The Holidays = more stationery!!

One thing I love about the holidays, and post-holiday is buying holiday cards and thinking of fun and creative things to send to friends who I haven't seen in a long time. E-mail is great, but who doesn't love a hand-written note in the mail, even if it's only a few short, sweet lines. And if you know me, you know I am obsessed with stationery. ;)

Last year, I raided the Paper Source in Santana Row (San Jose, CA) and stocked up on great holiday cards for this year. I'm so excited to go through my stash and pick out which one best fits each friend/ family member on my card list. This is great because since they're not boxed, I 1) won't have leftovers for the next year (so I can buy more cards!) and 2) I won't have to try to remember which card I sent to who. Even an organization system can confuse me once I haven't looked at those cards for almost a year.

Paper Source is one of the few chain stationery stores I truly love. They have a massive selection of loose papers for wrapping, including beautiful Japanese papers and mulberry paper. They also have a great collection of do-it-yourself items, from place cards to invitations and thank you cards. It allows you to be creative, even when you don't really have the skills. What I really like about Paper Source, though, is their own collection of cards that are letterpressed. To me, the feel of letterpress stationery = quality and simplicity without being too frilly. I'd take a simple letterpress card with three words on it over a Hallmark card any day.

Best of all, the staff at every Paper Source store I've been to is superbly friendly and helpful (I've been to three - San Jose, Berkeley and Beverly Hills. Yes, I'm obsessed.)

ANYWAY, I went to Paper Source recently, searching for these Kolo paper albums, only to realize that they are being discontinued (sad face!)

Vineyard Original Paper Album

I was planning on making one of these scrapbooks in lieu of a birthday card -- I like to make them from time to time (when I've compiled enough photos and my creative bug actually kicks in). Sad to see that they are being discontinued -- I was hoping for a more masculine color, but the pink ones are on sale on the Kolo site if anyone's interested. In the meantime, does anyone know where I can get a scrapbook of this size (and not too many pages) that I could make as a birthday card? :)