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3D cards are all the rage. At least they certainly were when I checked out the card collection at LOFT, an emporium of stationery, home goods, beauty supplies, and gifts. There were cards featuring classic Japanese themes like the ocean, morning glories, goldfish, fireflies, and fireworks. I especially like the details in the pop-up cards depicting summer scenes but my favorite card is the one with black and red goldfish merrily swimming in a fishbowl. It reminds me of all the festivals with kingyo sukui booths where my friends and I would compete to scoop the most goldfish and turtles with flimsy paper nets.

Speaking of festivals, there seem to be big summer events and fireworks every weekend over here in Tokyo. Just two weeks ago, I watched a dazzling array of colors light up the night sky while Tokyo Tower glowed blue and red. Festivals celebrating Obon, a Bhuddist observance to welcome home the spirits of ancestors, abound, filling public parks and narrow shopping streets with paper lanterns, food stalls, dance performers and taiko drummers. But the big highlight of my summers in Japan has always been visiting my grandparents’ house in Awaji, an island near Kobe (and the first island created, according to Japanese mythology), and dipping my feet in the ocean.

Sure, there's the heat, humidity and noisy cicadas, but you can't help but enjoy Japanese summers. Even though there is no actual holiday to commemorate, spreading the summer love and sending a fun card that will surprise and delight my friends and family is a good enough excuse for me.

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Our roaming "I Get Around" card, last spotted in NYC, made its way to the mountains of western Maine last weekend, where we took our girls on their first real backpacking trip. Admittedly, we weren't positive how this would pan out. Our girls, aged 4 and 6, have been hiking before but they've never backpacked in with gear and camped overnight. We did a fair amount of prep work to get them pumped (new kid-sized mummy sleeping bags, for example, and extra-good snacks for the trail), so our hopes were that all systems were go and spirits up as we headed to the trail on Friday morning.

(image: Because it requires some rock scrambling, Loop Trail is the most difficult of the three trails going up Tumbledown Mountain and therefore not recommended for novices ... or children. Oops.)

(image: Pete and Avery lead the way.)

The weather was on our side all day as our little troopers (along with two of their cousins and their aunt and uncle) made their way up steep, rocky terrain. We continued through a cave-like column called "Fat Man's Misery" to ultimately arrive at a serene pond nestled between two mountain peaks where we set up camp.

(image: Our view at the top.)

Out of their hiking boots, the girls giddily changed into their comfy pajamas and soaked their tired feet in the chilly pond. Games and dinner followed, and shortly after watching the last bit of sunshine dip behind the mountains, it was time to settle into our cozy tent. In a phrase, "they got it." The camping thing, I mean. Full disclosure: I did let the girls both play one round of "Think Rolls" on my phone while they snuggled in their new bags before completely conking out.

Thankfully, the overnight rain didn't wake them up. Yes, the once perfect weather took an unfortunate turn. The rain intensified by morning, and we woke to some fairly significant rain squalls. The breaks in between were just long enough for us to drag our packs into the tent (thanks, Uncle Dave) and pack up before heading down a very slippery trail. 

(image: Abigail and Avery get ready to brave the elements.)

While the rain was less than ideal, it added a little more depth to the overall adventure! Not to mention the rain meant we got be with the rest of the family at the cottage earlier than planned. And luckily, there's a perfectly good McCafe in Rumford, Maine on the drive home to satisfy the morning craving. (As far as I know, there's no Starbucks in Rumford, but I didn't check).

Two more things: Thank you, Pete, for remembering to snap a photo of the "I Get Around" card! And, did I mention that besides the loons that come to the lake every summer, we also saw a moose and an American bald eagle this weekend?! Awesome!

(image: A happy camper despite the rain.)

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We love you too, Boston! We are so grateful for all of our fans. Because of your support, Boston Magazine named us Best Wedding Stationery in their Best of Boston issue (still pinching ourselves!). Working one-on-one with couples on custom letterpress invitations and announcements was how Smudge Ink got its start. More than 10 years later, we continue to enjoy and cherish this part of our job. Thank you for inviting us to play a part in your celebrations all over Boston and beyond.

With Best of Boston on our minds, we did a small roundup of local spots and establishments that we find quite remarkable. Here are the winners of our unofficial poll:

BEST BOOKSTORE (Sarah): Brookline Booksmith isn't just my favorite bookstore, it's one of my favorite places on the planet! Whether I'm in the mood for a great children's book, classic, or new release, their collection never disappoints. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and makes excellent recommendations. Be sure to check out their author event series. (Also among the Boston Magazine winners!).

BEST COFFEE SHOP (Rheanna): Hands down, PS Gourmet Coffee in South Boston has the best ice coffee flavors. It’s not called home of the “bucket” for nothing.

BEST GYM (Clayton). Brooklyn Boulders in Somerville. Why? Indoor Rock Climbing. Free classes such as yoga and "broga" with purchase of a membership. Free trade coffee. Ping pong tables. Monthly complimentary beer tasting. Super awesome and friendly staff!

BEST RECORD STORE (Margaret): Deep Thoughts in Jamaica Plain is not only a great source for experimental music but also hosts great shows. (Also among the Boston Magazine winners!).

BEST FOOD TRUCK (Henry): Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese has turned an ordinary menu item into one of my all-time favorites. Go for the Green Muenster which has guac AND bacon on it. And I dare you to resist their french fries with rosemary and gorgonzola cheese.

BEST BRUNCH (Emily): Vee Vee in Jamaica Plain. I'm also really digging the art on display right now.

BEST GROCERY STORE (Sabrina): Thanks to H-Mart in Central Square, my fridge is stocked with kimchi, tofu, frozen dumplings, and other essentials. I end up going there a lot during the summer. My husband loves to bring their marinated beef bulgogi to BBQ parties.

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Sometimes even a so-called adult gets an undeniable impulse to buy an embarrassing amount of miniature Disney stationery.

Maybe it was because I needed a pick-me-up after I tried and failed to get a seat at the stationery café near Harajuku. I’ve been dying to check out the café, and to my disappointment, it was incredibly crowded (see image on the left). Clearly I wasn’t the only person who wanted to spend a gray afternoon perusing letter sets, notebooks and writing goods from around the world while enjoying a sandwich and coffee. Or maybe it was simply because I can't resist uniquely shaped greeting cards, especially when they are teeny tiny with vintage Disney designs.

The point is that when I got home, I looked over my Disney purchases and seriously wondered how I could possibly use these itty bitty cards. The Alice in Wonderland (shown with my pen to give you a sense of what I mean by mini) and Mickey Mouse book cards would make great gift tags on a present for a bibliophile who loves animation. The ‘Mini Mini’ book cards and Seven Dwarves ‘hug cards’ are so ridiculously small, they serve no discernible purpose besides being really cute. I’ll probably end up using them like confetti in a letter to my Disney-enthusiast best friend.

I see these little cards in almost every stationery store I come across in Tokyo and I’ve come to the conclusion that if you like Disney and things that are adorably small, Tokyo will not disappoint you. So come visit!

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I’d say most of us at the studio have a strong case of wanderlust. Near or far, we love to visit places. And when travel is a distant memory of life before toddlers then we like to live vicariously through others. You can’t expect to go away somewhere and not have to give us a full report upon your return. We decided to take this a step further and create a card (that's it in the image above!) that would roam with us wherever we traveled or go visit our friends around the world. First stop is to New York City for the Stationery Show! After spending eight hours in the Javits Center, we wanted to get as far away from there as possible. Here's where we went ...

KATE. Every morning, I spent the seven o'clock hour running from Fort Greene through Dumbo and into Brooklyn Bridge Park. The view of lower Manhattan across the East River is breathtaking, and I love taking in all the gorgeous plantings, meandering paths, and incredible sculptures within the park. This year, I got to enjoy a series of installations by Danish artist Jeppe Hein titled Please Touch the Art. As you can guess, the exhibit is meant to be interactive, with jets of water shooting up from the ground, a maze of mirrors, and sculptural benches. It never ceases to amaze me how much NYC has to offer even when you’re just out getting your daily dose of fresh air. 

DEB. It’s rare these days for me to catch a show when I’m in NYC. If I come for the trade show, I am usually too exhausted. When I am visiting with my husband and girls, I don’t have my act together in time to find tickets for a family-friendly matinee. This trip was different: Darren Criss had taken over the lead in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Full disclosure, I’m a 41-year-old Glee fan (Darren played Blaine Anderson). While I already knew the story of Hedwig, it was my celebrity crush that sealed the deal. So I went on my own (when is the last time I had an entire night all to myself?!) and it did not disappoint. The story is heart-wrenching and tragic and hilarious but OH MY—the energy and raw talent it takes to perform the lead in that show is mind-blowing. Bravo, Darren Criss. A rainy NYC evening very well spent, indeed.

SABRINA. My friends Betty and Spiro invited me to join them for some shuffleboard in Brooklyn, and out of sheer curiosity I couldn’t pass it up. The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club is a fairly recent addition to the once-gritty-and-grimy Gowanus neighborhood. As soon as you stepped inside of what used to be a Coca Cola bottling plant, you felt like you were taken back to a scene from the Love Boat complete with Bingo night and flamingo wallpaper but with hipsters in place of retirees. We played on one of its 10 sunken courts while sipping on tropical cocktails, and I have to admit it was a blast.

CLAYTON. A small world run-in with old classmates led to an impromptu gathering Tuesday evening in the Lower East Side. The place? The Late Late. The people? Laura “Lemon” Howell and Madeline Arnold. The why? Just because (also it was Laura's birthday!). I arrived fashionably unfashionably late (subway rookie) to a bar modeled after a 1960's Irish home complete with your grandma's daisy wallpaper. I promptly joined Laura and Madeline in the rousing game of trivia that had already begun. After the game, we chatted with the charming trivia host as he offered his condolences for our attempt at victory. Then came a round of IPAs and a comforting dose of catch-up. If you were wondering what the score was ... ah, alas, it has escaped me.

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