Comfort & Joy

(Photo courtesy of K. Young Photography)

I hope this post finds you snuggled up and enjoying time with family and friends on this chilly evening. We've spent the weekend helping those last minute shoppers and generally reveling in the cheerful spirit of this incredible community in which we live and work. People often ask us if we're ready for the busyness of the holidays to be over and, truthfully, it's quite the opposite for us. We love seeing familiar faces bopping around town, helping people find the perfect gift and spreading joy in any way we can. More importantly, though, we love this time of year because it is a time for us to pause and take a moment to reflect on how fortunate we are to have you - our friends, families, and customers.

Your support, guidance, humor and creativity is truly astounding. Thank you for sharing your lives, important celebrations and incredible talent with us. And, thank you for supporting our small business. We are humbled and amazed every day at your generosity of time and spirit.

We hope you all have a most joyous remainder of the holiday season full of good food, laughter and peace. We are particularly aware of just how precious life is and our hearts are with those people who are grieving, rather than celebrating this year. Wishing comfort & joy to you and yours this season and always.

With love,
Samantha, Whitney and the Gus & Ruby Letterpress team



PS - We'll be here tomorrow, Christmas Eve, from 9am-4pm and then will be closed on Christmas Day.

2012 Gift Guide: For Him

For our final Gift Guide of 2012, we're talking about goodies for the manly, marvelous men in your life. From the mixologist to the academic to the Mo-Vember fan, we've got the gifting covered for your pops, your bro and your best bud!

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1. We Can Move Mountains screen-printed limited edition print ($58)
2. Stainless "Measures for the Bar"cocktail shaker  (variety of styles, $36.80)
3. Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World's Great Graphic Designers book ($60)
4. Areaware Wooden Alarm Dock for the iPhone ($42)
5. Sea Bag (reclaimed sail cloth) & Woolrich Wool iPad case (variety of styles, $69)
6. Penguin Classics - collector edition classic books (variety of titles, $16.99-$22)
7. Hand-printed organic canvas pillows (variety of styles, $68-$136)
8. 2013 Letterpress-printed Mustache Desk Calendar ($30)

2012 Gift Guide: For Her

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're now in our final full week before Christmas. There is snow on the ground here in Portsmouth and shoppers are in the holiday swing of things.

And, knowing that some of you may still be knee-deep in shopping (or haven't started **talking to lots of you men out there cough, cough**), we thought we'd put together a little gift guide for all the fabulous women in your life.

Trust us, guys and gals, these prezzies will put a BIG smile on her face. Whether you're shopping for your leading lady, your sister, mother, niece, bestie or whatever - you'll find something thoughtful and beautiful at the shop for her this year. 

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1. Gorgeous cloisonne and 22 karat gold pendants (variety of styles, $45)
2. Calligraphy starter kit ($38)
3. Pattern fabric dopp kits (variety of styles, $51)
4. Tartine: Box set of cookbooks from the famed bakery  ($75)
5. Art prints framed in reclaimed wood by artist Rebecca Puig of Sugarboo Designs (variety of designs/sizes, $72-$280)
6. Rifle Paper Botanical Desk Calendar ($48.50)
7. Rustic barkboard chalkboard ($66)
8. The ever-popular Sea Bag (variety of styles/sizes, $26-$195)
9. Heirloom reclaimed wood recipe box & recipe cards (variety of styles, $135)

And, ladies, don't forget that we have Wish Lists for you! So, feel free to pop in, fill one out and then we'll let your gifting friends and family know that you have a few things here that you'd like to find under the tree. It's win-win, really!

Pattern Passion

Hello friends; happy Thursday! I hope you are all having a fabulous week. And, I hope you've had some time to attend some holiday soirees, sip hot cocoa, get out and about and do some shopping for your lovies, or watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation on repeat. Can you believe it's December 13th already? A little nutty to me!

I've been slowly putting together little bundles of goodies for all the people on my list, and I will tell you, I've been having a hard time staying away from these pattern-driven beauties by two of our newest designers: Hammocks & High Tea and Leah Duncan. The bold, inspiring patterns and colors just cheer me right up and make for perfect gifts for so many people.

These dopp kits from Hammocks & High Tea are just incredible.  What a perfect gift for a travel-bug or college student, right?

And these Leah Duncan tea towels looks so lovely in just about every kitchen. Or, another fab idea, hang them up for sweet, graphic wall art! I love having fabric on my walls - adds such a gorgeous and unexpected texture!

Not the tea towel type? These gorgeous silk chiffon scarves add insta-chic-factor to just about any outfit.

But truly, it's these pillows by Leah Duncan that have really stolen my heart this season. I'm just head-over-heels for these beauties. They are just so. darn. lovely. The patterns are all screen printed on 100% natural linen and the pillows are totally soft and squishable. A stunning throw pillow can really pull a room together mighty quickly and is such an easy way to infuse some artistic POV into your living space.

Fellas, trust me when I say that your gal will be totally smitten with these (and you!) and that you'll get major (and I mean, may-jah!!) brownie points for choosing such a rad and unique gift. 

(All photos courtesy of Hammocks & High Tea and Leah Duncan)

2012 Gift Guide: For a Yankee Swap!

I have to say, Yankee Swaps, or grab bags, or whatever-the-heck-you-call-'em-in-your-house!, might be my favorite part of the annual holiday party. I love picking out a sweet (or, more often, hilarious and odd!) little something and then using every one of my gift-wrapping tricks to deck it out. There is a certain pride in having your Yankee Swap contribution chosen first, isn't there?

We've put together a pretty stellar selection of little gifties ($20 and under) here at the shop for each and every gift-swap need. From your buttoned-up office party to your wacky book group, you are sure to find something that everyone will clamor to snag. Promise!

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1. The 7-Year Pen  - which has enough ink to write every day for 7 years!! (variety of styles/colors, $9)
2. Hand-poured soy candle tins (variety of scents, $8-$14)
3. Pocket journals & note pads (variety of styles/sizes, $5-$19)
4. Rob Ryan mug ($14)
5. Task Clips ($12)
6. The Box of General Ignorance ($16.95)
7. Traveling Mouse felted ornament ($13)
8. Washi (Japanese masking) tape (variety of colors/sizes/patterns, $4-$19)

2012 Gift Guide: For a Kiddo!

Shopping for children during the holiday season has got to be one of the most fun things to do ever. The simple anticipation of watching their faces light up when you hand them that perfectly wrapped treasure makes the shopping all the more enjoyable for me.

We've stocked up on all sorts of interesting gifties for the kiddo in your life. Take a peek:

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1. Animal tracks casting kit ($14)
2. Reusable lunch bag (variety of designs/colors, $20)
3. "Q&A a Day for Kids; 3 Years of 365 Questions" book ($16.95)
4. Penguin Classics for Children (variety of titles, $16.99 - $22)
5. Temporary tattoos (variety of designs, $6)
6. Classic ABC stacking blocks - crafted from sustainable Michigan basswood and non-toxic inks ($42)
7. Wooden catapult pencil ($11) 

And, of course, we have even more goodies in-store.  Stop in and stuff that sack for your sweetest little ones!

2012 Gift Guide: For the Host(ess)!

Can you believe the Holiday season is upon us once again? Neither can I. But, man am I glad. I love this time of year and all the festivities that come along with it. I hope this season finds you bouncing from open house to cookie-decorating party to soiree all month long. Because, really, who doesn't love a reason to get together, nosh on bite-size delicacies and sip sparkling bevvies with pals?

So, in preparation for all those fabulous parties, without further ado, I present the first of our 2012 Gift Guides: For the Host(ess)

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1. Sydney Hale hand-poured soy candles (variety of scents $27)
2. Fabric buckets (variety of sizes & colors/patterns $12-$69)
3. Handheld Pies book ($19.95)
4. Note pads (variety of styles $9-$12)
5. Screen-printed linen napkins, set of 2 (variety of designs $28)
6. Watercolor-inspired desk calendar ($20)
7. Orla-Kiely ceramic plant pot (variety of colors/sizes $23-$39)

And, of course, we have boat-loads more gifties and goodies for you to choose from for your favorite party-thrower and oodles of Thank You notes to send post-extravaganza. So stop on by and stock-up so you can attend your soirees in style this season.  xoxo to you, you party people!

send your holiday wishes...

Evening guys & gals!

Me here... burning the late-night flame on our first weeknight of holiday hours (woot woot!)
How are you all feeling after the craziness of last weekend?
We all enjoyed our holiday on Thursday immensely and were THRILLED and super thankful to see so many of you out shopping local on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. We feel so lucky that you took your time to come shop with us, and hope that you realize that we'll continue to work hard all season to keep the shop bright, peppy, and full of goodies that are just the right fit for everyone on your holiday list.
That's sort of why I'm writing actually. I realized today that with the fact that Thanksgiving was located a touch early on the calendar this year, I have (what feels like) a bit of extra time to get my holiday cards out... which means that YOU DO TOO!

We brought in a really varied selection of boxed holiday cards this year, and while many of you have come in to make your choices already, I know that there are a handful of you still deciding on what avenue to take. Holiday stationery can be so tricky - do you go traditional and sweet, fun and festive... or do you really take a step out of the box and try to get a laugh out of the recipient?
Do you send the same cards to everyone or hand select each and every one?
Don't even get me started on deciding what holiday stamps to buy!

I've taken a moment to pull together some of my absolute favorite holiday cards tonight for a little... oh, how do you say...
round up!
Yes, yes. That's it.
Just the trick.
A holiday card round up!
I have to say too though, come and get yours while the gettin's good  ;)

 

 photos courtesy of Eggpress, Smock, Dee & Lala, Hammerpress, Rifle Paper Co. and Bears Eat Berries

Big holiday smooches (on the cheek of course, don't be crazy!) to every last one of ya!
XO Lizzy

Goodie Boxes are BACK for Black Friday & Small Business Saturday!

Join us on Black Friday and Small Business Saturday as we usher in the holiday season with fun, festivities & savings! We had such a blast last year with the goodie box giveaway, that we're bringing it back this year!

Friday, November 23 & Saturday, November 24
• We'll be open extended ours from 9am-9pm and will have coffee and treats for the morning crowd as we kick-off the holiday season.

• Get 10% OFF your entire purchase when you mention this email or any of our Facebook, Twitter or blog posts about the event.*

• The chance to WIN one of 15 goodie boxes BURSTING with some of our favorite products from around the shop.  Each box is valued at over $100** and these gems are even better than last year, if you can believe it!

• On Saturday, November 24, show your support for small businesses by shopping & dining local during Small Business Saturday.  Read all about the initiative HERE.

Thank you
As always, we want to pause and take a moment to say thank you to you, our customers, friends and families for your incredible support and inspiration. We wish you a joyous and delicious Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing you throughout the holidays.

Holiday Hours
Starting this coming weekend (Sunday, November 25th), we'll extend our hours for the holiday season for your shopping convenience. Find the complete holiday hour schedule HERE.

*Discount applicable on in-store purchases only.  Excludes custom orders and gift certificates. Cannot be combined with any other offer. Be sure to mention the email/posts as this is only offered to you, our best customers!
**1 chance to win per customer, per day with purchase. 15 boxes will be given away each day for a total of 30 boxes and over $3,000 in product!!

Holiday Hours and a Thanksgiving message!

Happy Thanksgiving week, all! I hope you're gearing up for a holiday full of delicious food, laughter with friends and family and keeping warm in cozy sweaters at the football game. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love to cook so there is that aspect of the day; but, really, it's the tradition of pausing at the start of the nutty holiday season to count your blessings, to give thanks and to enjoy the simple pleasures of family, friends and home-cooked meals. It's pretty magical, if you ask me.

And, again this year, we are so very thankful for you all. We are thankful for your continued support, for your friendship, and for the inspiration you provide to us all year long.  We know that we are the luckiest gals to have each and every one of you.  From our Gus & Ruby home to yours, happiest of Thanksgivings!

During the holidays, our store hours will change a bit to provide the most convenient shopping experience, so please find those below. Again, our sincerest thanks to you this season and always; we hope to see you throughout the joyous season ahead!

HOLIDAY STORE HOURS (effective Sunday, November 25th)
Sunday, November 25th through Sunday, December 16th:
Sunday - 10am to 6pm
Monday - Thursday - 10am to 7pm
Friday & Saturday - 10am to 9pm

Monday, December 17th through Sunday, December 23rd:
Monday to Thursday - 9am to 7pm
Friday & Saturday - 9am to 9pm
Sunday - 10am-9pm

Hours back to normal Wednesday December 26th:
Monday -Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 10am-5pm

GUS & RUBY WILL BE CLOSED OR CLOSING EARLY:
Closing early Wednesday November 21 @4pm
Closing early Monday December 24th @ 4pm
Closed all day Tuesday December 25th
Closing early December 31th @ 4pm
Closed all day Tuesday January 1st

(Photos courtesy of Style Me Pretty Thanksgiving Guide)

best stocking stuffer ever...

Afternoon pals...

This product update has a little bit of personal background to it... fun, I know :)

I have always wanted to get a tattoo.
I can't imagine I'm the ONLY ONE who has ever had a hankering to get a tattoo and put it off every time the opportunity arose. Right?
I guess there's something about the idea of having an small, intricate "accessory" like a tattoo with you in life, forever... just a little detail or design that reminds you every day of something that is uniquely important to you.

For me, the hesitation to committing to a tattoo is the process by which you have the tattoo applied to your skin. I get a little nervous around needles... BUT! I figured the following is about as good a deterrant as exists in the world...

Pals, I'd like to introduce you to Tattly.
Tattly, this is everyone.
Ya'll are going to be good friends.
Trust me :)

Tattly was started by a clever woman named Tina Roth Eisenberg, who decided after years of putting tacky, cheap fake tattoos on her kid that there had to be a better option! So she started to design her own :) We love Tattly for all of the quirky, fun designs that they offer... not to mention Smash tried one of these suckers out this weekend and it looks LEGIT!

I love the idea of purchasing these especially for certain friends as little package toppers this holiday season. Or bundling a few together as stocking stuffers for the kiddos in your life?

I mean really, who doesn't want fake knuckle tattos?!

Hope you're as pumped about the tatts as I am :)
Happy Sunday and here's to the coming weeks being full of family, friends and delicious food!
xo Lizzy