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Hello Greeting Card Subscription

11.26.2019

We are super excited to introduce our new Greeting Card Subscription. Never forget your brother’s birthday, your bestie’s wedding anniversary, or to thank your daughter’s teacher on Teacher’s Day ever again. Every month we deliver hand-crafted letterpress printed greetings cards to your door. Our team of artists, designers and printers create beautiful, charming and unique cards that help you connect and celebrate with your family and friends. Printed on the finest cotton rag paper, our cards are designed to be held in the hand, passed around, enjoyed, kept. Treasured.

Our greeting Card subscription means you’ll never have to wander the card aisle in the drugstore ever again. You will always have a selection of our luxe and original cards on hand. Our cards are hand-printed on vintage letterpress machines by skilled artisans. The color, texture and detail of elūm’s cards cannot be replicated by digital printing. When a friend or family member receives one of our cards in the mail they will see and feel the difference straightaway. Your love, good-wishes and thanks will be cherished.

We’re proud of our keepsake-worthy cards and want you to love them as much as we do so we’ve made our Greeting Card Subscription as easy and flexible as possible. First choose how many cards you would like to receive each month: either three, five or ten. Next choose either a three, six or twelve month subscription. And don’t worry we’ve made this a piece of cake to manage and you can cancel any time. Finally, check out and wait for your cards to arrive. It’s that simple.

We think our Greeting Card Subscription makes a pretty wonderful gift. Our cards arrive in a custom-designed foil-stamped box which makes receiving them a delight. When your friend or family member opens the box, they’ll find a swoon-worthy selection of cards, prettily packaged, and accompanied by our adorable Certified Snail Mail gold-foil seals.

Each box is hand-curated to reflect the season. Birthdays, thank-yous, congratulations. If you choose to receive five or tencards a month, you will also find baby, wedding, sympathy and other special occasion cards in your box each month, too.

Our Greeting Card Subscription helps you create memories. There is nothing quite like receiving one of our cards in the mail. It’s special. The old-school stamp, the soft and luxurious cotton-rag paper, the charming gold seal. When a friend or family member finds one in their mailbox and sees their name and address hand-written on the front, you create a #noteworthy moment for them. That moment is the thing we are most passionate about here at elūm. We love designing and printing cards that help you connect in a meaningful way with the people you cherish.

We know everyone is crazy busy—work, errands, school, kids—and it’s not always possible to make time in your day to run to the store and pick-up a card. That’s why we created our Greeting Card Subscription. Any why it’s so close to our heart. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to reach out and connect with loved ones. We’re lucky. At elūm we always have cards on hand to send to friends and family. In fact we just might be the most card-giving people in the universe: if a friend as much as sneezes, we’re right there with a Get Well card!

We want that same ease of card-giving for you.

A card is more than a card: it’s thoughtfulness, caring, appreciation and love. It shows the receiver that they are in your heart and thoughts. Whether you purchase a subscription for yourself or as a gift, you’re creating future connections and sending love.

As the Holiday Season approaches, our Greeting Card subscription is more valuable than ever. It’s a beautiful gift for a loved one or a special treat for yourself.

Receive 25% off your first box with code SNAILMAIL25 along with free shipping for any additional
items in the same order! You can learn more about our Greeting Card Subscription and sign up here.

Elūm Thanksgiving

11.18.2019

Celebrating is our thing here at Elūm. Big birthday? We are there for you. Wedding plans? We will bring the confetti! Thanksgiving? You know we are all over Thanksgiving. From brining the turkey to setting the table, from welcoming friends and family to our homes to giving thanks for all our blessings: Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. This Thanksgiving we’re gathering our Elūm crew around the table, plying them with marshmallows and special sauce, and getting the lowdown on what’s happening on Turkey Day. What’s cooking? Will there be sprinkles? And who exactly is doing the washing up?

1. What’s Thanksgiving like around the Elūm offices?

“We do a giant potluck where everyone signs up for a Thanksgiving dish,” art director, Amy, tells us. “We line up tables in the warehouse so we can all sit together at one long table.” Senior graphic designer, Shannon, nods. “Elūm genuinely feels like a big family and our Thanksgiving potluck always feels like having a fun meal with your favorite relatives.” When we ask about how much food to expect, senior designer, Haley, quips, “Let’s just say I’ll be wearing my stretchiest pants.”

 

2. What are you cooking on the big day?

“Pumpkin pudding cake!” declares production artist, Jael. “Apple pie,” calls out product development lead, Shelby. What can we say? We like our desserts around here! Brad, our founder, is not stopping there though. “I will be frying a turkey, baking two Bobby Flay Throwdown Pumpkin Pies with graham cracker crust and maple bourbon whipped cream, mashed potatoes and roasted veggies.” Wow. We’re giving him our Most Ambitious Chef award. Least Ambitious Chef is a three-way-tie between Ryan, our warehouse manager, graphic designer Polly, and Shannon who aren’t planning on cooking anything. Just eating!

 

3. What’s your favorite part of Thanksgiving?

“Spending the morning in our pjs,” Haley tells us, “watching the Macy’s Day Parade with homemade cinnamon rolls in the oven.” Polly is looking forward to, “Watching movies all day and take our dog for a long walk around the lake.” For Ryan it’s all about, “Seeing the whole family circus together.” We can all pretty much agree on that! #elumfamilycircus

 

What’s your least favorite Thanksgiving dish?

The answers come thick and fast with this one. “Cranberry sauce,” Haley declares. “Why do people even make this?” Shelby agrees and adds, “Green bean casserole, sweet potato and marshmallows.” Turns out Brad is not a fan of green beans either, while Ryan has issues with sweet potatoes, but it’s Shannon who leaves us speechless by declaring, “Gravy. It creeps me out.” This means more gravy for the rest of us, right?

4. Do you have any family Thanksgiving traditions?

“We used to roast chestnuts in our fireplace when I was a kid and watch old monster movies,” Brad tells us. Haley says, “We used to always go into the open field across from Grandma’s house and play a football game.” We take a moment to remember our childhood Thanksgivings before Amy tells us her family tradition. “Every year, we all write down something we are thankful for (with no name) and put it into a dish. During dinner, we pass around the dish and everyone takes one out and reads it at some point during the dinner. You read it aloud and we all guess who wrote it. Our table is mixed with immediate family, in-laws, friends and cousins so it helps bring us together into one conversation.”

5. What happens after you’ve eaten dinner? Netflix, snooze, family squabble?

“Fall into a food coma and watch football,” Stephanie, one of our production artists, tells us. At Jael’s house it’s, “Jenga Time! Each player mentions a reason why they’re thankful after they pull their brick out from the tower.” Ryan has us laughing when he says he’s planning on heading to, “The Bar. Which usually leads to the family squabble.” We can relate to that! We leave it to Shannon to sum up the post dinner slump perfectly. “We just sit around and drink too much wine.”

6. Who does the washing up?

Brad, Shelby and Polly tell us they’ll be doing their part in the great Thanksgiving kitchen cleanup, while Jael declares, “The husband, thank God.” Shannon’s secret weapon is, “My Dad! He is a true sport when it comes to helping with clean up.” Can you send him round to our house when you’re done, Shannon?

7. Any plans for the leftovers?

“Turkey sandwiches. Duh.” While Ryan and Haley will be feasting on the classic Day After sandwich, Amy will be firing up the waffle iron. “My favorite discovery was turning the stuffing into waffles in the waffle iron. Add gravy and its delish!” We’re on board with that and also Stephanie’s plan for “honey glazed ham and lumpia.” We’ll have what she’s having. #leftoverheaven

 

8. What does Thanksgiving mean to you?

“Making a space at the table for everyone,” Amy tells us. “We invite anyone who doesn’t have a home for Thanksgiving and the more people that join us, the more fun we have!” Graphic designer Polly says Thanksgiving reminds her to be “Grateful and in the moment.” Brad agrees and adds it’s time, “For family, friends and reflection.” Haley sums it up by saying, “Thanksgiving is like Christmas but without the pressure and financial stress of gifts. It’s just about getting together and being with people you love.” We couldn’t agree more, Haley!

Happy Thanksgiving from our Elūm family to your family. Wishing you a day filled with laughter,
good food, family and friends. We won’t tell if you pass on the green beans!

Fallin’ For Fall

9.23.2019

It is, in our humble opinion, never too soon to celebrate fall. We are your sweater-loving, leaf-kicking, pumpkin-spice-drinking umbrella squad! We love plaid so much we would like to give it its own cozy country. And boots—do not get us started on boots! It is, as Jane Austen once wrote, a truth universally acknowledged that an unshod foot is in need of a boot. Booties, knee-highs, thigh highs, rain boots, cowboy boots, Wellingtons: we heart you all! #bootsmadeforwalking. We love rainy weekends, crisp notebooks, crackling fires, butternut squash and the Fall TV season. We are Elum and we are Fallin’ For Fall. Join us on our tour of must-haves, must sees, must follows and must dos for the season.

MUST FOLLOW

We are adoring @courtandkelly right now. These two cousins and besties know how to have a good time—and look gorg doing it. We love their East Coast+West Coast vibe, their impromptu fashion shoots and their joie de vivre. We are also one hundred percent behind these two cuties in their best fall jumpers, and their always stylish mom @mattiejames. You go, Momma!

MUST READ

Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985, made into a movie in 1990 and a Hulu TV series in 2018. This dystopian post-feminist tale has some serious legs! Now, thirty-four years later, Atwood is returning to the world of Gilead. The Testaments is set fifteen years after the events of Handmaid’s Tale and we can’t wait to see what the Aunts, Jezebels and Marthas are up to. #gojezebels Irish writer Emma Donoghue is no stranger to film adaptations either. Her novel Room was made into an Oscar winning movie in 2015. Donoghue’s latest book Akin has been hailed as one of the most-anticipated books of 2019 and we are personally anticipating one hella story. And last and most definitely not least we are counting down the days before National Book Award winner Jacqueline Woodson’s Red At The Bone is published. Woodson’s story of a multi-generational Brooklyn family transcends time and has been hailed as “emotionally transfixing” and “life affirming” and is at the top of our fall must read list.

 

MUST TRY

Starbucks has just introduced Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew, their first new cold pumpkin coffee since 2003. We are leaning in to it. We are also heavily leaning into Trader Joe’s new Cinnamon Bun Spread, because it ticks a box we never knew existed: cinnamon buns in a jar. #bunsinajar. Yeah, you know we’re down with that!

 

MUST SEND

Birthday Cards to the men and boys in our lives. More baby boys are born in September than in any other calendar month in the year and we can’t think of a better way of celebrating the special men in our lives than with our adorable manly-retro-geek-boy Off The Record, Gamer Birthday, and Best Dam Birthday cards. Show your hubs, dad, sons and bros some quirky, wood-grained love.

 

MUST WEAR

Caramel, mocha, toffee and camel are the colors of Fall 2019. A toasty fleece-and-suede jacket with jeans, an adorable sweater dress worn with gold-trimmed sneakers and this season’s must have: a sophisticated, grown-up floral worn with suede boots and a vivid silk scarf. ’Tis the season of mix and match! You can’t go wrong with a palette of burnt orange, dark honey and mid-blue denim. And a special shout out to Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, who has produced a Smart Set Capsule Collection of work wear essentials, ranging from perfect leather totes to elegant blazers. Purchase any item in the collection and the exact same item will be gifted to a woman who is trying to reenter the workforce after a long absence. Women supporting women: we are all about that here at Elum!

 

MUST SEE

Lady Mary, Judy Garland and Grizabella: we are in! We can’t wait to see Taylor Swift and Dame Judy Dench in their digitally created kitty-kat kit, and the Oscar-buzz for Renée Zellweger’s portrayal of an aging but still glorious Judy Garland began the moment the movie premiered at Telluride. And we cannot wait to see Maggie Smith playing Downton Abbey’s Dowager Duchess of Clap Back. Dame Maggie was throwing shade before it was even invented!

 

MUST LISTEN TO

Former front-woman and lead guitarist with Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard, has just released her first solo album named for her sister Jaimie who died of a rare form of cancer when Brittany was a teenager. Brittany’s smooth and luscious vocals and her love of 70s R&B combine to create the kind of album you float along to on road-trips. Her first single Stay High is a masterpiece of chill’n’groove that we’ll be listening to right through to spring. #bestsofbritt 

That’s our roundup of Fall’s best grooves, moves and soothes. What are you looking forward to most this fall?

Fall Look Book

8.30.2019

We’re excited about fall here at Elūm. We’re note-takers and journallers, list-makers, planners and To Do-ers! Fall and paper go together like peanut butter and jelly, wasabi and green peas, and Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes! #siseñorita A new school year or return to the office after the summer break gives us chance for a fresh start. A crisp new notepad, a smart and stylish folio, and a dreamy journal with ruled white pages just waiting for the tip of a pen. We’re in! A notepad, a folio, and a journal are Fall Must-Haves at the office, at lunch, at the grocery store and at home. We’ve designed and created a line of mix and match essentials that work together to compliment, organize and decorate your desktop. Join us for a tour of our Fall Look Book.

 

Our Floral Lustre Weekly Planner helps you slay your fall schedule.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
Elum Designs  |  Paper Source  | Amazon

With its charming rose gold spiral binder, its fifty-two tear-away sheets and its adorable gold stickers, this blushing beauty makes weekly planning a breeze. See you entire week in a single glance and highlight special or important dates with heart-shaped stickers that declare “Date Night” or ribbon-shape stickers that announce, “Don’t Forget.” If you need some extra pointers on how to use a planner effectively, check out this post by TreeHugger! And when you’ve done a good job who needs a teacher when you can give yourself a gold star!

 

Every purse needs a beautiful notepad and pen and our Take Note Fabric To Do Pad humbly applies for the job!

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
Paper Source

Imagine. You’re at lunch with your boss and she starts reeling off a list of clients she needs you to contact by the end of the week. You can nod vigorously while trying really hard to remember the half dozen names, or ask your boss if she wouldn’t mind repeating the list while speaking into your cell as you frantically tap the screen, trying to access the memo app. OR you can whisk out a smart and beautiful notepad, slide the elegant gold pen from its holder and serenely and professionally take notes. Problem sorted. #dropsmic

 

Our Take Note Leatherette Folio helps you crush your To Do list.

  

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
Paper Source

Work, school, kids, menu planning, grocery shopping. Pick up the dry cleaning, doctor’s appointment at two, hair appointment at six, happy hour with the girls on Friday—it’s Sasha’s birthday so don’t forget to bring a gift! We have a lot going on in our lives. At one glance you can see and plan your entire day. Its gorgeous watercolor exterior means its smart enough to pop in your tote and consult and update as you go about your business throughout the day.

1.2.3.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
1. Paper Source
2. Elum Designs  |  Amazon
3. Elum Designs  |  Amazon

And if you’re looking for something a little bit more portable, check out our Weekly Eats List Pad. Make meal prep a heck of a easier with these dandy on-the-go notepads!

 

We wind our days down with our Gray Abstract Journals.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
Paper Source

It’s 9pm. The baby is asleep, your other half is chilling downstairs binge-watching Brit TV on Netflix, and you’re upstairs catching some much needed Me Time in the bedroom. Skyn Icelandic eye gel patches in place, pen in hand and journal on your lap, you tell the story of your day.

Good spin sesh at the gym, saw my old boss but didn’t get chance to speak with him. Hubs wants us to travel to his parents for Thanksgiving but I’m worried about the baby flying. I’m grateful for my family, my old boss who gave me a chance when no one else would, and the British for making the kind of smart crime shows my hubs loves.

There. Writing down your successes, worries and reasons to be grateful is an essential part of the day. It eases anxiety, clears our minds and helps us focus on what’s important in life. A beautiful journal, a blank page, a personal story unfolding day by day.

 

Track your schedule, your daily tasks and your meal plans on these pretty gold-brushed pages Watercolor Daily Agenda List Pad.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
Paper Source

We are on the go from the moment we wake up to the moment we switch off the bedside table lamp. Some days are so full we hardly have chance to catch our breath. That’s where our list pad comes in. These tear-and-go sheets are perfect to keep on your kitchen counter or desktop. Self care is an important, but often overlooked part, of our schedule. Our list pad reminds us to take time for ourselves each day and celebrate our successes, big, medium and small.

 

With your fall paper needs sorted, we have one final question. “What do confetti, polka dots, poodles and llamas have in common?”Our new Stackable Mug Sets at TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls!

These charming sets will add a finishing touch of whimsy to your fall desktop and kitchen counters.

WHERE CAN I GET THIS?
In store at your local TJ Maxx, Home Goods, or Marshalls.

Also lookout for our adorable individual coffee mugs. “Hello Sunshine!” and “Adulting (when people are looking)” could be our middle names here at Elum! And if we ever need to calm down we simply repeat our office mantra, “Dancing donuts, doggies and llamas.” Works every time.

Summer Desk Edit

7.11.2019

It’s getting hot in here–let’s bring the outside in! Let’s get real, spending time at our desks in the summer can be tough. The sun’s shining, the mercury’s rising and Senorita is playing on the sound system. We want to be outside, sitting on a patio overlooking the ocean with a Margarita chilling in our hand. We don’t want to be at our desk, filling out time sheets and updating our contacts. So how do we make the most of the summer months at the office while keeping our spirits up and our creativity flowing? We say brings the outdoors inside. #outdoorsin Update your desk and office with some fly July stationary and awesome August accessories. Switch things up. A few key changes can shift your office vibe from dusty and drab to must-have summer fab. We’ve got you covered with our Summer Desk Edit. Who says we can’t have fun at work?

1. We are loving this Mami Wata infuser water bottle in rose gold.

Fill up the center chamber with strawberries, raspberries and honeydew melon, top up with water and ice. Set on your desk and enjoy cool, fruit-drenched deliciousness all day. Its peach and gold colors will add instant summer glam to your office and its healthy must-drink contents will keep your skin glowing right through to fall.

2. Our Piped Desk Folders will help you keep it all together this summer!

Filing and collating has never looked so good! Add instant summer cool to your desk with these pink, yellow and grey foil-stamped lovelies. We’ve also got a couple of other designs too!

3. Keep the summer flame alive by framing your desk photos with whimsical frames in hot juicy colors like this Dinosaur Frame from Anthropologie.

If you’re anything like us you have photos of your nearest and dearest on your desk. If your beloveds are wearing sweaters and jackets in the photo, why not switch it up for a photo of them wearing tees, shorts and swimwear instead?

4. Cherries and ice pops anyone? We are major crushing on our Delicate Cherries Iron On Patches.

They deliver instant summer satisfaction to just about any fabric surface. Your office tote: cherry it! Your work blazer? Make it pop with our multi-colored icepops. Seriously, all it takes is an iron and two minutes to make summer retro happen! #irononsummer (We’ve also got a bunch of other designs if cherries aren’t your thing!)

5. Bring some green to your office scene. Stop by your local garden center and pick up a potted plant and an adorable pot, like this one from Greenery Unlimited.

Crack open a window, set the pot on your desk and enjoy the breeze. Potted plants reduce carbon dioxide, improve air quality and help us concentrate. A study by the Royal Agricultural Institute found that students demonstrated 70% greater attentiveness in classrooms containing plants. We say grow for it!

6. Add some summer whimsy to your desk with our adorable Zebra Pasture Desk Weekly Planner.

Did you know that a zebra’s stripes actually cool them down? Air moves more quickly over the black stripes than the white stripes creating a micro breeze. We are all about the micro breeze here at Elum! And zebras. We are all about zebras. Add some summer whimsy to your desk and you just might have ze-best week ever! #zebest

7. Bring a little fairy magic into your office with this beautiful hand-blown paperweight by Glass Eye Studio in Seattle, Washington.

Dripping with morning dew, this summery toadstool is guaranteed to keep all your magical papers in place.

8. Yes you can make it to through the week with our Motivation 3-Pack Journals!

These adorable journals in peach, tangerine and jade green are the perfect antidote to the summer doldrums. Keep one in your office, one in your purse and one on your bedside table. Deploy as needed!

9. We think this Hakuna Matata mousepad is the perfect desk accessory.

9. This is the summer of The Lion King! Disney’s live action remake of its animated classic is already breaking records. Advance ticket sales are through the roof. We can’t wait to hear Beyoncé as Nala and Donald Glover as Simba. Long summer days at the office? No worries! Timon and Pumba have us covered.

10. Our Groovy Mood Sticker Sheets are a burst of instant sunshine for your soul.

Everything is more fun with one of our stickers on it. Your laptop? How about putting it in “Vacay Mode”? Your lunchbox? How about applying a little “Treat Yo Self”?Seriously, we can’t stop thinking of things to stick these hot little mamas on! #summergroove

We hope we’ve inspired you to bring the party inside this summer. We’ll sure be bringing it to our offices here in San Diego. See all of our Summer Desk collection here.

Summer (Channel) Surfin’

6.17.2019

WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

The lazy hazy Game-of-Thronesless days of summer are approaching. We’ll be hosting pool parties, block parties and beach blanket bingo during the day, but what about those summer nights? Glass of chilled Sauvignon Blanc, the largest bag of Pirates Booty Aged White Cheddar Popcorn we can lay are hands on in our lap, we switch on our adorable pink personal cooling device and fire up the TV. Binge-watching is calling our name! Now that GOT has ended what are going to watch next? It’s a question we’ve been debating in the office for the past couple of weeks. We are crazy about paper products and letterpress printing here at Elum, but we’re also crazy about TV which is why we’ve put together our Summer (Channel) Surfin’ Guide. Grab your remote and join us as we paddle into the deep waters of binge-worthy TV.

Good Omens, Amazon Prime

The classic “switched at birth” tale takes an unexpected twist when a fumbling order of Satanic nuns mix up a normal baby with Baby Antichrist. Never mind, after a nice cup of tea and some buttered crumpets, the angel Aziraphale and his demon counterpart Crowley will sort it all out. Brimming with British humor and serenely bumbling characters, with swoon-worthy John Hamm playing the Archangel Gabriel, we declare this Prime Original six parter to be must watch TV this summer. In fact the world class cast is so good we’d like to send them a big group hug.

The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3, Hulu

While her former Mad Men sidekick is busy being angelic in Good Omens, Elizabeth Moss is scooping up awards for her portrayal of June/Offred in Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale. After two seasons, we can’t wait to see what happens to our smart, vulnerable yet unbreakable heroine next. The series writers are no longer working with original source material (Margaret Atwood’s book only covered the first two seasons) so the stakes are high. Will June ever be reunited with her baby? Will evil Aunt Lydia finally get her just deserts. And just how will those iconic red costumes change this season? We’re dying to know. As they say in Gilead, “Blessed be the fruit!”

Black Mirror Season 5, Netflix

We’re Elum and we binge-watched all five hours of Black Mirror Season 5 on the day it was released. If series creator Charlie Brooker is not one of the best writers/producers working in TV today then we’ll eat a box of our Thank You Notes! Brooker says he sent the script for Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too to Miley Cyrus on a whim, not thinking for one minute the superstar would actually agree to appear in it. Luckily for Brooker and us, Miley is a huge fan of Black Mirror and agreed to do it almost immediately. Miley slays it as pop princess Ashley O, bringing everything she knows about being a former Disney icon to the table. When a disagreement with her management team results in Ashley being placed in a coma, one of Ashley’s teenage fans, the fan’s sister, and an Ashley Too electronic doll come to the rescue! The result is a glorious, high-tech girls-saving-girls caper that makes us feel hopeful about the future. The other two episodes—the mind bending Striking Vipers and the disturbingly real Smithereens—are so good we waited until their respective endings before raiding the fridge for more wine. You go, Mr. Brooker! And Ashley O, we really wish we’d had the chance to send you one our Hang In There Mini Notes when evil auntie put you in that coma! #spoileralert

When They See Us, Netflix

This four part limited series directed by Ava DuVernay hit us like a punch to the gut. It recreates the investigation, prosecution and ultimate release of the so called “Central Park Five” who were convicted of brutally raping a woman in Central Park in 1989. DuVernay spares no one as she explores how five juvenile males of color came to be falsely accused and imprisoned. She indicts the police, the DA’s office, and the city of New York itself for their rush to judgement. We cried pretty much all the way through the third and fourth episodes, and shared the relief, joy, sense of justice and tragedy of time lost when Raymond Santana, Kevin Richardson, Antron McCray, Yusef Salaam and Korey Wise were finally released after eleven years of imprisonment. The charges were vacated a year later by the New York Supreme Court. When They See Us is television at its must-watch best. Harrowing. Real. Life-changing.

Stranger Things 3, Netflix

We have marked our calendars and cancelled our plans. This year the Fourth of July is not only the two hundred and forty-third anniversary of our great nation, but also the day Stranger Things 3 premiers on Netflix. Will Eleven and Mike enjoy a summer of love? Just how short can Dustin’s shorts get? And what exactly is going on at the groovy new Starcourt Mall? We need to know! Independence Day here we come! We’ll be firing up the barbecue, blasting some sweet 80’s Hall & Oates from our speakers and binge-watching the entire season. We’ll be enjoying our fireworks on-screen this year!

Those are our picks for summer binge watching. Do you agree?
Or do you have your own mega “can’t touch this” shows to add to our list?

Elūm’s Epic Pub Crawl

5.14.2019

As the weather warms our thoughts turn to cold beer, alfresco dining, fried food, questionable dance moves and karaoke. Yes, we’re talking pub crawls! If you can think of a better way to spend a Saturday evening than strolling around your neighborhood, dropping in on local establishments and enjoying cold ones with friends, let us know. I mean, really, let us know! Elum is based in San Diego so we’re pretty lucky. The Gaslamp Quarter in downtown is an intoxicating, historical (sometimes hysterical) playground where dive bars sit next to ultra-exclusive cocktail lounges and the people watching is world class. We’re planning an Epic Pub Crawl, come join us for some adult only fun!

 

Pacing Ourselves At Rustic Root

The night is young, the sun is shining and the breeze is warm so our first stop is Rustic Root’s stunning rooftop bar. Did someone say “topiary”? As we marvel at a giant ivy-covered duck, we settle into our cushy lounge chairs and enjoy rosé sangria loaded with strawberries and raspberries. Drowsy bees buzz around us and we can smell the ocean a couple of blocks away. San Diego doesn’t get much better than this.

Sidewalk Swaggery At Union Kitchen & Tap

A two minute walk down 5th Avenue and we arrive at our second destination. The sun is setting and we’re ready for some tasty appetizers and even tastier people watching. Union’s charmingly cobbled patio is the place to be so we snag ourselves an outdoor table. Staying on point with our fruity drink vibe, we order a round of Latitude 33’s Blood Orange IPA. Our waitress calls them “beermosas” and suggests an order of chicken wings to accompany them. Sounds good to us! When she offers us a choice of Smoked Cherry BBQ Sauce, Buffalo Sauce, or Sriracha-Maple Glaze it sparks a heated debate. Cherries in a barbecue sauce? Hell yeah! But Sriracha maple? C’mon! And let us not forget classic buffalo. A tough call is prevented when our waitress happily agrees to bring all three dipping sauces to our table.

 

Getting Our Glam On At Side Bar

It’s getting dark and we’re ready to head inside and get this party started! A short stroll through twinkling gas-lit streets brings us to the swanky pink deliciousness of Side Bar. Music is pumping, fuchsia neon is purring and the drop-dead-gorgeous-level of staff and patrons just went straight through the roof. They let us in anyway! We’re seated in club chairs of heavenly orchid-colored velvet, where it quickly becomes apparent that there is only one drink on the cocktail menu for us: the Rich & Famous. Tequila, orange-flower essence, and a sprinkling of gold flakes. We debate whether or not we’re meant to eat the gold flakes or slip them into our napkins and save them as souvenirs. We decide to save them, sighing at the sheer glamour of it all.

 

Keeping It Real At Patrick’s

It wouldn’t be a pub crawl unless we visited an Irish pub! After the heady sophistication of Side Bar we’re ready to get down and dirty. A short stroll leads us to Patrick’s Gaslamp Pub. A live band is jamming, the bartender is on fire, and the patrons are exactly how we like ‘em: rowdy! We pull up at the bar and order burgers and Irish shandys all round. The burgers arrive in baskets accompanied by a metric ton of French fries. We are in heaven! Our toes are tapping, our inhibitions are lifting. There’s only one thing left to do: Dance.

 

Disco Dancing At Double Deuce

We can hear Double Deuce’s sound system throbbing from a block away. The bar is packed and the patrons are raucous. Beneath the spin of a giant glitter ball, a mini-skirted girl armed with a confetti gun is shooting paper streamers into the air, while a millennial-bearded hipster is riding the mechanical bull. YMCA by the Village People is playing and not one person in the room is standing still. We get to it. We’re Elūm and you betcha we know all the moves to YMCA! #noneedtofeeldown We show the young ‘uns a thing or two, avoid poking anyone’s eye out, and collapse in a happy, breathless heap. Life is good. Wisely, we leave without riding the bull.

 

Winding Down At Altitude

We spend the elevator ride up to the twenty-second floor resting. We’ve walked a couple of blocks south to the Gaslamp Marriott and are ready for our final act. The Altitude Sky Lounge offers the best views in the city. We step off the elevator and are surrounded by the dazzlings lights of downtown San Diego, Petco Park and the Pacific Ocean. We find chairs around a firepit and relax over boozy coffee and wicked dessert. Soon we’ll be texting Uber and Lyft for rides home, but for now we’ll sit back and enjoy the sights and sounds of our amazing hometown. #yougosandiego

What do you think? Did we make you want to come visit us?
If you’re a local, did we miss any of your favorite spots? Let us know!

What Moms Want Most On Mother’s Day

4.29.2019

We’re thinking about our moms here at Elum. Mother’s Day is fast approaching and we’re asking the question: What’s the best way to make Mom smile on her big day? We’ve been celebrating Mother’s Day in the US for over a hundred years. On May 12, a hundred and fifty-million of us will call home and say, “Hi, Mom!”. About a third of us will buy flowers (pink roses and carnations are our blooms of choice) and a fifth of us will take Mom to brunch or dinner, which explains why it’s Mother’s Day, not Valentines, that is the busiest day of the year for restaurants. What can we say? We love our moms! At Elum we wanted to find out what moms really want on their big day. What makes them happy? What really touches their hearts and fills them with joy? So we asked. We talked  to all the moms we know and listened (moms love it when we do that!), and are now proud to present the Six Things Moms Want Most On Mother’s Day.

Photo by Elena Koycheva on Unsplash

1. A thoughtful gesture, card or gift. Every mom we spoke to values thoughtfulness over the monetary value of a gift. Moms love a pretty card with a handwritten message inside.

“Mom, you’re always there for me. You’re my home port in every storm. Love, Jess.”
Or “Mom, you cook the best pancakes ever—tender and sweet—just like you.”

When it comes to gifts, moms really appreciate ones that are meaningful or caring: an old family photo made new again by a beautiful frame, a mom and daughter day at a local spa, their car washed, anything made by hand by their kids.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

2. A connection. If you can’t be with Mom on Mother’s Day, call her, FaceTime or text. Moms want to hear from you! Tell her what you love most about her. Relive your memory of the family vacation to Disneyland. Make Mom laugh by letting her know you haven’t forgotten the time she burned the Thanksgiving turkey, or the time she threw your brand new jeans in the trash by mistake. Make her cry by telling her that as soon as the bell rang after your very first day at school, the one face you couldn’t wait to see at the gates was hers. Moms want to feel connected with their kids on Mother’s Day. Show her the bond of love and family is still strong.

3. A day off from “Mommy” duty. We heard this most from moms with babies and young children. Their dream Mother’s Day is a day off from cooking, cleaning and running the household. They would really appreciate sleeping in. And while they love breakfast in bed, they would love it even more if you washed up after yourselves! #keepingitreal Clean the skillet and the stovetop—and why stop there? Nothing says, “I love you, Mom” more than cleaning the entire house!

Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

Photo by Ben Wicks on Unsplash

4. Grandchildren. It’s a universal truth moms adore grandkids. If you have kids, this is a no-brainer. Bring your babies over to see Grandma. You don’t have to plan anything special. Bring cookie dough and sprinkles and let Mom and the kids bake cookies together. Or ask Mom what her favorite movie was when she was a child, and sit three generations of your family down on the couch and watch Black Beauty, Wizard of Oz or the Sound of Music. If you don’t have kids yet, we have a message from your mom. “What are you waiting for?”

5. Time. Mom just wants to spend time with you on Mother’s Day. We heard this answer over and over again. A beach day, family movie night, a potluck dinner, a day of shopping followed by afternoon tea: the most important thing to Mom is spending time with you. As we get busier and busier with our lives, Mother’s Day gives us the chance to slow down and appreciate the people who are most important to us. More than anything, moms want their families together on Mother’s Day

Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash

Photo by Edward Cisneros on Unsplash

6. Love. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someonedeeply gives you courage.” We don’t know about you, but we’re pretty sure that Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu was thinking about how fiercely mothers love their children when he wrote that saying way back in 500 BC. No one loves us like our mom, no one protects us like our mom, no one celebrates our triumphs and takes the weight from our shoulders like our mom. Moms encourage our first smiles, hand-hold us through our first steps, bathe us thousands of times, kiss away hundreds of boo-boos, pack uncountable lunches and take all the photographs that will come back to haunt us decades later when we bring home a date.

A mom’s love is fierce, tender and everlasting. And the number one thing moms want this Mother’s Day is to feel their love is returned.

Elūm’s Spring Fling

4.11.2019

We love spring here at Elūm! April in Paris, fresh horizons and alfresco lunches: bring it on! We’re breaking out the flip-flops, cranking our office windows, waxing our surfboards, chilling the rosé and getting giddy with it! We’re declaring our First Annual Spring Fling! What are our artists and designers dreaming up this spring? What colors are they rocking? What foods are they craving? And what exactly do they get up to when they leave the office? We need to know! So we corralled them into the lunchroom, plied them with fish tacos and donuts (we know from experience they won’t talk if they’re hungry!) and asked. Read on for their light-up-social-media replies.

 

What colors are rocking your world this spring?

“All the yellows!” shouts our senior designer, Shannon L. Another of our senior designers agrees. “Yellow,” repeats Polly G with feeling. While Olga G, one of our graphic designer admits, “I’m still stuck on mustard.” Kristi C, our creative director, is also feeling the mustard, along with “Blush pinks and dark blues.” Colors are fighting words here at Elum and production artists Jael P and Scott H are willing to go to war for shades of blue. Meanwhile Shelby H, our lovely product development lead, is all about “Emerald green”. You go, girl! No color is left behind on this watch!

Spring cleaning or spring planting?

Kristi C declares, “Both! Purging paperwork, clothes and items I do not generally use in the house. Planting lots of ferns, podocarps, succulents.” Meanwhile Haley F, one of our senior designers, declares herself for spring planting. “We just moved into a new apartment with a large screened-in front porch and you better believe it is about to be a jungle out there.” We believe you, Haley! We also believe the five artists and designers who declared themselves ready to clean house this spring. We know your instagrams, #elumdesigners. We’ll be waiting on those before and after pics!

Fashions, homewares, style trends: what are you obsessing over this spring?

We opened a can of worms with this question. “Shoes!” shouts production artist Mikaela L. “Fitness!” counters Scott H. “Typography,” declares senior designer, Polly G. “Lots of matte black ceramics,” says Kristi C, “mixed with gold, silvers, terrazzo stone patterns and pops of fun bright colors.” I think it’s safe to conclude that we’re obsessing about a LOT of things here at the moment!

 

What are you listening to?

In no particular order: NPR, Michale Bublé, Odesza, La La Land, traffic updates and podcasts!

 

More importantly, what are you craving for lunch?

“Poke!” declares Jael P.  Shelby H counters with, “Smoked salmon on an everything bagel” which pretty much has everyone in the office nodding their heads. When Mikaela L declares, “Pizza. Always,” we burst into spontaneous applause. There’s no arguing with the classics!

If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you head to this spring?

Australia, Bali, the Serengetti, Budapest, Chile, and our local Anza Borrgeo desert: that’s six out of seven continents. We’re still trying to figure out why none of our designers has Antartica on her list. Any idea why? #coldestplaceonearth

 

What’s your favorite piece from Elūm’s spring collection?

At this point the crew starts getting rowdy. “Paradise Palms Weekly Desk Planner,” shouts Haley F. “I love those inside pages!” Scott H has his own opinion. “Subtle Gem Weekly Eats. It helps get the hard decisions out of the way and is ok to have at home as a guy.” Meanwhile Shannon L declares herself for, “Smokey Stone 3 Pack Journals. So. Pretty.” While Kristi C gives a shout out to our “Lustre Wash Padfolio.” This could go on all day! We’re pretty passionate about stationary here at Elum.

Paradise Palms Weekly Desk Planner

Subtle Gem Weekly Eats

Smokey Stone 3-Pack Journal

 

Final season of Game of Thrones or live action The Lion King?

Turns out we’re also passionate about GOT. Eighty percent of us are iron-throning all the way, baby! Haley F sums it up by declaring herself, “Team Khaleesi!” Badass boss girl on a dragon? Yep, we’re down with that!

 

“Valar morghulis” or “Hakuna matata”?

Based on our answers to the last question you’d think we’d all be “Valar morghulis”, right? Turns out our artists and designers are a free-thinking, confound-the-stereotypes sort of bunch. While we do understand that everyone must die, we much prefer to live by Elton John’s Lion King philosophy, “Hakuna matata”. No worries. #swahiliwisdom

 

What are you most looking forward to this spring?

“Going to baseball games and eating stadium pretzels and garlic fries and taking my dog to the beach!” Shelby H tells us. “Sunshine!” says Haley F. “Being outside!” agrees Mikaela L, while Olga G adds, “Good weather to hike!” The final word, however, goes to Jael P who melts our hearts with her answer, “Getting married!”

We wish you and your partner all the best for your spring wedding, Jael! Here’s wishing you sunshine, pizza, the color yellow, trips to all seven continents, and hakuna matata! You remind us what we’ve known all along: Spring is for celebrating love!