Esther Howland - Mother of the American Valentine

Esther Howland, Valentine, handmade Valentines, history of the Valentine card

Since tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and being that I am a purveyor of paper goods myself, I thought it would be fitting to do a post about Esther Howland, who is known as the "Mother of the American Valentine.


Esther was born in 1828 in Worcester, Massachusetts. After her graduation from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, at the age of 19, she received an English Valentine from a business associate of her father, who owned a large book and stationery store in Worcester. She became intrigued with the idea of creating similar Valentines, and ordered the necessary materials from England and New York. To her surprise, the demand for her handmade Valentines exceeded her expectations and outpaced her ability to make them. She enlisted friends to help her assemble them and her home-based cottage industry quickly grew into a $100,000-a-year business. Let's not forget, this was the mid-1800s and she was a woman! When she retired in 1881, she sold her business to the George C. Whitney Company.

How's that for inspiration, Etsy sellers!



One of Esther's innovations was to slip a sheet of colored
paper placed behind the "lace" for more contrast.


Another of Esther's early creations

Meanwhile, I had fun making these:


    Bit o Honey -- Happy Valentine's Day to my sweetie.

 
   Custom tailored - You  were made for me.

 
    We They -- You and me against the world.
     
    Happy Valentine's Day to you!
  
   Sharon

Missouri Botanical Garden Green Art and Craft Show

This weekend, November 13 and 14, Secret Leaves will participate in the Garden Gate Shop Green Art and Craft Show at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The event will run Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the upper level of the Ridgway Visitor Center.

If you've never been, the Missouri Botanical Garden is a wonderful place--one of my favorite places in St. Louis. And the gift shop, the Garden Gate, lives up to the standards of the rest of the garden. Beautiful plants, books, stationery, bath and body items, home and garden decor and more, expertly curated with a garden theme.

At the Green Art and Craft Show, I am focusing on affordable items and lots of holiday goods: gift tags, gift wrapping accessories, gift boxes, gift bags, etc. Here are some of the items Secret Leaves will offer:


Christmas stamp cards


An assortment of gift tags


Muslin gift bags perfect for small gifts like jewelry, candles, soap, etc.


Vintage Paper key tags


Gift enclosures and place cards


Greeting cards, stationery, journals, notebooks and more...

My friend Jen from Angelina Accoutrements will be there too, offering her lovely recycled cashmere pieces:







Lots of other vendors will be plying their recycled and eco-friendly wares, including jewelry, sculpture, handbags and more. I hope to see you there!

Sharon

Ode to the Lake

Last weekend, our extraordinary friends and neighbors, Jan and Connor, lent us their newly purchased lake house for the weekend. It is at Lake of the Ozarks, a sprawling resort area in central Missouri. Lake of the Ozarks was created when the Osage River was dammed, resulting in a large reservoir. Over the years, it has been heavily developed, with many high-end hotels, upscale homes and condominium complexes springing up. But that is not the Lake of the Ozarks we experienced.
Jan and Connor's lake house is a charming little cottage with red sideboards, butter-colored shutters and window boxes full of flowers. It sits on a sleepy cove with neighbors who are mostly year-round residents. From the deck, the sun glinting off the lake's surface looks like a million paparazzi's flash bulbs. The water is warm, the sun is hot and the occupants of the occasional boat wandering into our little corner of the Lake wave hello. Birds rustle busily in the trees overhead, and at night insects play their buzzing song.



 




BAGNELL DAM STRIP
Within walking distance is the Bagnell Dam strip. Full of arcades, tourist shops and ice cream stands, it is a throwback to an earlier era. My husband Michael, who spent his summers on the Lake many years ago, was astounded by how little it had changed. At night, it is a spectacle of neon lights, garish signs and strange, giant statues of Indian chiefs and lumberjacks. I couldn't wait to snap some photos. Click for a larger view:
Bumper cars and Skee ball


Glowing man

50 cent baseball

Dogpatch Arcade

Zamperla



Your weight and horoscope

Rebel Arcade

Thanks, Jan and Connor. We can't wait to go back.
Sharon 

A virtual rakhi to my brothers

While researching ideas for posts about this month's NaBloPoMo theme, ties, I came across an article on National Geographic's Intelligent Traveler blog about an age-old custom in India that has changed with modern times. The custom is part of a Festival called Raksha Bandhan, or Bond of Protection, and it recognizes the bond between brother and sister. The sister ties a special thread, a rakhi, around her brother's wrist to show her love and affection. In turn, the brother gives her a small gift of cash and promises to protect and take care of her.


Traditional rakhis at a market in New Delhi.

According to the article, as with many holidays and customs, in modern times it has become very commercialized,. Still, I think it's a lovely sentiment. By the way, I ran into my brother today at a bookstore. We sat and chatted for awhile, about nothing in particular. It was nice.

You can read the entire article here.

Sharon

Bee Love, Bluebird & Hearts and a Cupid Valentine

I have put some new items up for sale in my Etsy store, including three Valentine card designs:


Mini side fold card in vellum envelope


Bluebird & Hearts - inside message: You make my heart sing



  Inside message: You stole my heart

There are some non-Valentine items as well:

Vintage paper key tags - packet of 6



Paint Chip prints - click images to view larger (recommended)

Stop by and pick up a Valentine card or gift of artwork for your sweetheart.

Sharon

New Year - Old Things

Happy New Year to you! I am happily sitting here in my pajamas (it's 3pm on New Year's Day), writing this post. The hectic holiday sales season has left our studio in a state of chaos and I have spent the last couple of days cleaning and organizing. I still have a LONG way to go. Over the past few months, we have amassed several large boxes of old maps, books, postcards, vintage photos, French magazines and so much more, that we have purchased or that have been given to us by kind folk who know we love such things. I have been trying to empty the boxes and give their contents a permanent home in the studio. Here are a few of the treasures I have come across:

I believe most of the pieces in this stack were given to us by Diane Benitz, Elizabeth's mother-in-law. Thank you Diane!

Some perfectly imperfect old French book pages. These are only 3 1/4 x 4 1/2 inches big--or small as the case may be.

These old railroad company index cards were given to us by my sister, Sheila. We use them to create our Vintage Index Card gift tag sets:

I love the logo on this little booklet that accompanied a pair of gloves. What time period do you think this is from?

A super-cool ad from a guide to London shops and restaurants. I am guessing this is from the 1940s.

This photograph perfectly illustrates why I love old things. The spine of this piece of sheet music had fallen apart and someone repaired it with a simple whipstitch. I love that tangible evidence of someone's hand having touched this and the ways that people "made do." It's so...human.

I will soon be posting more ephemera shots on our Flickr stream, if you are interested.

Sharon

Periwinklebloom

Everything our good friend and fellow Willow, Tyler Stallings, does is beautiful and Periwinklebloom, her line of toddler clothing and letterpressed greetings is no exception.

Made of domestically grown, 100% organic cotton, Periwinklebloom's tiny togs are handcrafted by local artisans. She also reclaims vintage bits of fabric and notions to nurture the idea of hand-me-downs. Subdued hues,
roomy fit and lush textures echo the carefree nature of a child.

Sherpa hoodie and sherpa jacket




Bubble dress
Her letterpress greetings are printed by hand on lovingly restored Pearl and Kelsey presses. Thick cottony stock, 100% recycled and additive-free, comes from a century-old domestic mill that generates
enough clean energy via water to power the town. And she uses vegetable-based inks and non-toxic solvents, always keeping the environment in mind.

Tyler will be selling her wares this weekend at Ladue Chapel Holiday Mart in St. Louis, so we thought this would be a perfect moment to tell you about her wonderful line. Stop by her equally wonderful blog and say hello. Tell her Secret Leaves sent you!

Sharon

Recycled vintage cashmere scarf by Angelina Accoutrements

PS. Willow Jen Sertl of Angelina Accoutrements will be there too!