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1) This coloring book is sure to please your animal lover and keep them busy for those long winter months!

2) For those animal lovers who want to make a difference World Wildlife Fund allows you to sponsor an endangered animal!

3) This adorable backpack from Anthropologie is great for any animal lover on the move!

4) The Animal Print Shops’s baby raccoon print is perfect for decoration in a bedroom or nursery.

5) These super cute pins from Gingiber are ideal for any animal lover who wants to adorn their jacket or bag with their favorite creatures.

6) Smudge Ink’s 2018 Wall Calendar is an interactive, adorable addition to any animal lover’s wall or desk!

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Hello, hello! My name is Meaghan, and I'm a senior at Lesley University College of Art and Design studying Illustration. I'm back at Smudge Ink as their intern (some of you may remember me from last year's Thanksgiving post when I designed these place cards) and couldn't be happier. 

Last semester, I was studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland. One of the many incredible facts I learned about living in Dublin was that what we know as strictly Thanksgiving-leftover sandwiches (stuffing, cranberries, turkey, etc) is just a common, everyday sandwich there. Talk about fortuitous news for me! Still, all of the Irish "Thanksgiving" sandwiches in the world can't beat a Thanksgiving back home in New Hampshire. Thanksgiving in the my house is the best: waking up at 7AM to the fire alarm, setting up the dining room (which we only use twice a year), eating dinner in our pajamas, and falling asleep during the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special. We gather for the food, but stay for the family time.

In coming up with ideas for this year's Thanksgiving place cards, I decided to channel Smudge Ink's love of wordplay. We also threw in a nice little wreath and gourds place card if you're just not into puns (what?!). Click the links below to download and print the free printables (either by design or all four designs):

• Smashing! Pumpkins Place Cards
• Cheers! Wine Glass Place Cards 
• Cran-tastic! Cranberry Sauce Place Cards
• Wreath & Gourds Place Cards
• All Four Place Card Designs

Hope you enjoy using them when you gather around the table on Thanksgiving, and happy eating! 

Update: This was originally written and posted in 2015. We're sharing again now because these place cards are so darn cute!

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1) Everyone wants their home to look cheery for the holidays, help your host have a perfectly set table all season with this centerpiece from L.L. Bean. This is also a great gift to send if you can’t make it to the party!

2) It can be stressful keeping your home in tact while entertaining! Ease your host’s fear of watermarks on their table with these cute and festive disposable coasters by Picture Perfect Papier on Etsy!

3) Williams Sonoma's festive cookie cutter set is perfect for rolled sugar cookies that your host will definitely appreciate for holiday baking and cookie swaps!

4) With the holidays approaching, thank you notes will be in high demand! Help your host pass along their gratitude with this set of letterpress notes from Smudge Ink.

5) If you are looking to spice up the classic gift of a bottle of wine, order these customizable labels from Duffy Design Co. on Etsy! Not only do they personalize the generic bottles, but they also give your host a memorable keepsake.

6) A Christmas Move Box Set is perfect for the whole family! After the guests leave they can pop in one of these classics and get in the holiday spirit!

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Moms are our everyday superheroes. They juggle a million things at once without blinking an eye. And let’s face it, most of the time it goes unrecognized (that’s how stealth they are!). When it comes to Mother’s Day I think we can all agree they deserve to know how much we appreciate all that they do, big and small. To get you started, Sarah and I rounded up our favorite Mother’s Day cards to celebrate your own mama, mom friends, or mother of your children!

1. Lucky for you, you got the best mom genes out there! E. Frances’ elephants in jeans card makes us chuckle every time.

2. Mom taught us what unconditional love means, and Thimblepress has just the card to thank her.

3. This Crayola approved card is a perfect pick to send your wife who encourages your children to explore all of their creative talents … even if it gets messy.

4. She raised us right, and she revived the obscure houseplant you left for dead months ago. Celebrate mom’s natural green thumb with Idlewild’s vintage seed packet card.

5. For all of the superstar moms (that is what you are), shine bright with this understated yet fabulous card from Egg Press.

6. Everyone knows there’s no holding mom back when she’s in driver’s seat. Tell mom she’s a badass (in the best way possible) with this hilarious McBitterson’s minvan card.

7. Sometimes all moms need is a simple sentiment to feel oh-so-loved, and this floral canopy card will get right to the heart of it.

8. Calling all you smart alecks (you know who you are!) Steel Petal Press has just the card to give mom credit where credit is due.

9. Thank mom for teaching you everything right down to your shoe obsession with Chic+Nawdie’s sweet mom and mini me clogs.

10. We love the superhero vibe of Goldteeth Brooklyn’s mom-wow card!

 

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In case you didn't already know, International Children's Book Day is coming up (April 2)! While I like to celebrate children's books any and every day, I thought this would be a good opportunity to share a few of my favorite picture books from authors and illustrators across three continents.

I first came across the Big Wolf & Little Wolf books by Nadine Brun-Cosme when I worked as a bookseller. Olivier Tallec's illustrations, at once vibrant and whimsical, perfectly capture the emotion and humor in each picture book about the unlikely friends.

Brun-Cosme and Tallec, both of whom hail from France, have collaborated on other picture books but these remain my favorite. After all, who can resist a little blue wolf? Not this reader.

Every once in awhile I come across a picture book so perfectly poignant, beautifully illustrated and wonderfully diverse that it sticks in my mind long after the first read through. Australian artist Bob Graham's The Silver Button is such a book. The myriad of things that happen when little Johnathan takes his first step illustrate the beauty of our wide world and serve as a reminder to cherish the small, everyday moments we take for granted.

I saved my new favorite for last! Not Quite Narwhal by New York City resident Jessie Sima is, to be honest, the kind of picture book you need to make some time for whether or not you have kids to read to.

Kelp, the sweetest little illustrated creature I've seen in awhile, can't figure out why he doesn't quite fit into his undersea community. It is only when he journeys beyond the ocean that he discovers the joy of family and fitting in aren't always what we expect.

Head on over to an older post I wrote for more wonderful children's books. Happy reading!

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