New Year, New Look!

As we finish up 2014 and look ahead at all that 2015 has to bring, we have to pause to say a huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to all our lovely customers, clients, friends & family. This past year has been filled with so many amazing moments for the store and our wonderful team:

     - We welcomed babies (we love you Hazel & Ella!) & new team members (hi, Demri!).
     - We had the great fortune of celebrating so many engagements and love stories with our incredible clients (and crafting their save the dates, invitations and announcements to boot!). Heck, we even celebrated my engagement this year!
    - We had our custom work featured in several magazines - both regional and national - and on many well-read blogs.
     - We celebrated 5 years (!!!!) in business. Holy. Cow.
     - We brought on new, super-talented vendors whose goods we are so honored to sell in the store and we have deepened connections with those people we've been working with for years as well.
     - Through it all, we continue to have the best, best, best (try and challenge on this one, we dare you) customers and clients we could ever dream to have. For reals. You guys rock our socks off. Thank you. 

All in all, we had a lot to be thankful for this year. So, while we look back with fondness on 2014, we are also looking forward to 2015 in a big way. We have several big, exciting things in the works for 2015 and can't wait to show you what's in store (both literally and figuratively).

To kick things off in the New Year, we'll be CLOSED for a few days (Monday, January 4th-Thursday, January 8th) for a fabulous store makeover! We've been working with our friends and the design geniuses known as Alice + Bird Interiors to give Gus & Ruby a little face lift; don't worry though - we will still have the same vibe, same gals & pups and same products you have come to know and love, just in a sparkly fresh store design. While we hate having our doors closed ever, we hope you will all love the fresh new look we'll unveil when we re-open on Friday, January 9th at 10am.

Thank you, again, for your continued support of our little shop. We adore each and every one of you and look forward to serving you even better in 2015.

We'll be closing at 4pm today and will be closed tomorrow to spend time with our friends and families. Have a safe, joyous and fun New Year's Eve!

 xoxo,
Sam, Whit and the Gus & Ruby team

(Photo above of our favorite holiday card this year from Swiss Cottage Designs)

Winter Wedding Escort Card Ideas

When it comes to weddings, one of the fun details to design is the escort card display. We love seeing creative ways to incorporate the couple's personality or wedding details into the escort cards and a winter wedding provides so many opportunities to infuse a little interest into the display!

 (photo courtesy of 100 Layer Cake)

A simple sprig of rosemary or evergreen is just the perfect touch to add to beautifully calligraphed tags.

 (photo courtesy of Wedding Chicks)

You can never go wrong with a little gold spray paint (or any other metallic color)! Choose pine cones, succulents, or anything else your heart desires and spray away! Tuck simple cards into these beauts and you've got yourself a gorgeous display!

 (photo courtesy of Something Turquoise)

Why not do double duty by having the escort card also act as a favor for your guests? You can find inexpensive containers at any craft store and then add salt and rosemary to seal the deal. Quick and easy and oh so beautiful!

 (photo courtesy of Style Me Pretty)

If your wedding is around the holidays, create a festive display with tags attached to gorgeous ornaments. Not only is it a wonderful wedding favor for your guests but any ornaments leftover can serve as a nice wedding keepsake for you and your beloved.

 (photo courtesy of Green Wedding Shoes)

If you're having a small intimate wedding with just your closest friends and family, bundle up cozy blankets with twine and name tags for your guests. The warm blanket will be just the ticket for those chilly winter nights and will last for years to come!

It's a wrap!

If you are anything like us, oftentimes the gift wrap is just as important as the gift! We have a stellar selection of wrapping paper, gift tags, ribbon and accoutrements to help you turn a lovely present into a visual masterpiece under the tree!

(photos above courtesy of Rifle Paper Co.)

 (photos above courtesy of Waste Not Paper)

(photos above courtesy of Smock)

Everything is as good as gold!

While most stores are full of the season's brightest reds and greens this time of year, I can't help but notice a little extra sparkle all around Gus & Ruby. You'll find gold accenting everything from our beloved companies. Take a look at some of our favorite gilded goodies!

 

clockwise from top: handpainted ceramic coasters, decorative wooden arrows, stapler, 

glitter washi tape, letterpress desk calendar, boxed note set

slip cast porcelain feather ornaments with14k gold luster

temporary tattoos

handmade clutch

left to right: recycled canvas bucket bag, notebooks, stickers

11"x14" artprint

Recycled sailcloth tote bag by Seabags

Where the Hear is... 13"x18" artprint

porcelain necklace on 16" 14k gold chain

moon phase bottle 

Currently Coveting: Large Calligraphy Inspired Designs

One of the things we love most about stationery design is that it's always changing, each wedding season bringing new trends and fresh ideas to incorporate into your invitations. We especially love the idea of taking a classic element, such as calligraphy, and adding a new twist to it, making it feel fun and unexpected. One of these little twists we have been head over heels in love with is featuring the names in large calligraphy or a calligraphy inspired font, creating a huge statement! It's your big day so why shouldn't your names be the highlight of the invitation design?

(photos above courtesy of Bella Figura)

(photo above courtesy of Dauphine)

(photo above courtesy of MaeMae Paperie)

(photo above courtesy of Smock)

(photo above courtesy of Studio R)

Let's fly a kite!

I know it's hard to imagine on cold, drizzly days, but the sun will shine again soon and there is almost nothing better than flying a kite on a crisp, sunny day.

We are so super excited about the hand-stitched kites from Haptic Lab that we have in the shop this season. Can you even stand how incredible the ship kite is? Even if you didn't fly it, it would make one heck of a hanging piece of art in a room!

And if a traditional shape is more your jam, these bright, patterned beauties are sure to delight. What a fun gift to unwrap this holiday season, don't you think?

 

(all photos courtesy of Haptic Lab)

Festive Mini Wreaths

Is it just us or is anyone else in the DIY craft mode this time of year? Are your floors covered in glitter and paper scraps, too? We completely understand. Our hearts go pitter patter at the sight of any handmade details that are easy to make and don't end up breaking the bank. One particular crafty detail we're coveting right now is the mini wreath idea, perfect for your holiday decor or even a winter wedding!

You can find a tutorial for these sweet wreaths right here. We love the idea of gathering several different sprigs to use for your wreaths and then adding little embellishments like berries and simple twine.

 (photo above courtesy of The Sweetest Occasion)

Imagine creating a festive escort card display with the mini wreaths for a wedding! You could tuck the names in amongst the needles as shown below or create a little tag and tie it around the top of the wreath. Super easy and super darling!

(photo above courtesy of Spoon Fork Bacon)

Extra points if you have the mini wreaths double as wedding favors. Not only are they a nice handmade gift but they're also adorable to hang in your window or on your mantle to display all winter long! A win win in our book.

 

(photo above courtesy of Martha Stewart)

2014 Gift Guide: For Friends & Family

To round out our annual holiday Gift Guide, we're talking about the perfect present for that special friend or amazing family in your life that supports you day in and day out. We know you want to gift them something perfect for the whole family to show them just how much they mean to you. So, we set out to fill the shop with fabulous things to make it easy for you to do just that. Here are a few of our favorites to get you inspired, but you know we have SO much more in-store:

1. Chinese checkers ($24)
2. Ceramic wobble planters (set of 3; $34)
3. Hand-dyed dog leash and collar (various colors; $43-$63)
4. Gold-lustered handmade porcelain decanter (various colors/patterns; $68)
5. Pantone mugs (various colors; $17)
6. Sailing ship kite ($44)
7. Plenty More cookbook ($35)
8. Foodie Dice tumbler set ($38)
9. Single-origin tea & raw honey ($15-$17)


Check out our other Gift Guides:
2014 Gift Guide: For Him
2014 Gift Guide: For Kids
2014 Gift Guide: For a Grab Bag
2014 Gift Guide: For Her

2014 Gift Guide: For Her

This part of the Gift Guide was tricky, we'll admit. How can we choose just a few items for your best gal when the store is absolutely brimming with beauties? We've sourced jaw-droppingly gorgeous new gifties like gold-lustered geode necklaces, beautiful bud vases, dreamy bath salts (that support a great cause!) and so much more. Here's a small sampling to get you going; but, trust me when I say this is just the beginning. Come by the store to see all the gorgeousness for yourself!

1. Screen printed cross-body bag (various colors & patterns; $80)
2. Rifle Paper travel calendar ($28)
3. Hand-made ceramic and gold pendant necklace (various colors; $74)
4. BKR glass water bottle (various colors & sizes; $30-$42)
5. Hand-poured soy Produce candles (various scents; $25)
6. Acrylic stapler (various colors; $16)
7. Huckleberry cook book ($35)
8. Phone cases (various styles & patterns; $36)
9. Fold-over linen clutch (various styles; $28)
10. Natural bath salts (various scents; $27)
11. Soy candles in re-usable copper tins (various scents; $23.50 - $32)
12. Recipe tins with recipe cards (various patterns; $35)
13. Ceramic jewelry/trinket tray ($40)


Check out our other Gift Guides:
2014 Gift Guide: For Him
2014 Gift Guide: For Kids
2014 Gift Guide: For a Grab Bag
2014 Gift Guide: For Friends & Family

2014 Gift Guide: Stocking Stuffer / Gift Swap / Grab Bag

You'll have the most-swapped and sought-after gift at the company gift swap if we have anything to say about it! This year's stocking stuffer / grab-bag table is chock-a-block with fun, funny, sweet and sassy small goodies. So, it should be no problem stuffing those stockings with the perfect presents or snagging the ideal holiday-party grab-bag goodie! Here's a peek at a few of our favorites:

1. Alphabet wooden rubber stamps (various styles; $22-$29)
2. Bandit racoon felted ornaments (various styles; $12)
3. Ban.do insulated travel cup ($18)
4. Keychain (various sayings; $12.50)
5. Soul Support deck of inspirational sayings ($6)
6. Hand-poured soy candle(peppermint-vanilla & gingerbread scents; $18)
7. Locally made, organic hot chocolate ($10)
8. Playing cards ($14)
9. Rifle Honey-Bee calendar ($20)
10. Canvas catch-all bag (various patterns and sizes; $12-$15)
11. Natural bath salts (various scents; $20)
12. VT-made goat milk caramels (various flavors; $13)

 Check out our other Gift Guides:
2014 Gift Guide: For Him
2014 Gift Guide: For Kids
2014 Gift Guide: For Her
2014 Gift Guide: For Friends & Family

2014 Gift Guide: For Kids

Since the arrival of sweet Hazel and Ella in the Gus & Ruby family, our first-hand knowledge of the best baby & kids products has increased tenfold! From sweet and cuddly stuffies to fun and interactive puzzles and kitchen tools for your budding chef, we've got an all-star lineup of gifts for each and every little friend on your list this year.

1. Handmade stuffed animals (various animals; $48)
2. Once Upon an Alphabet book ($26.99)
3. Handmade felted wool mobile (sheep & woodland creature styles; $72)
4. Eco-friendly crayons ($9)
5. Organic cotton stroller blanket (various patterns; $40)
6. Floor puzzle made with recycled paper and printed with vegetable inks (various versions; $22)
7. Wooden push toy ($32)
8. Kids' cotton apron and wooden cooking utensil set (various designs; $47)
9. Cook School cook book for kids ($19.95)
10. Pick-up sticks ($8)


 Check out our other Gift Guides:
2014 Gift Guide: For Him
2014 Gift Guide: For a Grab Bag
2014 Gift Guide: For Her
2014 Gift Guide: For Friends & Family