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This Independence Day, we'll be raising a glass to The Statue of Liberty and thinking about Emma Lazarus's sonnet, The New Colossus.  

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

-Emma Lazarus, 1849-1887

Learn more about the poem here.

Want to take action? This is a good list of organizations that could use help. 

And below is a printable recipe card for a summer cocktail we're calling Miss Independent (right click and open image in a new tab). 

Recipe illustration for Smudge Ink by our summer intern, Stefanie. 

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It's so hard to believe that another Stationery Show has come and gone. But here were are, already a few weeks post-show. 

Ally already wrote about pre-show prep and outreach, but there's also so much work in the days leading up to the show. Starting with packing!

As the show approached, I made a pretty detailed list of everything I needed to remember from screws, display products, and paper towels to phone chargers, pens, and mascara. We crammed everything (including the walls) into a minivan we borrow from my father-in-law. It's always a pretty tight squeeze.

We hit the road a little before noon on Thursday, May 17. 

The drive took about 4 hours, but parking and loading-in were pretty easy this year. We arrived to a typical booth space: plain black curtains and a paper sign. 

Right away, Eric and I got to work setting up our walls as quickly as possible. They went up easily since this was our 6th year setting them up. The trickiest part is always getting them level, but we did it! Then we said goodbye to the Javits Center and headed to my Aunt's for dinner and good night's sleep. 

On Friday morning, we brought in the rest of our boxes and made a plan for the day. 

Erin and Ally joined us at 10 and then we really got down to business.

At times, it was hard to tell if we were getting anywhere. It felt like we were just moving boxes from one corner to another. But, little by little, things started to progress.

On Saturday, we worked hard all morning. We added all of the little finishing touches and then put all the cards on the shelves

We finished setting up around 1:30 on Saturday and we split up for a relaxing pre-show afternoon. For the third year in a row, I had lunch with my sister and we got manicures. Best of all, I was in bed by 9:30 so I could rest up for Day 1 of the show! 

I'll be back in a few days with Part 2: The Show!  

-April

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Graduation season always seems to sneak up quickly, doesn't it?! Here are a few gift ideas for the graduates in your life. 

1) If the grad in your life likes to travel, they'll appreciate luggage organizing cubes like these (accompanied with a subtle hint to visit home regularly, of course). 

2) A toolkit is a handy gift for any recent grad. Whether moving into a dorm room or a new apartment, it's important to have a set of basic tools.

3) If your graduate is prone to stress, Print Therapy's essential oil rollers are a wonderful gift. Formulated to help the wearer center themselves, you might want to get one yourself at the same time!  

4) Send the graduate off with a trinket box that reminds them of home! You can get all sorts of custom handmade pieces on the Unique Pl8z website.  

5) A sturdy tote bag is a wonderfully versatile gift. Great for anything from a weekend trip to lugging a stack of textbooks, this classic bag is always useful. 

6) With a map art print, they spruce up their new place with hometown pride. Or get two (hometown and new town) so grads can remember where they've come from and where they're going! 

7) A nice watch can elevate jeans and take an interview suit to the next level. Watches are a long-time graduation gift for a good reason! 

8) Graduates can often use upgrades. A fresh wallet can add a little pep to their step.

Wishing all 2018 grads the very best in their new endeavors!  

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