Ooh La La Lamp!

Everyone who comes into Curtsyland has serious lust for the sexy European Crystal Floor Lamp with Hand Woven String (Metallic) Shade that we have on the floor. We've been after the manufacturer for a while to get us pictures of the complete line as a large variety of different styles and colors are available.

When we were at the New York Gift Show, we tracked down the owner of the company and make him pinky-swear that he would e-mail us the complete line sheet. Being the stand up guy that he is, I received all the details as soon as I returned home.

The only problem now is that Danielle and I want them All for the store. In the mean time, if you want to experience some serious lamp-lust, just ask us to show you what's available.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

PS: WE WILL BE OPEN ON LABOR DAY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1ST FROM 11AM - 5PM.

Old Tom Foolery

Four days until the Gossip Girl season premiere....five days until the 90210 premiere.....eight days until New York Fashion weeks begins......soooooo much to look forward to!!! In the lovely land of Curtsy...something we have uber been looking forward to receiving is the new card line Old Tom Foolery. Designed by a husband & wife team that were "having a tough time finding cards that were a) funny, b) letterpressed (they’re both suckers for a deep impression), and c) not so dainty as to make her question his masculinity." They set out to design their own witty letterpress cards that would appeal to both sexes.....the result is the fabulous Footnotes Collection*.

Each card features a standard greeting printed on the center front....with a footnote not to be missed at the bottom of the card. An example of a Happy Birthday! card...footnote reads "*Today we celebrate your escape from the solitary confinement of your mother's maximum-security uterus." My fav wedding card reads "Til death do you part*" across the front.....footnote of "*Or 'til monogamy gets boring." Tee hee....perfect fit in our Curtsy Land of Slightly Twisted Cards!



xxxx

Lucky Dog

Curtsy Dog Snickers and I were out for our walk this morning and he absolutely refused to take our normal path. I relented, figuring that his leg was bothering him. We turn off of the path and begin to head back to my apartment, when he finds the doggie equivalent of $100 bill on the ground. A piece of bacon! Not just a little piece, but a full size strip. Before I could stop him, he gobbled it down and spent the next 5 minutes absolutely INSURING that his patron saint had not dropped anymore manna from heaven. Do you think he could smell it from all the way around the corner? Maybe he just trusted his intuition that if he headed to the left this morning, something lucky was going to happen. I think we pretty much make our own luck, and many times I'll slip a couple of these little " Lucky Tokens" into a friend's gift to remind them that they're in charge of their own destiny.


Speaking of being in charge of things, we just received in these fabulously girlie alternatives to wine charms. Glass Slips by Lush Life are a fun way to keep every one's Cabernet straight. Since they slip on the bottom of the wine glass stem, they're also protect your furniture from those nasty rings.





XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Papaylicious

My goodness it has been FOREVER since I have blogged! The dreaded 25th birthday has come & gone and my family & friends made it absolutely amazing for me. My dad & step mom surprised me by coming into town for my party....my mom & grandma surprised me with two extra days in NY to shop with bday $$$....and my BFF surprised me by showing up in NY to celebrate with me! I have always prided myself on being able to figure out surprises....but I had no idea about any of these!!!

The orders we placed in NY are already starting to roll in! We received lots of new goodies from Papaya today.....art panel prints, envelope sets, greeting cards, & a calendar. Papaya's art panel prints are amazing & addictive. The designs are gorgeous...they all are accented with glitter mounted on a sturdy backing strung with ribbon...have dimensions of 12"x16"....and they are only $20 each....too good to pass up! Our customers buy them obsessively - constantly adding to their collection...they look amazing all hung together collage style. My fav new design reads "Trouble Makers Rock".....couldn't agree more. I also love "Ya Freak" which we have had on a greeting card before but is new to the art panel prints.



The envelope sets include 6 envelopes with matching ruffle die cut note inserts. The envelopes are full color with a clever area for addressing them for post. Think I may steal some to write thank you notes on! We also received a gorgeous year-at-a-glance calendar in the style of the art board prints.....it sparkles with glitter and hangs from a matching ribbon!

xxxx

Porn for Women Calendar

Sexy eye candy doing things like vacuuming, cleaning the oven etc...Need we say more?

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

The Breakup

You know the story, he broke her heart, she's devastated and you, being the true friend that you are, are listening to her cry about what a bum he is. We've all been on both sides of that story! When it happens, she needs sympathy, a shoulder to cry on and maybe a little something to make her laugh. This card from oplusd is perfect. It says "Honey, who needs men when you've got power tools?" Some days that is just so true!

Want a little something to tuck inside the card that won't break your budget? Slip in a pack of the Ex-Files. These completely adorable little nail files have appropriate sentiments such as Jerk, Loser, Lazy Bum, Momma's Boy and Playboy. She can file her frustrations away. She'll end up with lovely nails that the next wonderful man she's sure to meet will appreciate!


XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Blingalicious!

How cute is this new onesie from Glamajama? Gold Digger is embroidered on the front along with 2 rows of gold chains. A little ruffle on the butt makes this onesie absolutely blingalicious!

Maybe you know a future Zac Efron or Vanessa Hudgens - someone who will be ready to try out for high School musical 6? Get em ready with the Pre School Musical tee. Sized for the toddler set, decked out in this, they'll be ready to bust their moves along side big brother or sister.

Today has been crazy busy at Curtsyland and I've been here alone. Danielle is on her way now right this minute and I've got to find time to straighten up before she gets back. The store looked great after the wonderful care provided by Curtsy Girls Pamela and SarahRose while we were gone. Leave it to me to be back 2 days and the back room looks like a hurricane hit it!

XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo

Birthday Surprises!

I returned from New York last night and let me tell you, The Curtsy Girls shopped until we dropped. Oh wait, let me correct that - We shopped until I dropped, and Danielle went out partying with new New York buds(oh to be 25 again!). Now that it's all over, I can let on about her b-day surprises. First of all, her BFF Veronica called me a month ago and had decided to surprise Danielle by meeting us in New York. Fabulous plan, but then Danielle, not knowing that Veronica was planning on being there announces to me Thursday night that she's made plans to meet a friend right after we get into La Guardia, and asks if I can get us checked into the hotel and she'll see me later. NO, NO, NO! So, I have to log onto her e-mail account, which caused me all kinds of guilt, find the woman's e-mail to Danielle and LUCKILY find her phone number. At the airport, I leave Danielle watching all the bags and call the woman from the restroom telling her that she HAS to cancel the plans for the night. Ended up our planes were about 4 hours late anyways. As promised, Veronica was sitting in the lobby when we walked in with flowers, gifts AND Magnolia Bakery cupcakes! Danielle's other surprise was that her Grandma and I arranged for her to stay an additional 2 days so she could spend her b-day money. She's there right now, in shopping heaven!

A while back, I found the coolest birthday candle for her cake, so cool in fact that after lighting it, I knew that I had to bring it into Curtsyland! When You take it out of the box, it looks like a closed flower. Slap it on the cake, light it up and watch in amazement as the center shoots up a mini column of flame, which then lights all of the candles. The flower then opens up with all of the candles burning and spins and plays Happy Birthday. Love it, love it, love it! It was definitely the hit of the party. I ordered them prior to leaving for NY and they came in today.

We're so excited with all of the new wonderful goodies we found at the show. It's always torture to wait for them to start arriving (we want what we want and we want it NOW). We try and schedule our shipments so that something new comes in every week (we love seeing our UPS guy). We always get fired up for fall & the holiday season to begin when we're at the show. Stay tuned for all of the exciting new goodies coming to Curtsy Bella this fall.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Happy Birthday Doll!

Hello to all in Curtsyland! Cursty girl SarahRose here to address a very important issue at hand-Miss Danielle Thomas! She recently celebrated her birthday and is still celebrating in New York as we speak! I wanted to abuse my Curtsy Girl privileges and hack into the blog account (although I'm sure having permission to post here is technically not hacking...) to write Danielle a special birthday message. Miss Danielle has always gone above and beyond to make me feel more than welcome in her presence, and I really value her friendship. She has opened up my eyes (and my wardrobe) to so many wonderful and amazing things, and has made me laugh along the way as well. I never would have thought that being a Curtsy Girl meant more than the hours I spend in Curtsyland, and I feel oh so connected to the store and the original Curtsy Girls. Danielle is truly a jem, (in particular, a Tarina Tarantino Swarovski Crystal), and her positive spirit, cheerful attitude, and her amazing eye for fashion and design are something that I aspire to. Thank you for everything you have done for me doll, and Happy (belated) Birthday! I can't wait to see you when you get back.

Lots of Love,

S.Rose

Tough Times

Tonight's blog is a short one. The store's been hopping all day and Pamela was in for one last day of training prior to our leaving on Friday. She's gonna be a fabulous Curtsy Girl!
A friend of mine is going through a really tough time in his life. He lives far away and all I can do to help him is to be his friend and let him know I'm thinking of him. I'm putting a card in tomorrow's mail with these Essential Keys tucked inside. They're made to be carried on a key chain or threaded onto a piece of silk to wear around the neck or just as little reminders to sit on his desk of the things I wish for him. Know someone who's at a hard place in their life? Take the time to write them a note, stick in one of these little keys to let them know you care - it might be just what they need to hear.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Guy Stuff

Today seems to be the day for guy gifts. The Jazz Business Card Case from Acme holds about 15 business cards, making it slim enough to slip into his pocket. The superb quality and unique design of their card cases make them a gift that he'll actually use!

The folks at Sailor Jerry tell us it's possible to raise hell with honor. Sailor Jerry's crowd cursed like the sailors they were, but they believed in being honest, being loyal and honoring their parents. The Hold Fast Cuff serves as a reminder to those ideals and think of how cool he'll look shooting pool & drinking beer in this beautifully embossed cuff.

This is Danielle's Birthday week and we're celebrating all week! Her dad and his wife surprised her by showing up in Seattle yesterday. We're all heading out to Golden Gardens tonight to give her a big barbecue. As she's turning 25, she asked everyone who is coming to bring 25 somethings...marshmallows, jello shots, pairs of shoes, cute single guys as a date for Curtsy Mama. Should be interesting so see what people show up with.

We're leaving for the new York International Gift show on Fridayand Curtsy Girls SarahRose and Pamela will manning the store in our absence. We will be closing this Friday at 6PM instead of the normal 7PM.

XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo

Mama's Little Helpers

I'm wearing a black t-shirt today. When I was getting dressed this morning, I noticed white deodorant marks (classy - right?) from the new brand I'm trying. No longer a cause for concern, I whipped out my trusty Gal Pal pad and the streaks were a thing of the past. If you've never heard or tried this nifty little sponges, you're missing out on one of the greatest little inventions of our time. They come in packs of 2 so you can leave one at home and tuck one in your purse.

I love things that make my hectic (and messy) life a little easier. Anyone who knows me knows what a klutz I can be - I'm always spilling or tearing something! For all those little emergencies that come up on my way to work, I keep the on the go kit in my car. An emery board, sewing kit, dental flossers, hairband, band aids and stain treating towelette keep me prepared for whatever the universe throws at me.

A Brallet - what the hell is a Brallet you ask? Well, my darlings, it's a nifty little pouch that you attach to your bra strap. Stick in your cash or credit cards, tuck it in your bra and voila - you can concentrate on being the cutest thing on the dance floor rather than who may or may not be trying to steal your purse.

XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo

Emilie Sloan

I rented a new apartment downtown today - the gas commuting to and from Bothell made the savings on my apartment negligible. I lived downtown for 6 months last year and LOVED it, so I'm really excited to get back down there. When I lived down there, one of my favorite things was to just take off walking and explore this amazing city. When I move I'll be taking one of our our new Emilie Sloan Totes with me. Emilie is actually a customer of ours and this line was developed by her mom in connection with Madison Park Greetings. The totes are waterproof, have several inside pockets and a key hook, so they can be used not only as a tote for all your daily stuff and groceries, but as a purse as well.

Tonight's blog is a shorty as I'm meeting a groups of girls at one of our favorite new restaurants, Divine at 79th & Roosevelt. The modern Greek cuisine is to die for!

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Made By Girl

The Captain & I attended the Boomerang Ball at the Kangaroo & Kiwi pub this past Saturday. The event was a fundraiser for the Seattle Grizzlies Australian Rules Football Club.....the Footy team the Captain plays on. It was an absolute blast and it raised a ton of $$$ for the team! The invitation indicated the event was formal.....we were curious to see how the guests would interpret that as the K&K is an Aussie pub on Aurora Ave. It was pretty evenly divided.....half the guests were very silly with their formalness....the other half were fancy or weren't aware an event was happening but allowed in anyways if they paid the ticket price. The Captain & I took the silly route. I wore a big frilly gown with bows everywhere.....the Captain wore a ridiculously loud pair of plaid pants, a red sport coat with gold buttons, an unbuttoned shirt, huge sideburns & aviators. I have an oversize plate hanging on my kitchen wall with an Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe image on it. I just glanced up and noticed that the Captain's faux sideburns somehow made their way onto Marilyn's pretty face. ;-( Before the night ended....the owner of the K&K crowned a King & Queen of Aurora Ave. I got the fun task of making the crowns....so I figured I was disqualified from contention. I was wrong...I was crowned Queen of Aurora! Never before...and I am sure never again....has such an honor been bestowed upon me!!

We received a fabulous new card line in today....Made By Girl. I first became a fan of the company when I discovered the custom coffee tables the owner & designer - Jennifer Ramos - created. She now dedicates most of her time to the paper goods of her website. Her cards & digital art prints are gorgeous & girly & full of color! I love some of the sassy cards we received.....one reads "I dare you to take me to dinner"......another has a pic of gorgeous gal declaring that she loves rock stars. One of my fav images from Made By Girl is the Rococo Chair....it comes in four different pop-artish color ways. We have the chairs in 8"x10" prints that you can frame for your wall....or as a card which would be great for a house warming party invite. All Made By Girl cards are printed on 100% recycled, acid-free paper....loves it!



xxxx

Welcome New Curtsy Girl Pamela!

Danielle and I will be heading to the New York International Gift Fair next week. We're always so excited to go and do what we do best - shop! Even though the gift fair is fun, it's absolutely huge and pretty exhausting, but we're always so exhilarated to scope out cool new finds for the store. While we're gone, the store will be manned by Curtsy Girls SarahRose and Pamela. Pamela is the newest addition to the Curtsy family and we are so excited to welcome her! She's a dear friend of mine and I know she will do a fabulous job while we're gone. We spent the day today going through all of the different merchandise currently in Curtsyland. We have over 300 different vendors that we deal with, so learning it all is a truly herculean task!

In showing Pam all of the Curtsy goods, I was able to take the time to re-visit some our card lines and I was reminded what an extensive selection we have! Letter writing is becoming a lost art with the ease of e-mails. We have such fabulous, flirty, sexy cards, why not send a sexy little love note to your latest crush? Seal it with the Lips Wax Seal from Freund Meyer. That way you'll insure that all those naughty little suggestions you write will be seen by his or her eyes only.

We received a new shipment from our friends at Personalized Pacifiers today. I wish I knew somebody having a baby, as this McDrooly pacifier cracks me up. These are a mom-friendly, fashionable way to identify your child's binky.

XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo

Congrats to D & M!!!

Just returned home from an engagement celebration get-together. Our friends are in San Fran right now....the groom-to-be was proposing during the 4th inning of the San Francisco Giants baseball game. He got uber fancy box seats and planned it all to have it appear on the big screen. We all met up at the Ram to try and catch it on screen. Turns out the Ram didn't have the specific sports channel that was airing that game!!! ;-( We decided to keep the party where we were instead of running around trying to find a place that had that channel....and toast around the time we thought it would be happening. Five minutes after we toasted we received a text message that read "She said yes!!!" Congratulations Derrick & Michela.....we love you!!!

So now we get to prepare an engagement present to have waiting for the lovely Bride-to-be!!! My fav engagement treat to give out this year soon after the question is popped is the Mindy Weiss "Sometimes Brides Forget" notebook with wedding schedule & the "Unforgettable" sticky notes booklet. The notebook has oodles of pages to record all the little details that brides dream & stress & forget about. It also includes a wedding schedule to keep you on track of what needs to be completed by what time. The sticky notes booklet includes adorable sticky tabs for the bride to mark her favorites in the hundreds of bridal magazine she is sure to tear through. The tabs say cute things like....…“I Do, Must Have, Love It, Great Idea, Maybe, Perfect or Unforgettable."

xxxx

Parenthood

There's nothing like the thrill of a couple finding out that they're expecting a little bundle of joy. The anticipation of pregnancy can tend to cause anxiety and there are thousands of books out there to help re-assure the parents to be. None do it with quite as much humor as Safe Baby Pregnancy Tips. Filled with hilarious, indispensable advice on getting through the next 9 months, it makes waiting for baby a blast!

Once the baby has arrived, it's important that both parents contribute equally. Take the guess work out what who should do what with The Wheel of Responsibility. Let the wheel decide who will change that dirty diaper, handle the 3am feeding, read boring baby books, beg the in-laws for help and more! The wheel's slogan is Have fun! Stay un-divorced!

Parenthood really is all about having fun - right? The New Parents Fun Book by Wry Baby is filled with fun activities to keep mom & dad laughing all through their little darling's first year. Activities like curse word puzzle, fun with poop and nap-off board game will fill all those spare moments that new parents have.

XOXO
Curtsy Mama
Mary Jo

Juggling

I am so happy to be back in Curtsyland! I returned from Florida last night. My mom is facing some pretty serious health problems right now and I was so glad that I was able to stay with her and give her both emotional and physical support. It's tough, especially with a business to run. Luckily, my kids are so amazing, they made the choice to stay quite easy. They assurred me that I could stay as long as I needed to. Being my business partner, Danielle had the lion's share of the burden and she came through like the tough cookie she is! She did a brilliant job of re-organizing most of the store and our entire back room and my desk while I was gone. She is a constant source of inspiration to me and I want to be just like her when I grow up.

I had dinner with an old friend in Florida and we went to hang out at his apartment afterwards. I noticed he had a couple of set of juggling balls on the table and challenged him to try and teach me. I am not one of those hand-eye coordinated people to whom things like juggling come easy. In fact, like many things in my life, it takes me a lot of practice, perserverance and accidents before I get it. He claimed he could teach me in 5 minutes. Well, it's almost 2 weeks later and I'm getting better, and I can even throw and catch all 3 balls without dropping them, but I can't quite get the whole rthym right to keep it going. I'm not giving up - I'm stubborn and determined and I WILL TRIUMPH OVER THOSE DAMN BALLS! Next time you're in - ask to see my progress!



Wedding season still seems to be in full swing - I've had brides and people shopping for brides all over the store today. A beautiful wedding gift which will be treasured for years to come is the Lovebirds Frame by jewlery designer Kenneth Jay Lane. I love that the little lovebirds are pearlized with crystal tails - very sparkly!


Well, that's it for today - I'm still trying to make it through the paperwork mountain that is covering my newly organized desk.



XOXO

Curtsy Mama

Mary Jo