April 11, 2018

Dear friends,

This is a hard one to write because vulnerability wasn't something I occasionally take around the block for a casual walk. I've thought about returning to where I last closed the curtain, peel it back and act as if nothing happened. But there's been far too much time in between, and I needed to be honest with myself, first and foremost.

Failure is the F word that now appears more taboo than the other F word. I set out to follow a path that made me feel alive - I felt good every step of the way. I met kindred spirits that made the journey oh, so heart-warming and I've made some good strides. I have started Letter Parade with little expectations of where it was going to take me. It wasn't clear where I should've stirred the wheel but the one thing I made sure was that I put out the very best of what I've got to give. That every product I churned out was a big resounding "yes!" and I stashed away the ones with even the slightest "meh." I think where I lost my footing was thinking I had enough credibility to go for gold and not realizing that before I get to that pedestal, I needed to be at the level of bronze then silver. I was naive to think that I was exceptional enough to have a shortcut. I let the magazine features go to my head.

No matter how much pep talk I gave myself that I welcomed failure because they made me more sure of the next steps I had to take and that I needed to make all the wrong moves because I anticipated these were my best teachers - nothing could've prepared me for the version of myself that I met when my first wholesale trade show wrapped up. I felt defeated and my arm only had enough strength to wave the white flag. I could see myself in the eyes of my dearest friend, Lisa Sarmento of Tiramisu Paperie and I didn't like how I've let myself succumbed to failure made only worse by how I wholly embraced it. And God only knows what I'd done if Lisa wasn't there with me every step of the way. I simply cannot thank her enough for keeping me standing and to finish with grace. Her resilience, humor and impeccably good heart saved me many times over.  Thanks, Lisa! I love you to the moon and back!

It has been eight months since that curtain call. While I've kept my days busy with my day job, at night I was inconsolable as my husband would tell you. I hadn't designed any more products, I hadn't posted anything on social media on behalf of Letter Parade. One could say I've simply left the playing field but I sure wasn't at peace. Failure was a stranger I didn't know how to entertain and whose acquaintance I should've made the most of. But no, instead I was nurturing towards it and it brought me the self-doubt I thought I'd fought hard to eradicate. I let failure convince me all the things that I now found easiest to agree to - yes, I'm not good enough; yes, I don't have what it takes; yes, I am better off doing the barest minimum with the littlest of risks... the all too familiar voice. I've let it drag me on for this long before I realized that there is no fault in getting back up, moving on and admitting to the world that I let failure get the best of me. I've also learned that the very definition of resilience is becoming unstoppable to what it is that you truly love to do and that to me is clear - designing. 

So yes, I'm going to give this my second, third, fourth, fifth and all the infinite shots I could for as long as I can see ideas in my head that I need to put on paper. Yes, I will now focus all my energy to turning failure into the teacher that I expected it to be. And yes, Letter Parade is back and oh, my I've missed it so.

Thanks for reading.

Love & Letters,

My Favorite Things: Round-up for Dapper Dads

Middle image | 
Clockwise from top: 
100% Wool Hat by Mr. Kim | Mustache Dad card by Letter Parade | Grey and Blue Dart Board | Multi-language Dad Card by Letter Parade | Best Intentions Flask | Homemade Gin Kit | Deluxe Shaving Kit | Backpack | Awesome Dad Card by Letter Parade | Shoe Shine Kit



Dear friends,

This one's for dad. 

Although my father passed away three years ago, he left with me a wealth of fond memories to remember him by. He was the true artist. He had impeccable taste in almost everything, most especially when it comes to music. As a daddy's girl, I definitely take from him. 

No, he wasn't a dapper dad. I think being a father in Asia in the late 70's and early 80's kids would be anything but dapper. So the items included in this mood board for gift ideas is a good assortment for different types of dads. One who's adventurous and into traveling and backpacking, another who's a drink connoisseur, one who is practical and invests in high quality essentials that lasts a lifetime, and another who likes to kick back with a game of darts. 

Multi-language Dad Note Card, $5.00 Click here to shop

NEW! Mustache Dad Note Card, $5.00 Click here to shop

 NEW! Awesome Dad Note Card, $5.00 Click here to shop

What other gift ideas for dad do you recommend? 

Love & Letters,

 P.S. Father's day is June 18th! FYI!

My Favorite Things Round-up: SPRING EDITION

Middle image: Late Afternoon blog | 
Clockwise from top: 
When Life Throws You Lemons 8x10 Art Print
Lemon Basil Soy CandleThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Lemons Letter Set
Dress Jacket by Le3No
When Life Throws You Lemons Note Card
Tufted Armchair by One Kings Lane
Lemon Drops Note Card
Gold accented Round Sunglasses

Who doesn't love yellow? If there could be a more endearing shade in the color palette it's only another version of yellow. The happy color; the sight of yellow generally invokes pleasant feelings.

My idea of spring is yellow with gray - just a subtle touch of elegance like this outfit by Late Afternoon blog. A simple casual yellow shirt dressed up by metallic tones ready for warmer nights out.

If it isn't obvious until now, I'm crazy about the color gray. It's such a beautiful neutral shade that goes with just about every color of the rainbow. So when I designed a more Spring-inspired line, adding yellow to the mix was a natural choice.

When Life Throws You Lemons 8x10 Art Print (frame not included); Pre-order here.

Lemons Letter Set comes with 8 8.5"x5.5" writing sheets, 4 lined envelopes and 4 envelope sealers.
Pre-order here.

When Life Throws You Lemons Note Card. Get this here.

 Lemon Drops Note Card available single or boxed set of 8. Get this here.

 

 The Lemon Drops design also inspired the March desktop printable calendar and printable stationery (below)  that I share exclusively to newsletter subscribers. Sign-up now to get new designs every month delivered straight to your inbox!

After putting together this mood board, a story has revealed itself to me: a woman getting ready to go out for cocktails and dinner decided to kick off her strappy shoes, picks up The Great Gatsby, lights up the candle and proceeds to get comfortable in the light gray tufted chair to read all night long. Yes, I believe those are my kind of nights these days but with a more casual attire, like say, sweatpants and t-shirt. Ha!


What's your color story?


Love & Letters,

Minimalist Chic

I call my line's aesthetic, 'Minimalist Chic.' 

You can expect to find plenty of wide open spaces surrounding my designs. I go very minimal with color and my palette typically revolves around pink, grey, black, blue and red with the occasional burst of yellow.

I'm not very good with snark so you won't find that here. Nor am I good with calligraphy, so my font is limited to that of a typewriter style to give my products that classic feel with a modern touch. My goal is to produce very clean and timeless products and I sure hope these are what you're looking for!

View my Etsy shop here. 

My Favorite Things Round-up: VALENTINE'S EDITION

***The Pink and Grey Love Story***

Middle image: Wendy's Look Book | 
Clockwise from top: 
Herbivore Botanical Pink Clay Mask; 
Shop Spring Vintage Rose Candle; 
Letter Parade Simple Heart Letter Set; 
Plaid Blanket Scarf by Easy Seller Dailyaccessoriez; 
Letter Parade Simple Heart Postcards Set of 10; 
BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask in Champagne; 
Geometric Pillow by easy seller VanillaGreyShop; 
Letter Parade 'Love is Here' 8"x10" art Print; 
Herbivore Botanical Rose Hibiscus Hydrating Facial Mist; 
Letter Parade Simple Heart Note Card

A confession: I wasn't into pink until about less than a year ago when I found a grey scarf with pink skulls printed on it. It was on sale for $5 and it had to be mine. Since then, I've slowly integrated pink into my life.

This heart design I call "simple heart" etched into my head as clear as the blue skies. Even before I sketched it and digitized it, I knew it would be all black against a light pink background. This was the first out of my Pink Pop collection:

Now, I'm not entirely sure if this is a phase. But for now, I'm quite happy with this love affair with pink under the condition that it goes with grey and black, thank you very much.

What's your color story?


Love & Letters,

LETTER PARADE: Blog Overhaul

Blogs are here to stay and are like multivitamins to any brand in this day and age. And if it can't be done consistently, why even bother? And if the content is next to garbage, I say stick to the diary. So here's me resurrecting my blog feeling like it's New Year's day and so full of resolutions.

Introducing,

I will be posting my blogs under five categories broken up into...

California Love   |   Paper Crush   |   Behind the Brand   |   Letter Parade   |   Art & Music

...because the above are what matters to me and will serve as a manual so I won't be writing about science in the near future unless it directly relates to paper or Letter Parade for that matter.

These are the blogs that have served and continue to be strong sources of inspiration for me. The ladies behind these blogs are tour de force and epitomize the true meaning of Girl Boss. I look up to each and every one of them and follow in their foot steps. They are doing what they love, make money doing so and live very fulfilling lives. What won't I find inspiring in that?

No. 1


OSBP is a household name in the stationery industry. The blog that a hopeful stationer like myself can only dream of being featured. This is run by Nole Garey and she hosts Paper Parties in New York in conjunction to the yearly National Stationery Show. This party is the real deal and prestigious AF and it's by invitation only exclusive to big names in the industry. A girl can dream, right?


No. 2

The Paper Chronicles penned by Sarah Schwartz who is only the editor-in-chief of the highly regarded and well-designed trade magazine Stationery Trends. Her love for stationery and her achievements play a big role in the continued success stationers like myself enjoy in this crazy whirlwind consumer-driven world.

No. 3

In every industry you'll be lucky to come across gems like Eva Jorgensen who, not only make it their mission to give back to the community but aid the ones following along their footsteps like myself. Surely they didn't need to do that but they did anyway and thank goodness for their genuine kindness because I've learned so much taking her webinars Stationery Biz 100: Start Strong and Stationery Biz 200: Wholesale. Her blog reflects the authenticity of her brand which is unmistakably her and it flows so well to her other social media platforms. Sycamore Street Press is a perfect example of a successful brand.

There's more to add but I'll save those for another post. In the mean time, follow me on Instagram @letterparade 
Here are some of my recent posts:

Love and Letters,

300 Facebook Likes Giveaway Winners

Earlier today at 12 noon, I drew the winners for the 300 Facebook Likes Giveaway from the names of all those who participated through facebook and here on my blog.

CONGRATULATIONS to:
Lisa from Bath, England for winning Set #1;
Wendy from Zuidbroek, Netherlands for winning Set #2; and
Kristin from Rosedale, West Virginia for winning Set #3.

Lisa and Wendy, if you're reading this, please email me your address at letterparade@gmail.com so I can put your prizes in the mail tomorrow.

Thanks for joining the contest! Until next time... say, 400?

300 Facebook Likes Giveaway

To celebrate reaching 300 likes/fans of Letter Parade page on facebook (and yes, that's a big deal for me!) I am giving away three sets of writing stuff to three Letter Parade followers! If you're not on facebook, but are subscribed to this blog, no problem! You can join, too. You can get up to three chances of winning if you follow all four of these steps:

STEP 1) Subscribe to this blog.
STEP 2) Write on the comments bar below your:
               FIRST NAME, AGE, CITY/COUNTRY,
               PREFERRED GIVEAWAY SET (example: Set #1)
               COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS FOR LETTER PARADE - 1 point
STEP 3)  Like Letter Parade on facebook and type in above info on comments bar when you see this   giveaway posting - 2 points
STEP 4)  Go to my Etsy page and hit the icon LIKE - 3 points

I'll be drawing three winners next Sunday, October 16, 2011 12:00 noon PST
This contest is open worldwide! Shipping is on me!  Allow 7 days to two weeks for delivery from announcement of winners.

Remember, you don't have to do all FOUR steps, but if you can, great! 

Good luck!

Personalized Note Cards

Hello friends!

All over Los Angeles, the wind and sun are not showing any signs of slowing down in lieu of fall. "What fall?" asks the locals. And here I thought I bought my bike way too late for summer, but nope! Having all this heat deceives me into thinking we're still in June but my massive wall calendar tells me otherwise. SEPTEMBER! Time to think about presents, cookies, Christmas trees, and personalized note cards! I always enjoy designing our own note cards (you can view our 2009 and 2010 cards here) and this time around, I am opening up my doors and graphic designing skills to anyone who wants their own special note cards, too!

A couple of months after New Year 2011, good friend, Lynn Kwan approached me for a surprise she wanted to give to her Beatles fanatic boyfriend, Chad Porter for V-day. She let me have the creative freedom which for me is the only way an artist should be able to work (ideally)! I ran the whole nine yards hyper ecstatic and it was incredibly rewarding to have very satisfied customers at the end of the line.

Meet Lynn Kwan and Chad Porter.

I'm a major Beatles fan myself (and saw my favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney at Coachella '09!) so it was a bit challenging where or how to start; which song to pick, which album, which image, etc. Finally, Lynn suggested I use the 'All You Need Is Love' song which is appropriate for Valentine's.

The animated version of the fab four from the famous "Yellow Submarine" film was too irresistible for me not to use, and how fun would it be to make Lynn and Chad like Heinz Edelmann's characters?

Lynn's Valentine's card for Chad has definitely up my inclination in designing personalized note cards especially after she posted this testimonial on my Etsy shop.

I am now excitedly working on wedding invitations for a wonderful pen pal in France! Stay tuned for that! And if you want your very own personalized note cards, email me at letterparade@gmail.com and quit sending massed produced cards that are no more special than the paper and envelope they come with!

Happy writing!

Cindy Gonzales-Kujat

Framed & Lovely

Hello friends!

My blog entry "Free Stuff Monday" last month had subscriber Marinette suggesting that I should post the free stuff here instead of posting on my face book page where I've shared ten stationery designs that are free to be downloaded and printed for personal correspondence. Though I only have 32 followers here and 272 (and counting!) on face book, I know it's wrong and unfair to neglect sharing with my faithful subscribers here. So, to Marinette and you my faithful reader, I am making up for it starting with these three new stationery designs I call 'Framed & Lovely.'

Design No.1 - "Black Flowers"
I was looking into my old designs and dug up one of the Paris-inspired note cards I did way back at the urging of my mother-in-law, Donna. The pink frame accent struck a creative chord that lead to the creation of all three in this series. I may want to create more in the same style, or create a completely different design. 

Design No. 2 - "Sea Creatures"
So far, all the ten stationery designs I've shared through my face book page had nothing on summer, and it's terrible because it's my favorite season! So, here's to summer and the countless fun memories I've had at the beach growing up as an island girl.

Design No. 3 - "Tribal"
This one uses elements that I've previously used on an earlier stationery design. I love these characters so you'll definitely be seeing more of them here!

I am seriously considering getting these printed and sell as notepads on my shop only if they're worth putting on the shelf. What do you think?

SandBook Interview

Hello friends!

Recently, my new friends at SandBook asked to feature Letter Parade for their July ezine, and was I ever thrilled? Raia, the Editor-in-Chief and awesome person with her team of two did a fantastic job with the magazine layout! I was surprised to see the logo on the front cover!! So I thought I MUST share this with you.

Download and read the full story!

To Raia and the rest of SandBook.net from the bottom of my heart thank you so very much for featuring me in this month's issue! Thanks for all that you do for the world of letter-writing! Keep up the awesome work!

Cindy Gonzales - Kujat

P.S. As part of this successful collaboration, I am offering FREE SHIPPING for all orders placed from now until August 31, 2011 11:59 PST just use code SANDBOOKSUMMER2011 at Letter Parade!

Free Stuff Monday

Hello friends!

I hope you all had a fun July 4th celebration! The long weekend for me was filled with pounds of meat and grilled veggies, thanks to the company of good friends! Now, easing back to work isn't at all that bad.

Now let's talk about 'print-at-home' stationery. Have you purchased a downloadable file or two from Etsy or any other online source? There are lots of them and some have really amazing designs! For a few $, you can store many images ready to print at your disposal the next time you write someone a letter. What a wonderful idea! Alas, instead of selling my own, I decided to give it away! I've recently uploaded two designs that you can find via Letter Parade face book page delivered fresh every Monday. So if you are tired of the same boring lined paper, add a stylish touch by printing my designs over! It's that easy!

Here are the two previously shared designs:
"Peacock Stationery" and "Pink Roses and Butterflies" by Letter Parade.
Download high resolution here.

Once downloaded and you are ready to print, open file and hit CTRL + P to view print options, make sure to adjust printer settings to "FIT TO SCREEN / PAGE" and select NORMAL for print quality. You may print front and back and as many copies as you like! Works with any letter paper (8.5" x 11"). Now remember, the print will not completely bleed, or cover the entire paper as is common for at home printers. You will find a few centimeters of gap on the edges of the paper not printed. If you want a "full bleed" look, simply cut the sides as shown on the guide below.

More designs to follow! You are free to print unlimited number of copies for personal use only. All I ask in return is please DO NOT RESELL OR SHARE this file regardless of format (electronic or printed). If you like these copyrighted designs and know someone who will, too, just have them visit this blog or my face book page where they can download these files and enjoy more designs delivered every Monday!

Happy writing!

Cindy Gonzales - Kujat

The Sad Queen Postcard Series

Hi friends!

Whoa! I got sidetracked there for a while. But yes, oh yes my 2011 is going great, thank you! I hope the same goes for you!

Much apologies for the long absence. What? Three months it's been. Let's see, my day job well, I can't complain and music continues to play, louder it seems... my Etsy shop, however, I would quote a good friend and fellow Etsyian Jessica of A Cup of Green Ginger that "you get out of it what you put into it." Though it hasn't been too much effort put in for mine, recently, I've added a new series of Postcards called 'The Sad Queen' and have circulated a handful of the February and March series to newfound friends via this awesome facebook group Postcard Exchange, and of course via Postcrossing. I am happy to report I've had several requests for swaps (postcards) along with "favorite" clicks and have sold some, too.

Let me explain the concept behind the Sad Queen postcard series. I have to admit, I am all over postcards now, I used to be just crazy about letters but little did I know then that these two come hand-in-hand. Well, throw in stamps, too, but I'm still getting there. And of course, I've slowly been exposed to different types of postcards, and to my surprise, there are hundreds and hundreds! No wonder they bring so much joy to postcard enthusiasts and collectors alike. So, I was particularly fond of postcard books, literally, a book a size of a postcard that contains pages and pages of postcards that you can tear and mail out. What a wonderful idea! I married that to an excuse to create something at the start of the year, and what products would spring up to mind but calendars? Though too late to come up with one now, I decided to produce one postcard every month until I have a full twelve enough to compile into a postcard book that will also serve as a calendar. So this is my task at hand.

The story of the Sad Queen herself is an ongoing one. I progress into the story as I go from month to month and what better way to start but the month of Love, February, when the sad Queen hits her all-time low.

Well, with all that being said, I present to you The Sad Queen February, March and April.

These, along with lots of new stuff since my last blog entry can be found at my Etsy shop. And the 10% discount offer exclusive for you still stands just use this code upon checkout LPARADEFRNDS10!

Thanks for reading and happy writing!!!

Cindy Gonzales-Kujat