Life's a beach.... any time of the year.

The beach is a big part of my life and inspiration, not only in the summer, but throughout the year. As a New England native, and a beach-lover since I was 2 weeks old, I am incredibly inspired by the joys of the coast.

Many of my customers, both wholesale and retail, are along the New England coastline, on lovely Cape Cod, the craggy coast of Maine, the beaches of Rhode Island and Connecticut, and of course, the tiny New Hampshire coastline. I've always had a collection inspired by coastal living , and a couple of years ago expanded it to include coastal holidays, combining New England tradition and a bit of whimsy.

This year, one of my retailers, P-Town Pulp in Provincetown (at the very tip of the Cape), asked if I could message the inside of the normally blank coastal holiday cards....it was a bit of a challenge, but wonderful fun! I struggled a bit, not wanting to be too corny, but definitely needing something beyond a generic greeting.... so I thought I'd share a few of my favorites!

Now... I've got tons more of those lobsters with holly to print, so I'd better get back to work.

Sweet Valentine, will you be mine?

With Valentine's day just over a month away, it's the perfect time to start planning - of course starting with the perfect card and sentiment! Sweet or sassy? Cute and cuddly? What will you choose? When I think Valentines, I am inspired by the the whimsical little cards from my childhood....

How about our little bee card? Add a very simple message: Bee Mine! Delightful for the kiddos, or your sweet love.

One of my favorites is the heart breathing dragon, for the hottie in your life. Pen a little note inside like You Set My Heart Afire and send it on it's way.

Another cutie (and customer fav) is the little squirrel with heart card. And what better message to send your sweetie than I'm Nuts About You!

... and lastly, Hoo Loves You, Baby? says our wise owl, or you to your sweetheart.

But of course, for all of you traditionalists, there are always hearts and roses!

Birthday Boy! What can I say?

I'm a very visual person, and because of that, most of my cards are blank. In one respect, this is good - they can easily be used for multiple occasions. In another respect, this is not so good - so many people are intimidated by blank cards because they don't know what to write inside.

This is my first post of a series - I will offer you a little help in that department, by pairing some of my card designs with an example of what message would make them perfect for that special occasion. In honor of my brother's birthday, which is in just a couple of days, I'm going to start with some guy birthday card ideas!

I sell this card with the message printed inside. The concept was inspired by my clever friend Brian. What sporting guy isn't going to appreciate the bowling ball and pins? And inside: Another Birthday Strikes!

Who doesn't remember those summer days during childhood, when the dandelions went to seed and we made wishes on them? (Oh, yeah, we also spread all those pesky seeds all over dad's lawn in the process!) What about a dandelion card to celebrate a lawn-obsessed guy's birthday - and inside: May All Your Wishes Come True!

And last but not least, man's best friend... this card was inspired by my brother's sweet dog who loves cake and shares my name - Molly-dog's birthday. What would I write inside this one? Let them Eat Cake!

(oh, and Happy Birthday Johnny!)