My Fall Desk

I love the start of the school year. It always reminds me of going to Blacker & Kooby (our neighborhood stationery store when I was growing up) with my mom and getting new pens and notebooks and they always looked so inviting - full of blank space to fill up with great ideas and doodles! (I loved to doodle - in fact I have a whole collection on the website dedicated to doodling!) 

So, as I start thinking about fall I like to take an inventory of what’s on my desk and what I need to start the school year with my children!  Here are my essentials:

Wine Stickers from the family - I love bringing a bottle of wine to a dinner party or cocktail party.  It’s a great and easy gift and it’s fun to stick these labels on and then the hostess always remembers your family when she eventually opens the bottle. I also like to use them at home, if someone give me a bottle of wine - I stick this one and write whom it was from, and then I can shoot them a note when we actually drink it and the gift giver is always so pleased you remembered! 

Gift stickers from myself and from all my kids - we each have individual stickers but I like also having one from all the kids - in a pinch I can cross out the other kids’ names, and often we are giving gifts from all of us at family parties. I feel like I am constantly wrapping presents with all the pool parties and birthday parties and holiday parties so it’s really easy to have a sticker to slap on there as soon as they are wrapped. That was I can shop in advance and not worry about to whom each present is meant to go - they are already labeled! 

Personal Mailing Labels - I have a large set (5x7) from the family and a smaller set (3.5x5) from me 

Kids Stationery - each year I let them design a small set of stationery with a motif they like to write on.  If they like the note cards, they will write more readily! With our new digital well-priced line, you can get just 25-50 cards and it isn’t a huge investment in case they move on from horses to hockey!

My Stationery - I like to have a digital set as well as my engraved notecards (those I print in 200-500 because the cost of the plates is so high), which I use for everyday notes or even sending in checks.

Napkins for the house - I like to have a set of guest towels for when friends come over. I don’t have a powder room, but when I put these out by the sink in the master bath it feels more like a guest bathroom when I’m entertaining. Cocktail napkins always go to great use.

Calling Cards - I like to have a set of cards that are social - not for my business.  Usually I just write my number in a friend’s phone if they need to reach me, but sometimes it is nicer to just hand over a pretty card.  I also tape these to the top of boxes of baked goods I’ve picked up to bring to a friend’s house after a playdate, or gifts I purchase ready-wrapped at stores, since I keep them in my wallet, and the stickers for gifts I keep at home.  I like having a personal card to put on a gift rather than using the generic one from the store - it makes the gift feel so much more personal.

Luggage Tags - these melamine tags are great for luggage, tote bags, backpacks- we loop them around everything especially with the kids when they are constantly mixing bags with their friends. They also make it very easy to identify luggage at baggage claim at the airport.

Schedule Pads - These are an annual favorite of mine, and something I dreamed up 10 years ago and they have sold like hot cakes ever since. Although I use my calendar on my iPhone for daily recurring events, I found I still wanted a place to write notes for my whole family to see. I designed a pad with each day of the week, space for each child and parents and notes. I keep it in the kitchen and everyone can see at a glance events outside the normal weekly schedule and any important things- (I don’t use it for daily after school activities or practices, but you could) if one child has a late practice, if I am traveling, if I have something particular I want them to eat for dinner. These pads have quite a cult following, (and shhh... we will customize them to motifs that match your family’s interests at no extra charge - just send us an email!) They are 11x17 with plenty of space.

Desk Pads - I am always in need of a pretty desk pad by the phone and in each room.  You never know when you’ll need to write something down.  These are a great size at 5 x 8.  This is the one I am loving for fall.

New iPhone cases! We just launched these- they are brand new with a credit card holder and I’m obsessed. I so often just grab my phone and not a handbag when going to pick up a child, or leaving the office just for an hour - all I really need is a credit card for a taxi and a phone. These cases are so reasonably priced it’s fun to change them up every few months.  These are the ones my daughter and I just designed!

Happy Shopping! XO Kate