Inspired.

New School Year, New Year* and New School

Yikes! I really don’t know where the summer has gone. Besides, an unplanned “staycation” in Modena, Italy (the land of balsamic vinegar and tortelloni) and our annual trip to Toronto and NYC to visit friends and family, we seem to have spent most of the summer at the Santa Monica YMCA. Yes. The Y. My daughter was enrolled in camp and swim class. I felt like I lived there — dropping her off, picking her up and going back for swim class — every day. But camp and swim class are over. We have had a few lazy, unscheduled days before my daughter starts a new preschool. Last Spring, I made the agonizing decision to take my daughter out of her super-small and loving preschool to put her in a neighborhood school that is TWO blocks away and offers a better opportunity to be part of a community.

With the new school year and a new school comes the need to buy back-to-school items. Being a big Hello Kitty fan myself, I couldn’t help but get her a new Hello Kitty lunch box. I also had to pick up a sleeping bag for nap time. How could I deny her a Disney princess bag?

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Hello Wendy & Ariston, Goodbye Souris

There’s no doubt that running a company has its share of stresses and its guilty pleasures. For the last few months, one of my guilty indulgences has been taking a few minutes out of my day a few times a week to read Souris’ posts on Inspired (this blog!). Unfortunately for us, Souris is trading in her full time mom (with some moments where she snuck away to write for us and others) gig to return to the entertainment world she once ruled – and yes, that means she now has two full time jobs instead of just one.  [read more]

A Buzzworthy Baby Shower

Here at Paper Culture we celebrate many precious moments together from summer barbecues, to birthday celebrations, to major milestones such as weddings. So it’s with great joy that we share our designer Tammy Sun‘s sweet baby shower with you.

Before finding out their baby girl’s gender, Tammy and her husband were calling the baby, “Bumby” and the nickname totally stuck. While planning for the baby shower, Tammy didn’t want to go the all-pink route (she is a self-professed tomboy) and chose a neutral color palate of pale yellows and dove grays to set the tone. She settled on a bee-themed party and the cute-as-can-be baby shower was an absolute success.

Tammy designed the baby shower invitation, the Stroller Peek-A-Boo and as one of the many perks of being a part of the team, she was able to customize the colors of her invitation to match her party’s palate. The end result was displayed on a wooden easel.

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Inspired by the Blogosphere!

Hello, my name is Souris and I am a blogoholic. I’ve been reading weblogs (hah, remember when they were called that?) for nearly a decade and according to Google Reader, I subscribe to 1,391 blogs.

No doubt, someone, somewhere, inspires me daily.  I thought I’d try a little experiment and type “Inspired”, into my blog reader’s search box to see what results pulled up. Following are five hits that had the word “inspired” in them and actually inspire me (to do something) and hopefully you too!

1. NOTCOT – Pocket Dept Notebooks – I hate when I have an immediate need to jot something down (when a smart phone simply won’t do) and I can’t find a spare scrap of paper anywhere. Introducing, Pocket Dept, makers of a notebook for every pocket.

In their own words, Pocket Dept is, “a line of handy notebooks inspired by vintage stationary and designed to suit every pocket. Each Pocket Dept book is made from the finest writing papers and perfect bound for strength and durability. Designed and manufactured with recycled materials by Art House Co-op in Brooklyn, NY – from our workshop to your pocket.”

I think they’re French series is très chic! [read more]

Dazed and Amused

Hey Kids! I’m sure everybody’s starting to remind you that summer’s nearly over. I suggest you stick your head in the playground sand and enjoy these inspirational and hilarious videos instead (okay, you’ll have to pull your head out of the sand to actually watch these). To help transition you back to the brick house, just click play and smile a little smile.

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Tis The Season For Eco-Friendly Care Package Tips

It’s the time of year when parents are packing up their kids, sending them back to school and quite possibly, wiping a tear away from their eyes. Whether you choose to send a practical care package (stuff they need), gifts they love (stuff they want), or a reminder of home (mom’s brownies and papa’s Rice Krispie Treats), all care packages are a joy to receive!

Here are a few tips for sending your camper, college kid, or comrade an eco-friendly care package:

1. Every college kid is going to have to finally wash and fold their own clothes. Help them whiten their clothes with green options including Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day laundry detergent and fabric softener. All laundry products are biodegradable, phosphate free, and made with natural essential oils. They also smell extraordinarily fresh which will help remove the unexplainable musky odor. [read more]

What Inspired Me This Week: Yummyfun Kooking!

With so many kids-cooking sites online, when I’m looking for originality and spunk, I always head to Yummyfun Kooking, my default “have fun cooking with kids” website! Yummyfun’s part Pee Wee Herman, part Martha Stewart and 100% awesome!

My friend Clare Crespo is the Chief Cupcake in Charge and for as long as I’ve known her, she’s been obsessed with inspiring folks to get creative in the kitchen. From the first dusting of flour to becoming a media powerhouse, she has written two best selling cookbooks: “The Secret Life of Food” and “Hey There Cupcake!”, teaches cooking classes and writes recipes and party ideas for other media outlets. You may have even spotted her on TV whipping up something fun. [read more]

A Gift From Others

I’m constantly on the hunt for the perfect gift for friends and family and while I don’t always have to have an occasion to pick something up, I like to bookmark items I love and wait for the perfect occasion. Here’s a round up of some of my favorite online inspirations and resources for gifts for all ages:

First Birthday Gift Ideas – Cool Mom Picks helps guide us through the most celebrated milestone of all — the highly anticipated one year birthday! Suggested presents range from the adorable P’Kolino’s Book Buggee, to the multipurpose MultiBox, a majestic German rocking horse, eco- and toddler-friendly building blocks, a crown fit for your little ruler, and a truly original name print. [read more]

Harmony at Home: My Five Favorite Eco-Friendly Musical Instruments

My toddler Lulu’s making a racket these days. She thinks she is the missing band member of Quiet Riot (yeah, you heard me, I said Quiet Riot) and she is definitely making me “feel the noize”! While researching eco-friendly musical instruments, I stumbled upon these very cool (and green) music makers:

Wonderworld Rainbow Sound Blocks – $35 – These bright and colorful eco-friendly blocks are made from from environmentally friendly rubber wood, strictly using non-toxic paints, dyes and lacquers. The red, yellow, blue, green, and purple transparent colored blocks are hollow and filled with beads that produce different tones.

Your kids are going to love packing, unpacking, stacking and sorting this award winning toy (Winner of the Silver Practical Pre-School Award in 2006, and National Parenting Publications Award in 2001). [read more]

Make a Splash With My Favorite Summer Party Invitations

This summer, we’ve been invited to more barbecues, beach’nics, and birthday parties* than ever. A tough economy is forcing many of us to pass on the annual summer vacation and we are instead, celebrating the sunny season the good old fashioned way — in the backyard with family and neighbors.

Set the tone of your party with one of our festive summer party announcements. With so many to choose from, following are a few of my favorite 100% post consumer recycled paper invitations:

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