Nonpareil

It’s shameless self-promotion time! Thought I’d share my little business with you.

My business partner and I founded our stationery company, Zuzu’s Petals in 2001…and are in the process of moving to Etsy. We just opened shop last week, and are really excited about the move!

My very favorite thing that we make is our note pads {and, so far, it’s the only thing we have on Etsy}. Each pad is designed, printed, cut and glued by hand in our studio…They are only $5.50, and make perfect little gifts for girlfriends, teachers, yoga instructors….or anyone on your list!

We also sell our designs on our Cafe Press site…lots of tees, mugs, water bottles…etc. etc. etc!!

Well, that’s enough about me for now!

You may know by now that I’m a little bit dog crazy. Ok, a whole lotta dog crazy. So, I think that the notecards of the sweet pooches by Sibling Rivalrie are super adorable! And, I’m really really wishing I lived closer to Brooklyn so I could have my babies {ahem…dogs} photographed by the talented Winnie…she’s one of a 3-sister collaboration that make up Sibling Rivalrie. That, and I kinda want that couch on the top right picture!

Anna from Anna Sofia Designs and I have “known” each other online for a while now, but have never met {does this seem a bit creepy and weird?}. We’ve been part of a women-in-business discussion board for a while, and now follow each other’s twitters with regularity. Anyhow, I think her jewelry is lovely. She uses beautiful papers from all over the world to make her beads, which she then crafts into pendants, earrings and bracelets. It takes many steps to complete the process. She describes her process here.

Nothin’ creepy under these stairs. How adorable are these little paper goodies from UK based, Under the Stair Studios?! Each of the pieces is illustrated and hand cut by the creator, Kat, and made from 100% recycled matt card. The little round circus ones actually spin if you turn the flag. THEY SPIN!! This would be such a sweet gift for someone. Such handiwork, such sweet illustrations. Kat has kindly offered Nonpareil readers a mini paper theater with your order. Just type ‘nonpareil’ in the comments section when you order.

I’m scared to death of mice. Scared. to. death. A couple of years ago, I inadvertently brought a mouse home from the pet store. He was a little white, pink-eyed guy who had hitched a ride in a bag of dog food. When I saw him looking up at me from the bottom of our pack porch stairs, I screamed bloody-murder, slammed the door, ran back into the house and dealt with my serious case of the heebee-geebees. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that a wild, attack-prone mouse wouldn’t be white with pink eyes. My husband was the lucky mouse catcher that day {he’s also my spider & creepy bug go-to guy}. I couldn’t stand the thought of a pet mouse being sent into the wild to fend for himself {I have a VERY patient husband}, and, I certainly didn’t want him hanging out at our house. He was caught, and returned to the store {with big apologies for our trauma}. Phew!

Not sure how I can find mice cute while being completely scared of the real life versions…but I absolutely LOVE the little mouse cards by Bestiary Ink. They come in a set with different mousey illustrations. I think I love the knitting mouse the most. Adorable! Bestiary Ink also has a nice collection of prints! Lots of sweet animals {not just mice!} in her collections.