No this isn’t the first time Shoplet.com has appeared on facebook.  About a year ago we launched “The Green Office” App, which helps you to purchase green office supplies on Facebook.This year we decided to relaunch our presence on facebook, with a whole new look and a whole new mission. We want to hear from you. We want to be friends with you which means listening to your suggestions/ideas, looking at the cool office supplies you find, and getting to know you better in general! If you’d like to join us on facebook, access our company page HERE We hope to see you soon!

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Nikes are pretty “in” I would say right now. I see lots of hipster kids walking around with tight pants and giant nikes all the time. Nike is really quite the genius brand, the way they weaseled their way into the skater/hipster crowd. Anyways, I saw this post these sweet paper kicks on this site yesterday and I just had to pass them on. Designer David Browning, an illustrator attending UWE in Bristol, has so many paper creations! I couldn’t believe it. Now that you’ve seen his shoes, check out his cool boxes.

I saved my favorite for last. Pop Up Books!

If you feel inspired, stock up on Color Paper at Shoplet.com.

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I promise no more plugs for Sharpie! (after this post) If you think I get paid to blog about Sharpies, you’re wrong. I wish that sanford cut me an extra check for the devotion  I have to the Sharpie brand but I really do toot their horn without pay. Anyways, to share a little personal information, I’m actually getting married next month and right now I’m waist deep in stuffing, addressing, and sending invitations. Who knew there were so many guidelines for sending invitations??

Here’s the one that’s important. Hand written addresses on the envelopes are a must- they aren’t even optional.  I’ve been told it’s almost offensive to even consider printing off labels and slapping them on. I’ve been lightly thinking about which pens we should use to address the envelopes and then I came across the perfect product : Sharpie Calligraphy Pens.

I always expected anything with the word “calligraphy” in the product name would be way out of my price range. These are only 6 bucks! I went to Sharpie’s website to see if they had any tutorials on the product and sure enough, I was not disappointed.  They provided a PDF  that will help you practice writing Old English Letters!  Click to Download it

This weekend I will be addressing a million invitations and I’ll keep you updated as to how great I feel about the pen after using it extensively (all I’ve done so far is to scribble some cursive on a piece of scratch paper.) Have you tried it? Have any tips you can share? Thanks and have a great weekend!

**UPDATE**

Over the weekend I used my pack of Sharpie Calligraphy pens to address around 300 invitations. Overall, it was a good experience. I used the brown marker at first which really did look like a cheap crayola marker on the label and was somewhat difficult to write with. I actually switched half way through to a fountain pen which was easier to write with but thinner than i wanted. Eventually  I decided to try the markers again and I LOVED the black one. It looked less like a marker and had a deeper, richer color. If you need to address invitations or formal envelopes, just get the single black Sharpie calligraphy marker and you’ll be set! (I actually liked the blue one too, the color was just a little too bright for our invites.)

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I’m surprised I haven’t brought up this disney movie before. Beauty and the Beast = my favorite Disney Movie. I came across this article on choosing an ostrich feather duster and the first picture that popped into my head was Babette the feather duster from Beauty and the Beast. Maybe that’s why feather dusters have always seemed so elegant and uppity to me. Anyways, the article is entitled How to Choose the Best Ostrich Feather Duster that I thought I would share with you [Thanks to The Dusting Store for the great tips!]

Compared to other bird feathers, ostrich feathers have long barbs (the branch-like strands that run out from the feathers shaft) that are perfect for picking up dust. The three basic differences in ostrich feather dusters are the size of the duster, the type of feathers used, and the type of handle or casing holding the feathers. Size With ostriches being large birds, ostrich feather dusters can range in size from 10″to 28″ long (including handle). You will want to use the larger dusters for high ceilings or open areas, and the smaller ones for general cleaning around shelves, desks, and tables.

There are 3 basic size ranges: Small dusters in the 10″-14″ range. Medium dusters in the 17″-23″ range, and large dusters in the “27-30″ range. The most popular size tends to be in the middle range between 17″ -23″ (Including handle). Extension poles are also an option. Some ostrich feather dusters are made with a threaded head that can attach to an extension pole to reach ceiling areas, ceiling fans, and other hard-to-reach areas.

Types of Feathers
There are 3 basic types of ostrich feathers, each having different characteristics as follows:

Gray Feathers–Gray feathers (called “drab” feathers) are exclusive to the mature (3-4 years old) female birds, and come from the long growth on the part of the wings as they near the body. Gray feathers are somewhat stark in nature, and less “stringy” than black feathers. Gray ostrich feathers are not as soft as the “black” feathers which come from the male birds. They are still a soft feather, however, and work great for most cleaning purposes…

Black Feathers–Black feathers are unique, softer feathers (compared to the gray “drab” feathers) and are exclusive to the mature male birds. There are about 4 female birds to every one male bird. The black feathers tend to be more “stringy” in nature, and less stark or pointed than gray feathers. Because of this “stringy” nature, the black feathers tend to fill in the head of the duster more, and are a very soft and premium duster. In the natural state, the larger feathers can have frosted tips of a different color (white and beige usually) and can have a blend of white coloring at the stem end. Any ostrich feather that is pure white, or any other bright color, is the result of dyeing.

Floss Feathers–Floss feathers are premium feathers, that are taken from the under-wing covert areas of an ostrich covering the area where the wing feathers attach to the body. These soft feathers make a very soft and unique feather duster–with wavy feathers that can feel like soft fur. Do to where they are found on the bird, they are not as long as gray or black feathers. Type of Handles or Casing There are two basic types of handles or casing. Wood/plastic–Most feather dusters are made with a round wooden handle made of pine, or birch, or similar less expensive wood. The handles are either stained or lacquered. Some handles are made of plastic or other composite materials. Slide Casing–Some feather dusters are called “retractable” feather dusters. Instead of a handle, the feathers are attached to a slide mechanism, and slide up and down inside a plastic casing. When the slide is down, the feathers are protected inside a casing similar to the size of a standard flashlight handle. When the slide is up, the feathers push out and are ready for dusting. These are popular among delivery truck drivers who carry the dusters in their pocket, and then use them to dust off product displays or merchandise when they stock shelves.

So who knew there was so much to know about feather dusters! Hope that helps you make your decision! Head on over to Shoplet.com if you need a new duster for your home or office!

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Check us out on FastCompany.com ! Thanks to FastCompany Expert Blogger Glenn Croston for telling our story. Here’s some great excerpts:

“Shoplet is taking this route and making it easy to switch to green because they see an opportunity; in the last 3 years they have seen demand for these products grow over 700%. “We saw a demand for greener, more energy efficient office supplies and we wanted to provide our customers with the largest selection possible,” says Ellison. “While we see the biggest demand for things like recycled copy paper, we are also seeing more people buying other recycled paper products, recycled notebooks and even bigger items like recycled chairs and desks.” To help with shopping green, Shoplet has a Facebook application that calculates the number of trees saved, energy conserved, and water conserved as a result of buying more eco-friendly products. ”

“As more businesses move toward sustainability they find that they are not alone. Businesses are part of an interconnected supply chain, working with other businesses on sustainability. “We have also been working closely with our manufacturers to help them come up with eco-friendly ways to improve their products,” says Ellison. “HP, for instance, produces increasingly more energy efficient printers using more recycled materials. We try to convey to our manufacturers the demand we see from our customers for more recycled office supplies.” They now work with manufacturers like Smead and House-of-Dolittle that are responding to increased demand by offering whole lines of products made from 100% recycled material. Manufacturers of electronic equipment also see this mainstream demand for more energy efficient products, and are finding ways to incorporating recycled materials into their products and making them more easily recyclable at the end of their life cycle. ”

Thanks again to Fast Company and remember to choose Shoplet for all your recycled office supplies!

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