The Cordial Cricket

2011-06-30T17:27:00.001-04:00

We've moved!

Please visit our new home at

www.thecordialcricket.com

Visit Our New Blog!

2010-11-10T12:54:00.003-05:00

Our blog has found a new home and it's address is http://blog.thecordialcricket.com

Please visit and take a look around soon. Add it to your list of favorite website or your blog reader and share it with your friends.

You may always return here to view our archived blog posts and articles.

Thanks!

Holiday Open House Sneak Preview

2010-10-22T20:16:00.007-04:00

We hope that you can join us tomorrow, Saturday, October 23rd from 10-6 for our annual Holiday Open House. We will unveil all of our new holiday merchandise and cards, and will accept donations for the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother Program. Your donation for this worthy cause will get you 20% off your entire purchase at our event! What could be better than helping provide Christmas for those in need while getting a jump start on your holiday shopping! The list below are some of the items specifically requested by the families who will benefit from the Christmas Mother program this year:

Baby Doll

Football, Basketball or Soccer Ball

Bike Helmets

Mens & Womens Socks

Adult Size Gloves

Umbrella

Queen Size Blanket

Men's & Women's Pajamas (All Sizes)

Men's & Women's Slippers

Canned or Non-Perishable Food

New Children's Books & Toys

Board Games

CD Players

Hand/Body Lotion

Art Set

Watch our video clip below for a sneak preview of just some of the goodies you'll find at our Holiday Open House tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you there!

Guest Blog Interview: Chris Nease of Celebrations at Home

2010-09-29T12:27:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to introduce Chris Nease of Celebrations at Home as our guest blog feature today. Chris began entertaining and planning parties 14 years ago and fell in love with the idea of making it a career. She later launched her blog and website, Celebrations at Home, and hopes to inspire others with her creative and unique party styles and designs. Her specialty is designing beautiful showers, birthdays, and other celebrations, with unique style and unforgettable details. Her newest endeavor is Petite Celebrations, an upscale children's birthday party package with predesigned themes, decor, and activities for small intimate parties. Now, here's a little more about Chris...

The Cordial Cricket: What is the most creative/unique party theme you have ever worked on?

Chris: That's tough! Because, as a party designer, you try to make every party as creative and unique as possible. However, I am working on a "Moroccan-style baby shower, with a monkey infusion" right now, which is interesting.

TCC: If you could plan any type of party, what type/theme would you choose?

C: I am really loving the vintage vibe right now. It's such a trend in weddings. I would love to create a bridal shower with the theme "The Key to My Heart" based on vintage keys and details, or "We're Making Beautiful Music Together" with the use of vintage instruments and sheet music.

TCC: What is your number one tip for hostesses to ease the stress of party planning and entertaining?

C: Hire me, of course! Seriously, organizing lists and planning ahead is the key to success. Aside from that, do what you can and hire out the rest.

TCC: What is your most budget friendly decor idea to make your party stunning on a tight budget?

C: Invest in basic pieces, from white dishes, to pillar candle sticks, to bud vases. You can get white stoneware plates from The Dollar Store and use them for outdoor cookouts, or Christmas dinner! Pillar candle sticks can hold candles, of course, but they can also act as risers for serving platters. Add a couple of glue dots to hold the plate secure and you have instant height and interest to your buffet. Finally, a collection of bud vases is a great budget-wise investment (about $1 per vase). Never underestimate the power of flowers to add elegance and a 'complete' look to an event. Bud vases are small so you only need 1 or 2 stems in each one (as opposed to a full floral arrangement that can be quite costly). But, when you line several of them down the center of the table, it looks like a million bucks!

TCC: What do you think is the most important aspect of a party or event (i.e. the food, the decor, the entertainment, etc.)?

C: The MOST important component of an event is the people! Other than milestone events, like weddings or birthdays, where you will invite people from many corners of your life, smaller events such as dinner parties, luncheons, or cocktail parties can be made or broken by the guest list. These are usually intimate affairs where conversation really needs to flow. Be mindful of the people you bring together, and make sure you have "talkers" as well as "listeners" to create a balance. If things go silent, it's nice to have one of those Conversation Party Boxes to help get things rolling again.

TCC: Tell us something about you that we would find surprising!

C: I'm pretty quiet until you get to know me. I'm not very good at small talk or telling stories, but I've always got a funny one-liner to throw into a conversation!

TCC: What are some of your favorite party and event planning design inspirations (blogs, sites, magazines, people, etc.)?

C: I am extremely influenced by colors and textiles, as well as home decorating items. I think it goes back to my fashion background, and love for interior design. I love to incorporate home decor items or decorative vignettes into a party space. I also love to keep up with wedding trends. My favorite designers to follow are those that incorporate their clients' personality, while adding in unexpected touches. Jesi Haack, the ladies at Lollipop Events & Design, and Gloria Wong are wonderfully creative. As far as party bloggers, not only am I inspired, but truly amazed at some of the creations they come up with! Some very clever designing women are Jenn of HWTM, Amy of Stem Parties, and Marie of Sweets Indeed, just to name a few.

TCC: Tell us about a unique budget friendly favor for guests to take away from a party that you have used successfully with your clients.

C: My favorite go-to favor item is food! It is consumable so your guests don't have to worry about what to do with it, or find a place for it at home; You can make it yourself to ease the budget; It can be sweet or savory; It can reflect your personality (favorite childhood treat, family recipe, etc.); It appeals to everyone!

We hope you have enjoyed learning more about Chris, her blog and her website Celebrations at Home. Please visit her blog and website and leave us a comment here to tell us your favorite party design or tip you found. Stay tuned for our next party planner guest blog post soon!

These Little Guys Make Me Happee!!

2010-09-26T21:47:00.000-04:00

You can now find these awesome little clips at our store! Stop in soon to get yours and clip whatever you need to just about anything!

Finally, products that grip to stainless steel refrigerators, mirrors, glass and more! Many stylish designs from which to choose.

• Leaves no residue
• Grip and re-grip again and again

We're A Jane Marvel Retailer!

2010-09-19T11:46:00.000-04:00

As seen in Lucky magazine's October issue, on news stands now and now available at our store, Jane Marvel believes it is every woman’s right to have great style and not go broke getting it.

Their bags are made of laminated canvas or nylon; the lining is polyester.

Their products are completely 'vegan' which means they don't use leather in our bags. That means that the handles and trim are made from several different materials so depending on which bag you order, the trim and handles are either cotton webbing or PU (Polyurethane). These features make their products:

lightweight
virtually waterproof
easy to clean with mild detergents
They also include a free gift in every bag!
Each free gift comes in an FAA-approved clear
zip pouch for all your travel needs.

And did we forget to mention, they come in some of the most stylish patterns we've ever seen. Here's a peek...come in soon to select your new Jane Marvel bag!

We Have THE Best Customers In The World!!

2010-09-17T20:23:00.007-04:00

We have the BEST customers in the world!! Why do we say this, you ask? Because once again this year they came out in droves to support and show their love for our business at our Annual Birthday Party Event on Saturday, August 28th. They were anxiously awaiting our opening in line more than an hour before we opened the doors and the first 50 customers were rewarded with SWAG bags full of awesome free merchandise and special offers. They were treated to wonderful desserts made by Richmond's own Petites Bouchees and Candy Valley Cake Company. So much fun was had by all and the customers shopped the day away at our largest sidewalk sale ever and took advantage of 20% off all merchandise inside the store! It was a wonderful event and we are truly grateful for each and every customer who joined us to celebrate that day.

Our biggest FAN, Frances Warnick was the very first to arrive and camped out with a little school work to keep her busy while she waited! Such a productive gal she is and the sweetest too!

Many of our favorite customers, 50+ of them to be exact, waited patiently in line for us to open our doors!

Adorable and amazingly good Cake Pops from the wonderful Candy Valley Cake Company awaited our guests! We only serve the best treats you know.

The cutest cookies ever with our logo on them! Another special treat for our guests from our dessert artist special guests.

And the most wonderful, yummy Parisian Macarons you have ever tasted in your life! Made by our friends at Petites Bouchees. Thank you for treating our customers to such a "treat" for our birthday!

Stay tuned for more information about what our guests found in their awesome SWAG bags...

Guest Blog Interview: Courtney Dial of Pizzazzerie

2010-08-13T10:49:00.019-04:00

We are pleased to introduce Courtney Dial as a featured guest on our blog today. She is the style genius behind the entertaining blog Pizzazzerie, which she launched as a guide for entertaining inspiration. Her goal is to spark the imagination of her readers and help them create unforgettable parties. Courtney has always had a love for entertaining and creating memories, and she began hosting many parties and events while studying at Vanderbilt University. She continues to work in digital communications and grow her fabulous blog Pizzazzerie, while also planning parties and events for friends and family.

Photo by Kate Whitmore Photography

The Cordial Cricket: What is the most creative/unique party theme you have ever worked on?

Courtney: Actually, this is one I'm currently working on! I love anything vintage and wanted to find a way to incorporate this into a summer party. The theme is "Berries and Bellinis" and incorporates a vintage bicycle theme. This is fun because the guest of honor is also a new triathlon queen, so it's fun to find a way to tie the theme into the birthday girl. We are having a "build your own berry cobbler bar" and mini raspberry vanilla cupcakes. And of course, delicious bellinis as well!

TCC: If you could plan any type of party, what type/theme would you choose?

C: This is a hard one :) If I could plan any type of party, I would want to plan an old Hollywood style engagement party. I love engagement parties because you can be super creative with lots of fun twists. There really is not a lot of "traditional" with engagement events. I love traditions, but I also love events that allow for lots of original ideas. Old Hollywood with a black/white/red color scheme would be a lot of fun!

TCC: What is your number one tip for hostesses to ease the stress of party planning and entertaining?

C: The number one tip is do not try to do everything yourself. It takes away the joy of the planning when you can't even stop to breathe. There are fabulous vendors for printables, signs, favors, etc. Use them! Sure, you could do it all yourself. I usually do about 50/50 with vendors. For example, for an event, I might print my own favor tags but order in water bottle labels because some things are easier handed off. Time is valuable, and it is also neat to connect with vendors because they can give you lots of great ideas!

TCC: What is your most budget friendly decor idea to make your party stunning on a tight budget?

C: Your printer! You can make any party look fancy by printing a menu, using one of your own frames, and placing it on the table. And favors! These can be as simple as a cookie wrapped in a cellophane bag with a bow and a simple label. Everyone thinks you spent hours preparing all the details - but not only was it quick, it was also budget friendly.

TCC: What do you think is the most important aspect of a party or event (i.e. the food, the decor, the entertainment, etc.)?

C: It's all relatively important. The party can have the best food you've ever tasted but if the decor is drab, people won't be impressed. I think finding a happy medium of serving great dishes, using creative and fun decor, and saving for entertainment is all important. My favorite of these? Decor!

TCC: Tell us something about you that we would find surprising!

C: I used to be a career counselor at my alma mater, Vanderbilt University. I type faster than anyone I know. I am not married (I did not think this one was surprising but lots of readers ask how old my kids are or what my husband does, I giggle, I'm 25 and not married).

TCC: What are some of your favorite party and event planning design inspirations (blogs, sites, magazine, people, etc)?

C: Oh, I could go on forever. But, top are Style Me Pretty (Abby is a fellow Vandy grad), Amy Atlas, Jen Sbranti of Hostess with the Mostess, The TomKat Studio, Eat Drink Happy, Get Married Magazine, SweetsIndeed.com, and of course, Martha Stewart!

TCC: Tell us about a unique budget friendly favor for guests to take away from a party that you have successfully used with your clients.

C: Sweet treats from simple lemon cookies to mini banana muffins. Place in a cellophane bag. Tie with a ribbon and adorn with a favor tag. Easy as pie!

We hope you have enjoyed learning more about Courtney, her party planning style and her blog Pizzazzerie. Please visit Courtney's blog and leave us a comment here to tell us your favorite entertaining tip or party inspiration you found on her site. Stay tuned for our next party planner guest blog post soon!

Personalized Pewter Gifts Have Arrived

2010-07-29T14:21:00.006-04:00

We are pleased to announce that we are now a Salisbury, Inc. retailer and have a beautiful selection of their reputable gifts in our store. Salisbury, Inc. is a family owned company of proud and dedicated artisans who recognize the importance of preserving our heritage while creating new and exciting products that are sure to become tomorrow’s treasured heirlooms. They have been producing fine, hand-crafted silver and pewter products since 1979. All of their items are made in the USA and their facilities are located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with manufacturing facilities in Salisbury and Easton.

We recognize the value of giving heirloom gifts that the recipient will treasure for a lifetime. We are happy to show you the many personalized items that we have in the store such as baby gifts like dumbbell rattles, baby cups, bent baby spoons, porringers and other gifts such as Jefferson cups, Chippendale trays and much more. Monograms, dates, names or sentiments can be engraved on most items in a wide range of engraving styles. Each item comes ready for giving in their gorgeous signature keepsake blue gift box. Please remember to visit our store for your next heirloom gift purchase.

2010 ICON Honors Awards Results

2010-07-21T20:59:00.003-04:00

During our recent trip to the Atlanta Gift Market last weekend I had the wonderful honor of being recognized at the first annual ICON Honors Awards event sponsored by AmericasMart, Home Furnishings News and the Gift & Home Trade Association. It was a very exciting night as you can see from the photos below. Read more about the results of the awards ceremony here.

I extend my deepest gratitude to the sponsors of the awards, to AmericasMart and to the judges. I would also like to thank my wonderful staff, customers, family and friends for their support of my business and congratulatory sentiments about our success and recognition.

Scenes from Our Latest Bridal Show

2010-07-12T12:08:00.006-04:00

We recently attended our first bridal show of the summer season. We debuted a gorgeous new booth design that attracted lots of attention from brides and wedding industry vendors alike. We are very excited about working with the many brides we met at the show when they come in soon for their wedding invitation consultation appointments. We have many new custom invitation vendors work to showcase. Take a look at some scenes from our new bridal show booth below. Enjoy!

Wedology 101 - The Reality of Being a Bride

2010-07-05T20:21:00.007-04:00

If you're a bride in the Central Virginia area, you don't want to miss this upcoming event which will be bringing Style, Sanity and Swag to brides. Read more about this one-of-a-kind bridal seminar below.

WHAT IS WEDOLOGY 101?

Wedology 101 is a no-holds-barred, honest look at the reality of being a bride. Presented in a seminar format by top wedding professionals Jennifer McBride and Meghan Ely, Wedology 101 tackles the issues at the top of every bride's to-do list, in a format that is engaging, inspirational and fun.

WHEN IS WEDOLOGY 101?
Wedology 101 will take place Sunday, August 15, 2010. Future 2011 dates will be announced at a later date.

WHERE IS WEDOLOGY 101?
The four diamond Wyndham Virginia Crossings will be home to Wedology 101 in 2010. The full service property offers premier event space in Glen Allen, Virginia. Visit www.wyndhamvirginiacrossings.com for more information.

The Cordial Cricket is the exclusive wedding invitation and stationery sponsor for Wedology 101. Owner, Elizabeth Howard, is also the featured wedding invitation and stationery expert presenter for the event and looks forward to sharing her knowledge and tips to help brides make the most of their experience when shopping for their wedding invitations and stationery. We look forward to meeting many wonderful brides at this one-of-a-kind event!

Find out more about attending Wedology 101 and purchase your tickets here or read about the event and some of its featured "Been There, Done That" brides on the Wedology 101 Blog here. Leave us a comment here to tell us why you're a "Been There, Done That Bride" and your advice to other brides, or why you're a bride who would like to attend Wedology 101 to bring some sanity to your wedding planning. We look forward to reading all that you have to share!

Book Review and Giveaway!

2010-06-30T19:25:00.002-04:00

One of my dear friends Mindy Lockard of Manner of the Month was cordial enough to give our new children's book The Cordial Cricket a review on her blog today. She even had her two young daughters chime in and share their thoughts. We are very appreciative to Mindy and her girls for their cordial words about our book! They are also giving away a copy to one lucky reader who comments on the book review post. Check it out here. You can purchase a copy of our book here in our online store.

We donate $2 from the sale of each book to the Richmond SPCA, a charity that my son year old son Will chose as animals are very close to his heart. To date we have donated $222 to the Richmond SPCA. We also received a very generous matching donation, bringing our total donation to $444!

Best of luck with Mindy's blog giveaway of our book!

What Beckons You?

2010-06-27T21:42:00.002-04:00

My family has been vacationing for the last few days in the wonderful, quaint beach town of Cape Charles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. We rented a beautiful home, whose owner has worked hard to create an atmosphere that's just like home. Because both my husband and I are entrepreneurs, we lead really busy and demanding lives. So we really need to get away now and then in order to disconnect and enjoy some quiet family time. Upon entering our vacation home we found there was a very cozy game room, stocked with lots of family games to enjoy. On one table in the game room was the beginning of the puzzle above. Evidently the guests before us, or maybe the guests before them, or even before them started the puzzle and left it for the next vacationers to work on. I must say, as much as my family and I enjoy working on puzzles, especially since my son is 7 years old now and really getting the hang of it, we just don't do it enough.

This puzzle has quietly and unassumingly beckoned each of us to the table to work on it, both individually and together, at least twice a day while we've been here. It has been peaceful and relaxing to work on it. When we depart tomorrow, I will miss it a little and wonder how many more families that come behind us it will take to complete it.

I think our sunroom at home is calling for a permanent puzzle table...maybe it will beckon us to take a minute everyday to think about nothing more.

To Market, To Market...

2010-06-24T12:41:00.004-04:00

Many of you have probably heard of or even attended the "market" as it's referred to by store owners. It's the largest gift trade show on the east coast and takes place in Atlanta, every January and July. Amazingly, in my five years as a boutique owner, I have yet to attend this particular market. Between attending the New York Gift Show and the National Stationery Show each year, being a mom and owning a retail business, 4 bridal shows a year, throw in a few speaking engagements and seminar related travel and there just hasn't been anywhere to fit the "market" into my schedule. This year will be different though!

I am very fortunate that our store has been nominated in four categories of the inaugural AmericasMart ICON Honors Awards this year. The award winners will be revealed at a gala event during the July gift market in Atlanta. Just being nominated for an award of this type in our industry is certainly enough recognition for me to make room in my schedule to go to "market". I look forward to finding lots of great new merchandise for our store, meeting new friends in my industry and re-connecting with those I haven't seen in a while.

Will you be going to "market" this year? If so, leave me a comment so that we can possibly connect while there. For all of my friends who won't be able to join me at the awards gala in Atlanta, I will be sure to share the results as soon as I know, if the suspense doesn't kill me first. Thank you to everyone for your undying support of my business!

Interested in finding out more about the ICON Honors Awards, click here to learn more.

My New Favorite Petite Party Dessert

2010-06-23T13:52:00.003-04:00

Today has been a very good day! No, we didn't win the lottery here, yes, the store's been busy, no, it still isn't any cooler than 98 degrees outside, however...we were the lucky recipients of samples from local pastry artist and dessert extraordinaire, Veronica Perez, with Petites Bouchees. In our industry, we get to taste lots of treats. Call it a perk of working here, my staff sure does!

Veronica started her company Petites Bouchees out of her love of bite-sized desserts. Her specialty is Parisian-style macarons and beautiful special occasion cupcakes. We were fortunate enough to be able to taste some of her wonderful macarons, and words really cannot even describe how good they are! Seriously, I've never had anything quite like them. I have a huge sweet-tooth myself and have always been a lover of cupcakes. I now must say that these petite parisian-style macarons may just be my new favorite dessert. They are just the perfect size and the flavor combinations are beyond incredible. We sampled Hazelnut and Salted Caramel, Pistachio and Bittersweet Chocolate, Chocolate and Espresso Buttercream and Rose Lychee. Of these, I would say that our staff most loved the Hazelnut and Salted Caramel and the Chocolate and Espresso Buttercream, but they were truly all very delicious.

They not only taste wonderful, they are a cute as can be, would make a gorgeous display on a stylish dessert table and Veronica's packaging is top-notch. These photos give you just an idea of how perfect these petite desserts are. Visit the Petites Bouchees website and place an order for your next party, but don't wait until then to try these, go ahead and get some for yourself to try sooner than later. Trust me, you will be singing their "sweet" praises soon and you will be the hostess of the year for serving them! Be sure to tell her you found out about them here. If you call and we don't answer, it's because we're in a sugar coma :)

Did You Use An Invitation Expert?

2010-06-08T18:21:00.004-04:00

I recently read a wonderful article written by a fellow stationer that explained in such an eloquent and realistic way why brides & grooms should work with an invitation expert on their wedding invitation and stationery needs. The information in the article could not be more true and I could never have said it better myself. If you're a bride, or maybe a mother of a bride, mother of a groom, maid of honor, or anyone involved in helping brides make their wedding exactly what they dreamed, then you should read and share this information too.

It was originally featured on the My Kate Parker Wedding Blog written by our industry friend Samantha Finigan of Gus & Ruby Letterpress.

Tell us what you think about this advice? If you're already married, share your wedding invitation purchase experience with us by leaving a comment below. Did you use an invitation expert to assist you or venture out on your own? Were you pleased with the end result? If you're a current bride-to-be, leave us a comment to tell us if this information will influence your wedding invitation purchase process. We look forward to reading more about your experience and results!

Our Book & My Son's "Notable Gift"

2010-06-06T12:14:00.003-04:00

As many of you may already know, I published my first children's book at the end of April and my 7 year old son, who loves art, illustrated the book's cover. Our family discussed giving a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each book to a charity and we allowed my son to choose the charity that he thought most deserving. He chose the Richmond SPCA as he is a true animal lover, like most kids his age. We were thrilled with his decision as we know that they provide a wonderful service in our community and educate many people about pet adoption, training and care. We decided to donate $2 from the sale of each book to their organization.

We were recently invited to come to the Richmond SPCA for a story time and book signing for their patrons and staff. We had a wonderful time at the event and enjoyed a behind-the-scenes tour of their state of the art facility. We were even more impressed with the organization and it's staff by the time we left that day. The highlight of our visit was my son present Robin Starr, the CEO of the Richmond SPCA, with a check for $222 from the sale of our books thus far. We are so fortunate that he has a giving spirit and is already learning the value of giving to those less fortunate. Here are a few pictures from our event. We will continue to sell our books and donate $2 from each to this wonderful place! You may purchase a copy of our book online here, and the shipping is free. You may also read more about my son's donation in the "Notable Gifts" weekly column of our local paper the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Our family with Robin Starr, CEO of the Richmond SPCA and Waggles their adorable mascot!

Will presenting Waggles with a special thank you gift from the Richmond SPCA.

Will presenting his donation check to Robin Starr, CEO of the Richmond SPCA, from the sale of our books.

Will with our wonderful tour guide and new friend Sarah!

Personalize Your Cupcakes!

2010-06-02T19:42:00.002-04:00

A few months ago we wrote about our wonderful friend Marie from The Paper Menu sending us the most adorable personalized cupcake wrappers with our store logo on them for our Spring Fling party. Those who attended the event LOVED them and everyone has been asking where they can get some of their own personalized cupcake wrappers...so we now have them in our store for sale! Available in many colors, designs and personalization options they will add a wonderful touch to your sweet treats and you'll be the talk of the town! They are very affordable and arrive in 7 business days. Here is some eye candy of some of the designs.

Little Lamb Designs

2010-06-02T19:39:00.000-04:00

Another of the fabulous new vendors we formed a relationship with at the National Stationery Show. Little Lamb Designs albums for birth announcements, labels and note pads have already arrived at our store. They do gorgeous work at very affordable prices! Their custom wedding invitation album is also on the way and we expect to have it in the store by July 1st. Take a look at some of their work below.

Breathtaking photo birth announcement cards, with photos printed on both sides at no additional charge!

Personalized Vinyl Waterproof Labels for Kids Gear

Wedding invitations, save the dates and ceremony programs to suit every bride's style and budget.

Artwork by Andrea

2010-06-02T19:23:00.000-04:00

Andrea Danner-Schultz is a Richmond based jewelry designer and artist, who graduated with a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1995. Her work is inspired by nature. Her love of birds, sea creatures, and plants is apparent in both her paintings and her jewelry. Both her jewelry and acrylic paintings on small canvases can be found in many local shops and galleries as well as a few gifts shops around the country. We are honored to have Andrea's beautiful handmade silver jewelry and small paintings now on display for sale in our store. Here are just a few images of her unique designs.

Do You Regreet?

2010-06-02T18:19:00.004-04:00

Don't just receycle - reuse and reduce with regreet! regreet is an exciting new way to continue passing on greeting cards you receive from friends. We are thrilled to now carry regreet supplies at our store! This is one of our favorite finds from the National Stationery Show. Click here to read more about how regreet actually works.

Ellen Murphy Jewelry

2010-06-02T18:16:00.004-04:00

Many of our customers are already familiar with local jewelry designer, Ellen Murphy, whose beautiful lampwork glass bead jewelry we have featured during Friday for the Arts and during trunk shows at our store. We are happy to share that we will now have a nice selection of Ellen's handcrafted jewelry for sale in our store all the time! So whenever you need a unique gift, a pair of Ellen's earrings or a set of colorful stretch bracelets would certainly be a great idea!

Fandangle Jewelry

2010-06-02T18:11:00.005-04:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Fandangle Jewelry to our store. Fandangle Jewelry designs are beautifully crafted statement pieces, created by local Richmonder, Claiborne Mason.

Claiborne was gracious enough to share her store with us here:

It all started when Claiborne spent a cold, windy, rainy “girls' weekend” in the mountains of Virginia. Skiing being out, she and her girlfriends ventured into town and happened upon the local bead shop. And the rest, as they say, is history! Her newfound hobby quickly became an obsession, and suddenly the dining room table became bead central! She soon found herself with more necklaces than her neck could handle, and began to wonder what to do with all those beads. Thus, Fandangle was born.

Since that weekend in 2003, she has created hundreds of unique styles, using glass, stones, semi-precious gems, silver and more – from sources all over the world. Her customers know that Fandangle always offers a vast array of fun, affordable, stylish jewelry – all handmade right here in the Richmond area and now also at The Cordial Cricket! Here is a sneak peek at some of the Fandangle Jewelry for sale at our store.

A "Bride's Guide to Gratitude"

2010-05-28T12:01:00.004-04:00

I was very honored to recently be asked to write a guest post on a fellow wedding professional's wonderful blog. Shayna Walker, wedding coordinator and the owner of Williamsburg Wedding Design, specializes in logistical event coordination, including full-service wedding planning, partial-service coordination, hourly consultations and the signature Wedding Day Management. Please visit her website to learn more about her services. You can also read her blog with our feature article here.

Many thanks to Shayna for featuring us and we hope that many brides will find our "Bride's Guide to Gratitude" beneficial!

Scenes from the National Stationery Show

2010-05-21T11:22:00.005-04:00

As many of you may already know, we have just returned from a wonderful trip to New York City for the annual National Stationery Show. This show gathers paper folks from all over the country and celebrates the joy of finding beautiful, unique, quirky and fun paper products to offer in your store. Paper boutique owners use it as a time to come together and socialize with their favorite paper friends who they may only see once a year and meet new friends. Great things happen at this show and we experienced many of them this year. In the coming weeks we will be sharing more about the specific friends we made, their companies, their products and why we chose them as new additions to our paper and gift boutique. Meanwhile, here are just a few "scenes from the show". Enjoy!

A very unique paper dress!

Visit with Peggy Post, great-grand daughter in-law of Emily.

She filled us all in on the latest wedding etiquette.

Some beautiful paper from one of our new wedding vendors.

Can't wait to show you all of their designs!

Breathtaking birth announcements from one of our top secret new vendors. You can even have photos printed on the back side of the announcement for NO charge!

A wonderful concept from a wonderful company that will soon be in our store. Ever wish you could re-use a greeting card, well think no longer!

A tree of beautiful paper.

The hand-bordering demonstration at the Crane & Co. booth. Amazing! If you've ever bought the Crane & Co. stationery from our store that has the fine colored border around the edge...this woman has done that by hand for 20+ years!

What a Cutie Pie!

2010-05-07T10:46:00.003-04:00

Thank you to Elizabeth Johnson for sharing this photo of her adorable daughter Evelyn. She's modeling a cute new outfit that her mother purchased for her at our recent Frances Elizabeth Originals Trunk Show. We love seeing our cute customers decked out in their stylish summer attire! Send in a photo of your child in one of their new outfits and we'll be happy to show them off! Thanks to everyone who attended our trunk show.

An Accomplishment Worth Sharing

2010-04-28T20:57:00.006-04:00

My seven year old son and I have been sitting on an idea for the last two years and managed to successfully keep it under wraps. We recently published our first book!! I must say, it's a very surreal feeling for me and for him it's just sheer excitement and non-stop telling everyone he meets, even folks in line at the local grocery store, the bank drive thru, the doctor's office. He is so proud! We have worked on the project together in my spare time, which is next to non-existent as a mother and entrepreneur (I'm sure that many of you can relate) and it is very rewarding to see it come to completion. The children’s book titled “The Cordial Cricket” named after our retail store, tells the story of a young cricket who learns a valuable lesson about what it means to be “cordial” during the planning of his birthday party. My son, who is currently in first grade and an avid artist, drew the cover illustration for our debut children’s book, which was released this week and is now available for sale.

This turned out to be a wonderful and rewarding project for my son and I. We are both very excited to share it with other children and hope that they will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed working on it. The short chapter book is geared toward children from pre-school age to early elementary, whether read aloud or enjoyed by children learning to read on their own. The subject matter of the books is very fitting as I also teaches etiquette classes for children at my retail store and because teaching children proper etiquette and timeless values such as writing thank you notes is a subject very close to my heart. My mother made certain that I knew and valued these skills, which still serve me very well today.

I am thrilled beyond words to have already been contacted by several local schools in central Virginia to come and read to their students (since I leaked word of the book a few days ago, oops!). I plan to donate copies of the book to their school libraries. My son and I have also decided to donate $2.00 from the sale of every book to the Richmond SPCA, a charity which he chose. He is a true animal lover and this will be a great way for him to give back something tangible and know that it helps local animals without homes. We couldn’t think of a more fitting way to share some of the proceeds from our project.

The book is now available for sale at our store, The Cordial Cricket in Chester, VA and in our online store located at www.thecordialcricket.com. Two book signing events have been scheduled thus far, one on Saturday, May 8th and one on Saturday, June 5th, both at 11:00 at our retail store in Chester, VA. During both events there will be a children’s story time and my son and I will both sign copies of the book for those who attend.

Thank you very much to everyone who has already shown tremendous support for our new accomplishment!

Local Event Showcases Creative Women, Their Art and Published Works

2010-04-20T20:08:00.001-04:00

The Cordial Cricket, a Chester, Virginia retail boutique, specializing in custom invitations, stationery and gifts will hold its first annual “Creative Women’s Showcase” on Saturday, May 1st from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at their store. The idea for this unique retail event was developed in part by a book one of the store’s customers brought to the attention of owner Elizabeth Howard. The book, entitled “Women Embracing Creativity”, written by author Christina Thompson of Raleigh, North Carolina, is designed to help women uncover their true creative talents, learn to take their ideas seriously, and lay the foundation for a lifetime of creative enjoyment. After learning about the book, Howard contacted the author and purchased a copy. Since then, the idea for this event has been cemented. The book’s author, Mrs. Thompson, will attend, sell and sign copies of her book during the event. “All the ideas in the book are ones I use each day to keep my imagination strong. It’s a treat to be able to help others by sharing what I've learned on my own creative journey!” stated Thompson.

Howard is also proud to feature a local fiction author at the event. Michele Young-Stone, originally from Chester, Virginia where The Cordial Cricket retail store is located, has just released her first published novel. Her debut novel, “The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors”, went on sale nationwide on April 13th and is already receiving rave reviews from all over the country. Michele will also attend the Creative Women’s Showcase, where she will sell and sign copies of her debut novel. The unique event will feature many creative women and showcase their art for sale from jewelry to paintings to books and more. There will also be door prizes given away from many of the participating artists.

“Planning this event has really brought the subject of creativity in all its varied forms to the forefront of my mind. I am thrilled to be able to host not one, but two female authors, with local ties to our area, one non-fiction and one fiction, both debuting their very first published works, along with many other creative women and their artwork,” stated The Cordial Cricket’s owner, Elizabeth Howard. “I think that many women have creative talent, however, they don’t consider themselves to be “creative women”. I hope our “Creative Women’s Showcase” will be just the type of event to inspire women to recognize their creativity and use it to its full potential,” stated Howard. Mrs. Howard hopes this will become the first of many “Creative Women’s Showcase” events during which she can feature many different and unique creative local women and their talents.

For more information or media inquiries about The Cordial Cricket or this event contact Elizabeth Howard at:

Phone
804-425-9768

Email
info@thecordialcricket.com

Mail
The Cordial Cricket
3524 Festival Park Plaza
Chester, VA 23831

For more information Christina Thompson, author of “Women Embracing Creativity” visit her website at:

http://www.womenembracingcreativity.com/

For more information about Michele Young-Stone, author of “The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors” visit her website at:

http://www.micheleyoung-stone.com/home

What Does Your Handshake Say?

2010-04-15T12:33:00.003-04:00

Recently, I attended a business meeting where I was networking and meeting some new colleagues in my industry. To preface this little story, let me say that I have always, at least since business school in college, recognized the importance of a good, firm handshake when meeting someone new. It is something that I always try to do and I find myself noticing when others offer a limp hand or just their fingers for a handshake. It seems the older I get the more I seem to notice what type of handshake someone gives and take note of it. Probably seems odd to most of you and you're probably thinking that I should have more important things to worry about right. Well, call me weird or Miss Manners or whatever you want, but these are the things that are important to me.

Anyway, back to the business meeting. A gentleman came up to introduce himself to me at the meeting and we promptly shook hands. As soon as we shook hands, he complimented me on what a nice firm handshake I gave. Well, as you can imagine, I couldn't have been happier with his comment and we went on to discuss how annoying it is when someone doesn't give you a nice good handshake. Seems like he "got it" too!

I did a little research on this topic and found that a nice firm, but not bone-shattering handshake is considered important and appreciated by most, both in the world of business and beyond. It is also important to remember to make eye contact with the person whose hand you're shaking.

So what does your handshake say about you? Do you appreciate and value a nice handshake when greeting someone? Share your thoughts on handshakes by leaving us a comment here on this post. The best handshake story may just receive a little reward.

Happy Handshaking!

Scenes from the Store

2010-04-11T12:07:00.004-04:00

Here are some scenes from the store of some of our new displays. Stop in soon to see them for yourself, even though a picture is worth a thousand words, they don't do these items justice! Enjoy!

Beautiful new nautical items from Midwest-CBK and Two's Company.

Ready for a beach or lake house near you, or maybe even yours!

Our theme table this month is all ready for your summer Mexican Fiesta!

One of our best selling cookbooks, Chronicle's "Delicious Dips"

Beautiful spring bird tabletop from Mariposa.

Handmade summer clutch from Katie Lemon Designs,

quote paperweight from Ben's Garden, Colors address book from Random House.

Cute Cakes!

2010-04-11T11:57:00.003-04:00

We recently celebrated the beginning of Spring with our Annual Spring Fling event at the store. We had lots of great new spring merchandise, a Mystery Easter Egg Sale and drawings and door prizes galore! We appreciate all of the great customers who came to celebrate Spring with us and we also have to give a huge thank you to our friend Marie at The Paper Menu for sending us these adorable cupcake wrappers with our custom logo on them for our special event. The Paper Menu is one of our wonderful vendors for personalized gifts from onesies and t-shirts, to framed wall art, vinyl decals, invitations, calling cards, stationery, gift wrap and much more! We loved showing of these cute cupcake wrappers for our special event! Thanks Marie! Visit our store to find out more about all that The Paper Menu has to offer.

1st Annual "Creative Women's Showcase"

2010-04-09T08:53:00.005-04:00

We are very excited to announce our first annual "Creative Women's Showcase" on Saturday, May 1st from 10-6. Do you know of a very creative woman or maybe you are one yourself? We are looking for a few local creative artists, each representing different artistic mediums and types of art who we may select to showcase and sell their creative wares at our event. They will be joined by our special guest, Christina Thompson of Raleigh, North Carolina, author of "Women Embracing Creativity - Unleashing Your Inner Artist". Christina will be signing and selling her wonderful book during our event and we will select a few other very lucky creative women to participate and showcase their creative talents and artwork as well. It will be a fun, creative event for women of all ages, so round up your girlfriends, mothers, daughters, sisters, and any other women you know and mark your calendars to attend this inaugural event that celebrates creative women. This event also falls on the first day of the Chester Farmer's Market, held on the Village Green right outside our store. What a great coincidence!

If you know of someone local to our area who might fit this description, drop us an email at info@thecordialcricket.com to let us know about them and what they create. We may indeed contact them and request samples of their work.

Please mark your calendar and plan to attend our first event of this kind celebrating Creative Women!

Creative Women's Showcase

Saturday, May 1st

10:00 - 6:00

The Cordial Cricket (click on link for Google Maps info)

3524 Festival Park Plaza

Chester, VA 23834

Do You Know A Creative Woman?

2010-04-06T21:24:00.002-04:00

We are very excited to announce our first annual "Creative Women's Showcase" on Saturday, May 1st from 10-6. Do you know of a very creative woman or maybe you are one yourself? If so, drop us an email at info@thecordialcricket.com to let us know about them and what they create. We may indeed contact them and request samples of their work. We will be selecting a few very creative women to showcase their artwork/merchandise for sale at our "Creative Women's Showcase" along with special guest, Christina Thompson of Raleigh, North Carolina, author of "Women Embracing Creativity - Unleashing Your Inner Artist".

Christina will be signing and selling her wonderful book during our event and we will select a few other very lucky creative women to participate and showcase their creative talents and artwork as well. It will be a fun, creative event for women of all ages, so round up your girlfriends, mothers, daughters, sisters, and any other women you know and mark your calendars to attend this inaugural event that celebrates creative women.

National Letter Writing Month

2010-04-01T15:22:00.006-04:00

I must say that April is one of my favorite months of the year as a retailer. Why, you might ask? Doesn't seem like a particularly special month in which customers would be beating down the doors like the holiday season. If you're in the business we're in, which is stationery, invitations and gifts, then you know that stationery gets its own special recognition in the month of April when National Letter Writing month is celebrated. Of course, there are many great reasons to send handwritten correspondence every month of the year, but some folks may need a little extra boost to mail that letter they've been meaning to send and National Letter Writing month could be just the thing!

In celebration of National Letter Writing month we will be having a special sale on all of the beautiful and unique stationery in our store. We have many loyal customers who indeed still cherish the written note and love to have stylish and appropriate stationery for every occasion. If this describes you, then this is your month to stock up and get a fabulous deal on some new stationery to add to your paper wardrobe. All in-stock stationery will be 20% off for the entire month of April and we have some great deals on special order stationery as well, such as Crane & Co.'s great Signature Event described below.

Crane’s Signature Event

Consumers will get their name or monogram and return address dies free on engraved and letterpress personalized stationery orders of at least 100 sets (a $96 retail value). Or they may receive a free return address on thermographed personalized stationery orders of at least 100 sets. The number of printed envelopes ordered must match the number of thermographed or flat-printed cards, notes, folders or sheets ordered.

So, are you up for the challenge? We are, and we've even cooked up a great challenge here for our staff to see who will send the most handwritten notes this month. There is sure to be lots of friendly competition!

Oh and one more thing, to help encourage folks to write lots of notes and letters during National Letter Writing month, we have a huge jar set up in our store for customers to drop their letters in and we will buy their stamp and mail their letters for them all month long! No excuses now, so stop in soon to pick out your new stationery and drop off your letters and notes for us to mail.

Sincerely,

The Cordial Cricket

Our First Kids Etiquette Class

2010-03-28T18:35:00.000-04:00

What a great group of young ladies we had for our first "Correspondence Etiquette for Kids" class. They learned all about types of written correspondence and using the proper stationery. They even wrote some wonderful thank you notes to their family and friends. They all left with their own stationery and were very excited about putting the skills they learned in class to good use! Here they are proudly showing off their certificates at the end of our class. From what their moms have told me, they can't wait to come back for another etiquette class, which indeed makes our hearts happy! Our series of "Because Nice Matters" will continue, with our next classes on April 23rd and May 2nd. Click here to find out more about them and register to attend.

"Spring Fling" Sale This Saturday!

2010-03-26T16:59:00.001-04:00

Just a quick reminder to join us tomorrow, Saturday, March 27th for our "Spring Fling" Sale from 10-6. There will be lots of great specials and even special guests! Celebrate spring with us, shop for some great Easter basket finds and enjoy our Spring Fling event!
Easter Egg Mystery Sale - Pick an Easter Egg from our Easter Basket and inside will be a special sale offer or discount just for you! Everyone gets their own special sale. There will also be a few VERY LUCKY eggs, so choose wisely!
Prize Drawings - Spring Fling wouldn't be a fling without a few special surprises! We will have drawings all day for various prizes and gift certificates, such as:

$50 Gift Certificate to Dream Dinners
2 Tickets to Theatre IV
2 Tickets to the Barksdale Theatre
Goody Bag & $25 Gift Certificate to Utopia Spa
Lunch for two at The Brickhouse Run
One Portrait Session Gift Certificate from Anne Hwang Photography
Set of Snack Taxis
Boxed Note Cards from S. E. Hagarman
One Personalized Gift from Paper & Ink Designs
Handmade Clutch from Katie Lemon Designs
$100 Gift Certificate to Michelle Kuzmick Photography
$25 Gift Certificate for Silpada Jewelry
2 Pairs of tickets to Swift Creek Mill Theatre
1 Pink Stripe Crayon Apron from Princess Linens
Gibson Lane Studio Trunk Show Event - Designer Mary Davenport Williams from Gibson Lane Studio will be joining us at our Spring Fling event by appointment only from 10-6. She creates beautiful custom silhouettes of your children and even your pets! Call ahead to book an appointment for Mary to take your child's or pet's silhouette photo and take your custom order. All orders placed at this special event will receive FREE shipping and will be ready for pick up at our store in time for Mother's Day gift giving. This is a very special and creative way to capture the essence of your child or pet! We know there are a lot of pet lovers out there with special family pets they may want to bring in for a custom silhouette appointment as well, and they are welcome to come in for our event.
Girl Scout Cookie Sale - We are thrilled to have a local Girl Scout troop joining us for our Spring Fling too! They will be selling Girl Scout cookies on our patio from 10-1 on Saturday, so come help support their troop goals and stock up your pantry with yummy Girl Scout cookies!
We're really looking forward to welcoming Spring this Saturday with our special activities and "Spring Fling" Sale. We have lots of great new spring merchandise and invitations we are "Egg"cited to show off!

Very Unique Mother's Day Gift!

2010-03-22T13:28:00.001-04:00

Don't these silhouettes just leave you speechless. Available framed or unframed, sizes from 5x7, 8x10, 10x20 and in stationery sets, with many beautiful backgrounds to choose from, each is created as a one of a kind treasure by Mary Davenport Williams, the owner of Gibson Lane Studio. We feature a display and take orders for these gorgeous silhouettes in our store regularly and they make a wonderful and unique gift for any mother, grandmother, pet lover (pet silhouettes available too!) and are very affordably priced for such a custom work of art.

We are pleased to announce that we are having a special event with Mary at our store, this Saturday, March 27th where you can schedule an appointment for Mary to take your child's silhouette photo and get your order taken by her in our store. You will also receive FREE shipping for all orders placed at this special event and the orders will be back just in time for Mother's Day Gift Giving!

Exciting things are happening at our store. Make it your personal goal to give great gifts! We can help you achieve it.

First Facebook Fan Sale!

2010-03-12T10:51:00.003-05:00

Hey Fans...this is your sale weekend!! Our first ever, Facebook Fan Sale will get you 20% off your entire purchase (excludes invitations only) sale is on today & tomorrow all day long (March 12-13) and is ONLY for Facebook Fans! You can even use your discount on top of current sale prices ;)

Not a fan yet, well what are you waiting for? Click here to visit our Facebook page and become one so that you can take advantage of this great weekend sale. (Now would be a good time to get your friends to become fans too.)

Thanks for being a Fan!

It Was A Pleasure To Speak With You...

2010-03-08T21:43:00.007-05:00

Interested in the trials and triumphs of running a small business? Wondering how to write a thank you note for a gift, when you have no idea what it is? You really want to know how this business owner manages to call almost every customer she has ever met in her store by name and why she insists that "tweeting" is fun and mandatory. Well, she'll be glad to tell you all about it. If your business, school or organization is looking for some insight into these and other unique topics, invite Elizabeth Howard to speak at your next event or meeting or submit an article for your next publication. She would love to share her experiences with you and her calendar for 2010 is booking up fast.

Read more below and drop her an email to chat about how she can help you or your organization.

Elizabeth Howard started her online paper boutique in 2005 as a part-time venture, later leaving her full-time career in information technology in 2007 to open her own retail store, The Cordial Cricket. Her store, located in Chester, Virginia and online at www.thecordialcricket.com, specializes in custom invitations, stationery and gifts.

She is the wife to a fellow successful entrepreneur, who is always supportive of her creative endeavors and the mother to a very imaginative seven year old boy who keeps her on her toes. When not personally assisting as many customers as she can, or coming up with yet another creative shoe-string marketing idea, she enjoys motherhood, reading, blogging, social media and cheering on her alma mater, the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Elizabeth is a lover of all things classy, stylish, prim and proper. She keeps abreast of the current trends in the wedding and stationery industry as well as timeless and traditional etiquette in order to provide even more value to her customer’s service experience. Giving etiquette advice and answers to customers and brides, she now finds is a daily occurrence. She has been featured in and/or written for publications such as Stationery Trends Magazine and Gifts & Decorative Accessories Magazine. She enjoys speaking and writing on the topics of social, correspondence and business etiquette as well as the adventures of being a small business owner, using social media, blogging and marketing.

For media, writing or speaking engagement inquiries contact Elizabeth Howard at ehoward@thecordialcricket.com

Because Nice Matters

2010-03-05T13:08:00.004-05:00

Here at The Cordial Cricket, we truly do believe that Nice Matters, and in an effort to share that enthusiasm and belief with others we are pleased to announce our new series of seminars related to just that topic. Whether it be a young child whose mother wants to raise to know the importance of a nice handwritten thank you note, the mother of a bride who wants to be sure she knows all the proper etiquette for her daughter's wedding correspondence, or those looking for jobs who want to brush up on their interview and business etiquette skills, we are here to help.

Because we work in an industry that is guided by of the world of etiquette, the matters of proper etiquette and being nice, are very close to our hearts. The owner of The Cordial Cricket, Elizabeth Howard, has years of experience on the subject and often does research to find the most current answers to some age old questions. Please join us on our journey of exploring Because Nice Matters by registering for one of our upcoming courses below. Share this information with a friend or two and contact us to keep us informed of the types of classes that you would like us to offer.

We are also happy to bring our classes to you, your business, school or organization of any type and can meet with you to create a custom class/seminar that will best meet the needs of your group. Because after all, Nice Matters, in any group, business, home, school or company. Click here to contact Elizabeth Howard directly for scheduling classes or speaking engagements for your organization. Elizabeth is also happy to provide etiquette related articles or content for your company's publications and newsletters.

Upcoming Nice Matters classes:

Correspondence Etiquette for Kids - Sunday, March 21st - 2:00-3:30
Who should attend: Girls and Boys ages 9-12, Class is limited to 10 students.

No child’s education is complete without this class! Join Elizabeth Howard, owner of The Cordial Cricket, as you study and practice this important life skill. The following lessons will be covered in this course: types and history of correspondence; writing thank you notes, apology notes, and letters; correspondence styles; selecting the proper stationery for correspondence; electronic correspondence; properly accepting and declining invitations and more.

All attendees will receive a box of 10 note cards.
Attendees must pre-register for this seminar. Registration fee: $20
Click here to register for Correspondence Etiquette for Kids.

Wedding Correspondence Etiquette - Friday, April 23rd - 6:00-7:30
Who should attend: Brides and/or Mothers of the Bride, class is limited to 20 attendees.

Brides-to-be and/or mothers of the bride will learn the proper etiquette for wedding correspondence such as:
Selecting your wedding stationery; proper invitation wording; invitation addressing and assembly guidelines; handling guest RSVPs; table cards, place cards and other reception stationery; overview of wedding programs
tips on writing bridal shower and wedding gift thank you notes

All attendees will receive a copy of the Crane & Co. "The Wedding Blue Book" - The Definitive Guide to Wedding Correspondence.
Attendees must pre-register for this seminar. Registration fee: $40
Click here to register for Wedding Correspondence Etiquette.

Frances Elizabeth Originals Trunk Show

2010-02-21T15:54:00.002-05:00

Join us Wednesday, Feb 24th through Saturday, February 27th for our Frances Elizabeth Originals Trunk Show , featuring their new Spring and Summer children's clothing line for 2010. For those of you who shopped with us last spring, you will remember the adorable handmade children's clothes that we carried, featuring the highest of quality and designer fabrics. This year we are pleased to be able to offer their entire line to our customers for custom ordering. You will be able to view all of the 160 pieces of their children's clothing line, try them on your child and select the styles, sizes and fabrics to create unique and adorable outfits for your little ones. The clothing is available in sizes from 12 months to size 14 and they are also introducing a boy's clothing line this season. Plan to visit our store anytime during our normal store hours on these four days to take advantage of this great trunk show. We are the ONLY store in Virginia that will be having this show, so please bring a friend and let others know who may not live in our immediate area.

Frances Elizabeth Originals Trunk Show

Wed, Feb 24th 11-6
Thurs, Feb 25th 11-7
Fri, Feb 26th 11-6
Sat, Feb 27th 10-6

The "True" Cost of Wedding Invitations

2010-02-11T12:21:00.007-05:00

As everyone is becoming much more "budget conscious", including the brides of today, we often get asked about what wedding invitations typically cost. This question comes with a very complex answer that is sometimes hard to communicate effectively to brides. There are so many factors that come in to play when selecting the invitation that meets the needs of the bride, that it is difficult to attach a single dollar amount. We work with hundreds of brides each year, and have always been able to meet their budget requirements, even if it took some extra creativity!

I recently read a very good article on this issue on the blog of Los Angeles based wedding coordinator, Amber Gustafson of Amber Events. It offered a wonderful explanation of things that brides should take into consideration when planning the budget for their wedding invitations and stationery. If it helps even one bride to get a better perspective on this all important first impression of their wedding, then we as experts have done our jobs.

Enjoy & let us know how we can help you find the perfect invitation to represent your big day, within your budget of course. Visit the brides page on our website for more information about our services.

An Easy "Go Green" First Step

2010-02-10T16:03:00.005-05:00

I must admit that I have not been the first person to jump on the "go green" bandwagon and I have recently started to feel more and more guilty about not doing my part to save our precious planet. While searching for new products to carry in our boutique store, which is a never-ending job, I have begun to come across an increasing number of eco-friendly items that I must say are very "trendy" and not so "earthy". I decided to feature a new product that we are now selling in our store, and selling very well I might add.

snackTAXIs (formerly known as Happy Sacks) are reusable bags for snacks and sandwiches. Use them as you would plastic sandwich bags, they're food movers for a happy planet! They come in an infinite number of fabric patterns and designs, are completely washable, with an easy-to-wipe clean inside, and may be reused over and over again. Owner and inventor, Erin Kelly-Dill, invented snackTAXIs way back in 2003 as a way to stem the tide of plastic ziplock bags that flowed from her house to the landfill when her 3 kids started school! She pack over 500 lunches every year, and had definitely fallen prey to the easy appeal of the ziplock bag. They are made in Erin's home-based workshop by talented (and fun!) local sewers. Better yet, Erin is committed to keeping our business local, and will never outsource her labor. What a novel idea.

We have both the snack and sandwich size snackTAXIs for sale in our store in various patterns and will continue to re-stock them as fast as they move off our shelves. My son loves his new "sandwich holder" for his lunch! Let your kids show off being "green", save you lots of money and our earth in the process. They're even stylish enough for mom's lunch too!

A Unique Surprise Gift!

2010-02-08T13:36:00.011-05:00

Today was pretty much a regular Monday and I was having a fine day, not bad, not great, just regular day...until our awesome UPS delivery driver Michael showed up with our daily deliveries. Being the type of store that we are, we receive daily shipments of special order gifts, wedding invitation orders and new inventory. It is always somewhat of a surprise to see "what came today". I reviewed the return addresses on all of the boxes determining which would get the priority of being opened first, and I was surprised to see a box from someone called Elenis. I didn't recognize the name at all, and noticed that the box had a cute pink design on the outside...hmmm...seemed interesting.

I quickly decided to open it first and was so surprised by the beautiful packaging! I knew it must be something really good and being unexpected made it even better. I have included a picture below of the adorable packaging.

Turns out that it was custom cookies from the folks at NYIGF (which translates into the New York International Gift Show) as a thank you gift for my attendance and participation. What a "sweet" gift, literally! This has got to be one of the coolest, most unique thank you gifts I have ever received. I mean these weren't just cookies, like in a tin that you get as a holiday vendor thank you, these were cookies, artfully packaged as a gift and printed with the NYIGF logo on the icing on top of the cookie! I mean how much more unique can you get. This gift expert was sufficiently impressed and my day instantly went from good to great, thus I wanted to share this unique gift idea with all of you. You can view the actual cookies below, before they got eaten :)

Visit Elenis' website to find out more about how you can send these artistic, tasty and custom thank you gifts. They also do cookie favors for all occasions from baby showers, to weddings, kid's parties, birthdays, or just cookies that say Thank You. Lots of adorable ideas.

I am so appreciative of this unique gift from NYIGF, and you can be sure they will get an extra special handwritten thank you note from me! I look forward to sending some cookies of my own for gifts in the future.

5 Year Milestone...

2010-02-07T14:52:00.010-05:00

Five years ago this month... I launched a website to sell stationery that I printed at home and offered invitation services by appointment. I still worked full-time and thought that this new idea would be a fun "side-job" to keep me busy and fuel my creative side. I had no idea then what that little website would become. I can still remember what my very first stationery order placed on that website was for, a package of 10 note cards with a cute little ladybug on them for a cute little then 1 year old girl, the daughter of one of my best friends, for whom I have since printed many more note cards. During the last five years things have changed tremendously, sometimes to the point of being overwhelming. I slowly built a very loyal customer base of friends and family, which grew to include their friends and family and so on and so on. I started to have dreams of opening a "real" store and two short years later, that impossibly sounding dream came true. We started out in a space that most retailers would have scoffed at, mainly because it was the size of a shoebox, a very small shoebox, but it worked and it worked well. I can even still remember the very first person who walked in the door as I sat patiently waiting the day of our "soft" opening. She was waiting to have her car serviced and just passing time, she had no idea that we had literally just opened minutes before she walked in. She purchased some sterling engraved earrings for herself and was quite delighted with her little find of our new store. We had never met, however, I have seen her many, many times since and now I call her a friend.

I was very blessed to be able to move to a much larger and brand new location in 2008 and my business has continued to grow even in a bleak economy. We learned a lesson about trademarks, and changed our business name in order to get a trademark of our own. I took the leap of hiring my first real "employees" that year as well and have never looked back on my hand-picked choices. Owning a small business has taught me so much about myself, about business, about customers and about life in general. I never knew how much I would learn. I have met so many wonderful people and made so many new friends. My life is much richer for the relationships that I have made with everyone from my customers, vendors, employees, delivery drivers, sales reps, advertisers, neighboring business owners, community members, and everyone who has touched my business in these five years.

There is still a lot to learn as a business owner, a lot to do to grow my business and a lot to be thankful for each and every day. Please know that I am thankful for each and every person who is now reading this message, most of whom I know by name, because in some way, you have personally helped to make my business what it is today.

I look forward to many more years of getting to know you and helping to meet all of your invitation, stationery and gift needs.

Elizabeth Howard
Owner
The Cordial Cricket

Trip to NY Gift Show

2010-02-07T14:52:00.008-05:00

Just some of the highlights of our recent trip

to the New York Gift Show...

Me with Bonnie Marcus of Bonnie Marcus Style Press.

We just love her stationery! Can you believe she's a mom of three boys!

Great work on her new designs. She was so sweet in person.

Me with Stacey Hagarman of s. e. hagarman designs. She was such a delight & so stylish! We will soon have her Swanky Stationery in the store, but I already know that her fashion forward designer note cards won't last long!

Winner of the 2010 WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award

2010-01-20T19:27:00.004-05:00

Local Wedding Retailer Receives National Bride’s Choice Award

Chester, VA – January 20, 2010 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced The Cordial Cricket has been selected to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for invitation services.

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

The Cordial Cricket is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

We are happy to announce that The Cordial Cricket is among the very best wedding invitation retailers within the WeddingWire Network, which includes WeddingWire and Martha Stewart Weddings. “We would like to thank our past newlyweds for nominating us for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™”, stated The Cordial Cricket’s owner, Elizabeth Howard. “It has been our pleasure to help brides from all over the Richmond and Central Virginia area with their wedding stationery needs since 2005.”

The Cordial Cricket will celebrate its fifth year in business in February of this year. This award is one of many accolades that owner Elizabeth Howard is very proud of. “We repeatedly hear from brides that the level of service and expertise we provide is second-to-none, which is evident in the reviews we have received on WeddingWire.” said Howard. With economic times changing dramatically, Howard says that brides are more budget conscious now than ever before. The Cordial Cricket ranks service, etiquette and a bride’s budget among their top priorities when working with brides to select wedding stationery. “We take bride’s budgets very seriously and don’t cut corners with service or advice, regardless of a bride’s budget.” said Howard. “We feel that it is our job to help them find an invitation and accessories they absolutely love, and stay within or even under their budget.”

For more information, please visit The Cordial Cricket’s WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/the-cordial-cricket-chester/1bf00f8930b4db29.html.

About WeddingWire, Inc.

WeddingWire is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding vendors. WeddingWire enables engaged couples to search, compare and book over 100,000 reviewed wedding vendors nationwide. WeddingWire also offers an online community and a suite of cutting-edge planning tools, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. In addition, WeddingWire has partnered with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. (NYSE: MSO)

About The Cordial Cricket

In business since 2005, The Cordial Cricket is the premier invitation and gift boutique in Central Virginia. Their mission is to provide the most stylish selection of custom invitations, stationery and gifts for both adults and kids. They are located in Festival Park in the Village of Chester, Virginia at 3524 Festival Park Plaza, Chester, Virginia 23831 and may be found online at www.thecordialcricket.com or you may read their blog at http://thecordialcricket.blogspot.com/

Media inquiries please contact:
Elizabeth Howard
804-425-9768
info@thecordialcricket.com

Be A Bargain Bride

2010-01-19T11:57:00.002-05:00

Check out this awesome blog post from our of our awesome brides, Linda! If you're a bride, be sure to visit her blog http://beabargainbride.blogspot.com to get great tips & advice! Thanks for your wonderful review of our store and services Linda!

Richmond Internet Awards Nomination

2010-01-16T12:37:00.003-05:00

Check it out!!! We have been nominated for an RVA Internet Award click here to read comment #20 for our first nomination. We are so grateful and excited!

If you feel inclined, please take a minute to share your thoughts about our internet usage at the bottom of the page and give us your nomination as well! Thanks to everyone!

January Clearance Sale In Full Swing!!

2010-01-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

Yes, you can now jump for joy and grab those car keys, because our January Clearance Sale begins today!! We have marked down items throughout the store for fast sale to make room for all of the great new merchandise that we will be bringing back from the New York Gift Show later this month. We even have a $1.00 section now! Can you believe that?!?

All Holiday Merchandise is now 75% OFF - get it while it lasts!

We have several clearance tables chock full of stuff that is 60% OFF

We have lots of cards that are now just $1.00, stock up on get well, birthday, thank you, wedding, sympathy cards for ALL year long!

There is also a clearance area with 40% off merchandise too!

Don't wait, come in soon as the January Clearance Sale probably won't last the month of January. Happy New Year!!

2010 Here We Come

2010-01-06T11:28:00.000-05:00

As the New Year begins, I can't help but reflect on some of the exciting things that we experienced in 2009.

1. Received our official trademark registration on "The Cordial Cricket" from the United States Trademark Office. Which I guess means we can start putting this little trademark thing after our name ® and that no one else in America can use our name!

2. Celebrated our first year in our new location in Chester, VA, which was a huge step up from our first teeny-tiny location.

3. Attended 3 bridal shows and helped hundreds of brides.

4. Had our first ever visit from Santa...still pinching ourselves over that one.

5. Attended the 58th Annual Retailer Excellence Awards as a finalist for 2 national retailer awards sponsored by Gifts & Decorative Accessories Magazine.

6. Wrote our first article for a national publication.

7. Grew our customer list by leaps and bounds!

8. Joined Twitter and forged new relationships with lots of great customers, local peeps and fellow industry folks.

9. Held our first custom silhouette event with local artist Gibson Lane Studio

10. Gave out our first ever "SWAG" bags to excited customers who patiently waited in line for them.

Stay tuned for many more exciting things to happen for us in 2010. We will start the year off right by participating in Richmond's two largest bridal shows in January and in February we will celebrate our 5th year in business! That's right, I started this biz in February 2005 out of my house as a part-time venture and its now 5 years later. I have learned many lessons already in just 5 short years, but one of the biggest ones is that its a much bigger deal to be a 5 year old business than it has ever been before.

Watch out next 5 years, here we come! Shop with us, follow us, be friends with us and help us continue to grow our small business in 2010 and the years to come, we promise to make it worthwhile.

Start the New Year off Right for a Small Biz!!

2010-01-01T15:41:00.002-05:00

Do you know a local business that could use some love — in the form of a small business grant worth $35,000?

Intuit wants to help small businesses grow. They’re awarding over $100,000 in grants to 10 businesses this January and February in their Love a Local Business Contest.

Each month, five businesses you nominate will be randomly selected to receive small business grants worth $5,000. Based on the power of your words, Intuit's judges will select one of those five to win their Grand Prize – a grant valued at $35,000.

We would love to win this contest any month! What small biz wouldn't? I know that many of you voted for us in November when we first learned about this contest, however, each month brings a new contest and only the votes for that calendar month count towards that month's contest. So if you would be so kind as to give us your vote again in January and also vote for any other small businesses you love, we would love you back!

Learn Valuable Retailer Info to Grow Your Biz at NYIGF

2009-12-29T11:28:00.004-05:00

If you are a fellow retailer or know someone who is and they are going to be attending the upcoming New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) you may want to attend one of their many valuable seminars for retailers that will be held during the show.

We are excited to be participating in one of the seminars entitled: "Social Media 2.0 - Using Technology to Build Your Business" - Learn how to use social media to find and communicate with customers and generate sales. Develop content that builds customer involvement and loyalty, and generates a viral buzz for products and services. Jenny Heinzen York, editor in chief of Home Accents Today, and Caroline Kennedy, editor in chief, Gifts & Decorative Accessories lead the discussion with panelists including Elizabeth Howard of The Cordial Cricket (Chester, VA), Michele Bessey of Perch Home (Maplewood, NJ) and other social media-savvy industry members. Tickets: $20 advance/$25 onsite.

For more information about this seminar and about the New York International Gift Fair, you can visit their website.

Hope to see you in the Big Apple next month!

Join Us at the Richmond Bridal Showcase

2009-12-29T11:14:00.003-05:00

Join us on Sunday, January 10th as we kick off the 2010 wedding planning season at the Richmond Bridal Showcase at the Greater Richmond Convention Center from 11:00 - 5:00. This is a great opportunity to meet lots of vendors, view samples of their work, taste great food, see gorgeous fashions, win lots of prizes and much more.

We will have a very special exclusive offer for every bride who books an appointment for their wedding invitation consultation at our store while visiting our booth at the show. You don't want to miss it! We will also have invitations on display and even a wedding planner joining us who is also on staff at our store. We can't wait to meet each and every one of you.

Tickets may be purchased in advance from the Richmond Bridal Showcase website for $8 each or at the door that day for $10. We also have a limited number of FREE tickets to this bridal show and will be happy to give them to the first brides who contact us. If you would like a free ticket, please visit our store to pick one up. Feel free to call ahead to check availability.

Best of luck with your wedding planning in 2010!

After Christmas Sale Going On Now

2009-12-28T09:10:00.001-05:00

Our annual After Christmas Sale is going on now! Stock up on some great holiday items and maybe even some gifts for next year at great prices.

All Holiday Merchandise is 50% off

All Niven Morgan and Olivina body care products are now 20% off

All Murval luggage, tote bags and lunch totes are now 20% off

We are open regular hours this week after Christmas, with the exception of New Year's Eve, when we will be closing at 3:00 and we will be closed on New Year's Day. We will re-open on Saturday, January 2nd with our regular Saturday hours of 10-6.

Happy After Christmas Shopping!

Scenes from Santa's Visit to our Store

2009-12-16T15:58:00.005-05:00

We had such a wonderful time when Santa visited our store! Many children came to sit on his lap, share what they wanted for Christmas and enjoy cookies and juice. It was fun for all of us both young and old! We are hopeful that we can make this an annual tradition with Santa at our store. We'll have to see if we stay on his "nice" list!

Happy Holidays!

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town!

2009-11-23T20:44:00.004-05:00

We are so excited to announce that Santa Claus himself is going to be stopping in at The Cordial Cricket on Saturday, December 5th from 12:00 to 5:00. This will be a perfect opportunity to bring your little ones, children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends to visit with Santa. Each child will have the opportunity to visit with Santa and receive a special treat! While they tell him what they would like this year for Christmas, you can take as many pictures as you would like! We will have cookies and drinks for the kids to share with Santa too!

This is a wonderful FREE opportunity for any children in the community to participate in and we are so looking forward to having them come to our store to visit with Santa! Please click here and RSVP to let us know if you will be bringing your children to our store to visit with Santa to help us plan for refreshments, etc. You do not need to make an appointment or have a reservation, so please come either way, but if you can let us know ahead that would be great!

Introducing Katie Lemon Designs

2009-11-23T17:04:00.006-05:00

We are thrilled to now carry the trendy, unique and stylish designs of Katie Lemon Designs. Katie is local to our area and creates handmade one of a kind clutches that every girl will want to carry for her next night out on the town. Available in limited designs and each one is unique. Visit our store to check out her latest designs and pick up one for yourself and maybe one as a great gift for a friend! See some examples of Katie Lemon Designs below and read about Katie's story.

"Katie Lemon Designs started with just a sketch on a yellow sticky note.

My name is Katie Lemon and the start of my line of clutches all began with an idea I had in my head that I would sketch over and over, thinking of different color combinations, fabrics, etc. Never sewing a day in my life I recruited the help of a co-worker and my mother who taught me my valuable first sewing lessons and made my little sketch come to life. Since then I’ve spent countless hours sewing and scouring fabric and antique stores looking for the perfect fabrics and accessories to make that perfect clutch. I started this line about 3 months ago and love every minute of it. I am also currently working on new shapes and designs and can’t wait to get to debut them in the near future." ~ Katie Lemon

The latest Katie Lemon Designs clutches are exclusively available at The Cordial Cricket.

Black Friday Sale

2009-11-23T16:58:00.002-05:00

Don't get up at 4 a.m. to stand in line and fight with crowds of shoppers this year on the day after Thanksgiving...instead come relax, hang out and shop at The Cordial Cricket! We will open "fashionably" late at 9:00 a.m. that morning and serve coffee and donuts while you leisurely shop and save 15% off on the entire store!

We would love to have you come and relax with us! Bring a donation for the Christmas Mother of canned food, a new toy or new children's book and receive an extra 5% off your entire purchase.

Grab some friends and come on over to see us anytime between 9:00 and 6:00, get free coffee and donuts while they last and the store sale is good all day long.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

P.S. Many of our vendors will be cutting off orders for personalized items as early as December 1st in order to guarantee delivery in time for Christmas...so make sure to have your personalized order info ready on Black Friday and take advantage of the sale too!

Are You Doing Your Part?

2009-11-08T17:21:00.004-05:00

When was the last time you...

1. Ate at a restaurant that a local family owned?

2. Purchased a birthday card at a locally owned small business instead of a outlet store?

3. Had to buy a gift for a child's birthday party that your child was going to? Did you frantically shop at the closest big box store for the hottest trendy gift or go to a local gift store and find a one of kind award winning toy for the same price?

4. Purchased your insurance from the local hometown guy instead of the 1-800 #?

5. Bought a wedding gift...not off the registry at a large department store, instead from your a local boutique, home decor or gift store?

6. Went to a show at a local theatre company instead of the movies at the Stadium 16 Cinema?

7. Needed a gift for a co-worker who just had a new baby...and bought it from a local store instead of the nearest baby super store?

8. Stopped at the local coffee shop in town and went inside to order your morning coffee instead of cruising through the nearest chain drive thru?

9. Watched or listened to the local news and heard about yet another small business in your area going out of business...only to think to yourself, I really should have patronized that business more often, they really did have great service, affordable prices and a great selection.

10. Ordered a pizza from the local family owned italian restaurant instead of the closest delivery chain?

11. Replaced a worn out appliance from the local appliance store on Main Street instead of the warehouse discount club?

12. Bought a gift certificate for someone as a present...to a locally owned small business or restaurant?

13. Got your haircut by the local barber shop instead of the mall franchise?

14. Shopped at a local Farmer's Market or roadside stand on Saturday instead of the super-sized grocery store?

15. Thought about the fact that all of your purchases, no matter how small, affect your local economy?

Your individual spending at a local, independently owned small business helps that business to stay in business, helps to pay the health insurance premium for a local small business owner that you know personally, helps a small business owner to support their family and those of their employees who you may have grown up with, helps a small business purchase an ad in the local community paper to grow their business, which helps your local newspaper stay in business and helps put sales tax dollars back into improvements for your community.

If you answered yes to more than just a few of these questions, then your doing a pretty good job of thinking about where you choose to spend your dollars and spending them locally at every opportunity. If not, should you try harder?Supporting small & local business is more important now, in the current failing economy than ever before. Think about where you spend your dollars, shop local every time you can, tell people about the local places you choose to spend your dollars and ask them to do the same. *For every $100 spent in locally owned independent stores, $68 returns to the community through taxes, payroll and other expenditures. If that $100 was spent in a national chain, only $43 stays in the local community* (Courtesy of the 3/50 Project)

Trust me, your efforts to do this are appreciated by the local small business owners whom you do business with and remember your name and your kid's names much more than the corporate sales director at a national chain who's trying to meet a quota.

We support the 3/50 Project which was founded on these concepts - read about it here and decide which 3 local businesses you would miss most if they suddenly disappeared! Once you have thought of your 3, why not visit www.LoveALocalBusiness.com and help one of the local business that you love win a $5,000 small business grant.

Then tell them you chose them the next time you visit their business...the way it will make you feel is amazing!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Howard

Proud Owner of a Local, Independently Owned Small Business in Chester, VA

Love Our Local Business

2009-11-01T16:19:00.002-05:00

Won't you help us win!? Read more below about a contest we have been nominated for, sponsored by Intuit. With your help, we could actually win. Please click on this link to show your "Love" for our Local Business.

In a nationwide effort to help support the growth of small businesses, Intuit is hosting the “Love a Local Business” sweepstakes. Fans of local small businesses can nominate their favorite hometown haunt, which will make them eligible for a drawing to win a $1,000 Intuit Growth Grant, which includes a $500 Visa gift card and $500 in Intuit business services, such as Intuit Websites and Web Listings. One of those five winning local businesses will receive a grand prize of $5,000!

In addition, each business that is nominated will appear on a custom Google Map displaying favorite businesses from across the country. The more nominations a business has, the more chances they have to win a grant. Intuit has already awarded $55,000 in small business grants, now it’s time to show support for your favorite neighborhood shop! Go to Love a Local Business for more information.

"10 for 10" Promotion

2009-10-30T16:16:00.002-04:00

We are excited to announce a new promotion we are having at our store that is for a GREAT cause and will help you save money at the same time! As many of you may already know, our store supports the local charity Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother program, which helps hundreds of needy families each year. They provide food, clothing, books and toys for them to have for Christmas, when they might have otherwise gone completely without.

Our local customers have always been very supportive of helping us help the Christmas Mother and we recently raised over $500 at our Holiday Open House in addition to many, many donations of food, toys and books.

We would like to continue to accept donations for this very worthy cause in our area throughout the entire holiday season and would like to encourage and reward our customers for donating items. Our new "10 for 10" promotion does just that!

To participate, simply bring in, any 10 items to donate to the Christmas Mother and you will receive 10% off your entire purchase that day...on everything, nothing is off limits, sale items, invitations, etc. You will get 10% off! Your 10 items can be canned/non-perishable food items, new children's toys or books or any combination of the three, just bring 10 things.

Stop by soon with your 10 items and get your "10 for 10" discount, while making a difference for others at the same time!

Scenes From Our Holiday Open House

2009-10-19T16:45:00.005-04:00

We had a wonderful turnout for our Holiday Open House this past Saturday! There were many, many patient customers who waited in line for an hour for their great SWAG bags (more to come about what they found inside them). We raised over $500 for the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother Program and collected a large box overflowing with donated items such as canned food, new toys and new books for children. The 2009 Christmas Mother joined our event in the afternoon and thanked many customers for their generous donations.

Our customers enjoyed many sales, specials, yummy cake and the first look at our holiday cards and merchandise. If you missed out on all the fun, stop in soon to see our holiday items and pick out your unique holiday card for sending this year. We would like to sincerely thank all of the customers who came to our event as well as those who continue to come regularly and support our business with their efforts to shop locally!

Please leave us a comment here on our blog post if you attended our event to tell us what you enjoyed most about the event, what you liked in your SWAG bag or a great gift you purchased!

We do still have some great sales going on now!

All remaining Halloween merchandise is now 40% OFF!!

All custom printed and/or photo holiday card orders

are 15% off until October 31st!

Our lovely and delicious cake from "It's A Piece of Cake"

Scenes from some of our beautiful new holiday displays, before the customers in line got to them!

The many patient customers waiting in line in the cold for their SWAG bags!

Some of our associates with Gail Feind, The Christmas Mother for 2009

Customer Gwen Byer giving her donation to the Christmas Mother

REMINDER - Holiday Open House & Sale This Saturday!

2009-10-15T15:31:00.003-04:00

Did you miss our big birthday bash? Shame on you, however, all of the patient folks who waited in line for their SWAG bags early that morning appreciate you missing it so they could get their bag. Well, you will soon have another opportunity to get in on the SWAG bags and get yours at our annual Holiday Open House on Saturday, October 17th from 10:00 - 6:00. We will have SWAG bags for the first 60 customers to arrive, FULL of more FREE merchandise, specials & coupons. All holiday cards and merchandise will be on sale. We'll have a sidewalk sale with discounts up to 60% off. We will be serving a beautiful holiday themed cake from It's A Piece of Cake too!

You can also start the giving season off right by helping others and save some money on your shopping at the same time! Bring in a donation at our Holiday Open House for the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother program (new toys, books, non-perishable food, or monetary donations) and you will receive 20% off your entire purchase that day, (excludes invitations & may not combined with any other sale) but that means whatever you want at 20% off regular price!!! We will continue to accept donations for the Christmas Mother throughout the season and offer other discounts when you bring in a donation, but we won't offer 20% off again, just at the Holiday Open House.

So, get here early to get your bag of goodies, bring a donation for the Christmas Mother, have some cake, pick out your holiday cards at a discount and start your holiday shopping off right! See you there!

"Cricket" Holiday 2009

2009-10-08T17:30:00.003-04:00

We just finished unpacking our latest shipment from Snow & Graham and snapped this great photo of our new display. We have a store mannequin who we dress in different paper outfits all through the year and we affectionately named her "Cricket". We thought you might like to see her new outfit for the Holidays!

"Cricket" Holiday 2009

Must Have Labels from demby+soloman

2009-10-06T12:03:00.001-04:00

Leave your personalized seal using these clever, funny and stylish return address labels and gift stickers on your mail and gifts! Available for ordering in our store now from demby+solomon and also seen in O Magazine. Visit our store to select your custom return address labels or gift stickers. You can get 24 gift stickers for only $22! What a deal! You can purchase 150 return address labels for only $40 and they will even let you split a set of return address labels of the same shape into two different designs for no extra charge, so get 75 for you and 75 for a friend! (Other quantities are available)

Plan ahead and purchase holiday labels for your cards and gift stickers to use when wrapping your presents this year. Many more designs to choose from in our store, you may also view the designs on their website too.

P.S. I almost forgot, these cool labels are also scratch and water resistant! How functional!

Party Sets from demby+soloman

2009-10-05T20:56:00.008-04:00

Party Sets...what a novel idea! As a mother of a young child, I can tell you from personal experience how much I would love to have these for my child's next birthday party. Adorable invitations for boys and girls alike, as well as some sets perfect for baby showers, bridal showers and dinner parties. Choose the invitation you like, add the optional coordinating envelope liner, return address label, note card and gift sticker and you have the perfectly coordinated party set!

Who knew custom could be so affordable! Stop by soon to take a look at all that demby+solomon offers in our store. You can visit their website here to get a sneak preview of what you can now order on your next visit to The Cordial Cricket. We are proud to welcome the demby+solomon line of products to our paper boutique. Stay tuned for more blogging about their great personalized stickers, seen in O Magazine...

Welcoming Paper & Ink Designs

2009-10-05T19:37:00.014-04:00

We are so thrilled to be partnering with another new vendor for some great new products, now available for purchase in our store. Paper & Ink Designs offers custom invitations, stationery, announcements, calling cards, lunchboxes, coasters, stickers, paperweights and more! All custom, with many modern and stylish designs to choose from. Take a peek below for just a small sampling of some of their great things. Stop in soon to place your orders, some for you and some to give. See a few samples of the personalized gifts and holiday cards below:

Check out these adorable and unique lunch and stuff boxes! They make a great gift for any kid you know who wants to have a lunchbox like no other, or even a little one to tote some of their toys, crayon, etc. when they are on the go! They also have a neat chalkboard for messages inside the cover. Available in many different personalized designs.

These personalized coasters, available in many different designs make a wonderful hostess gifts for all of the parties you'll be attending this year! Or the perfect gift for a newly married couple.

These are just a few of the gorgeous new holiday photo cards now available for order in our store from Paper & Ink Designs. They are very stylish and so affordable! Plus, all custom holiday and photo card orders are 15% OFF now through October 31st! Hurry in soon to place your order.

Paper Meets Fashion

2009-10-02T14:07:00.000-04:00

We are thrilled to have recently added the Bonnie Marcus collection of stylish paper products to our store. As you can see from just these few samples, the Bonnie Marcus Collection represents fashionable style for brides-to-be, moms and working girls too! 2009 has brought Bonnie Marcus a great celebrity following. Angie Harmon used her designs for her baby shower invitations, Cindy Crawford ordered her teacher’s gifts and camp stationery from Bonnie Marcus, Molly Sims came to them for her sparkling holiday cards, and the list goes on…click here to read more about Bonnie Marcus' story and her products. Her company also donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of every product to promote breast cancer reasarch! Visit our store to purchase your own Bonnie Marcus products to express your style!

hen and barley press

2009-10-01T21:09:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to introduce yet another line of custom products and gifts to our customers. hen and barley press was borne of a love of stationery and everything it represents--giving, inviting and gathering people together. Jenny Morgan and Carolyn Streett, the two moms who founded the company, think there is nothing better than a simple gift, a good party, or a great dinner. As moms with 6 boys between them, they get it, though--keeping up with your busy modern life while keeping your style and sanity intact is no easy feat! Their philosophy is that everyone is happier when you keep it simple and go ahead and give, invite and gather more, even when the gift wrap is not quite right, or the house isn't perfect, or the to-do list seems never-ending.

And so, hen and barley press products are conceived to help you do just that. Whether it's cute gift labels to spruce up whatever gift wrap happens to be lurking in the closet, or a chic wine bag to dress up the bottle of wine you grab while heading out the door to a dinner, or a fabulous invitation for the time you decide to get organized and really throw a party, or some stylish personalized notesheets that keep your shopping lists looking good, hen and barley press means products for giving, inviting and gathering more with ease and style.

Come by to see their products on display in our store. Everything from custom return address labels, to custom wine bags, note pads, luggage tags and much more! You pick the designs, colors, fonts, etc. to create your personal style, we order it and you enjoy using it when it gets here! Here are just a couple of samples of what they have to offer.

Holiday Specials from The Paper Menu

2009-10-01T16:49:00.004-04:00

One of our fabulous vendors, The Paper Menu, has just announced some awesome Holiday Specials on their products. These specials are available from October 1st - November 30th, so go ahead and take advantage of them to get all of your teacher gifts, neighbor gifts, holiday cards, holiday gift tags, stocking stuffers, etc. ready for giving!

BUY 2, GET ONE FREE:
• long sleeve t-shirts and long sleeve onesies
• sets of calling cards (order 2 sets of any quantity calling cards, get a 3rd set of same quantity free)
• sets of stickers (order 2 sets of any quantity stickers, get a 3rd set of same quantity free)
• sets of notecards (order 2 sets of any quantity notecards, get a 3rd set of same quantity free)

FREE PHOTO SETUP ON ALL CARDS
Most of our designs are $1.50 - $1.75 full printed price... not that much more than the big photo website prices...So Please Shop LOCAL!

*These specials are good October 1, 2009 through December 4, 2009 and are available on in-store purchases only, so stop in soon to order your gifts and get these special offers!

Lego Birthday Party

2009-09-28T20:21:00.005-04:00

Here are a few pics from my son's recent Lego themed birthday party. It was really fun to plan it as it was a departure from the run-of-the mill party themes and inflatable world parties, etc. My 7 year old really enjoys playing with Legos so it was great fun for him! Using a simple Lego graphic, we repeated it on items used throughout the party, from centerpieces to water bottle wrappers, treat bag tags, gift labels and party hat stickers. Legos come in basic primary colors which helped to make the decorating very easy since those colors are so easy to find. Here are a couple of ideas that you may want to use if you decide to have a Lego party:

1. Set up a Lego Land play area for the kids to play Legos during the party. (Hint: We used a train table. It has a raised edge all the way around so the Legos stayed on the table...pretty much)

2. Print cool Lego coloring sheets from the Lego website and set up a table where party guests can color their own Lego sheets to take home.

3. Right now in the Halloween treat section of our local Target I found individually packaged single Lego creation packages for 2.99. Use them as favors or prizes for games.

4. Have a Lego contest where you reward kids for the most unique, most colorful, tallest, etc. Lego creations. Everyone should win something!

5. Use real Lego pieces in glass containers or jars for centerpieces and decorations.

6. Encourage the grown-ups to build with the kids too! Have fun!

Lego centerpiece

Lego treat bags and water bottles for party guests to take home.

Yummy Lego Cake by It's A Piece of Cake!

A "Frightfully" Grown Up Halloween Display

2009-09-17T11:45:00.003-04:00

Check out our new "Frightfully" Grown Up Halloween Display! Remember Halloween is on a Saturday night this year, so that will make a perfect night for some "grown up" themed Halloween parties! Stop in soon or visit our online store to order your Halloween Party invitation today. Don't forget, your party could be featured on our blog too! Find out how here.

Now Featuring...You!

2009-09-15T18:08:00.003-04:00

We have so many great customers who send great invitations and throw fabulous parties, in addition to having lovely brides who throw weddings to die for, so we thought it would be fun to start featuring some of you, you meaning our customers and their parties!

We know you're out there and we know you are having fun parties with neat table settings, unique touches, favors, flowers, recipes and ideas...so share them!

If you would like your party or wedding to be featured on our blog for all the world to see, email us at info@thecordialcricket.com with a brief description of your event, type, theme, special touches you had, etc. and include 2 to 3 pictures of your event. You can even include a recipe for something that was a hit at the party if you would like. We will notify you when we plan to feature your event and send you a link to the feature.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

SWAG Bags

2009-09-15T12:33:00.003-04:00

Many of you are familiar with the term SWAG bags, but for those of you who may not be, the best definition we could find is: The "Swag Bag" is the quintessential gift of Hollywood parties. For most celebrities, it's the reason they attend events. This bag full of free goodies can range from inexpensive gifts to extravagant luxury items."

Where am I going with this topic you might ask? Well, we recently had a Birthday Party for our store and we gave out SWAG bags to the first 30 customers who arrived. It was exciting to come up with the neat surprises and free items that we would put in them for our customers. We were almost giddy putting them together before the event! It really makes one feel good to just give stuff away! Needless to say, the SWAG bags were a HUGE hit and we had many more than 30 wonderfully patient folks waiting in line to get theirs that morning before we opened.

We are now in the midst of planning our annual Holiday Open House event where we unveil all of our holiday cards, gift merchandise, seasonal decor and we begin our support of the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights Christmas Mother program. This program offers Christmas presents, non-perishable food and clothing to families in our area who would not otherwise have anything for Christmas. It is a wonderful organization and I am sure there are many just like it all over the country. We have a ball watching the donated items come in at our store which serves as a drop off location. And we offer our customers discounts on their purchases for making donations.

We are very excited about our kicking off the holiday season with our Holiday Open House event this year and we will be giving out many more SWAG bags full of free products at this event. We would hate to see anyone leave without one! I thought I would prompt some discussion about SWAG bags, and what you may have received in one that you loved, etc. I would also like to request ideas from those of you who have products that you are trying to introduce to the world to see if you would like us to consider featuring them in our SWAG bags. Please leave your comments here on our blog post about this topic and let us know what you think.

We may be able to feature your next big thing in our next big event SWAG bags and make someone very happy this holiday season.

Social Media Saturday Sale!

2009-09-11T11:10:00.005-04:00

Because we're just so thrilled with what social media is doing for our business, we're celebrating tomorrow by thanking everyone who "socializes" with us during a Special Sale! Join us tomorrow both in the store and online for our first ever "Social Media Saturday". If you are a follower of our blog, a fan of ours on Facebook or a follower of ours on Twitter you are entitled to received 10% off your entire purchase with us tomorrow! That's right, your whole purchase, everything in the store, even the leftover stuff from our birthday sidewalk sale that is already 60% off!!! All you have to do is come by and shop with us tomorrow and tell us when you check out that you follow us or are a Fan of ours on any of the social media outlets that we use.

If you are not local, or just prefer to shop online with us tomorrow, you can also take advantage of the sale by using this special "Social Media Saturday" online coupon code SMSAT10 when you go through the online checkout process.

Feel free to share this with others who you think might want to socialize with us online. If they become a follower, fan or tweet with us they can shop the Social Media Saturday Sale too!

Happy Shopping!

Elizabeth Howard

Wedding Favors to Die For

2009-09-09T20:01:00.002-04:00

Looking for a yummy, edible wedding favor that will have your guests talking? We have the perfect favor idea for you. I have personally enjoyed eating gourmet chocolates from Gearharts Chocolates in Charlottesville and I make a point to stop there every time I am in the area. We have also purchased them to serve to guests at our in-store events. They are all wonderful, unique and handcrafted by chocolatier, Tim Gearhart, who was trained in pastry at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. He has cobbled together a culinary career that has taken him from the Gulf War in Kuwait to a dude ranch in Wyoming to a castle in southern England with stops in fine-dining restaurants along the way.

Tim started Gearharts in 2001 and lives with his family in Waynesboro, Virginia. The most exciting news is that Gearharts is about to open a second location on Libbie Avenue in Richmond. Click here to visit their website and learn more about what they can do for your wedding favors!

A Huge Success!

2009-09-02T21:54:00.005-04:00

Our wonderful and lovely staff at The Cordial Cricket, before we opened the doors. (We look so calm, despite the 60+ people watching us from outside anxiously waiting to come inside)

The line of incredibly anxious, wonderful customers waiting outside for 45 minutes. You can't even see the part that was wrapped around the other side of the building!

Our gorgeous cake, made by It's A Piece of Cake,

to match our invitation exactly!

Just one of our many new beautiful displays!

If you have been following us for anytime, you know that we recently threw ourselves our first birthday party. We were celebrating the first year in our new Chester location and BOY was it a party! Our party was held on Saturday, August 29th and we gave out SWAG bags full of free merchandise to the first 30 customers who arrived. (They were gone in about 30 seconds, since we had a LONG line of folks waiting starting at 9:15 and we didn't even open the doors until 10:00.) We also had a wonderful cake, created by local baker, It's A Piece of Cake, that folks are STILL talking about! And we had a huge patio sale with many items up to 60% off.

Words cannot describe the feelings that I still have about the amazing number of folks who showed up to wait outside my store for this event. I really do have THE most wonderful customers, I mean really wonderful and loyal customers. I tried my best to greet every one of them, but am sure that I didn't get to them all. Many people waited over an hour to check out, with their arms loaded down with merchandise and were so patient. Some even made friends with others while they waited.

I have many blessings to be thankful for and the support of this event by so many wonderful people will always be one of them.

Elizabeth Howard

(Stay tuned for more info about what the 30 lucky customers found in their SWAG bags! I promise we will have many, many more bags for our next event.)

My Mommy Shops At...

2009-08-27T16:19:00.002-04:00

Take a look at these adorable kids sent in by one of our store's biggest fans! Make sure you read what their shirts say too...Thanks for sharing & shopping Sara, Cassidy & Parker!

Featured in Southern Living Magazine

2009-08-23T12:55:00.008-04:00

We are pleased to announce that we will now carry k. hall designs products in our store in Chester, Virginia. Their products were recently featured in Southern Living Magazine and we were very fortunate to be able to meet Kelley and have her personally help us with our first order of her products while at the New York Gift Fair recently. Read more about Kelley, her business story and her products below. (Photo: Left, Elizabeth Howard, owner of The Cordial Cricket with Kelley Hall, right owner of k. hall designs at NY Gift show booth)

Kelley Hall-Barr & John Barr - The people behind k. hall designs She’s the creative spirit; he’s the businessman. She’s the visionary; he’s the planner. Together, Kelley Hall-Barr and husband John Barr have succeeded in building a beautifully balanced business union called k. hall designs, which specializes in aromatic bath, body and home care products, including reed diffusers, candles, sheet sprays, perfumes, bath gels and salts, shea butter lotions and triple milled soaps made from high quality essential oils and other natural ingredients. Soon to be celebrating its 12th anniversary, k. hall designs is located in a charming 1940s- Deco-style warehouse in Brentwood, MO. The building serves as both company headquarters as well as houses an expanded (and busy) 2000 sq. ft. retail store.

Inside the delightful space, Kelley’s unique style is everywhere in evidence, from the ambrosial scents that waft through the air to the earthy, classically hip décor, including linen bedding, table linens, pottery and a blend of unusual gifts. But it is John’s capable and personable style of management that has allowed Kelley’s creative talents to truly blossom and come to fruition. In fact, under John’s leadership, the line has reached national prominence, receiving kudos from both regional and national publications for the quality of the products and scents as well as the elegant, timeless simplicity of the packaging. At the same time, the Barrs have also developed an impressive client list that ranges from trend-setting boutiques to major retail players such as The Cordial Cricket in Chester, Virginia.

Have You Ever Seen Anything So Precious?

2009-08-23T11:59:00.003-04:00

I am so thrilled to be able to offer all of our adorable baby shoppers at The Cordial Cricket, these precious new personalized outfits and accessories! Available in many different color combinations and in styles for both little girls and little boys, these outfits can be personalized with a monogram, name or initial. They also have coordinating diaper covers, burp cloths and bibs that can all be personalized too!

And for the bigger kids, we will also have personalized crayon aprons, crayon tool belts and travel art caddies. Come see and order these great new gift ideas, which will all be on display at our birthday party this Saturday, August 29th from 10:00 - 6:00. Read more about the party here.

Meet My New Friend, Wanda Webb

2009-08-23T11:30:00.005-04:00

(Left-Wanda Webb, owner of Wanda Webb Jewelry,

Right-Elizabeth Howard, owner of The Cordial Cricket)

Wanda Webb is one of my new most favorite people! After meeting Wanda at the New York Gift Fair, seeing her gorgeous jewelry and getting to know her wonderful personality, I knew that I had an instant friend and my customers had many new favorite accessories to wear.

Wanda Webb stepped in to meet the needs of customers by creating her own line of playful, colorful jewelry, and Wanda Webb Jewelry was born in 1982. The mediums they use have included beads of glass, sterling, wood, semi-precious stone, and Swarovski crystal, pearls, textiles such as ribbon and leather, sterling charms, pendants, and sterling chain. Wanda is the picture of a southern lady and really cares about her customers. I would love for all of you to be able to meet her and you just might, since we are talking about having her come to our store for a trunk show of all of her jewelry.

Wanda's sterling silver engraved jewelry line includes hundreds of pieces and is very affordable. It ships from their facility the next day after the order is placed and takes approximately 2 business days to reach our store in Virginia, making this our fastest turn-around for engraved jewelry and gifts! The jewelry display has already arrived and is set up in the store now for all to see. Come by soon to select your new Wanda Webb jewelry.

Ben's Garden

2009-08-23T10:40:00.005-04:00

We are pleased to introduce Ben's Garden handcrafted products to our customers. Arriving this week, we will be carrying several designs of Ben's glass paperweights, note pads, glass trinket trays and wall plaques as well as his beautiful nature inspired glass magnets. Come party with us on Saturday, August 29th when the new Ben's Garden display will be revealed for all to enjoy! These items feature wonderful inspirational quotes & messages and are made by Ben in his studio in New York. They will make wonderful gifts for your wonderful friends! Read more about Ben below.

Ben Busko has always drawn inspiration from the gardens surrounding him. Raised in Setauket, New York on Long Island, his mother and father, art gallery proprietors, introduced him to gardening with a small herb garden when he was 4 years old. Ben carefully arranged his garden plot, and propagated his plants for sale to family and friends. As Ben’s garden grew larger, so did his passion for gardening.

Ben started BEN’S GARDEN when he was just 8 years old, selling a small collection of decoupage crafts inspired by his garden. With persistence he developed account relationships with Smith & Hawken and the New York Botanical Garden. Impressive sales demonstrated the strong demand for his unique range.

Today, Ben Busko, 24, has a small staff of artists to assist with production of his signature BEN’S GARDEN designs. They use artisan techniques honored for centuries, in his Studio steps from the most fabled Gold Coast Harbor, in Oyster Bay, N.Y. on Long Island. His ever-expanding collection includes coasters, stationery, paperweights, artwork, decoupage trays and platters -all inspired by the charm in vintage papers, botanical prints & the antique curiosities he patiently unearths.

Ben’s celebrated BEN’S GARDEN stores bring a fresh perspective to America’s favorite passion. The stores feature his favorite things: unusual plants, myrtle topiaries, one-of-a-kind, vintage furniture, antiques, artwork, home accessories, garden instruments, garden ornaments, and beautiful books to lose an afternoon in. Stroll in to the sounds of a French café or preview the new store collections while sipping a mojito at our anticipated store events.

His prized designs are available through his 2 retail stores and upscale specialty retailers worldwide, such as The Cordial Cricket in Chester, Virginia. BEN’S GARDEN, the magazine column appears the beginning of every season in @Home Magazine. BEN’S GARDEN and his designs have recently been featured in InStyle and House & Garden magazines.

NY Gift Show & Our Birthday Party

2009-08-23T10:24:00.004-04:00

We recently travelled to New York City to attend the New York International Gift Fair, where we researched many new lines for our store. We pride ourselves on finding products to sell in our store that our customers cannot find anywhere else locally. So far, we have been very successful with meeting this goal and we often enjoy comments from our customers about how unique our merchandise is. One of the things that I love the most about owning a small business is meeting other small business owners. I enjoy working with smaller vendors who offer high quality products, made in the US and offer me the opportunity to meet and get to know the business owner, who is often the creative mind behind all of the products. We were able to do just this at NYIGF and I wanted to share with you the stories of some of the new vendors that you will find in our store beginning this week. Watch our upcoming blog posts about the great fellow business owners we met.

We will be introducing many new lines at our store, and will have a lot of them on display for our upcoming event next Saturday, August 29th. Come out and celebrate our Chester store's 1st birthday with us from 10:00 to 6:00. Enjoy cake, party favors, a huge patio sale with merchandise up to 60% OFF and SWAG bags for the first 30 customers to arrive at the party! Come early, bring a few friends, enjoy some great free stuff and our great sale all while getting the first look at all of our new merchandise.

Our Latest Press

2009-08-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - LOCAL RETAIL STORE FINALIST FOR NATIONAL AWARD

Chester, Virginia - August 19, 2009

The Cordial Cricket, a specialty retail store located in Chester, Virginia, was recently selected as a finalist in two categories of this year’s national Retailer Excellence Awards (REA). The four-year-old stationery and gift shop was selected among entries from across the country as one of two finalists in the Retail Internet Innovator category and one of three finalists in the Marketing Achievement category. In both categories the store received a runner-up award.

The REA awards have been presented for the last 58 years by industry publication Gifts & Decorative Accessories Magazine to recognize high achievers and excellence in retail across the United States. The awards were presented this year at the REA gala, which took place on Sunday, August 16th, in New York City. The Cordial Cricket’s owner, Elizabeth Howard, and two of its employees attended the event, along with other REA finalists such as Vera Bradley’s CEO and founder, Barbara Baekgaard. In addition to being recognized at the awards gala, all of the finalists were featured in the current issue of the Gifts & Decorative Accessories’ nationwide publication.

Howard started her company in 2005 as a home-based stationery business producing custom invitations and stationery. Two years later she opened her first retail store selling stationery and gifts, along with custom invitations, in a 700-square-foot space in Petersburg, Virginia. After outgrowing the space, Howard moved her business to a brand new 1,954-square-foot store in Chester’s new Festival Park. At this time she changed the store’s name from Paper With Style to The Cordial Cricket, obtained a US Trademark for the store’s new name, and launched a new website (www.thecordialcricket.com) to serve as an on-line store.

Howard’s on-line marketing efforts also include an emailed electronic newsletter and a blog that features information on new products, store events and product news, such as when a new bag line carried at The Cordial Cricket was featured on the ABC reality TV program, "The Bachelorette." She also stays strongly connected with her customers through the store’s Facebook page and with followers on Twitter.

This cross-promotional marketing strategy seems to be working to improve business across the board for The Cordial Cricket. Howard said her online store now ships orders all over the country and receives an increasing number of new, unique visitors each month. Her blog is receiving more traffic and comments every day. Her brick and mortar location is experiencing an increase in traffic. And her active customer list has increased 360 percent from 2007 to 2008.

With so many more retail and small businesses folding instead opening these days, Howard is optimistic about her store’s future. “The numbers are certainly pointing in the right direction,” she said, “with on-line and store traffic definitely up. But being recognized by national industry leaders for accomplishments in categories populated by retailers with much longer histories and stronger brand names than The Cordial Cricket, is not only an honor, but a strong signal that our marketing efforts are on target.”

To celebrate their success and thank their customers, Howard has planned a birthday party for their Chester store, which they will have occupied for one year on August 29th. The party, which will be held on Saturday, August 29th, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m, will feature cake, party hats, a patio sale with discounts up to 60 percent off and displays of many new products. The first 30 customers that day will also receive SWAG bags filled with free merchandise from some of The Cordial Cricket’s largest vendors.

“Everyone talks about what the celebrities get in their SWAG bags at the Oscars and the Emmys, so I want our customers to enjoy feeling like celebrities too,” stated Howard. “Honestly, it is the least we can do for such great cheerleaders of our business.”

# # #

For more information or media inquiries contact Elizabeth Howard at:

Phone

804-425-9768

Email

info@thecordialcricket.com <mailto:info@thecordialcricket.com>

Mail

The Cordial Cricket

3524 Festival Park Plaza

Chester, VA 23831

Website:

www.thecordialcricket.com

NY City Here We Come!

2009-08-15T15:09:00.002-04:00

That's right we are headed to NY City in the wee hours of the a.m. tomorrow. Our flight leaves at 6:00 a.m. which means a 4:45 a.m. or so arrival at the Richmond airport = little sleep tonight! We are very excited to be attending the New York International Gift Fair for the very first time. There will be over 2,900 vendors there showcasing their exciting new merchandise and over 40,000 people in attendance! We are also even more excited to attend the 58th Annual Retailer Excellence Awards at the Marriott Marquis Hotel, where we are a finalist in two categories! Please keep your fingers crossed for us as we attend the awards gala and find out if we win tomorrow night.

Don't you worry, we will be "tweeting" on Twitter and updating on Facebook to keep everyone aware of what's going on while we are in NYC, we will also be documenting our trip with our new Flip video camera and giving you a sneak preview of some of the awesome new merchandise we will be buying for the store! Stay tuned for more...and don't forget to follow us on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook so that you can keep us with us during our travels!