Merry & Bright

(We're dreaming of a white Christmas. Alas, it's but a dream here in Portsmouth, NH!)

As we here at Gus & Ruby Letterpress prepare to join friends and family for various holiday celebrations this weekend, we want to take a moment to wish you, our cherished friends, customers, family and colleagues a most joyous holiday season. We hope you are enjoying the bustling streets, broad smiles, and the generosity of spirit and time that goes along with the holidays. We hope you're curling up with a cup of hot cocoa, sneaking a smooch under the mistletoe, sharing memories with those you love and reflecting on the wonderful things in your life. We certainly are.

This year and this season, in particular, we have been humbled and amazed by the kindness and spirit of our community. Thank you to each and every one of you for enriching our lives with your friendship, creativity and support. We truly appreciate it.

From the bottom of our hearts, happy, happy holidays to you and yours. May your days be merry and bright this season and throughout the new year!

Love,
Samantha, Whitney & Liz

HOLIDAY HOURS:
Friday, December 23: 10am-8pm
Saturday, December 24: 10am-4pm
Sunday , December 25: CLOSED
Saturday, December 31: 10am-4pm
Sunday, January 1: CLOSED

2011 Gift Guide: For a Yankee Swap ($16 and under!)

We're back! And not a moment too soon. Today, we've found you the perfect gifties for a Yankee swap, office party or grab bag: you know - fabulous, but financially prudent. ;-) These gems make the perfect choice for a swap gift: they are fun, practical, perfect for just about everyone and all under $16!

(Click to enlarge)

1. Tweeter canvas ornaments (various colors; $11)
2. Travel alarm clock ($10)
3. Divine Twine bakers twine (various colors; $16)
4. Hand-poured soy candle travel tins (various scents; $6-$14)
5. Genius Deck: 75 Riddles and Conundrums ($13.95)
6. Envirosax reusable shopping bag (various designs; $9.25)
7. Foodie Flashcards ($14)

And, believe me, this is just the tip of the iceberg as to how many perfect little gifts and stocking stuffers we have in store. Definitely worth a trip in!

Don't forget to check out our other Gift Guides here:
For Her
For Him
For a Host or Hostess
For a Kiddo

Holiday Parties...

Hey pals,

I'll have some new product news for you tomorrow, but I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you all that the holiday season is speeding along, and we still have a handful of goodies that can help you prepare for throwing an awesome cocktail party or gingerbread making challenge right at home with all of your loved ones!

Just come into the shop and follow these simple steps:

Step #1: Grab a pack or two of invites and get them in the mail!

Step #2: Deck those halls. You're going to need some super cute fireplace matches to get that pile of logs a blazin' and letterpress printed coasters to really jazz up the table-top for your guests. Maybe adorn your door with a beautiful paper flower wreath, or use the paper poinsettia kit we have to make individual napkin rings for each of your guests. And you should probably grab a Gingerbread Architect guide too - those houses don't just build themselves, don't cha know?!

Step #3: Bake up some adorable, homemade holiday cookies and bundle them in cellophane with these beautiful gift tags! After all, who doesn't love leaving a good party with a treat for later?

Then all you have to do is get yourself all dressed up, put a big smile on that beautiful face of yours, and greet all your pals as they arrive at the door! Easy as 1, 2, 3!

:)

For more holiday party tips and accessories to get the house ready for guests, come by the shop and chat with us! We love to help dream up decorations, especially when it comes to the holidays.

Lots of love,

Lizzy

2011 Gift Guide: For a Kiddo

Happy Monday, darlings! I hope you all had a super fabulous weekend full of holiday soirees and laughter. Today, on the 2011 Gift Guide, we're helping you find the perfect treat for the kiddo(s) in your life. Shopping for children is the best, isn't it? Who doesn't love an excuse to look at toys and books and treats!

Some of our favorites this year:

(click to enlarge)

1. The Pretty Cupcake Kit: liners, flag toppers and recipe & decorating book ($19.95)

2. Talking Bubble Sticky Notes ($5)

3. Paper & Craft: 25 Charming Gifts, Accents & Accessories to Make from Paper ($18.95)

4. Oversized mechanical pencil (various colors, $2.50)

5. Watercolor postcards: a portable studio ($19.95)

6. Letterpress musical instrument notecards ($19)

7. Rubber stamp set in printed muslin bags (various styles, $19)

8. Printed canvas sunglass case (various styles, $20)

Pretty cute, if you ask me! And, as always, that's just a sampling of what we have in store. Stop in for a looksie :) And don't forget to check out our other gift guides:

For Her

For Him

For the Host or Hostess

make your list and check it twice...

Hi there folks!

The day's almost through, and we've been throwing all sorts of great gift ideas your way this past week - but I wanted to give a little bit of snail mail love to you all this evening! With the holidays fast approaching, everyone is scrounging for their holiday cards and trying to get everything addressed and out the door. I've wrangled up a good assortment of boxed and individual holiday cards to share with you today (some of my personal faves - both sweet and a little sassy) in the hopes of inspiring you to get your mail organized early this year. So start that list and check it twice!! It's always nice to give a shout out to your loved ones this time of year - wish them well and a fruitful 2012 :)

I must say, I'm always quite partial to the palette and quirky designs of Eggpress. Especially that "Peace and Love to All" card with the tree made from neon doves. So fab!

And these super crisp letterpress designs from Dee & Lala are always a unique take on holiday greetings. Each design is so pitch perfect and their colors are always vibrant and punchy!

We know how much you love Zeichen Press. Those three wise men are such funny guys ;)

And then there's the super hilarious Uncooked greeting cards. These keep our custies hunched over in stitches laughing all day and are always the perfect card for that someone you know...

And I love these sweet pop-out chipboard cards from Smudge Ink that act as a card until you remove the perforated ornament that's printed at the center :) So sweet!

There are so many good holiday cards to share this year, it's hard for me to pick my favorites - but this is a great start! And of course, if you're feeling rushed it's still not to late to order one of our custom stamps to expedite the addressing process! Paperwink's cut-off is December 4th - so be in touch soon if you want a custom stamp made for the holidays!

And we'll be back with more gift guides and holiday goodness next week! Thank you all, per usual for your continued kind words and visits to the shop, and we'll see you all around soon!

Lots of love,

Lizzy

2011 Gift Guide: For the Host or Hostess

One of my favorite parts about the holiday season is being able to attend fabulous holiday parties and get-togethers with my friends and family. Is there anything better than getting dolled up to laugh, sip festive cocktails and nibble delicious bites with pals around a Christmas tree? I think not.

So, why not bring a little somethin' somethin' to the host/hostess with the mostest to show them how much you appreciate the invitation. These gems should do the trick:

(click photo to enlarge)

1. 5-piece wine-bottle accessory kit ($28)
2. Recipe cards (various styles, $14)
3. Variety pack of foodie-inspired greeting cards ($26)
4. Floral coasters (various styles, $19)
5. Sail-cloth wine tote (various styles, $28)
6. Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi ($35)
7. Hand-poured soy candles in holiday scents (various scents., $20-$40)
8. Environmentally friendly (and beautifully scented!) hand soap and lotion derived from biofuels ($17-$30)

Of course, we also have loads more goodies in store and plenty of stunning Thank You cards to send along post-party. So, throw on your sparkliest baubles, gussy up and we'll see you under the mistletoe!

2011 Gift Guide: For Him

We're back! And, today, we're talking about gifts for the fellas. Guys can be so tricky to buy for, so we've done the dirty work and sniffed out all the best gifts for the men in your life. From the entertainer to the artist to the man's man, we've found the perfect thing to brighten his holiday.

(click to enlarge photo)

1. "Quality cuts of meat" place mats - set of 4 different butcher diagram place mats ($45)
2. Letterpress printed correspondence set (various styles, $20)
3. "Good Grief" glass tumblers - set of 2 ($30)
4. Retro 1951 classic rollerball pens (various colors, $24)
5. Old Man Drinks book of recipes and lore ($14.95)
6. Pantone ceramic mugs (various colors, $16)
7. Denim laptop case by Thomas Paul ($68)
8. Print Workshop: Hand Printing Techniques book ($19.99)
9. Triple-milled, fragrance free oatmeal soaps & ceramic soap dishes (various styles, $20)
10. Cardboard animal busts by Cardboard Safari (various animals, $62-$65)

And, of course, there is so much more. We really did some serious hunting this year to make sure we had goodies for all our favorite guys in addition to our favorite gals. So, be sure to stop in soon to find the perfect goodie for the lad on your list!

2011 Gift Guide: For Her

Hello lovelies! Happy Monday.

Over the next few weeks, we'll be posting our fabulous Gift Guides to help you find the perfect present for all the friends and family on your shopping list.

To kick things off, let's talk about gifts for the women in your life! From wife or girlfriend to mother, daughter or lovely office-mate, these goodies are sure to delight the gals in your group. Better yet, ladies, help out your loved ones and send them in with some notes or directions to chat with us (we love to help with shopping needs!), and we'll be sure to point them in the right direction to fill all your Gus & Ruby desires.

(click photo to enlarge)

1. Sea Bags - totes and clutches made in Portland, ME from recycled sails (variety of sizes/styles $26 - $195)
2. Botanical wall calendar ($23)
3. Heirloom hand-turned wood recipe box with recipe cards ($130)
4. Rob Ryan cut-paper-inspired set of 4 plates ($44)
5. Aquiesse hand-poured soy candles (variety of sizes/scents $22 - $40)
6. Decorate: 1000 professional design ideas for every room in your home ($35)
7. Freya Art prints ($48-$76)

Of course, this is just a SMALL sampling of the many fabulous gifties we have in store; so, be sure to stop in soon for the full shopping experience! We are happy to take phone/email orders and ship product, too, so phone is fine :) Hope to see you soon and stay tuned for more gift guides and holiday ideas!

xoxo,
The Gus & Ruby gals

Thank You!!

So just a quick little post for today pals, because the shop has been busy busy!! But I wanted to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to all of the vendors who participated in our Black Friday and Small Business Saturday giveaways! We had such a blast getting these giveaways pulled together, and I can't even explain how awesome it was to watch all of our lovely customers today win big!! Their smiles and laughter made the work (and the donations) feel so worth it.

We constantly rave about how great you all are (because you're the best!!) - but today, we send our amazing vendors a very special thanks for taking such incredible care of all of us! Without you, the shop would not be what it is, and without all of you, there would be a lot less beautiful stuff out there in the world! Keep doing what you do best - dreaming, creating, and inspiring! We love you from the bottom of our hearts!!

100% hand-poured soy candles from Aquiesse

Letterpress printed holiday greeting cards from Dee & Lala

Metallic holiday gift tags from Fig. 2 Designs

Page flags from Girl of All Work

Hand-printed red sparrow ornaments from Hammerpress

Orla Kiely notebooks and pencils from Libretto

Boxed holiday cards and letterpress coasters from Mr. Boddington's Studio

Gift tags and holiday greeting cards from Rifle Paper Company

Boxed, letterpress printed holiday cards from Smock

Letterpress printed holiday greeting cards from Sycamore Street Press

100% cotton twine from Whisker Graphics

Holiday greeting cards from Yellow Owl Workshop

We're trying to dream up how we could possibly top these giveaways next year :) it'll take some real brainstorming on our part, for sure!

Happy Friday - and here'e to the rest of this beautiful holiday weekend!

See you around,

xo Lizzy

So much to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love this holiday because it rings in the holiday season -my favorite time of the year, as most of you know! - and, more importantly, reminds me how much I have to be thankful for in my life. Also, it's all about food. And, I can really get behind a food-based holiday.

Whitney, Liz and I would like to take a moment today to say a truly heartfelt THANK YOU to all our dear customers, clients, fans, families and friends near and far. We are continuously humbled and inspired by your incredible friendship, creativity, and support. Thank you for giving us amazing ideas, for encouraging us and for continuing to shop local and supporting small businesses like ours. We are amazed at our incredible community who comes together for so many important causes throughout the year and who show what they are made of during trying times. It's pretty incredible what our community can do.

We are wishing you all a most joyous Thanksgiving full of comfort, coziness, delicious food, raucous laughter and lots to be thankful for. Thank you, again, for everything. We are so lucky to have you all in our lives and we truly appreciate your support and business.

Gobble, gobble!

Love,

Samantha, Whitney, Liz, Gus & Ruby

PS: We hope to see you this weekend for our Black Friday /Small Business Saturday Event (check out details HERE) and throughout the season!

poisonous leaves...

Just a little tidbit for you all - we just received our shipment from Set Editions, a new line of products by the lovely and talents Alison Riley. The company was founded in 2004, and offers letterpress printed cards, foil stamped postcards (which are DIVINE) and all sorts of other goodies! What we love about Set though, is how amenable Alison's designs are to the everyday snail-mail sender (because for us, that's what good stationery is all about!)

How can you not adore that foil stamping on chipboard?!

And who doesn't want to receive a quick and informational greeting card that demonstrates poisonous leaves found in the woods? :)

Set Editions also came up with these clever rocks glasses that we'll be carrying for the holidays. What a perfect gift match up with our Old Man Drinks and Art of the Bar (not that anyone is thinking about holiday shopping just yet ;)

Hope you guys are all gearing up for an awesome Thanksgiving! We're really excited about the upcoming week and have big plans for you on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for updates on our facebook page and blog!

Big hugs and loads of turkey-lurkey love!

Lizzy