there's a club we joined: lovely design address file

[Martha posted about this earlier in the week, but I couldn't resist posting about it too.]

If you google "lovely design address file," your search results will be myriad glowing reviews, beautiful photos, and odes to its perfect craftsmanship. She's been featured in Martha Stewart Weddings (here), design*sponge (here), Apartment Therapy (here), and beaucoup other online style/gift sources. The ideas for its usage do not stop with containing addresses: wedding guest book, craft ideas, or recipe file are some of the other applications writers have found.

And they're not lying about its loveliness. Sharilyn crafts these herself out of maple or black walnut, and hand-cuts the file inserts using all different patterns and colors of found paper.



[images from here]

After chatting about this for months, how did Sister & me decide that this purchase was worthy of its hefty price tag? My reasons below:

1. To support fine craftsmanship.

2. I really do write letters fairly often (4x/week at least?) so why not have a stunning and charming place to keep correspondents' addresses which is delightful to look at too?

3. It's really really pretty and really really lovely.

4. The Coup: Sharilyn at lovely design (who is very lovely herself) has a waiting list for these suckers. On a whim, Martha and I put our names on the waiting list a few months ago, thinking "maybe Christmas...?" When we received that magic email that said, "Leslie, I have an address file set aside for you!" how could we resist? Sharilyn sure knows how to work supply and demand.

Even the way they're packaged is lovely.

[Sharilyn makes a conscious effort to use no plastic in her packaging. Read more about it here on Apartment Therapy.]


[special tag with your name. the address file has found its new home!]


[the bottom of the address file...these guys are not mass-productions. image from here.]

Next on the docket: Sister & I have been working on some labels for the address file cards, so we don't "mess them up." Inspired by The Small Object, who created her own precious (free!) labels for this very address file.


Rest assured, both Martha and I entered many many blog giveaways for this item before we settled on buying one for ourselves. I know this purchase is easy to misunderstand...but if you want to come over and see mine for yourself, you'll just know it was worth it. Isn't she lovely?


[Lovely Design website, Sharilyn's blog]