (click here to view how to make the adorable turkey above!) and it got me thinking about last year's turkey that we made. We were so domestic, I almost can't believe we did it. I still remember, 1 in the morning, the two of us arguing with turkey goop and ice water up to our elbows, which end was the front. (I was right, by the way.)

This year, we're staying close to our apartment again and spending Thanksgiving at Disneyland, mainly because we only have a few days to spare and don't want to fight everyone else at the airport, and also because...well...we like Disneyland. :)

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Anyone else escaping to the magic kingdom?

The Boy Has a Birthday + Happy Monday

[Steve Madden oxford heels]

I love these new shoes of mine, and yesterday I paired them with these purple tights for the boy's birthday at Sushi Ota, which you should all try if you're in the area (just make a reservation at the sushi bar!) He absolutely loved it--a no-fuss, sake-filled gourmet birthday without any cheesy singing.

[Top: salmon belly and unknown white fish, Middle: red bean ice cream, Bottom: stuffed persimmon, organic vegetables, lobster, urchin mixed with spicy cod, and a cracker with sardine eyes (no joke!)]

I was reminiscing about his very first birthday with me. We had just started dating, and I gathered people together for a party, even though I didn't know anyone. Back then I didn't obsessively take pictures of my food so I don't remember the exact details, but if I tried to organize something after only dating for one month, I must have really liked him. :)

Hope everyone has a great week!