A note of inspiration.

 

I'm headed to hang out with the gals for a book club gathering tonight, and I've got thank you cards and hostess gifts on the mind.  Too often, I grab a bottle of wine on my way out the door- no card, no cute ribbon- just wine.  Which, don't get me wrong.  Wine is always a much appreciated gift in our home.  But on the rare occasions that I'm not scrambling to finish the book up until the minute I have to leave, it is nice to put a little more creativity and thought into the gift... or at the very least include a card with the wine!  I mean, these ladies really do go all out for the occasion.

 

Which leads me to these lovely polaroid notecards, from a seriously fun place to gift shop, Fred Flare.  It's nice sending a note with a little added inspiration.  The cards are creative, original, and simply, dreamy.  Each image sparks up a childhood memory, a favorite place or experience, or a reflection of nature, and the changing seasons.  {Note:  These may have hit the blog world already, but since I'm a fairly new blogger, I'll play the new 'card' here and share anyways.}

 

The creator, Jen Altman, is brilliant, in my book.  This pretty much says it all...

...she is a photographer, writer and editor.  and she loves italy, chocolate gelato, the south, pretty much anything that has been deep fried, french pop, old school heavy metal and thinks science is almost as fascinating as art.

  

Yes, my kind of lady.  And, I just discovered that she has a blog!  A happy day.

 

  {Here are some of my favorites...}

 The cards can also be purchased here and here.

  

On another 'note' (I'm on a roll with the puns today!), make sure you visit my friend Stephanie, for not one, but 2 recipes.  And one of them can serve as an appetizer, dinner, or dessert!  Check out the rest of her blog, while your at it... if you're up for witty, down-to-earth, real life stories, and lots of tips and inspiration too :).

 

P.S.

I made Abby's soup last night and it did not disappoint.  It was hearty, healthy, and delicious.  I adapted it a bit, according to my pantry (as she suggested), and topped it off with kalamata sourdough bread/Gruyere croutons.  Her blog is another one of my new daily reads!  Just read this and you'll see why.  She had me at "a big old farmhouse."