The Shopping Bag Chronicles: Victoria and Albert

29 December 2009

A Date for New Year's

V and Shop
I am not a fan of New Year's! Do I need to celebrate that another year of my life has gone by, tossing the 2009 calendars in the trash doesn't help! 365 days of my life into the recycle bin...does that mean I get those days back in another form if I recycle the old calendars?? Just thinking!?

Paper Source

Le Papier Etsy

We do measure our lives by the calendar and sometimes those days fly off much too quickly and we lose the moment.

MOMA

There is a flip side, however, I love a new calendar-clean pages that have yet to be filled with the mundane and ordinary and that hold so much hope and promise for a fresh start--New Year's does give us the chance to start again, get it right this time!

No matter the space you have to keep the date, no matter your passion or style there is a calendar for you and there is no excuse not to be on time. I tend to choose calendars, and I have many, that fill my days with the things I love, am passionate about, and want to look at every day---no boring squares for me

Fred Flare

...I want to be taken to places I adore,

I want to smile

I want to be inspired

I want a quiet moment in the garden in the middle of February

Nantucket Hospital

...and of course

I want style!

Fill those days and months, along with your walls or desk, with some fun, some art, a special locale,lots of laughter... you'll see a dragging day or endless conference call can be lifted by a glance at a great image!

How about a date planner for... you know dates!!

I love shopping for calendars, and I worry in an age of PDAs and Blackberrys that the wall and desk and pocket accessories that help us remember where we are, where we are going and where we should be are going to become dinosaurs--hope not since there are so many fun ways to keep track of 2:00 on Thursday or 10:30 on Monday...

ETSY

Here are some favorites to guide you through 2010...and I wish you a New Year, and a NEW decade, filled with peace and joy!

MOMA

Paper Source

Le Papier Etsy

Etsy

All calendars unless otherwise noted available from Calendars.com

18 December 2009

The Play's the Thing-It's Kid Stuff!

Paper Source

When it comes to the Holidays no gifts are more important than the ones we wrap up for kids. We all remember special holiday presents, some of us even still have them. My most memorable gifts--- an Easy Bake Oven-who knew a light bulb could burn brownies, Makeit Bakeit and Malibu Barbie-she didn't use sunscreen either!

It's not easy shopping for kids- there is always the "must have" toy and so much out there -who can keep up with the "cool" factor.

V and A Shop

We all know kids who have too much in their toy boxes, and who would often rather play with the box than the toy inside...maybe because a box can become anything an imagination can create...this is why I take the less trendy road for the kids on the list.

V and A Shop

I love the search for gifts with no wires, no noise,...just simple ideas that spark imagination, creative play,quiet time and fun! Toys and gifts that kids will come back and pick up time and again. I usually stay away from traditional toy retailers-those can all be scary places time of year! I love to scout out specialty shops and museum stores, shops with buyers that think about the merchandise they put out there for kids...Come PLAY! and see some favorites that are all about creative imaginative play and that just maybe 20 years from now your favorite kid will remember receiving...most under $100!!