frankie diary.

Yes, yes, yes. I’ve already got 2011 calendars on the brain. And while I promise to wait at least another month before starting to share all of them with you, I couldn’t resist this planner. The frankie diary is an illustrated 12-month journal with a monthly calendar and weekly spreads, all put together in a soft cloth-bound book. PS: My birthday is in just over a month. *wink, wink*

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Birthday Calendar.

There was a time when I was the girl who sent out birthday cards two weeks in advance. Those days appear to be long gone, as I’m now the girl who is lucky if she remembers to send out your card the day of your birthday. Lucky for me, Linda & Harriett just released their first limited-edition monthly project – this killer Birthday Calendar.

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Win It: Becca Heuer.


What better way to kick off the new year than with a calendar giveaway?! Exactly, there really isn’t one. At least here in Blogland. The instant I saw Becca Heuer’s seasonal letterpress calendar I smiled. Big. I love her concept of splitting it into seasons instead of months and the letterpress is breathtaking. And just to say Hi, hello, I hope you have a lovely year, Becca is gifting one of you luckies with a brand spankin’ new calendar to start your year off right!

Just leave a comment with your email address. (Don’t worry, I won’t be selling or storing them. It’s only to let you know if you win!) You have until 12pm CST tomorrow, January 5th. The winner will be chosen randomly and notified shortly after. Thanks, Becca!

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Happy {2010} Weekend.

I cut out New Year’s resolutions a few years ago after making too many unfulfilled promises to myself and feeling bad about it. I’m not knocking them if you’re a fan, I’m just no good with such a big weight on my shoulders. (I’ll lose 50 lbs. I’ll . I’ll single-handedly be responsible for world peace.)

I’m more of a believer that instead of resolving to do something, we should try to make smaller life decisions that are part of our day to day existences. I plan on trying to drink more water, keeping in closer touch with friends and family and starting to landscape around my house. Easy enough because I know they’re all possible without too much trouble. What are your goals for 2010?

And because I’ve been out of the loop for the past few weeks, some of my favorite posts that have graced my reader recently:

+ DIY Origami Box Ornaments with a great step-by-step tutorial :: Creature Comforts

+ Super cute free holiday tags, perfect for a homemade goodie gift! :: Creature Comforts

+ A bevy of holiday packaging freebies :: Benign Objects

+ A clever free printable holiday card :: Creature Comforts

+ Sad I didn’t see these really well designed desktop wallpapers sooner! Downloaded for next year :: Nien Studios

+ A great Christmas mix of songs both new and old :: m.writes

+ And a fantastic mixcast full of indie Christmas tunes, too :: kitsune noir

+ Pretty red and aqua holiday downloads :: Eat. Drink. Chic.

+ Loving these type-centric gift tags :: Wiley Valentine

+ And these gift tags :: Creature Comforts

+ And these tags and labels :: Creature Comforts

+ And these gift tags, too! :: heysusy

+ Did you see Livy’s gorgeous vintage village that she made? :: A Field Journal

+ 12 Days of Christmas boxes for you to fill with goodies :: The Dieline

+ Insta-gift: print these free recipe cards and labels :: mstetson design

+ I’ll be busy printing out this 2010 calendar this weekend! :: poppytalk

+ And this one :: redblackbrown

+ I can hardly believe this printable pocket calendar is f-r-e-e! :: Creature Comforts

Happy Weekend + Best Wishes in 2010!

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Advent Calendar Roundup.

One of my favorite holiday traditions is the advent calendar. I’ve had one every December for as long as I can remember and my mother still buys me one each year (I’m not allowed to purchase my own!). As a child it always hung in the very same place, the closet door in the living room, and since college it’s adorned my refrigerator. Here are a few that really stood out to me this year, some you can purchase but most can be made with a few simple supplies!

A traditional take on the advent calendar, each of the twenty-five windows revealing a symbol of Christmas. Printed on thick watercolor paper, which gives a texture to the print and a substantive quality to the piece. Sturdy enough to be used year after year.

For the individual that never wants to leave home without receiving their advent treat. And those who like to wear the same sweater for twenty five consecutive days…

A fun project using mini envelopes and colored dot stickers from Nice Package to create a decidedly modern take on the advent calendar.

I love the huge numbers printed on the tall bags and strung from a clothesline. So pretty!

A two for one: twenty five sticker labels for advent gifts plus twelve for the twelve days of Christmas! That Marta thinks of everything…

This one’s a freebie! Just follow the link to an email address and they’ll send you a .pdf to download. I’ve already got mine and am planning on constructing it this weekend!

Each tiny gift box has two sides with adorable designs, the other two sides have been left blank to customize for you or your children.

I love what Hillary did here, instead of receiving a gift or treat each day a snowflake is unrolled and revealed. On Christmas Day the entire garland will be full and you’ll have one more decoration!

This solution is to make an advent calendar with notes and clues. Each spool has a daily note that wrapped around it will lead the recipient on a hunt for their presents.

The minimalist version. Makes me want to paint on my living room walls!

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2010 Planner Roundup.

Among many other obsessions lies a big one for planners. Here are just a few I came across that struck my fancy. Have you picked one up yet for 2010?

This charming French date book is perpetual – you can start it any time of the year! With beautiful watercolor illustrations on each of the 192 acid-free pages, this paperback, thread-bound date book is perfect for keeping track of a busy schedule, with the freedom to pick up on any day you fancy. Includes sections for scheduling the year, by month, by week and places for free notes and lists. Also comes with a small companion note book with lined pages.

Greet 2010 with this cheery pocket-sized calendar. Featuring Jen’s silkscreened galoshes illustration, this calendar has hand-lettered pages for each month, plus additional (lined and unlined) pages for notes.

When closed, the calendar measures 4.25×5.5″. The cover is a heavy, acid-free card stock; the sixteen interior pages are on a bright white, textured archival paper. It has been hand-bound with linen string for extra durability.

Full color cover, lush green interior pages with 8 repeating original illustrations of all the little details found in the forest and in the tidepools. The months and dates are blank so that you may begin, interrupt or end the book as you wish. Printed with vegetable-based inks on reincarnation paper [100% recycled, 50% post-consumer waste, and processed chlorine free] and wire-o bound. Measures 5.5″ x 7″ closed.

The 2010 Kate Spade desktop calendar turns a playful eye toward some of the most mischievous, puzzling words in the english language accompanied by whimsical illustrations by Bella Foster. The 12 month desktop calendar features 3 pages per month, notes, address, and restaurant pages. Measures 5.75″w x 8.75″h.

Elegant and eminently useable, this desktop planner turns organization into a breeze. A marvel of design, the multi-page format allows the user to survey their week-at-a-glance and month-at-a-glance at the same time, as well as all of their daily and monthly to-do lists.

An individual Volant daily planner for each month of the year. The 12 months are packed in a gift box that protects, organizes, and preserves. Month numbers are printed on the outside of each planner. Measures 3.5 x 5.5 inches; 64 pages (32 sheets) in each. Thread bound with a cardboard bound cover and rounded corners, acid free paper, a bookmark, an elastic closure and an expandable inner pocket.

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2010 Calendar Roundup #7.

This year’s Calendar Swap was a big success with over 80 swappers signing up! Both Caroline and I are super duper pleased with the turnout. Just a reminder to those who are participating, your calendars should be sent out to your swap mate by this Saturday, November 14th!

Okay, okay, okay this is the last set of calendar finds – I swear! Browse through Calendar Roundups 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for more previously mentioned designs. There are so many fantastic designs floating out there for the coming year that it was hard to narrow it down any further! I’m sure you can find it in your heart to forgive me, yes?


Thirteen individual pages mean 13 framable prints (12 months and the cover). Many of the pages having delicate lines that indicate where one can cut out the print in order it for to fit in a standard frame. The calendar is 10” x 18”, on heavy quality paper printed with super lightfast ink.

Twelve original illustrations with a botanical theme featuring high quality archival printing. Measures 4.125″ x 11″ with clip included for wall hanging.

Each month reveals a signature Apiary pattern. Printed on single sheets with colorful pattern detail.

A poster calendar with space to write important dates below each month. Printed using soy-based inks on heavy recycled cover stock.

A calendar for 2010 featuring a forest creature every month. Measures approximately 8.5 x 11″ and is laser printed, wire bound on top and ready-to-hang. Each page includes a few lines to write down notes or important dates. Printed on French Paper cover stock in Speckletone Kraft.

Printed with silver ink on Rives BFK white 250gsm paper. Each month is represented by a different decorative symbol found in the typecases of the letterpress lab. The calendar is presented with a cover sheet letterpressed with a colophon. Measures 14.5 x 22.5 inches. Limited edition of fifty.

Measures approximately 6 x 8″ and letterpressed on Crane’s pearl white cotton paper. Bound with silver metal ring with hole for hanging on the wall. LIMITED edition of 100.

Measures 5.25”x8.5” and printed on 111 lb. white smooth cardstock premium acid-free recycled paper with archival ink. Includes black + white ribbon for hanging and packaged in a reusable 100% cotton drawstring bag.

Choose from six different calendars. Each one is individually printed with professional quality, pigmented inks, which are guaranteed not to fade, on velvety archival matte paper. This makes your image suitable for framing later on in 2011. All calendars are signed by the artist on the back.

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2010 Calendar Roundup #6.

Unlike paper calendars, which are often thrown out after use, this calendar is a truly “green” calendar option, as the piece can be tacked up on the wall or framed for the duration of the year MMX, and then used and loved for many years to come. Printed on a snowy white 100% cotton tea towel. Measures 19″ x 28″.

This four-color, large calendar – 12.5 x 19″ – has been silkscreened onto an 80-pound bright white French paper. Limited edition.

Hang it on your wall and enjoy its pristine state for the year. Made of 55% linen/45% cotton, this towel will serve you years of purpose past 2010. With each washing, it gets more supple and soft and makes an excellent drying towel, though you should expect fading and shrinkage. Dimensions are 16×20 inches. Comes with wooden hanging rod and strung with baker’s twine.

Each image is an original papercut, cut from a single piece of paper featuring strong images of everyday life, each with a powerful verb that inspires to action. Printed on acid-free paper using soy ink. Measures 12X12″.

Two calendars – Volcano and Tidalwave – measuring 5″ x 10″.

The illustrated calendar is 6 x 9 inches, printed on matte 110 lb paper using archival pigment ink.

Each month features a different pattern and color scheme. The calendars are spiral bound and come ready to hang. Each one is 8.5 inches by 11 inches giving enough room on each day to write important events and appointments. Printed on recycled heavy 100 lb linen coverstock. To make it even more earth friendly the pages are printed on both sides.

Veering away from marbled calendars of years past, Albertine created a 100% letterpress calendar. Playing with layering in the designs, and drawing in new colors, they made use of favorite custom designs in new and exciting ways. Each color scheme is entirely unique translating to 29 separate color runs for the project.

Calendars pages are 100% recycled paper. Each finished calendar measures 5″x8″ with hand-rounded corners and is hung with ribbon from a hole on the top. It is a limited edition of 225.

This 2010 calendar shows off a love for nature and vintage botanical prints with 12 unique specimen prints letterpress printed on each month. Sized to 5.5″ × 8.5″ and printed on 100% cotton, 110lb bright white stock. Order includes 12 month calendar + 1 tiny bulldog clip to display your calendar on the wall. Bonus: once the month is over, trim the dates off and turn each month into a 5.5″ × 5.5″ print for your wall. Limited edition of 100.

The calender is 6.3 x 11.7 inches (16,3 x 29,7 cm). Wirebind for wallhanging. Offset printed.

This perpetual calendar a stack of thirteen 2-sided cards, letterpress printed and measuring 3.5 x 5″. Each calendar comes in a display box (also letterpress printed!) that is free-standing with peel+stick assembly.

Original botanical illustrations were created from Anna’s own photographs. A true labor of love, the graphics on each monthly sheet have been gocco printed by hand in a mix of vivid colors including 3 metallic inks (all non-toxic). Printed on 100% recycled, 100% FSC certified post consumer fiber, processed chlorine free, manufactured using biogas energy.

12 unbound colorful sheets are packaged in a clear plastic jewel case that folds back to create a stand – or frame the 12 sheets for a bright year at a glance wall calendar. Measures ~4.75″ x 5.5″ with case.

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