Hello! You are reading pearls of wisdom and rick-rackery by run-on sentence maker Sarah Neuburger who runs this online shop called The Small Object. The Small Object actually began oh-a-way-back-when in 2004 and is run by me, just the one lady train and is the place where I sell the stuff I make + design. I live in Savannah, GA and agree that's an amazingly beautiful place with all the quirky small city charms.
Now, what you are reading is The Steno Pad which is the blog for The Small Object. The Steno Pad is essentially a great word for an otherwise very guttural word also known as a blog. You are welcome to use photos on your blog/website if you credit and link back to The Small Object and you don't have to ask first. Just credit me and we're good to go. I also try to answer all questions back at the original post. Read even more about this steno pad here. Below are links to embarrassing podcasts and answers to things you might now be thinking.
For all those happy couples out there, why not top your cake or cupcake tier with a glowing beam of two happy smiling faces! Yes! That's one happy piece of sweet goodness.
Sharing is good. Here are a few things you can download and print out as often as you like until your heart's content and you never have to pay me a dime. Seriously, it's all free. Just scroll down on the link below to find the one you want.
These are the things you folks seemed to really get a kick out of making and doing. For all you folks who are just joining us, here's the best of what you missed in the step-by-step and holiday category (bottom of the list). Hop on board!
You can shop our products through this website by clicking on "products" at the top of this page (underneath the photo of my hand posing as a teapot). Orders are accepted for both international and domestic purchases. If you prefer, you can also shop online through our Etsy shop! The choice is yours! Though, to see the complete collection, click here, because I don't have everything listed over at Etsy.
People can say very nice things about us and it makes me most happy. Sometimes, they even include us in their books. You can view the list of all the major mentions (click here), cause that makes me even happier. :) The list includes links to download Adobe pdf versions of the articles. You can also find most of the online mentions by searching for "press" (click here). I try to make it comprehensive but frankly, sometimes I miss a mention or two, or three or four. Who knows. I try.
I have had a plan to design a birthday card to use for everyone’s birthday all year long. It’s been a grand plan, super good idea and with fewer and fewer cards coming my way as I get older and older, what more wonderful thing to send to all my family and friends than a card on their birthday. This year, I made it happen and we got busy.
Inspired by a photo in this post on Little Red Caboose, I decided we could send out a birthday wish to everyone. A free wish on us. I could think of no more fitting gift. I read that it is helpful to bake the walnuts first to help get a clean break and its true. I baked mine at 350 for about 10 minutes and even fully cooled down a day later, they were still much easier to crack cleanly.
The birthday candles
that get placed in these bags
with this greeting. Eventually, they will be embossed cards with this phrase, but in the meantime, Helvetica is an easy go to card design for all those early January peeps. At some point when I make more, I’ll add a few to the shop now that I’m a walnut cracking pro! Plus, when you’re already making 100 of something, what’s another 100 or so right?
With the new year come resolutions. Or maybe you’ve never been very good at keeping them so you no longer try. Or maybe you think they are silly and never started. I like them. I like to come up with one that is manageable and won’t make me feel like crap in two weeks. I also like to track progress. I liked putting a sticker on my board when I passed the spelling test in grade school. If it was good enough for me then, it’s good enough for me now.
I made a board to track my progress. You can download one below and do it, too. Simply write in at the top what you are trying to do every day this year (exercise, make dinner, talk to someone new, write a letter, draw, walk to work, etc…). Each square corresponds to the day of the month so when you do it, cover the square. Go you!
I put a stamp over every day that I did my resolution. The hope is seeing how much I’ve done will keep me going all year long. Plus, seeing the grander scheme, when I miss a few days, I will see it’s no big deal. It’s just a couple days. There are many others.
New mailing labels for First Class parcels from the shop, from a design in my Labels and Stickers Book, published by Chronicle.
Personalized pencils for the shop that read, “I like to draw. I am awesome.” So true, so true. That is awesome.
Thank you notes from YeeHaw for saying thanks for all our holiday fun and gifts. I picked them up at Primary Art in town but also for sale online here.
Our holidays were wonderful! The new year has been great and makes me all crazy to clean, organize and update. I need to prioritize my list so things happen rationally. This time of year makes me want to do a week of all-night organizing to get the house ready to begin again. Some rooms have been done, I have a new haircut, piles have been donated and the house has at least been cleaned. Plus, I’ve made one thing.
This photo album I made like my last one here and here. The fabric I used to cover it is from felicitysiu’s Etsy shop. I had bought a few of these reproduction Japanese flour sack style print panels a few months back. The Healthy House print seemed particularly fitting given my mood.
Sadly, the start of the year also marks my most favorite local store’s closing. @Home is closing and I will sorely miss it. Luckily, Liz, along with her event planning, will be opening up an online shop in the near future but still. I picked up a few things during their sale recently that make the post-holiday decorations less sparse looking.
Now it’s time to tackle all the things the holiday postponed. And I’m actually eager to get them done. A new calendar and to do book certainly make the getting started all the more fun.
Happy holidays to you all! There has been a nary a peep from these parts in awhile but things have been banging backstage. This is officially our busiest holiday season ever so lots to catch up on after the holidays but wanted to wish you all the very happiest of holidays!
If you are still considering a gift from ye ole shoppe, note our Holiday Shipping Schedule here. Essentially, today is the last day for economy shipping option and Thursday is the last day for Priority Mail shipping option. All international orders are no longer guaranteed to arrive in time for Christmas. However, all orders will continue to ship throughout the holidays on our normal shipping schedule.
Eat good food and have lots of fun times! And the photo? That’s me in high school about 18 years ago. Great day, time is crazy fast! There will be some slow time grabbed very soon.
