Happy Birthday Mac!

Just finished printing labels for Mac's 1st Birthday Party. These 2.5 circle glossy labels will adorn the treat bags he's giving away to his guests. Have a great time smashing cake, Mac!

Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy.

By Cinda Baxter, Founder of The 3/50 Project
4/7/2009
Cinda Baxter

No one needs to tell storefront retailers times are tough; truth be told, we were the first ones to see the mysterious tea leaves, being the closest connection to consumers. As early as last June, stores began seeing serious drops in revenue.

In the words of Erin Burnett, business news anchor for MSNBC (and my new favorite media voice), “I do think a lot of this is psychology,” referring to how determined the media seems to be to make things sound as hopeless as possible. “I’ve been collecting words the media has been using to describe the crisis: carnage, apocalypse, bleeding, hemorrhaging, crash. There is something to be said for a loss of perspective and a sense of hyperbole that’s taken over.”

Hear, hear.

Folks, it’s time the message changed, and if the media’s not going to do it...well.... who will? Yup. You.

Enter The 3/50 Project.
In a nutshell, The 3/50 Project is built on a simple concept—consumer loyalty to independent storefront businesses equals stronger local economies.

Pick 3. Spend 50. Save your local economy:

• Pick three locally owned stores you’d miss if they disappeared, then return to them. Say hello.
• Pick up a little something that will make someone smile. Those purchases are what keeps those businesses around. If just half the employed US population committed to spending $50 in locally owned stores each month, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue. Imagine what would happen if 3/4 of them did that.
• For every $100 spent in locally owned stores, $68 returns to the local economy through payroll taxes, property taxes, sales tax, payroll, and other business related expendatures. When purchasing from a chain or franchise, that amount drops to $43; if it’s spent online, nothing comes home.

Since the idea first popped up in a blog post mid-March, The 3/50 Project has taken off like a rocket.

To learn more about The 3/50 Project, visit http://www.the350project.net/.

Bridal Mania!

It's that time of year again... wedding season!

We will be hosting an Invitation Workshop in the store Thursday, February 19th at 6:30 pm and Saturday, February 28th at 10 am. No matter what your style or budget, Ekcetera can help you create wedding stationary to match your personal, creative style. This free, informational workshop will feature tips and tricks on creating the perfect first and final impressions for your wedding, including advice on creating your own invitation, cost-saving tips on how to make your invitations fit your budget, invitation etiquette and working, design ideas, and coordinating your wedding stationary.

RSVP by Monday, February 9th to emily@ekcetera.com.

Ekcetera will also be at the Bridal Expo this Saturday at the Maplewood Community Center. Please stop in and check out our new spring invitations including fabulous invitation label wraps and envelope enclosures! The Maplewood Bridal Expo is from 1pm-4pm on Saturday, February 7th. For more information, please visit http://www.maplewoodcommunitycenter.com/.




It's time for Minnesota Bride's annual "Best of...". If you love Ekcetera as much as we do, please take a minute to vote for us for "Best Invitations" and/or "Best Overall". It's easy, just go to http://www.mnbride.com/, click on "Vote for the best of 2009." Then you will need to vote for your favorite vendors in at least six categories. Voting ends March 1. Thanks!

Visit us at the Wedding Fair!

We are getting excited to be a part of The Twin City Bridal Association Wedding Fair! The event will take place on Sunday, January 18th from 11am to 5pm at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Visit twincitybridal.com for more information. Come check out some of our new Spring and Summer Wedding Invitation designs!

Just Arrived: New Styles of Ann Millie Bags!

We are excited to announce that we just got a new shipment of Ann Millie bags in! There are many cute patterns to choose from, and different sizes too. Come check them out (They make a great Christmas gift)!

Cute Craft Project Alert!

Ekcetera has been in the process of redesigning our business cards lately. There are lots of old business cards lying around that we have been wondering what to do with. Kelly came across this adorable idea that will put all those old cards to good use!

http://kirstyneale.typepad.com/files/business-card-mini-book-instructions.pdf

Christmas is here at Ekcetera!

Ekcetera is your Christmas headquarters!

We've got photo cards, Holiday greeting cards, and of course unique gifts and stocking stuffers. Not to mention some cute decorations for your tree.

And don't forget about our do-it-yourself photo studio! Take your family holiday photo here and choose from our one-of-a-kind photo greeting cards!

Check out our website to see our holiday selection or stop into the store!

Mom-Preneur Shop-a-thon!

Help support Women & Moms by buying gifts from the Tip Junkie Mom-Preneur Shop-a-thon! Please support these women with your orders, visits, and by blogging about your favorite products. With so many struggling with the economy, we have the combined power and influence to make a difference in these women's lives and give their families a wonderful holiday, all while enjoying their fabulous products in our own homes and those of our loved ones. If you look hard, you might even find an Ekcetera coupon code! Start shopping today!

Be Inspired!

There are far too many good sites and blogs out there for Ekcetera to not mention them. You'll notice a new section of this Ekcetera blog called Be Inspired. It's a list of some of the prettiest [drool!!!], useful, and most inspiring websites we run across that are too noteworthy to pass up.

Check back often, our list will grow. And don't forget to wipe your drool off your desk when you're finished looking.

We do!

Ekcetera had a booth at the Twin City Bridal Association Wedding Fair last Sunday, October 12. This was our first big event (aside from smaller wedding fairs in past years) to get our name out in the wedding world. The show was a resounding success! We handed out too many pieces of information to count.

The brides loved our invitations and accessories to match. Since the show, the phone's been ringing with appointments! We are certainly ready to say "I do" to invitations.

Stories By Everyone

STORIES BY EVERYONE NOW AVAILABLE!!

ACCESS CODE: 43NS5R4K7B

Stories by Everyone is a new online photo book program by Scrapbooks Etc. Each quarter Stories by Everyone will produce an exclusive book that is only available through Ekcetera. This is in addition to the 8 different various sized themed photo books that are currently available. We love the pre-designed templates, but you also have the option to create your own design as well and upload an entire page as a jpg.

Stories by Everyone has a large variety of sizes, which we think is better than most other online photo book companies. They also have a "swatchbook" which is a set of pages bound together by a single post. It's something unique and fun!

For those of you who like to see before buying, stop in and see the book that is available now. You can also pickup a card with our Access Code on it to receive access to the quarterly book as well as FREE SHIPPING to the store with any book purchase. Just enter the code: 43NS5R4K7B when you checkout to receive the offer.

This Quarter's Book: We Are Family

What's in a name? Define what family means to you in the We Are Family photo book - a scrapbook Retailer Exclusive offering. When you order this limited time title and have it shipped back to Ekcetera for pickup, Scrapbooks, etc. will pay for shipping. So order now!

Get Them While They're Hot!

What do a roaring fire, fresh cleaned linen, and a McIntosh apple all have in common?

They are 3 of the many WoodWick scents now available at Ekcetera!

All told we have 14 different scents to choose from!  Scents like Zinfandel, Mojito, McIntosh, Tradewinds, and Amber Woods.  {to name a few} We also have WoodWick accessories to keep your candles and diffusers smelling great until the end.

WoodWick candles feature a natural wick made from organic wood creating the sound of a crackling fire and each highly scented WoodWick candle last up to 180 hours.

Ekcetera also has new WoodWick diffusers which are a flameless alternative to candles. Scents include Fireside, Linen, Cotton Flower, Cinnamon Chai, Applewood, and Vanilla Bean and give off a wonderful fragrance for 3 months.

The hardest part will be choosing your favorite! 

Don't Let Frames Have all the Fun!

Why not display your photos on bags, charms, pillows, or canvas? At Ekcetera, we've searched high and low to provide you with the most extensive and unique options for your photos.

It's as easy as 1-2-3! Simply pick your favorites, choose your options, and upload your photos online.

Have old photos, or can't find the digital copy? You can scan in your photos at home or use ours in the store.

Have questions? A little stumped? Email or give us a call at 651.552.6077, we're here to help!

Please allow 3 weeks for processing and delivery and check them all out on our website!

Easy Being Green

We are proud to introduce our new line of eco-friendly paper, now available at Ekcetera!
Green Paper Company is based out of Chicago and is made from the very same paper millions of people throw away every day. All of their papers contain at least 30% post-consumer waste and many colors contain 100%, offering vibrant colors, and an assortment of textures, including metallics.

This is very exciting for us because it now means that Ekcetera is the only retailer in Minnesota selling the Green Paper Company line, not to mention that we also have the largest selection of paper in the Twin Cities!

For more info, check out their website, or stop in the store to see the colors and textures up close.

Our paper selection is growing!

New at Ekcetera, we have a larger selection of paper to create your invites or announcements! In addition to our wide variety of solid colored paper, we now offer patterned paper. The paper comes in different metallic colors and styles such as paisley, swirling dots, and more. Stop in to check out the new line!

Attention Little Miss Matched Fans...

New Miss Matched Styles are now available at Ekcetera!

Shown above are mens Mixter 28, 29, 30, womens Marvelous

142, 143, 144, and kids Marvelous 172, 173, 174.

Get yours now by stopping into the store or ordering online.

Are you on facebook?

Come find Ekcetera! We have a new page on Facebook. Add us to your list.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ekcetera/46726810008

Looking for Inspiration?

Introducing...
Ekcetera ideas found throughout the store to help inspire your creativity.
Above are just 2 of the many ideas we've found.
So next time you're in, take a look around to get your creative wheels going!

Found: Custom baby gifts...

Pictures taken by Eve Gauthier

...available at Ekcetera!

These personalized baby onesies are truly one-of-a-kind. Custom from start to finish, names, pictures, expressions, etc. are hand embroidered onto durable, American-made, quality 100% cotton. The colors will not bleed and the thread will not tear out, and they can easily be thrown in the washer and dryer. (Mommies love that!)

So how do you get a hold of them? There are 3 easy ways:

:: stop in the store
:: call the store 651.552.6077
:: or email the store info@ekcetera.com

We'll ask you some questions about what you're looking for and in 2 business days, you'll be emailed some drawings to choose from for final approval. In 1-2 weeks, your very own, personalized, handmade baby onesie will be ready for the one-of-a-kind baby in your life.

Colors to choose from are white, green, light blue, yellow, pink (as shown), and lavender. Sizes vary by color. (Please allow more time for colors/sizes that aren't in stock)

These custom onesies will last long after baby has grown.

New Arrivals for Your New Arrival

Ekcetera is proud to announce that Baby Announcements are now available! Choose from a variety of designs on the website and upload your information quickly and easily. You can find these designs at http://shop.ekcetera.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=89_91.

Enjoy!